Friday, February 26, 2010

Special Meeting of the Disability Disaster Preparedness Committee - March 2




Special Meeting of the Disability Disaster Preparedness Committee (DDPC)
WHEN: March 2, 2010         
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM 
WHERE:  San Francisco City Hall, Room 408 

One of the "lessons learned" all too many times from Loma Prieta to Katrina is that people with disabilities have fared poorly in disaster response due to the lack of disability expertise during these efforts. Please consider attending this special meeting of the DDPC to discuss:
  • The City's overall plan for sheltering displaced residents, including people with disabilities and seniors.
  • Learn how agencies fit into the big picture of disaster response and recovery for the disability community.
  • Solicit your collaboration through a Statement of Understanding (SOU) and identify available resources to assist you in your organizational preparedness.  
The Agenda for the meeting can be found by clicking here. RSVP is strongly encouraged, please call either Joanna Fraguli at 554-6750, or Carla Johnson at 554-6785 if you have additional questions or need a disability accommodation in order to participate.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting in March!

TAKE ACTION NOW - CA Census 2010 Business Resource Guide




BOMA San Francisco Members:

The Countdown is on for the 2010 Census.

National Census Day, April 1, 2010 is fast approaching, and the California Complete Count wants to make census outreach for business as simple as possible. Please click here for a user-friendly Business Resource Guide with one-click access to tools, talking points, newsletter drafts and resources.  We need you to implement your outreach starting NOW through April 30, 2010.

The Californian Census Business Resource includes action-oriented messages for Census 2010 outreach.  Messaging is available in many content formats such as newsletter articles, emails, talking points, short messages and slogans, and much more.  We hope you will reach out to your clients, members, customers and employees. As a key California organization, you are an integral part of our statewide Census outreach strategy.

Check out www.californiacompletecount.org  for updates to this resource guide and other helpful tools.

Apply for California's FIRST Citizens Redistricting Commission





Every 10 years, after the federal census, California and every state in the country – must redraw the boundaries of its Senate, Assembly and State Board of Equalization districts to reflect the new population data. How these boundaries are drawn affects how people are represented. Previously, these boundaries were drawn by lawmakers, but when voters passed Proposition 11 (the Voters FIRST Act) in the November 2008 general election, that responsibility transferred to the people in the form of a new Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Now it's YOUR chance to draw the lines!  As such, BOMA San Francisco and BOMA California members should strongly consider applying for the Commission between December 15, 2009 through February 12, 2010 by clicking here .  For detailed information on the Commission including: who can serve, how many commission members there will be, the selection process, the length of service on the Commission, etc., click here!

Please see the flow chart of the process for creating the Commission, below.  You can also access this information, here.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

The News Links - February 23-25, 2010


San Francisco Examiner: Mayor's stimulus would boost building.


San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. plazas, 'parklets' spout, squeeze out cars.



Commercial Real Estate

San Francisco

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma


California

The Economy

Energy & Environment

General

BOMA California Collaborates with American Heart Association on AED Legislation





BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA California has collaborated with the American Heart Association (AHA) on California State Senate Bill 1281, a measure that addresses the liability of property owners who install Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) in their buildings for the benefit of their tenants and visitors.  The AHA is the official sponsor of the bill.  You can read the current version of the measure, here.

Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team will monitor this legislation and work closely with BOMA California to make sure you know of any important amendments to the measure and its status as it moves through the State Capitol.  If you have any questions or suggestions on about the bill, please contact Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs at kenc@boma.com.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Snapshot: Energy Deregulation State of California

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please take a moment to read the following article on energy deregulation in California produced by Steven Ring, Director of Client Solutions with Cushman & Wakefield and a member of BOMA San Francisco Board of Directors:

Background: California used to be an open electricity market whereby rate payers could purchase their electric supply from providers other than the local investor owned utilities. This program is known as Direct Access. Due to the power crisis in 2001, Direct Access was suspended and customers not already on Direct Access were limited to buying power only from their local utility (PGE, SCE, SDG&E).

In late 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law SB 695 that allows a minimal amount of overall energy supply to be open to a deregulated market. Currently, past energy users that utilized the deregulated markets will have priority to this limited amount of energy being open to the market. The Dept of Water and Resources (DWR) has oversight of the deregulated energy users that took advantage of deregulation in the past. These users, in general, consists of manufacturers and large 24/7 energy users. On March 11th, a court ruling is being made if these users should have priority. If the ruling is in their favor, then a vast majority of the open market energy could be utilized by these users, allowing minimal or no energy for newly interested users of the deregulated market. Leading up to the final CPUC decision, it is expected that no preferential treatment will be given to former Direct Access customers.

Dates and Deadlines: The current target date for the opening of this market is April 11,2010. All newly interested parties must produce an NOI no later than March 18, 2010. The rumor is this may be pushed back till April 1, 2010.

As of today’s date, the NOI form is not available on-line but should be soon. It will be available on the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) site and the utility companies should be able to direct a client to the form. Utility consultants and power brokers are designing their own applications in anticipation of what the final NOI willlook like. A first come, first serve approach will be utilized and parties that have submitted their NOI’s will be notified as accepted or not within 20 days after the March 18th date. Uponacceptance, the party that submitted the NOI will have 60 days to choose their Electricity Service Provider (ESP) and negotiate a contract with them.  The goal of the energy deregulation market is to role out all available energy supplwithin the next 4 years.

Benefit of Deregulation and Guaranteed Savings: There is no guaranteed savings utilizing deregulation. Deregulation allows a user to “lock in” some or all of their energy supply cost for a defined period of time (i.e. 1, 2 or 3 years). Utilizing historical data and making future prognostications allows a user to control their energy costs for a fixed period of time. For example, if a user “locks in” a price of 12 cents a kilowatt and the actual price if they did not utilize deregulation is 13 cents per kilowatt, then the user benefited from the 1 cent difference. The opposite can be true if the cost of energy ends up being less than 12 cents a kilowatt. Obviously, good energy supply consulting is necessary for a user to make a good decision. This is the role of the “power brokers.” Initially, many users may just negotiate a contract that ties their cost of energy to an index and then develop a strategy that utilizes peak and off peak rates and other combined techniques that include hedging of a portion of their supply.

Power Broker’s Role: Typically, a power broker will identify the qualified ESPs in the market and help negotiate a contract on behalf of the energy user. The power broker fee is, typically, an “adder fee” that is calculated per Kwh of used energy and is paid directly by the ESP on a monthly basis. The adder fee is  negotiated between the user of the energy and the power broker and is based on the amount of energy the user is negotiating. Adder fees are, typically, less for the larger amounts of energy being negotiated. Another not widely used fee structure for this type of consulting is a monthly retainer.

Exit Fees and Other Costs: When a user decides to use an alternative ESP than what has been provided in the past by the local utility company, then the local utility company has the ability to charge an exit fee or “stranded cost.” This fee is amortized over the life of the contract and deducted from the monthly use charge provided by the ESP. Although still pending CPUC approval, Exit fees will are expected to increase year over year and each year will be assigned a “vintage”. This vintage will stay with customers on-going.

Who is Best Suited to Utilize Initial Deregulation: Large buildings, portfolios, and users of energy generally see the greatest benefit of a managed approach by layering in block purchases of energy over time. Historically, this approach proves more cost effective than utility rates. The exact level depends upon measurement period and market timing. The level of sophistication in negotiating a contract with an ESP, forecasting future energy rate markets, and the administration should be best done with the assistance of a third-party consultant or power broker. Again, this is not a guaranteed savings so it requires dedication of time and resources to make the best decisions. A user who wishes to manage their energy supply cost on a fixed term is best suited for deregulation strategies.

The current high level of interest is due to pent up demand and many energy users believe the price of energy is at a low level that has a high probability of increasing as the economy begins to recover.

Submitting an NOI: Again, utilizing a consultant, an NOI must be submitted by March 18, 2010. Please note that it appears that this date will be moved to April 1, 2010. The NOI is non-binding if you decide to withdrawal once approved by the CPUC. In essence submitting an NOI is a free option to exercise or decline if accepted under the cap. No cost is associated with the submittal of the NOI.

Mayor Newsom's Online Budget Town Hall Meeting - February 24, 2010 from 5-7 p.m.




BOMA San Francisco Members:

Mayor Gavin Newsom will host an online video 'budget town hall' from 5 - 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 to discuss San Francisco's projected $522 million budget deficit for the 2010-11 fiscal year. Veteran City Hall journalists Barbara Taylor of KCBS and Rachel Gordon of the San Francisco Chronicle will moderate the online town hall.

San Francisco faces an unprecedented budget deficit next year and there are no easy solutions or choices. Mayor Newsom wants to hear directly from residents online about their priorities and suggestions as we grapple with the budget challenges ahead.

You can view the online budget town hall on Ustream by clicking on this link at anytime this evening from 5 - 7 pm:

There are a number of options for submitting questions. You can email them in advance to: BudgetTownHall@sfgov.org or ask them live on Wednesday on the Ustream page.

Questions can also be submitted via Twitter by tweeting them with the hashtag #NewsomBudgetLive. To ensure objectivity, the moderators Barbara Taylor and Rachel Gordon will select the questions that the Mayor will be asked from among all those received.

If you plan to participate in the town hall meeting or have any questions please contact: BudgetTownHall@sfgov.org.

Feel free to pass this message along to your friends and family.

BOMA Is Now Accepting Data for the 2010 Experience Exchange Report® - Deadline is March 31, 2010





BOMA San Francisco Members:

Your colleagues are sharing their data…shouldn´t you? 

BOMA, in collaboration with Kinglsey Associates, is now accepting data for the 2010 Experience Exchange Report®.  What Are You Waiting for? Start the survey today!

Don´t Have Time to Complete the Survey Today?  

No worries. The online EER survey has step–by–step features that make submitting your income and expense data easier than ever. You can start and stop the survey at your convenience. What will happen to the data you already submitted? The data will be stored, saved and ready when you´re ready. All data must be submitted by March 31, 2010. Be a Top Performer—Go to the survey now.

Who Should Submit Data?

Any commercial office building is eligible. BOMA membership is NOT required. The EER does NOT include any data on industrial office buildings, hotels, apartments/multi-family buildings or shopping centers.

Submitting Has Its Benefits.

In addition to doing your part for your industry, it´s also a smart business decision. As a submitter, you´ll…
  • Get a FREE expense performance comparison that maps out how your building compares to two or three peers.
  • Have priority access to 2010 EER reports—and savings of 25% or more on all EER product purchases.
  • Fulfill one of the prerequisites for applying to BOMA´s 360 Performance Program™
  • Did We Mention…Privacy Guaranteed?
That´s right, all data is kept in strictest confidence and only market level information is published.

Questions?

Contact eer@boma.org or call 202–326–6346 or 202–326–6314.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

CALL TO ACTION! Support Payroll Tax Relief For Businesses on February 24, 2010 - Budget and Finance Committee Hearing

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The New Jobs Payroll Tax Exclusion Measure is scheduled to be heard by the San Francisco Budget and Finance Committee on February 24, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at City Hall, Room 250. BOMA San Francisco building owners, property managers/tenants and vendors should attend the committee hearing to support payroll tax relief for the businesses in San Francisco.

Please click here to view BOMA San Francisco's letter of support.

THE CURRENT PROPOSAL: The New Jobs Payroll Tax Exclusion would cap a businesses' payroll tax liability at 2009 level for two years. This means that any business that creates a job in 2010 or 2011 would not have to pay payroll tax on that hire until 2012. By eliminating the payroll tax on new jobs, the City will remove a disincentive to create a job in this down economy. The city's chief economist said last week that this exemption is one of the most cost-effective ways for the city to spur private sector job-growth.  Click on the link to read the legislation and legislative digest

PROPOSED TAILORING OF THE PROPOSAL:  In order to be eligible for the New Jobs Payroll Tax Exclusion businesses have to show year over year growth in 2010 and 2011. In addition businesses must hire someone who has been previously unemployed for at least 60 days. Businesses that satisfy these two elements will receive a full payroll tax credit in 2011 for those new hires.

POLICY REASONS FOR THE PROPOSAL:
  • San Francisco has an unemployment rate of 9.4%, up from 6.5% a year ago.  In other words, there are 41,700 unemployed people in San Francisco.  
  • San Francisco imposes a local business tax on job creation in the form of a payroll tax. The City needs to incentivize job creation by temporarily eliminating the payroll tax on new job growth.  This proposal quite simply reduces the cost of creating a job.
If you can't attend the committee hearing, please take a minute to review the measure and email the San Francisco Board of Supervisors President as well as members of the Budget & Finance Committee to voice your support and ask them to vote in favor of this important measure:

  Board of Supervisors President David Chiu  - david.chiu@sfgov.org
   Budget and Finance Committee Members
      Supervisor John Avalos - john.avalos@sfgov.org
      Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi - ross.mirkarimi@sfgov.org
     Supervisor Sean Elsbernd - sean.elsbernd@sfgov.org

Monday, February 22, 2010

The News Links - February 21-22, 2010



Calculated Risk: Moody's: CRE Prices increase 4.1% in December 2009 


San Francisco Chronicle: Has the Golden State gone bust?


Mayor Newsom's YouTube Update: Feb. 19, 2010


Commercial Real Estate
  • Elizabeth Warren, chairwoman of the Congressional Oversight Panel on CRE.
  • Experts: Real commercial property carnage hasn’t begun.

San Francisco

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma

California

The Economy

Energy and Environment

General

Friday, February 19, 2010

Historical San Francisco Jobs vs. City Budget: 2000-2009

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please take a moment to review the chart below, produced by BOMA member Frank Fudem with Cassidy Turley/BT Commercial.   What's important to notice from the graph is that from 2000-2009 there has been a $2.4 billion increase in the budget for the City and County of San Francisco--a city of approximately 800,000 people--while private sector jobs have decreased by 77,000 over the same time period.  

San Francisco has unequivocally increased its revenue collection though taxes and fees (such as the payroll tax) on BOMA San Francisco members and the greater business community--indeed, in 2009, the business community had to fight-off nine different tax increase measures that were headed for a special June ballot.  In addition, the City's budget increase has come at the expense of negative job growth in the private sector--the same jobs that help support the City's General Fund and small businesses in San Francisco.  

In 2010, the City is facing another budget deficit of $500 million and there is talk of City Hall asking the business community for even more revenues and tax increases.  Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team will continue to monitor any budget news emanating from City Hall and report to you for your feedback and suggestions.  

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Supervisor David Campos Speaks to San Francisco Chamber Members




Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team attended a meeting with San Francisco Board of Supervisors member David Campos on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce to talk about the issues facing his district (District 9), his thoughts on the San Francisco's budget deficit and overall economy, the challenges facing Muni and much more.  The following are the highlights from today's meeting:

Supervisor David Campos - Background

Appointed to the Board of Supervisors in 2008, Supervisor Campos serves as Chair, Rules Committee; Vice Chair, Transportation Authority Plans & Programs Committee; and Member of the LAFCo, Transportation Authority, Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, and Government Affairs and Public Information Committees.

District 9

Supervisor Campos began the meeting with an overview of the issues that are of concern to his constituency in District 9.  Mr. Campos represents a diverse district that has, like many other areas of the City, a number of challenges before it. The most salient, Campos alluded, is the current economic climate in his district--specifically "what's happening with jobs...[and] local small businesses."

In addition to the local economic issue, public safety is an important topic for Campos' constituency.  Indeed, Campos noted that the overall violent crime rate in District 9 has been reduced, and his office will continue to keep a close eye on any variance in the rate going forward.  Campos also mentioned that there is "excitement around the new Chief of Police," Chief Gascón.   Indeed, Supervisor Campos--a former San Francisco Police Commissioner--has a close working relationship with Chief Gascón, and is looking forward to collaborating with him on San Francisco Police Department issues in District 9.

Muni keeps Campos' office phone ringing: it is the number one topic in terms of calls received by the Supervisor's office from constituents.  Campos is concerned with Muni--especially local businesses reliance on the transit system--due, partly, to recently proposed service reductions and fare increases by the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency to alleviate the transit agency's FY 2011 and FY 2012 two-year budget deficit.

Mr. Campos said that any public official "needs to be connected, first hand, to [their] constituency."  He mentioned that he holds office hours in the District to allow time for his constituents to talk to him, face-to-face. Campos also stated that he has a good working relationship with the small business in his district.

San Francisco Budget Crisis

With regard to the $500 million budget deficit that faces City Hall for the next fiscal year, Supervisor Campos commented that every group in San Francisco will have to contribute: "it'll be a combination of both cuts and revenue measures...everything is on the table."   In addition, Campos is not in favor of focusing on labor reform measures for one city agency (e.g., Muni); alternatively, he "supports a process that reforms all of the bargaining provisions in the City Charter."

San Francisco Job Creation and Economic Development

Supervisor Campos stated that the Board of Supervisors (BOS or Board) is focused on job creation.  Campos mentioned that he has always considered economic development to be a priority for him as well as for his fellow members of the BOS.  While he understands that the Board is being asked to assist the private sector in creating more jobs to help the local economy, Campos feels that "there are larger macroeconomic issues that are at hand.  Right now, public money, not private money, is pushing job development in the local economy."

Supervisor Campos commented that The City and County of San Francisco needs to focus on local businesses.  That is, when the various city agencies "put out projects for [competitive] bid, they should look to local businesses first and foremost."  Just as Board of Supervisors President David Chiu mentioned a few weeks earlier at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Supervisor Campos stated that the competitive bid process needs to be reformed as "city agencies no longer have the luxury of maintaining the current bid process; they need to know that people are paying attention."  Indeed, Campos hinted that the BOS will have legislation on this issue in the near future.

Muni

Supervisor Campos recently called for an audit of the transit system to answer his question: "Are we running this agency efficiently?" Campos stated that all city departments are required to perform a management audit every 8 years; the last audit for Muni was completed in 1996.  Campos cited a few of the issues that he feels need to be addressed: overtime costs, project cost-overruns, service performance, and work order costs to other city agencies.

DataSF - Get Your City Data Here!




BOMA San Francisco Members:

Do you know about DataSF, the central clearinghouse for datasets published by the City & County of San Francisco? If not, check it out, here. Also, take a look at the DataSF App Showcase for your mobile phone!

The following are some recently posted datasets that might be of interest to you (click here to view them all!):


Citywide Performance Measures Data
  • Description: The Controller's Office manages the Citywide Performance Measurement Program and it collects and reports performance data from 50 City departments. The database contains over 1,100 performance measures, which are collected semi-annually. 
Election Statement of Votes
  • Description: The Statement of Vote dataset includes aggregate data by precinct for numbers of registrations, ballot cast, turnout, and breakdown of votes. 
Government Barometer Dataset October 2009
  • Description: The Government Barometer shares key performance information with the public in order to increase transparency, create dialog, and build the public's confidence regarding the City's management of public business. The report lists key activity and performance measures in major service areas, such as public safety, health and human services, streets and public works, public transit, recreation, environment, and customer service. 
List of Historical Ballot Measures
  • Description: The List of Historical Ballot Measures contains data from 1961 to the present. It also includes the number of votes and a breakdown. 
PCI Rating Scores
  • Description: Pavement Condition Index Rating Scores by location.
San Francisco City Survey Data
  • Description: The San Francisco City Survey is part of an ongoing effort to measure and improve the performance of City government. The 2009 City Survey is the twelfth City Survey which includes a core set of questions on streets and sidewalks, parks and recreation, libraries, public transportation, public safety, and overall rating of local government.
San Francisco Green Business Program
  • Description: This RSS feed lists the latest businesses to meet the high environmental standards to be recognized by the City and County of San Francisco as a 'Green Business'. San Francisco Green Business standards are developed by City and County of San Francisco agencies with input from industry experts, utility companies, and trade associations and incorporate ordinances and environmental services specific to San Francisco. The San Francisco Green Business Program team is made of up of three City agencies: San Francisco Department of Public Health, SF Environment, and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. 

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Theresa Sparks Speaks to BOMA San Francisco GAPAC Members


Susan Court, 2010 BOMA San Francisco GAPAC chair, and Theresa Sparks


Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team welcomed Theresa Sparks--who kindly visited us on her lunch break--to BOMA's Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) on Friday, February 12, 2010 to talk about her current role as Executive Director with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC), her previous position as president of the San Francisco Police Commission, what issue areas she feels are important as she embarks on her most recent endeavor as a candidate for supervisor in District 6, and much more!  The following are the highlights:

About Theresa Sparks

Two prominent local publications profiled Ms. Sparks' story in late 2009.  Both captured the essence of who Theresa Sparks is exceptionally well:

San Francisco Human Rights Commission

As Executive Director of the HRC, Ms. Sparks oversees the Commission's work in providing leadership and advocacy to secure, protect and promote human rights for all people.  Its broad powers and duties include: 
  • Mediation and conciliation of intergroup disputes and tensions.
  • Enforcement of local anti-discrimination laws and affirmative action monitoring.
  • Ensuring compliance by city departments and contractors with the provisions of the Local Business Enterprise Ordinance.
  • Implementation of federal and local fair housing protection.
  • Development and administration of the city's Hate Violence Reduction Program.
Please click here for more information on the HRC.


Police Commission

From 2004-2009, Ms. Sparks served on the San Francisco Police Commission (SFPC or Commission)--she was elected president in 2007--the body responsible for setting San Francisco Police Department policy; overseeing a $450 million annual budget with a staff of 2500; discipline of officers; and, oversight of the police chief.  

Ms. Sparks mentioned a number of accomplishments during her tenure as SFPC president:
  • The Commission worked with former Police Chief Heather Fong on "the prevention of violent crimes in San Francisco that included more foot patrols and a 52% drop in the homicide rate."
  • The search for a new police chief after Heather Fong's retirement.  The commission selected George Gascón, who has been working tirelessly to improve the Department's efficiency and making the city's streets safer.

Candidate for San Francisco Supervisor - District 6

Arguably, Theresa Sparks is one of the most dynamic individuals to grace the local political landscape in San Francisco since Harvey Milk.  Ms. Sparks is not only the most prominent transgender political activist in the country, she is a business woman with a proven track record who understands what it means to "sign both sides of the paycheck."  Indeed, Ms. Sparks' professional and community experience make her a formidable candidate for San Francisco Supervisor in District 6.   

District 6 Issue Areas (please click here for a district map)
  • Public Safety
    • Ms. Sparks noted her extensive experience in this area through her hard work as President of the SFPC and her close relationship with the San Francisco Police and Fire Department leaders.
  • Quality of Life 
    • Sparks commented that she is a pragmatist with regard to the well-known quality of life challenges in District 6: "San Francisco can't support all of those who need help.  The City helps homeless individuals find housing but doesn't enable them to generate income to support themselves."
  • Jobs and the Local Economy
    • Ms. Sparks stated that District 6 is one of the "economic drivers of the city" and, as such, “would benefit with a supervisor who has both a strong community and business background."  Sparks served as a President and CEO of Good Vibrations, a local internet-based novelty company, and several environmental consulting firms.  Please click here for a complete list of Ms. Sparks' business experience. 
  • San Francisco Budget Crisis
    • Sparks commented that San Francisco is facing a $500 million deficit for the second time in two years, and the city's economic outlook does not look favorable.  "We can't continue a deficit of $500 million going forward," Sparks said "it's just not possible with the amount of money in the General Fund, due in part to voter-approved set-asides and recent devaluations of both residential and commercial property values." Sparks also stated she did not believe voters would approve raising new tax revenues in these current difficult economic times. “We need a more comprehensive financial plan and city supervisors with a strong financial background. I think I fill that requirement." 
BOMA San Francisco thanks Theresa Sparks for taking the time to speak to our Government and Public Affairs Committee.  

The News Links - February 15-16, 2010


Mayor Newsom's YouTube Update: Feb. 12, 2010


Los Angeles Times: California Legislature's new look: ugly.


Commercial Real Estate 

  • Brookfield fund picks up nearly 3 mil-sq.-ft. portfolio from JPMorgan.
  • Here is a solution for some of the vacant retail space ...

San Francisco

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma

California

The Economy

Energy & Environment

General

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Destination-Based Elevator Control System Requirements




BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please find the latest draft of the destination-based elevator controls administrative bulletin from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection that will govern future installation of such elevators controls in San Francisco, insuring they are completely accessible to the disabled, here.

If you have any questions about the latest version of the bulletin, please contact Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs at kenc@boma.com.

The News Links - February 10-11, 2010


San Francisco Chronicle: 'Battle royal' brewing over planned S.F. tower




Mayor Newsom's Youtube Update: Feb. 5, 2010.



Commercial Real Estate

San Francisco

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma

California

The Economy

Energy & Environment

General

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

California/San Francisco Young Democrats' Bay Area Statewide Candidates Forum


Jerry Brown speaks to the attendees of the Bay Area Statewide Candidates Forum


Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team attended the California/San Francisco Young Democrats' Bay Area Statewide Candidates Forum on Saturday, February 6, 2010.  It was a well organized event that brought together an impressive group of candidates vying for a number of publicly held offices to discuss their qualifications to members of the Young Democrats in California and members of the public:

  • Governor
    • Jerry Brown (has not officially declared candidacy)
  • Lt. Governor
    • Janice Hahn
  • Treasurer
    • Bill Lockyer
  • Superintendent of Public Instruction
    • Larry Aceves
    • Tom Torlakson
  • Insurance Commissioner 
    • Hector De La Torre
    • Dave Jones
  • Board of Equalization
    • Betty Yee
  • Attorney General
    • Kamala Harris
    • Chris Kelly
    • Pedro Nava
    • Alberto Torrico
  • United State Senator
    • Representative for Barbara Boxer

Candidates for California Attorney General (from left to right): Pedro Nava, Chris Kelly, Kamala Harris, Alberto Torrico


The following are selected highlights from Jerry Brown's address to the attendees:

Green Energy and Jobs

California Attorney General and undeclared democratic candidate for governor, Jerry Brown, stated that "change originates and disseminates in California."  To elaborate on this, Brown mentioned that the state can recapture the lead in the 'green' energy sector by investing in alternative energy to protect the environment, increase tax revenues and create and maintain jobs.  "Jobs are key...to the long-term economic prosperity that Young Democrats will inherit" Brown said.

Jerry Brown addressed the "job killers in California" and how the state can increase its workforce while "building a sustainable future."  Dependency of imported oil reduces the state's workforce; investment in solar, renewable fuels, etc., focuses job creation at the local level.

California Attorney General 

Mr. Brown discussed his current role as California Attorney General, and some of the issues his office is currently working on:
  • Protecting workers in the underground economy.
  • Reduce the costs of California's prison system--currently 10% of the state's budget--and reduce the recidivism rate, which is currently at 70%.
  • Working with cities and counties to include housing and work opportunities in their General Plans.
  • Protecting public safely by getting at the issue of crime early through education and workforce training.
The Economic Outlook for California

Mr. Brown stated that "as bleak as the future looks, the opportunity is [in California] as California is a state of imagination."  He continued by noting that there is still a vast amount of opportunity and hope in the state and that citizens of California need to focus on the future.

Raising Revenues (Taxes)

Mr. Brown commented that both the California Legislature and the Governor "need to be careful before [they] tax" and that "we need a real honest in-depth discussion" on this issue.  Jerry Brown does not support raising revenues at this time. 

Office of the Controller's Economic Impact Analysis: Temporary Revision of Payroll Tax Expense




The San Francisco Office of the Controller has released a report on the economic impact of a temporary revision of the payroll expense tax (what is this?).

The proposed tax policy would allow San Francisco businesses to pay no tax on any growth in payroll that they experience in 2010 or 2011. Currently, the city levies a 1.5% tax on large and medium sized businesses. Under the policy, growing businesses would be incentivized to add jobs in San Francisco, since net new payroll would be essentially tax-free for the two year period.

The policy is projected to have a significant impact on job creation in San Francisco, offsetting between 5% and 8% of all jobs lost in the city over the past two years, with some employment continuing after the policy expires in 2012. At an average cost of $16,500 per job during the two year period, the proposed policy is one of the most cost-effective local economic policies available.

However, the job creation would come at a significant cost to the City's General Fund, of $28 million during the first year, and $44 million in the second year. This cost is net of the additional tax revenue generated by the jobs created by the policy. The policy can be further tailored to reduce the cost to the City, although reduction in the scope of the incentive will also reduce its impact on unemployment in San Francisco.

You can read the entire report, here.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Got TP?

Everyday, thousands of partially used toilet paper rolls go to waste as cleaning crews replace them with new rolls for use the next day.  Thankfully, there is a program that can help transport the harvested partial rolls for distribution to various non-profit organizations throughout San Francisco.  Indeed, three hundred rolls of toilet paper were recently donated to Larkin Street Youth Services. These donations will last and serve the youths in their transitional house for at least the next six months.

Your generous participation in the program provides a triptych benefit: you’ll help save the environment by making sure the entire roll of toilet paper is used; a local non-profit organization can use the money saved from toilet paper purchases and redirect those funds to continue to help those in need; and last but not least, you’ll be helping to reduce landfill waste.  It’s a win-win for all.

For more information, please contact Jo Licata, Community Projects Manager with Hilton San Francisco at (415) 923-5069 or at jo.licata@hilton.com.

Apture