Supervisors forward 2021 annual reports for Mid‑Market and Civic Center CBDs after review of budgets, services and board roles

SAN FRANCISCO — The Board of Supervisors' Government Audit and Oversight Committee voted March 2 to forward two 2021 annual reports for the Mid‑Market (Central Market) and Civic Center community benefit districts (CBDs) to the full Board with a positive recommendation. The committee advanced the items after presentations from the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and CBD leadership on budgets, service benchmarks and on‑the‑ground public‑realm challenges.

OEWD program director Chris Korgas told the committee that OEWD reviews each property‑based CBD against four fiscal benchmarks: variance from management‑plan budget percentages for each service category, compliance with non‑assessment revenue requirements, variance between budgeted and actual fiscal‑year amounts, and disclosure of funds carried forward. OEWD found Mid‑Market missed the first benchmark by about 1.3 percentage points in the management/economic development category but met the other three; Civic Center met all four benchmarks for the 2021 period, Korgas said.

"To review our process, OEWD ensures that all of our districts are meeting their management plans," Korgas said during the meeting.

Tracy Everwein, who manages both CBDs for the districts' shared management team, described core services and the practical challenges her staff faced in 2021, including open‑air drug use, sidewalk encampments, illegal vending and theft and vandalism of district equipment. Everwein said the CBDs provide cleaning, public‑safety outreach and economic development support seven days a week and log field contacts and wellness checks using a phone app called JIA.

"We track all of that... it is per instance," Everwein said, describing how ambassadors record wellness checks, calls for emergency services and merchant interactions.

Everwein highlighted program examples and costs: Mid‑Market's management‑plan assessment budget is approximately $1,200,000 with a 2020–21 assessment roll near $1,700,000; Civic Center's management‑plan assessment budget and 2020–21 assessment roll were both about $3,100,000, she said. She also said the district will end its big‑belly trash receptacle program because vandalism and theft of solar components — and incidents in which receptacles were used to store drugs — left the units unsustainable. "These cans are $6,000 apiece to replace," she said.

Everwein discussed Civic Center work removing needles and stewarding temporary amenities in UN Plaza. She reported the district removed "over 30,000 needles" in 2021 and that the UN Plaza dog run draws more than 2,000 users per month but requires overnight security that she estimated would cost about $200,000 per year — a sum that raises questions about long‑term sustainability.

Supervisors pressed for more data and clarity. Vice Chair Catherine Stephanie and Supervisor Connie Chan asked OEWD and the CBDs to provide exportable statistics from the JIA app to help compare CBD‑recorded responses with city agency data on calls for service and public‑safety incidents. Everwein said staff could provide those statistics after the hearing.

Chair Supervisor Dean Preston raised questions about UN Plaza management and the composition of CBD boards. Preston and others asked whether city‑appointed board members should recuse themselves from CBD votes that relate to city policy — noting a recent CBD letter that backed the mayor's position calling for the closure of the Tenderloin Center and citing the CBD's advocacy around police funding increases. OEWD staff said board composition and bylaws predate current staff and that city appointees who believe they can act impartially may participate and vote; OEWD staff also said Article 15 of the City's Business and Tax Regulations Code sets board requirements such as reserving seats for non‑property‑owning merchants.

A remote public commenter urged more cleaning of UN Plaza and criticized service shortages and the Tenderloin Center closure.

After discussion, Chair Preston moved to forward items 1 and 2 to the full Board with a positive recommendation and to hear and file the reports. The committee voted 3‑0 (Vice Chair Catherine Stephanie: aye; Supervisor Connie Chan: aye; Chair Preston: aye).

The reports will be considered by the full Board of Supervisors on the March 14 agenda unless otherwise revised. Committee members requested that OEWD and the CBDs provide the JIA app statistics and any additional supporting data requested by supervisors before the full Board hearing.