Board committee praises Dogpatch/Northwest Potrero Hill Green Benefit District annual report and forwards it to the full Board

Chair Supervisor Dean Preston opened the March 17 Government Audit & Oversight Committee hearing and introduced Item 1, a resolution receiving the Dogpatch & Northwest Potrero Hill Green Benefit District's (GBD) FY2020-21 annual report as required by the Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994.

Ramses Alvarez of San Francisco Public Works described the city's regulatory role, explaining that Public Works reviews GBD annual reports for budget, assessments, donations and performance and forwards them to the Board of Supervisors. Julie Christiansen, the GBD's executive director, gave a 10-minute summary of neighborhood projects, volunteer engagement and finances. She said the district covers roughly 200 blocks and about 70 acres and highlighted new pocket parks, a Caltrain station entrance renovation, improved bicycle parking, and streetscape projects, including work on Minnesota Street and the Ramsey/20th Street underpass public space.

Christensen told the committee the GBD has logged "more than 6,800 volunteer hours" and has brought in "almost $800,000 in grants and donations" to augment owner assessments. She said an independent accountant reviewed the district's finance reports and that the GBD met its spending and general-benefit requirements for 2021.

Supervisors asked about the district's boundaries and what made the GBD successful where other formation efforts stalled. Christensen credited long-standing neighborhood greening efforts, partnership with Public Works, and keeping the district's scope and tasks manageable. No members of the public provided comment on the item.

Supervisor Rafael Mandelmann moved to forward the resolution to the full Board with a positive recommendation; the clerk recorded a unanimous roll call vote by Mandelmann, Supervisor Connie Chan and Chair Dean Preston. The committee's referral sends the annual report on for final Board consideration.