South San Francisco City Council Regular Meeting - June 28, 2023

The South San Francisco City Council held a regular meeting on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers at 33 Arroyo Drive. Mayor Buenaflor Nicolas presided, with Vice Mayor Mark Nagales and Councilmembers Mark Addiego, James Coleman, and Eddie Flores present. The meeting included presentations, public comment, consent calendar approvals, and several administrative business items, including adoption of the FY2023-24 operating budget and capital improvement program.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes for June 14 and June 16, 2023 (Item 4).
• Approved cancellation of the August 9, 2023 regular meeting (Item 5).
• Accepted the Westborough Park Pathways Project as complete at a total cost of $876,363.51 (Item 7).
• Approved budget amendments for bridge maintenance grants (Items 8, 8A) after discussion clarifying that erroneous prior CIP entries were being corrected. The amendments remove $1,569,000 and $528,000 in Highway Bridge Program grants that were never appropriated.
• Authorized grant application for the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program for Junipero Serra and Westborough Boulevard pedestrian and bicycle connectivity (Items 9, 9A).
• Approved purchase agreements for Water Quality Control Plant process chemicals (Items 10, 10A).
• Approved play structure equipment purchase for Centennial Trail Improvements (Items 11, 11A) after discussion about phasing and grant constraints.
• Approved amendment to Lyngsoe Systems contract for the Library|Parks & Recreation facility (Items 12, 12A).
• Accepted donations for the Volunteer Gala totaling $31,000 from AbbVie, South San Francisco Scavenger’s Company, Amgen, Genentech, and Rotary Club (Items 13, 13A).
• Approved amendments to landscape maintenance agreements with Frank and Grossman and Gothic Landscaping (Items 14, 14A, 14B).
• Approved second amendment to workers’ compensation claims agreement with Athens Administrators, increasing amount by $225,658 (Items 15, 15A).
• Deferred Item 16 (Wage and Salary Schedule) to July 12, 2023.
• Approved third amendments to contracts with JobTrain ($515,387) and Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center ($573,327) for services at the Economic Advancement Center (Items 17, 17A, 17B). Councilmember Flores highlighted the center’s origin from the Social and Racial Equity Commission and inquired about extended hours and college counseling services.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Leslie Fonks spoke about two issues: (1) Recommending a fireworks buyback program, recalling a previous city event where she received $5 for unused fireworks. (2) Expressing frustration with the handling of her housing lottery application at the Litton Apartments. She reported receiving incorrect information about apartment viewings, application fees, deposits, and qualification for a two-bedroom unit, and stated that the developer was rude and threatened to drop her from the list. Mayor Nicolas indicated the city's Economic and Community Development staff would follow up with her.

Discussion Items

• Sign Hill Master Plan (Item 18): Joshua Richardson, Parks Division Manager, introduced the planning process. Consultants from Gates and Associates and WRA presented preliminary findings from existing conditions studies and public outreach (over 400 survey responses). Key proposals include trail realignments to improve accessibility, habitat restoration for endangered butterflies (Mission Blue and Callippe Silverspot), and wildfire hazard reduction. Visitor counts ranged from 100–170 per day, with the Ridgeview Court entrance most popular. Council discussed parking challenges at other entrances, the need for interpretive signage, translation accuracy in the Spanish survey (noting “Alamo Avenue” erroneously listed instead of “Poplar Avenue”), and opportunities for youth and senior engagement. A town hall is scheduled for July 12, 2023, and the final plan is expected for adoption in October 2023.
• Solid Waste Collection Rate Adjustment (Item 19): Paul Harris, Financial Services Manager, presented the proposed FY2023-24 rate increase based on 80% of CPI (3.9%), except for biosolids disposal which faces a significant increase due to SB 1383 compliance (from ~$67/ton to $120/ton July 1, then $154/ton by January 1, 2024). Paul Formosa of South San Francisco Scavenger Company outlined state mandates, including color-compliant bins, bin monitoring, and load sampling. He reported the company’s continued investment in renewable natural gas fleet and optical sorters. Councilmember Flores inquired about incentives for landlords to participate in multifamily cleanup programs and suggested reimagining the citywide cleanup event due to traffic impacts. The resolution was approved.
• Operating Budget FY2023-24 (Item 20): Finance Director Karen Chang presented a balanced general fund budget of approximately $140 million, supported by a one-time $4.9 million transfer from ARPA funds to cover a shortfall. Revenue projections: property tax $48M, sales tax $23M, hotel tax $15M. Expenditures include 11.35 new FTEs and $3.3M in supplies/services. Councilmembers praised staff’s fiscal prudence and noted the budget reflects community priorities. The resolution adopted the budget and approved the Gann Appropriations Limit.
• Capital Improvement Program FY2023-24 (Item 21): Principal Engineer Matt Ruble presented a $260 million CIP with $40.35 million in new appropriations across 172 projects (34 new). Categories include public facilities ($300K), parks ($2M), storm drains ($2M), sanitary sewer ($26M, partly reimbursed by San Bruno), streets ($4.6M), and traffic projects ($5.3M). Traffic projects include corridor studies, signal improvements at Junipero Serra/Arroyo and Chestnut/Commercial, and a citywide school zone speed reduction program with enhanced crossings. Council approved the CIP.
• Conference Center Authority Budget FY2023-24 (Item 22): Executive Director Jim McGuire reported the conference center exceeded last year’s budget, closing a negative gap by $113,000. The proposed budget projects $4.86M in revenue and $3.22M in expenditures, resulting in positive net income of $56,000 – the first time revenue has exceeded expenditures (excluding conference center tax) in over 15 years. The reserve fund stands at $3.5M. Capital requests include $224,000 for safety improvements. McGuire noted ongoing challenges from San Francisco’s tourism image but highlighted aggressive sales efforts. Councilmembers praised the turnaround. The resolution was approved.
• Small Business Post-Pandemic Recovery Grant Program (Item 26): Ernesto Lucero, Economic Development Manager, presented acceptance of a $100,000 ARPA grant from San Mateo County to provide $5,000 microgrants to about 20 small businesses, along with technical assistance. Staff will return with program guidelines in late summer. The resolution was approved.

Key Outcomes

• Approved consent calendar items 4–15, 17 with roll call votes (all ayes), after pulling items 8, 11, and 17 for separate discussion and votes.
• Adopted the FY2023-24 Operating Budget (Resolution 20A) and Gann Appropriations Limit (unanimous).
• Adopted the FY2023-24 Capital Improvement Program with $40,349,600 in new appropriations (Resolution 21A) (unanimous).
• Approved the solid waste rate increase effective July 1, 2023 (Resolution 19A) (unanimous).
• Approved the Conference Center Authority FY2023-24 Budget (Resolution 22A) (unanimous).
• Accepted the $100,000 ARPA grant for small business recovery (Resolution 26A) (unanimous).
• Agreed to follow up on Leslie Fonks' housing concerns through ECD staff.
• Directed staff to consider expanded outreach for Sign Hill Master Plan, including use of the city’s Flash Vote tool and weekend tabling at the farmers market.
• Items 16, 25, and certain interim spending items (23, 24) were deferred to July 12, 2023, or rendered unnecessary by budget approval.