South San Francisco City Council Regular Meeting – April 26, 2023

The South San Francisco City Council met in regular session on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers, Municipal Services Building, 33 Arroyo Drive. Mayor Flor Nicolas presided; present were Vice Mayor Mark Nagales and Councilmembers Mark Addiego, James Coleman, and Eddie Flores. The agenda included proclamations, a fellowship presentation, public comment, the consent calendar, a Complete Streets grant resolution, a preschool construction management agreement, and a $9 million fire station budget appropriation.

Presentations & Proclamations

• The Council presented a Certificate of Recognition to Lori Huang, Jizelle Oliva, and Mia Tolentino for an Honorable Mention in C-SPAN’s StudentCam documentary competition for their film Health Is Wealth, addressing health inequity. The students spoke about wanting accessible, non-discriminatory health care for everyone.
• Councilmember Coleman presented a proclamation recognizing May as Older Americans Month to Beverly Carnettes of Rotary Plaza, an affordable senior housing complex. Carnettes stated that “housing is the best medicine.”
• The City Clerk’s office accepted a proclamation recognizing April 30 – May 6, 2023, as the 54th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week.
• Vice Mayor Nagales presented a proclamation for Hepatitis Awareness Month to Richard So, Executive Director of San Francisco Hep B Free Bay Area. The proclamation noted that hepatitis takes the lives of 1.1 million people worldwide each year and that 1 in 12 Asian Americans is chronically affected by hepatitis B. So highlighted new California screening laws, calling it the “Hep B trifecta,” and said all services should be covered by insurance.
• Councilmember Flores presented a proclamation recognizing April as Arab American Heritage Month to the Jordanian American Association, led by President Sima and board member Joe Ayub. The association has called South San Francisco home for about 39 years.
• Danielle Thoe, Housing Manager, presented an update on the Partnership for the Bay’s Future Breakthrough Grant Fellowship. She had been a fellow, accepted the city housing manager job, and a new fellow posting is live with a target start by end of summer. Work plan priorities include an Opportunity to Purchase Act, an affordable housing spending plan, anti-displacement policies, and land acquisition. Evelyn Stivers and Kiana Simons of the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County also spoke in support of the partnership.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tom Carney, a District 5 resident, expressed concerns about blight on Airport Boulevard, including trash, weeds, potholes, and broken infrastructure. He said large developers should pay for road damage and recommended creating an ad hoc committee. He stated he has been raising these issues for five years with little change.
• During the Complete Streets discussion, several members of the public spoke in support of the temporary demonstration project. Carlos Moreno of the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition called the conversation “game changing”; Jules Burlet, a Westborough resident and school teacher, urged choosing all three segments for more continuous protected bike lanes; Anthony Montes of the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition recommended including an Orange-to-Spruce connection for the future bike network; and Nina Gardi of the San Mateo County Office of Education highlighted Safe Routes to School benefits and youth safety.

Consent Calendar

• Motion approved the minutes of April 12 and April 19, 2023.
• Resolution accepted $26,433.40 in donations from Tri Counties Bank and local residents via the South San Francisco Public Library Foundation, appropriating funds through Budget Amendment 23.062 for the new Library, Parks and Recreation Center capital project.
• Resolution accepted $3,500 in grant funding from Quality Counts San Mateo County for the Big Lift Little Steps Preschool at the Community Learning Center, amending the Parks and Recreation budget via Budget Amendment 23.064.
• Resolution approved Budget Amendment 23.066, appropriating $50,000 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (Fund 205) for relocation assistance payments and related administrative expenses under Municipal Code Chapter 8.70, and authorized the City Manager to execute documents.
• Resolution approved a purchase and sale agreement with the City and County of San Francisco for property used for Mission Road and Antoinette Lane for the Community Civic Campus Project.

The consent calendar was approved unanimously on a single roll-call vote.

Discussion Items

• Complete Streets Leadership Academies Grant (Item 12/12a): Senior Transportation Planner Christopher Espiritu reported on a $15,000 grant from Smart Growth America to participate in a Caltrans Complete Streets Leadership Academies demonstration on El Camino Real/State Route 82. Three potential temporary, three-week segments were presented: Ponderosa Drive to Country Club Drive; Country Club Drive to Spruce/Hazelwood; and First Avenue/Southwood to West Orange. The demonstration would install temporary protected bike lanes, high-visibility crosswalks, and possible bus boarding islands while maintaining vehicle access. Councilmembers favored combining alternatives 1 and 2 to connect to the Centennial Trail and reach South San Francisco High School. Patrick Gilster of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority confirmed some existing bike/pedestrian grant funds could be repurposed to expand community engagement. The Council adopted the resolution accepting the grant and directing staff to proceed with the combined alternative 1 + 2 project.
• Kitchell CEM Consulting Services Agreement (Item 13/13a): The Council authorized a professional services agreement with Kitchell CEM, in an amount not to exceed $1,353,609, for program and construction management for the 840 West Orange Avenue and Westborough Preschool Projects. Director Jacob Gilchrist explained the work will add approximately 150 preschool slots. Councilmembers discussed the procurement process: only Kitchell submitted a proposal, although 24 firms downloaded the package and two other firms declined due to staffing. City Attorney Sky Woodruff said the process met the city’s policy and legal requirements, while Councilmember Flores noted the optics were not ideal. The agreement was approved unanimously.
• Fire Station #63 Budget Amendment (Item 14/14a): The Council approved Budget Amendment 23.065, appropriating $9,000,000 from Fund 280 for Community Civic Campus Phase 3: Fire Station #63 at 71 Camaritas. The total project budget is $32 million, with $25 million coming from South Line community benefits. Deputy Fire Chief Matt Sampson noted Station 63 is 15–20 percent busier than any other city fire station. The appropriation was approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• The consent calendar was approved 5–0.
• A resolution accepting the $15,000 Smart Growth America Complete Streets grant was adopted, with direction to implement a combined demonstration project covering alternatives 1 and 2.
• The City Manager was authorized to execute the Kitchell CEM agreement for the two preschool projects.
• Budget Amendment 23.065 appropriating $9,000,000 for Fire Station #63 was approved.
• Councilmembers made announcements about future events, including a May 13 farmers market reopening at Orange Park and a gun buyback on May 6.

Closed Session

• The Council held a closed session under Government Code for conference with real property negotiators concerning properties at 226–246 Grand Avenue. Agency negotiators were Nell Selander, Danielle Thoe, and Sky Woodruff. The negotiating party was identified as GIFRA Enterprises LLC; price and terms were under negotiation. No reportable action was announced.