Thursday, June 30, 2016

Important - San Francisco Fire Code Changes Could Impact Commercial Property Owners





BOMA San Francisco's Codes and Regulations Committee recently discovered a code change from San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) Fire Marshal, Dan DeCossio. The update was passed unanimously at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and it will change the way the SFFD will conduct inspections of all buildings - both residential and commercial:
  • There will no longer be a Notice of Correction (NOC) given out for minor fire code violations. Instead, two levels of NOVs (Notice of Violations) will be handed out, Priority and Standard. Both NOVs could potentially hold up the issuance of other permits in buildings that receive them.
    • It is unclear at this point how the Fire Department will be handling these infractions, and if there will be any type of differentiation taken between high rise buildings versus multi-tenant residential buildings; the latter was the focus of the legislation.
    • The Fire Department acknowledges that mandating the issuance of unwarranted NOVs in fully-sprinkled high rise buildings would redirect their resources where they are less likely to achieve the goal of reducing residential building fires. 
  • Supervisor Scott Wiener, the author of the legislation, also acknowledges that he didn’t identify the difference between types of buildings that were to be more stringently inspected by the Fire Department when he wrote his legislation.
  • BOMA staff believes that Mr. Wiener may be willing to amend the original ordinance that could clarify the the intent of the measure: Better, more transparent, fire safety inspections of residential buildings . 
Stay tuned for additional updates in the near-term as our members intend to meet with Supervisor Wiener and his staff to discuss this issue further. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact kenc@boma.com and johnb@boma.com 

BOMA International Advocacy Update: House Holds Hearing on ADA & 911 Testing in Commercial Buildings




U.S. House of Representatives Holds Hearing on ADA Legislation

The U.S. House Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice convened a hearing to analyze a series of proposals that amend the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to deter the practice of “drive-by” lawsuits. The Committee heard from Congressmen Ted Poe (R-Texas) and Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), who have both introduced ADA legislation, and then from a group of business owners and experts who have dealt with the issue firsthand. From the start, members of the committee agreed that any piece of new legislation should aim to deter anyone from taking advantage of the ADA for financial gain. However, some of the comments made by the panelists and committee members made it clear that there is still significant misinformation surrounding these types of lawsuits and their effects on well-intentioned business owners. You can watch the hearing and read the written testimony online.

BOMA’s advocacy team continues to work with a coalition of business groups to educate members of Congress on this issue. If you have a story about an ADA lawsuit that may help with this process, please contact BOMA International’s Manager of Advocacy, Dylan Isenberg, at disenberg@boma.org.


911 Testing Begins in Commercial Buildings

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued new rules designed to improve location accuracy for 911 calls made from wireless phones. These rules require wireless providers to establish a “test bed” to determine how deployed and emerging location technologies perform indoors. As a result, tests now must be conducted in multiple buildings of different construction types and sizes. The FCC’s goal is to increase accuracy to within 50 meters of the wireless caller’s location.

A small number of residential and office high-rise buildings in San Francisco and Atlanta have been selected for the initial testing. The costs of any necessary technology advancements are being absorbed by the large wireless providers; building owners are not required to make any infrastructure improvements but may need to provide access to their buildings for testing.

BOMA San Francisco Members Meet with San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin



 

BOMA San Francisco Government Affairs and Political Action Committee members met with San Francisco District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin recently.

District 3 is comprised of North Beach, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, Polk Gulch, Union Square/Financial District and Russian, Nob and Telegraph Hills. Peskin has lived in District 3 for almost thirty years. He is currently serving his third non-consecutive term on the Board of Supervisors, after serving two terms from 2001-2009 (including one term as the unanimously-elected President of the Board).
Here is a synopsis of the meeting:
  • Aaron 2.0 (now) vs. Aaron 1.0 (2001-2009)
    • He is less idealistic and is focused on making the City work. Not trying to save the world this time.
  • Housing
    • Primary issue in June election.
    • How do you do increase housing without disruption and changing socioeconomic/culture character of the neighborhood?
    • Prop. C (BOMA SF_PAC took no position).
      • Create new housing that everyone can afford.
  • Homelessness
    • A focus for the GAPAC this year. Thank you to GAPAC Vice Chair Marty Smith for leading this effort.
    • Aaron feels that the solution is housing and SRO hotel units are key to allowing folks to become functional members of society.
      • 35000 in 1970;
        • 19000 now.
      • The delta is the same size of our homelessness population.
  • City budget
    • $9 Billion corporation and needs to be responsible to the shareholders.
    •  It’s bloated and there isn’t the correct level of accountability from the legislative branch (Board of Supervisors).
    • He doesn’t like set-asides.
  • Transbay Transit Center cost overrun is unfortunate and the City is responsible for the difference. 
  • Prop M. - San Francisco Office Development Annual Limitation Program
    • Perhaps some adjustment per district. 

Monday, June 6, 2016

VOTE! BOMA SF-PAC Slate Card for the June 7, 2016 Election




BOMA San Francisco's Political Action Committee's Slate Card
June 7, 2016 Election

Did you know that BOMA San Francisco has a Political Action Committee that campaigns for candidates and issues that promote the economic vitality of the industry and the City and County of San Francisco?

The BOMA SF-PAC is looking forward to the June 7, 2016 election and our members have already endorsed candidates for elected office and taken positions on the following propositions in San Francisco (click here to learn more about the various measures). If you are a registered voter in San Francisco, please reference this guide when you vote!

If you have any questions, please contact Ken Cleaveland at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman at johnb@boma.com.

Local Propositions 

SUPPORT --- Proposition A - Public Health and Safety Bond                                                  
NO POSITION ---Proposition B - Park, Recreation and Open Space Fund                            
NO POSITION --- Proposition C - Affordable Housing Requirements                                              
NO POSITION--- Proposition D - Office of Citizen Complaints Investigations                                
SUPPORT --- Proposition E - Paid Sick Leave

Regional Proposition

SUPPORT --- Proposition AA - San Francisco Bay Clean Water, Pollution Prevention and Habitat Restoration Program    

CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENTS

San Francisco's Democratic County Central Committee, or DCCC, is the governing body of the local Democratic Party. The DCCC is comprised of local Democrats elected by voters in each Assembly District (AD), 17 and 19 as well as partisan-level Democratic elected officials and nominees who serve as Ex-Officio Officers.

The BOMA San Francisco Political Action Committee has endorsed a moderate slate of candidates that will continue to work hard for all within the Democratic party in San Francisco. 

DCCC AD17


Joshua Arce, London Breed, Malia Cohen, Zoe Dunning, Tom Hsieh, Gary McCoy, Leah Pimental, Rebecca Prozan, Alix Rosenthal, Arlo Smith, Frances Tsang, Scott Wiener, Jill Wynns

DCCC AD19

Kat Anderson, Keith Baraka, Joel Engardio, Mark Farrell, Tom A. Hsieh, Mary Jung, Trevor McNeil, Emily Murase, Rachel Norton, Marjan Philhour

California State Senate - District 11



The BOMA SF-PAC is supporting Scott Wiener for California State Senate, District 11. Learn more about this outstanding moderate candidate by clicking here.

Apture