South San Francisco City Council Regular Meeting - March 8, 2023
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South San Francisco City Council Regular Meeting - March 8, 2023
The South San Francisco City Council held a regular meeting on March 8, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Services Building. The meeting included proclamations for Women's History Month and Women in Construction Week, a presentation from Alliance for Community Empowerment (ALLICE) on domestic violence, and a presentation from Peninsula Clean Energy. Public comments centered on preserving the Municipal Services Building as a senior/community center and labor standards. The consent calendar was approved, with item 10 (Police Officer Wellness grant) discussed. A public hearing was held on the 2023-2027 Consolidated Plan and 2024 Annual Action Plan for CDBG funding, with numerous nonprofits presenting. Key administrative actions included appointing Sharon Ranals as permanent City Manager, authorizing a letter of support for AB 1319 (BAFA), and approving a loan amendment for the Baden Station affordable housing project (36 units, 18 for individuals with disabilities). All motions passed unanimously.
Presentations
- Proclamation recognizing March as Women's History Month was presented to Corinne Burgess, President of the South San Francisco Women's Club.
- Proclamation recognizing Women in Construction Week (March 5-11, 2023) was presented to Denise Redmond Crossland via Zoom.
- Presentation by Alliance for Community Empowerment (ALLICE) on domestic violence education, resources, and the A-List resource guide.
- Presentation by Peninsula Clean Energy CEO Jan Pepper on energy programs, savings ($11.7 million saved for South San Francisco since 2016), renewable energy goals (100% renewable every hour by 2025), and community benefits (e-bike rebates, EV charging stations, REACH codes). Councilmember Addiego asked about the current energy portfolio and e-bike program.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Multiple speakers (Cynthia Markopoulos, Corey David, Nanette Cole, Tom Carney) urged the council to preserve the Municipal Services Building as a senior/community center, citing parking reductions from 220 to 45 spaces and the need for senior services. They requested a special community meeting on the building's future.
- Corey David criticized council's handling of the MSB and requested a fact-based discussion.
- Kenneth Doe (Carpenter's Local 217) advocated for prevailing wage and labor standards in city development projects.
- Fianola commented on consent item 5 (minutes), alleging UN Agenda 21 influence, and on item 7 (meal donation from Healthpeak), raising concerns about conflicts of interest and lack of transparency.
- Tom Carney spoke again in support of saving the MSB.
- Ronnie (online) supported CDBG agencies and emphasized hiring people with disabilities.
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously (5-0) after Councilmember Addiego pulled Item 10 (Police Officer Wellness grant) for discussion. Chief Campbell explained the grant ($53,358.28) funds a confidential mobile wellness app, peer support group expansion, and training. Council voted to approve the consent calendar with item 10 included.
Public Hearing: CDBG Consolidated Plan
- Staff presented the 2023-2027 Consolidated Plan and 2024 Annual Action Plan. Data showed over 2,000 renter households severely cost-burdened, 60% rent increase since 2010, and a need for affordable housing, senior centers, childcare, and supportive services. The first of two required hearings; second on April 26.
- Council received comments from 16 nonprofit organizations seeking CDBG funding: Center for Independence of Individuals with Disabilities (CID), CORA, El Concilio, Friends for Youth, Health Mobile, HIP Housing, Legal Aid Society, Life Moves, Ombudsman Services, Peninsula Family Service, Project Sentinel, Rape Trauma Services, Rebuilding Together Peninsula, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, Safe Harbor Shelter, and Star Vista. All described their programs, goals, and progress. Council thanked them and encouraged outreach.
Discussion Items
- Item 14: City Manager Employment Agreement – Moved up after consent calendar. Council approved a resolution appointing Sharon Ranals as permanent City Manager with a base salary of $350,000, same benefits as executive management, and temporary vacation cap relief during recruitment of an assistant city manager. Ranals, a 42-year city employee, is the first female City Manager in the city's 114-year history. Motion carried unanimously (5-0) after public comments from Ethan Mizzy (Youth Commission chair) and Mina Richardson (online) who asked about residency requirements; City Attorney clarified no residency requirement in the agreement.
- Item 12: Letter of Support for AB 1319 (Bay Area Housing Finance Authority Clean-Up Legislation) – Council authorized the Mayor to send a letter supporting AB 1319, which clarifies BAFA's administrative functions, lending authority, and tenant protections. An amendment was added to request prioritization of funding for communities that have passed Article 34 authorization (i.e., voter approval for affordable housing bonds). Motion passed unanimously.
- Item 13: Baden Station Loan Amendment – Council approved the first amendment to a $4,050,000 loan for 36 affordable housing units at 428-432 Baden Avenue (18 units set aside for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities). The amendment converts $1.1 million from short-term to long-term debt, allowing construction to close by March 17 and start by March 27 to preserve 9% tax credits. Council discussed local hire and apprenticeship priorities; developer Jim Rendon agreed to engage with unions. Motion passed unanimously (5-0).
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar approved (including Officer Wellness grant).
- Sharon Ranals appointed City Manager (first female in city history).
- Letter of support for AB 1319 approved with Article 34 prioritization amendment.
- Loan amendment for Baden Station affordable housing project approved.
- Public hearing on CDBG plan held; second hearing scheduled for April 26, 2023.
- Councilmembers reported on community events: police update on armed robbery arrests, parks and rec events (youth art show, opera, Easter egg hunt), storm preparation, school district meetings, and affordable housing waitlist openings.
- Mayor adjourned the meeting in memory of Hector Camacho Jr. and Cuauhtemoc Alvarado.
Meeting Transcript
And Councilmember Coleman has joined us. Thank you. Notice. Is it just me that you can hear or uh can you check if the I I hear you, but it's an echo, and I've gotten a few texts from uh attendees that it's very hard for them to hear online. I just want to make sure maybe the mics are are are not on I'm ready when you are mayor. Hello, can you hear it? Is it better? Oh, wonderful. Okay, now we can proceed. Yes. So present day. Oh uh announcements from staff. Yeah. Agenda review, madam mayor. Oh, the agenda review. Oh, sorry. So we are moving item 14 to the front of uh right after the consent, I would say. Yes. Sounds good, madam. Thank you. Moving on to announcements from staff. Good evening, Sharon Randall's here. We do have three announcements from staff. Uh the first one is our police chief Scott Campbell. Good evening, Madam Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council members, Scott Campbell, your chief of police. I have some fantastic news to share with you this evening. Uh, as you are aware, in January, we had an armed takeover robbery on the 300 block of Grand Avenue where two masked gunmen rob the merchant of U.S. currency. Uh, this was quite concerning to our merchants as well as our downtown community. Our investigators have been working diligently uh on this investigation and have since taken two suspects into custody without incidents, one of which was attempting to flee the country. This case would not have been solved uh without our highly skilled investigators and the use of our technological resources to include our new ALPR camera database system. Uh I'd like to know that the case is still currently under investigation. We do have leads um in apprehending a third individual that was responsible. And I'd like you to know that the downtown merchants and visitors uh are a priority for their safety, and we will continue to do what we can to make that area as safe as possible. Thank you. Thank you, Chief. Great. Uh our second announcement is uh parks and recreation announcement from Deputy Director Angela Doldalau. Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members. I'm here tonight to update you on a few upcoming parks and recreation events. So we're really excited to look forward to the spring to kick off our event season starting with this Friday. We have our youth art show hosted by the Cultural Arts Commission in partnership with the South San Francisco Unified School District. This event is free and open to the public and will take place um in this building, the municipal services building at 33 Arroyo Drive. It starts on Friday, March 10th from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. And Saturday, March 11th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also this weekend we were looking forward to the youth baseball parade to kick off the baseball season. Unfortunately, the leagues decided to cancel this wonderful event due to the weather. Um, but we still look forward to upcoming games for the season.
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