EARTH DAY - Register for The BOMA San Francisco & BOMA Oakland East/Bay Innovative EARTH Award Ceremony on April 23rd

 

UPDATE - April 22, 2015

Today is Earth Day and what better way to celebrate the innovative ways that the Bay Area commercial real estate industry promotes environmentally sustainable building practices than to attend our luncheon tomorrow, April 23rd: BOMA's Innovative EARTH Award Ceremony.

Details on what to expect can be found in previous post, below. Indeed, there are a number of exciting entries this year so don't miss this fun and informative event.  Thank you to the BOMA San Francisco Energy & Environment Committee Leaders who have organized tomorrow's luncheon.

--------------------

Original Post - February 20, 2015

Applications Due March 2, 2015 - Apply Today

BOMA's Innovative EARTH Award highlights the unique, innovative measures members are implementing in pursuit of environmental sustainability. The application is short, easy to complete, and limited documentation is required. Any BOMA member may enter.

• Innovations should seek to address these issues within the building: 
• Energy conservation; 
• Waste diversion; 
• Water conservation; 
• Hazardous materials management; 
• Transportation; 
• Tenant education; 
• Or, any other new and interesting sustainable practice. 

An example of an innovation might be a vegetable garden for tenants, or a tenant carpool or vanpool coordinated by the building. Not sure what projects to submit? Click here to view all 2014 entries and view our motivational video, below.

Applications for BOMA's new Innovative Earth Award are due March 2, 2015, and will be reviewed by the Energy and Environment Committee. Winners will be announced at the BOMA Innovative Earth Award luncheon on April 23, 2015.

APPLY TODAY - Submit completed application to Nicole Cui. For assistance in completing the application, please contact Jenna Hattersley.

BART Seeks Input on Market Street Entrances and Civic Center Station Modernization

BOMA San Francisco Members:

As part of BART’s Station Modernization Program, the organization is developing a comprehensive plan to modernize the Civic Center Station and improve the station entrances along Market Street in San Francisco.

The goal is to develop a list of projects to improve station function, safety, security, capacity, access, appearance, and overall customer experience.

Join the conversation by attending one of their in-station open house events (see the schedule below), or go to the project webpage to examine the preliminary modernization plan and take an online survey that will help BART prioritize the improvements.

The survey will ask questions about the public’s priorities for the station, including possible entrance closures and suggestions for expansions.

Civic Center Station: Thursday, April 23rd, 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. 

Powell St. Station: Tuesday, April 21st, 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.; Thursday, April 23rd, 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 

For more information, click here.

UPDATE: Special BOMA Reception for Supervisor Julie Christensen

UPDATE - March 31, 2015

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA Advocacy Member Leaders: Manuel Fishman and Kathy Mattes with Supervisor Christensen

Thank you to the BOMA members who took the time out of their busy schedules to attend this important BOMA SF-PAC event.  Supervisor Julie Christensen is working hard to represent the interests of the residents of District 3 and all of San Francisco.  An excellent write-up of her efforts was published on March 29th in the San Francisco Examiner.

--------------------

Original Post - February 26, 2015

Please consider attending a March 16th event that the BOMA SF- PAC is hosting for newly appointed Supervisor Julie Christensen.

The fundraiser is being held with BOMA member Scott Seligman (Seligman Western Enterprises) on the 40th floor of the Transamerica Pyramid from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 

www.supervisorchristensen.com/donate

RSVP to Celeste Wolter at (347) 527-3368 or cwolter@bedfordgrovellc.com

The BOMA SF-PAC met with Julie soon after she was appointed to the District 3 Supervisor position (replacing David Chiu, who had been elected to the California Assembly).  Our members found her to be smart, and, as a long-time entrepreneur, supportive of growing San Francisco's economy and creating more housing, especially for moderate income residents. 

The PAC unanimously endorsed supporting her and is hosting this fundraiser to show our support for her. All BOMA San Francisco members are most welcomed to attend.

About Julie Christensen

Supervisor Julie Christensen was appointed by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee in January 2015 as the representative for San Francisco’s diverse District 3, which includes Chinatown, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf, Polk Street, the Financial District and Union Square. She is dedicated to honoring and preserving the history of San Francisco’s oldest neighborhoods while making them pleasant, safe and viable places to live, work and visit.

Supervisor Christensen has over twenty years experience working with elected officials, City departments, community organizations and neighborhood volunteers on an extensive list of civic projects including:

• Transportation: Spearheading the drive to extend the Central Subway to the northern waterfront. 
• Libraries: Leading the successful campaign to locate and build a new North Beach Library and leading the neighborhood campaign to fund the library interiors.
• Historical preservation & accessibility: Protecting and enhancing Coit Tower and the surrounding Pioneer Park, creating wheelchair access to the tower and improving pedestrian access and safety.
• Parks: Redesign of Helen Wills Park on Russian Hill; Restoration and expansion of the North Beach Pool and Clubhouse; Redesign and fundraising for North Beach’s Joe DiMaggio Playground.
• Streetscape improvements: From pedestrian safety to street trees.

Prior to joining the Board of Supervisors, Julie was a nationally recognized, award-winning expert on product development and design strategy who worked for a long list of prominent national and international companies. She is a 36-year resident of San Francisco who has spent 33 of those years in District 3. She and her husband Greg Smith, a San Francisco native and small business owner, and their SPCA mutt, Cooper, live in North Beach. She has a 28-year old stepson who works in the tech industry in the City.

UPDATE: Legacy Business Registry Program in San Francisco

UPDATE - March 31, 2015

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Supervisor David Campos met with representatives of property organizations recently to inquire what types of incentives would be attractive to property owners to retain tenants who have been declared a legacy business in San Francisco. The meeting was cordial but few decisions were made other than to poll the various memberships about such a question. It is still undecided if the tenant business or the landlord should be assisted with some sort of subsidy or rebate.

The Legacy Business Registry program has been established and is defined as a business that has been nominated by a member of the Board of Supervisors or the Mayor and that the Small Business Commission has determined the business meets its criteria. The criteria are: 

• The business has been in operation for at least 30 years with no break in operations exceeding two years; the business must have been founded in San Francisco; 
• The business has contributed to the neighborhood’s history and/or the identity of a particular neighborhood or community;
• And, the business has committed to maintaining the physical features or traditions that define the business, including craft, culinary, or art forms.

Please send any feedback to kenc@boma.com and johnb@boma.com.

--------------------

Original Post - February 26, 2015
This report was produced by our partners at the SF Heritage: http://www.sfheritage.org/

Note that BOMA San Francisco members are monitoring the progress of this measure. Send any feedback to kenc@boma.com and johnb@boma.com.

----------

Recently, the Budget and Finance Committee of the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to recommend approval of a new City-sponsored Legacy Business Registry that would provide formal recognition that longstanding, community-serving businesses are valuable cultural and historical assets to San Francisco.

Legacy Businesses are defined in the legislation as bars, restaurants, retail establishments, manufacturers, arts spaces, performance venues, and service providers that have been in business for more than 30 years. The establishment must also demonstrate historic importance to a community, neighborhood, or city as a whole. Largely inspired by Heritage's SF Legacy Bars & Restaurants' program and sponsored by Supervisors David Campos and Mark Farrell, Heritage is proud to have helped craft the legislation that will now head to the Board of Supervisors for final approval.

If passed, the registry will serve as a tool for providing educational and promotional assistance to Legacy Businesses to encourage their continued viability and success. In addition, the proposed legislation requires the Small Business Commission to survey San Francisco's Legacy Businesses and make substantive recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for programs that could benefit designated businesses.

Upon completion of the study, trailing legislation will be introduced to provide substantive financial incentives to Legacy Businesses and the buildings that house them. The program would be administered by the Office of Small Business and overseen by the Small Business Commission.

San Francisco Small Business Network - 2015 Gala Award Sponsorship & Nomination Application

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please join BOMA in support of the San Francisco Small Business Network's 31st Anniversary Gala celebrating the City's unique small businesses.  This year's event on June 16th will celebrate inclusion, innovation, and impact.

Click here for the details on becoming a sponsor and to nominate a small business.

For decades the San Francisco Small Business Network (SFSBN) has been the champion of one of the strongest, most diverse and vibrant urban economies in the United States. As an advocacy organization, the SFSBN is the only organization that represents the full breadth of what it means to be a small business in San Francisco. Block by block, community by community and industry by industry the SFSBN is the collective voice of the City’s most important economic engine.

BOMA San Francisco invites you and your company to join us as we celebrate what makes the SFSBN one of the most exciting and sustainable advocacy organizations in America.

BOMA San Francisco Members Meet with BART's General Manager Grace Crunican and Nick Josefowitz

BOMA San Francisco Members:

At a recent BOMA San Francisco luncheon, our members met with Grace Crunican (presenting) and BART Board Member Nick Josefowitz (attending) to discuss how a better BART makes for a better San Francisco. Our members look forward to collaborating with Grace and her team on the organization's future-forward vision for BART.

Click here for her presentation.

About Grace Crunican

Grace Crunican was appointed General Manager of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit by the BART Board of Directors on August 31, 2011. She oversees a staff of 3,137 full time employees and a $15 billion transportation infrastructure. The Board of Directors selected Ms. Crunican because of her 32 years of experience in the public transportation industry, her proven leadership abilities, and her focus on providing safe and reliable transportation services for all Bay Area Communities. She brings to BART a reputation for transparency and accountability.

Prior to coming to BART, Ms. Crunican was Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). She guided SDOT in meeting the goals of Bridging the Gap, Seattle’s transportation maintenance levy, and implemented the Transit Master Plan – Seattle Connections, Bike Master Plan, Freight Mobility Strategic Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan, aimed at building a system to move more people and goods with fewer cars and helping Seattle achieve the U.S. Kyoto Protocol goals.

Previously, Ms. Crunican was the Director of the Oregon Department of Transportation for five years where she implemented Community Solution Teams, integrated livability objectives into transportation planning and instilled a customer focus throughout the department.

Her Washington DC experience includes being the Deputy Administrator for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) from 1993 to 1996. Before joining the FTA, Grace led the Surface Transportation Project a nonprofit coalition dedicated to implementing the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, or ISTEA.

Her first transportation appointment was in 1979 to the Presidential Management Intern Program for the U.S. Department of Transportation followed by serving as Professional Staff for Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee.Ms. Crunican has local level experience working as the Deputy Director of Portland’s Department of Transportation. She holds a B.A. from Gonzaga University and a MBA from Willamette University.

BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Leaders Meet with Supervisor Maila Cohen

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA's Government Affairs Committee members have been meeting with public officials recently to represent your interests. San Francisco Board of Supervisors member, Malia Cohen, spoke to our members recently at San Francisco's City Hall to discuss her priorities for District 10 and more. Here is a brief update from the gathering:

Supervisor Cohen's Background

• Supervisor Malia Cohen was elected in November 2010 and re-elected in November 2014 to represent the residents of San Francisco’s 10th District, including the Bayview Hunters Point, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods.  
• Supervisor Cohen serves as Chair of the Board of Supervisors Land Use Committee, Vice Chair of the San Francisco Transportation Authority Committee. She also serves as Vice President of the San Francisco Retirement System (SFRS) and a member of Board of Supervisors Rules Committee and the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board.

BOMA Member Issues Discussed

• Housing stock in San Francisco
• Public housing needs and leveraging community resources;
• Transportation and land use issues
• Production, Distribution, and Repair Zoning
• San Francisco leaders need to plan for the future when dealing with these issues; 
• Public safety
• SFPD staffing levels
• Reduction in the number of violent crimes in the district;
• Proposition M - Office Development Annual Limitation Program.

BOMA San Francisco members look forward to working with Supervisor Cohen in the near-future.

UPDATE: BOMA San Francisco Members Meet with Mayor Ed Lee's Chief Innovation Officer

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - April 1, 2015

BOMA San Francisco's Government Affairs Committee members invited Mr. Jay Nath, the Mayor's Chief Innovation Officer, to a recent meeting to provide an update on his office's progress from our initial meeting with him in 2013 (details below).

Indeed, a number of exciting initiatives have been started, are in-progress, or have been completed. One project in particular - The San Francisco Business Portal - is now our City’s primary online business resource. With comprehensive information and tailored tools, the Portal helps individuals easily navigate the steps to start, manage, and grow a business, quickly learn what it takes to be compliant, and obtain resources along the way.

Note that Mr. Nath is willing to help our industry and all citizens of San Francisco by improving efficiency and productivity at City Hall using technology.

If you have an idea on ways to improve our City's government processes, please email johnb@boma.com.

--------------------

Original Post - April 4, 2013

Jay Nath, Chief Innovation Officer in San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee's Office spoke to members of BOMA's Government Affairs Policy Advisory Committee (GAPAC) recently.   Mr. Nath's position was established by Mayor Lee to introduce new ideas and approaches to make City government more transparent, efficient and constituent focused. Mr. Nath presented on San Francisco’s Innovation Portfolio and fielded questions from GAPAC members regarding efficiency in government operations.

Click here to review the presentation and the possibilities of a constituent focused government for all San Franciscans.

About Jay Nath

Mr. Nath has been with the City for five years in his previous role as Director of Innovation with the Department of Technology and has led the City’s Open Data efforts and is well regarded in the Gov 2.0 space. The Chief Innovation Officer works closely with the Department of Technology and other City agencies to ensure that technology is a driver of change in City government and support the Mayor’s initiatives to engage the tech industry in boosting job creation and civic participation in San Francisco.

BOMA San Francisco Codes & Regulations Committee Update - Title 24 Installation, Verification, and Acceptance of Energy Certificates

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA's robust Codes & Regulations Committee (C&R) is dedicated to provide technical support on code-related issues; educate BOMA members about construction industry codes, standards, ordinances and regulations and their impact on the commercial real estate industry; and provide input into the code-making process at the state and local levels consistent with BOMA’s policy positions.

As such, here is an issue that warrants your attention: San Francisco Department of Building Inspection's (SFDBI) Bulletin MEP-06. 

At a recent C&R meeting, BOMA members discussed the newly updated Bulletin providing instructions for Title 24 installation, verification and acceptance of energy certificates. It requires your careful review. The main change (page 2) is to add Acceptance Test Technician as a party allowed to write a Final Compliance Letter for non-residential interior tenant improvements.

Mohsin Shaikh, P.E., DBI’s Manager of Mechanical and Energy Plan Review, has offered to be a resource in case you have any questions on this matter. He can be reached directly at (415) 558-6447. 

California Governor Jerry Brown Directs First Ever Statewide Mandatory Water Reductions

UPDATE - April 1, 2015

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Following the lowest snowpack ever recorded and with no end to the drought in sight, Governor Jerry Brown Jr. announced actions that will save water, increase enforcement to prevent wasteful water use, streamline the state's drought response and invest in new technologies that will make California more drought resilient.

"Today we are standing on dry grass where there should be five feet of snow. This historic drought demands unprecedented action," said Governor Brown. "Therefore, I'm issuing an executive order mandating substantial water reductions across our state. As Californians, we must pull together and save water in every way possible."

High resolution photos of previous snow surveys are available here.

For more than two years, the state's experts have been managing water resources to ensure that the state survives this drought and is better prepared for the next one. Last year, the Governor proclaimed a drought state of emergency. The state has taken steps to make sure that water is available for human health and safety, growing food, fighting fires and protecting fish and wildlife. Millions have been spent helping thousands of California families most impacted by the drought pay their bills, put food on their tables and have water to drink.

Click here for the full executive order issued by the Governor.

Every Californian should take steps to conserve water. Find out how at SaveOurWater.com.

-----------------

UPDATE - August 4, 2014

In response to the ongoing severe drought, the State Water Resources Control Board recently passed emergency regulations beginning on August 1, 2014 to ensure all Californians reduce outdoor water waste or face potential enforcement. The SFPUC is continuing its ongoing and comprehensive water conservation programs and educational efforts to ensure that citations are issued only as a last resort.

Californians can be cited for:

• Washing down driveways and sidewalks except when needed for health and safety purposes.
• Watering outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes excess runoff. 
• Using a hose, without a shut-off nozzle, to wash motor vehicles; and, 
• Using drinking water in fountains or decorative water features unless the water recirculates. 

The State’s requirements are similar to water waste restrictions the SFPUC already has in place and are consistent with water saving tips and guidance we provide our customers rain or shine. 

---------------------

Image credit: Randall Benton, Sacramento Bee

Original Post - February 20, 2014

Like most businesses and households, BOMA San Francisco members are acutely aware of California's declared drought and are looking at ways to further conserve water during this unprecedented dry winter.  Indeed, BOMA members have been at the forefront of energy and water conservation for some time though our Energy and Environment Committee and the Commercial Water Conservation Ordinance.

BOMA San Francisco's Energy and Environment Committee (E&E)

BOMA's E&E Committee is one of the organization's most active member groups focused specifically on energy and environmental sustainability in commercial high-rise buildings.  At the committee's most recent meeting, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) representatives presented on water-saving tips for commercial properties:

• Determine how and where your water is used on site. If you need assistance, the SFPUC provides free Water-Wise Evaluations.
• Assign a conservation champion to develop and monitor water conservation efforts.
• Educate tenants and visitors about water conservation practices; put up signs encouraging water conservation in kitchens, restrooms, locker rooms, and other public areas.
• Inform vendors that water efficiency is a priority (cooling tower maintenance, landscape, laundry and dishwasher)
• Install water-efficient fixtures and plumbing devices, such as high efficiency toilets and urinals, faucet aerators, and pre-rinse spray valves. The SFPUC provides fixture rebates and free devices (details below).
• Identify water conservation opportunities specific to your facility or business and prioritize no or low cost options. 
• Use a broom, pressure washer, or hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle to clean sidewalks, driveways and pavement.
• Conduct preventative maintenance to ensure water-using fixtures are working properly.
• Assess your irrigation system to identify inefficiencies such as leaks, broken sprinkler heads and run off. 
• Track water consumption through meter reads or monthly water bills to measure water savings achievements and monitor for leaks.

There is not a mandatory water reduction for San Francisco at this time although there is a request from the SFPUC that businesses and households reduce their consumption voluntarily by 10%. 

Commercial Water Conservation Ordinance (2009)

Our members are fortunate to have had the foresight to work with the City and County of San Francisco on the Commercial Water Conservation Ordinance that applies to any commercial property owner.  The law requires that a building owner repair plumbing leaks and install water efficient plumbing fixtures to obtain a Certificate of Compliance either upon major improvements or by January 1, 2017.

Compliance

Inefficient plumbing fixtures manufactured and installed prior to 1994 must be replaced with efficient fixtures. The SFPUC offers financial incentives and technical assistance for the replacement of inefficient plumbing fixtures. The Ordinance established the following water efficiency guidelines for commercial properties:

• All showerheads have a maximum flow of 2.5 gallons per minute (fpm);
• All showers have no more than one showerhead per valve;
• All faucets and faucet aerators have a maximum flow rate of 2.2 fpm
• All water closets (toilets) have a maximum rated water consumption of 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) or the flush volume set by updates to the San Francisco Plumbing Code. Effective July 1, 2011, new toilet fixture installations may not exceed 1.28 gallons per flush, the maximum rated water consumption established in the San Francisco Plumbing Code, Chapter 4, Section 402.2;
• All urinals have a maximum flow rate of 1.0 gpf. Note: To achieve compliance with the Ordinance, new urinal fixture installations shall not exceed 0.5 gpf, the maximum rated water consumption established in the San Francisco Plumbing Code, Chapter 4, Section 402.3;
• All water leaks have been repaired.

Click here for more information on how you can help to conserve our most precious resource.