Tuesday, August 31, 2010

San Francisco Controller's Monthly Economic Barometer - June 2010



Click on the image to enlarge


From the Controller's Office:

June's unemployment rate in San Francisco was 9.6% in June, unchanged from the previous June. While this marks an improvement over the double-digit unemployment seen earlier in the year, and San Francisco is still relatively strong relative to the rest of the state, the stubbornly high rate reflects the weak, unsustained job recovery to date. Overall employment growth in the 3-County Metro Division stalled in May and June.

After a few months of positive news on the job creation front, June's jobs total for the Metro Division was the lowest since 1995.

What recovery we have seen in San Francisco has been uneven and inconsistent. Despite continuing strength in airport traffic, the recovery in the hotel sector has been uneven. On a seasonally-adjusted basis, there has been essentially no change in occupancy or average daily rates since last fall. Our indicators of retail traffic--parking garage use and Saturday BART visitors to Powell Street, show continuing weakness and are still at or near their low points of the recession.

Like the job market, San Francisco housing prices had been on the upswing for most of the year, but May brought a sharp reversal, and June only a limited rise. While average sales price is a highly imperfect measure of trends in the market, the two months have ended a positive trend. Apartment rents tell a different story; average rents have risen 12% since January and the rise has been continuous. Average rents are still 15% below their peak in September, 2008, however.

The News Links - August 30-31, 2010

Commercial Real Estate
San Francisco
Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma
California
The Economy
Energy & Environment
General

The SFpark Program





BOMA San Francisco Members:

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is testing a new parking management system: SFpark. It uses sensors, new meters, and real-time parking data to take the guesswork out of parking in the City. These elements work together to, according to the SFMTA, make parking easier to find and more convenient. The benefits will cascade to drivers, Muni riders, bicyclists, pedestrians, visitors, merchants and more.  SFpark will be testing its new parking management system at 6,000 of San Francisco’s 25,000 metered spaces and 12,250 spaces in 15 of 20 City-owned parking garages. The pilot phase of SFpark will run for two years starting summer 2010.  Click here to view a map of the pilot areas.

SFpark sensors, installed in parking spaces and in City-owned garages, track in real-time where parking is and isn’t available. Sensor data is uploaded wirelessly to the SFpark data feed, which will then make that information available to the public via SFpark.org, street signs and smart phone applications. Real-time information about where parking is available will help drivers find parking with less hassle.

Parking will also frequently cost less. SFpark will adjust meter prices based on demand to encourage drivers to make trips in off-peak hours and to use parking lots and garages. While high-demand spaces will gradually go up in price, other spaces will decrease in cost.

As meter and garage pricing shifts to increase availability, instead of some blocks being full and others empty, the goal is to have, on average, at least one parking space available on every block. Once a space is found, longer time limits and new meters that accept credit and debit cards will make it easier to avoid parking tickets.

Three main technical components comprise the SFpark project—sensors to record parking availability, new meters to make it easier to pay, and a data feed to process and distribute information about where parking is available.

If you have any questions or concerns about SFpark, please contact Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs at kenc@boma.com, and John M. Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Legislative Assistant, at johnb@boma.com.

Friday, August 27, 2010

The News Links - August 23-27, 2010



Commercial Real Estate
San Francisco
California
The Economy
Energy & Environment
General

BOMA San Francisco Member Buildings Voluntarily Cut Power During Heat Wave


During peak power demands this week, downtown commercial building operators voluntarily cut back electricity, thanks to BOMA San Francsico's participation in PG&E’s demand response program.

“On a demand response day, a tenant who walks into a building and notices that the lights are dimmed, then sees the sign in the lobby that reads ‘Today is an energy curtailment day,’ knows that means his building is a part of the energy solution,” says Blake Peterson, senior property manager for Ashforth Pacific and vice chair of BOMA San Francisco’s Energy and Environment Committee.

Peterson says PG&E statistics show that to date this year, demand response programs have significantly cut carbon in the atmosphere. “The programs have saved approximately 769,600 kWh this year, the equivalent of 430,379 lbs of C02. We’re reducing carbon usage and utility expenses, while sending a message of goodwill to our tenants,” she says.

“BOMA’s leadership in standard setting and performance evaluation for commercial building operations is well respected. Participants in our programs save money for tenants and enhance asset value for owners and investors,” says Thomas Kruggel, BOMA San Francisco President.

Adds BOMA Executive Vice President Marc Intermaggio, “When it comes to energy and the environment, BOMA and its members lead the way with meaningful solutions to problems and concerns. We have the best trained and most competent real estate managers and building engineers on the planet, right here!”

Thank you BOMA San Francisco members for reducing your power consumption during this past week's record-breaking highs!

One Week Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition Activities - August 27, 2010 - September 3, 2010




BOMA San Francisco Members:

Weekday Activities: Completion of the demolition of bridge columns from Beale Street to Fremont Street.

Hours of Work: Demolition will continue throughout the week between the hours of 6:00 AM and 3:00 PM. No night or weekend work is scheduled for this week. No work is scheduled for Labor Day weekend.

Sidewalk Closure (tentative): The sidewalk on the south side of Howard (adjacent the Temporary Terminal), between Main and Beale Streets, will be closed from September 1, 2010 until September 24, 2010 due to the demolition of the bridge columns and footings. Flaggers will be on-site during work hours.

Community Meeting: Join the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) for their monthly demolition meeting on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at 12:00 noon and 6:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the TJPA offices at 201 Mission Street in Suite 2100.

Should you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Courtney Lodato or Adam Alberti, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700.  If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition activities, please call our 24-hour number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Please continue to check our website for the most up to date schedule of activities at www.transbaycenter.org/demolition.

BOMA California Update - 2010 California Legislative Session




BOMA San Francisco Members:

The 2009-2010 California Legislative Session ends on Tuesday, August 31, 2010.  Hundreds of bills are being acted upon.  Your tireless BOMA California Advocacy Team is still following almost one hundred bills winding their way through the legislative process. Here are the highlights: 

AB 2670 (J. PĂ©rez; D – Los Angeles) Mandates certain state buildings be evaluated using a private green building program without recognizing the state’s own green building code, CALGreen. Oppose

SB 7 (Romero; D – Los Angeles) Bill addresses issue with the adoption of the national model fire code, which unnecessarily reduced the depth of large buildings from 800 feet to 500 feet. Support

AB 1581 (Torres; D – Pomona) Streamlines CEQA by providing that existing retail facilities that undergo tenant improvements that result in significant energy and water use reductions, are exempt from the act. Support

AB 2492 (Ammiano; D – San Francisco) Split Roll Property Tax. Specifies that when 100% of the ownership interests in a legal entity, as defined, are sold or transferred in a single transaction, as specified, the real property owned by that legal entity has changed ownership, whether or not any one legal entity or person that is a party to the transaction acquires more than 50% of the ownership interests. Oppose

SB 1316 (Romero; D – Los Angeles) Takes California out of conformity with federal law for 1031 Like-Kind Exchanges. Oppose

AB 737 (Chesbro; D – Eureka) Mandates commercial recycling measure on private buildings but not public facilities. Measure is redundant of the new CalRecycle regulations. Oppose

AB 1693 (Ma; D – San Francisco) Measure will modify the code adoption cycle and extend it to an 18 month process, adding 3 months to the interim update process. Sponsored bill; Signed by Governor.

AB 1405 (De Leon; D – Los Angeles) Diverts 10% of fees levied on businesses under AB 32 regulations to Environmental Justice advocacy groups. Oppose 

Stay tuned!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Transbay Demolition Update: Beale Street Overpass Successfully Removed



BOMA San Francisco Members:

This past weekend, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority successfully removed the bus ramp over Beale Street, between Howard and Folsom Streets. Demolition will continue throughout the week between the hours of 6:00 AM and 3:00 PM. No night or weekend work is scheduled for this week.

Demolition is required in order to make way for the new Transbay Transit Center at First and Mission Streets.
If you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Courtney Lodato or Adam Alberti at (415) 227-9700.   If you have any time sensitive questions regarding demolition activities, please call our 24-hour number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572). 

For a more detailed schedule of demolition activities and upcoming street closures, please visit www.transbaycenter.org/demolition 

Fix Muni Now - Yes on G - Just 10 Weeks Left!




BOMA San Francisco Members:

It's hard to believe that it's already been five months since SPUR and Supervisor Sean Elsbernd kicked off the campaign to reform Muni's work rules -- and now, the campaign has only ten weeks left to win on Election Day.

That's just seventy more days -- including today! -- to let San Franciscans on their way to work see a Yes On G sign in your window. Just fifty weekday evenings to call campaign supporters to get them organized and mobilized, knocking on doors, going to neighborhood meetings, and separating myth from fact about how Proposition G will help our public transportation system. Just ten more weekends to get out and talk to San Franciscans about reforming Muni's inefficient and costly work rules.

Can you help the YES on G campaign in these ten remaining weeks? There are plenty of ways to lend a hand:
  • Go door-to-door, talking to your neighbors about Proposition G.  The campaign will give you all the training and materials you need to go out in your neighborhood and talk about Muni reform. In addition, they will give you a targeted list of registered, reliable voters that they need to reach out to before they cast their votes.
  • Help staff the campaign headquarters. We are looking for volunteers who can take at least one four-hour shift a week at our headquarters handing out signs and materials, and making calls to their volunteers to make sure they have what they need to go out and talk to voters.
    • The campaign will be coordinating canvassing and calling opportunities starting this Sunday, August 29th, at the following times:
      • Mondays - Thursdays: 5:30 - 8:15 PM
      • Saturdays: 9:30 AM - 1 PM
      • Sundays: 4:30 - 7:30 PM
  • Campaign internships. Know any current college students or recent graduates looking for hands-on campaign experience? We're looking for motivated interns eager for exposure to all aspects of campaign work, from campaign strategy and coalition-building to field work and volunteer management.
If you're interested in any of these volunteer opportunities, send an email to info@fixmuninow.com and let them know. (Internship applicants should also include a resume and cover letter.)

Thanks for supporting Proposition G -- with your help, Muni and San Francisco will win big in November.

Friday, August 20, 2010

The News Links - August -18-20, 2010

Commercial Real Estate
San Francisco
Marin/Sonoma/San Mateo
California
The Economy
Energy and Environment
General

REMINDER: Fix Muni Now -- Yes On G Campaign Headquarters Opening this Saturday - August 20, 2010




BOMA San Francisco Members:

The Fix Muni Now campaign is officially opening their campaign headquarters this Saturday, August 20, 2010  and it would be great to see you there. Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, SPUR Executive Director Gabriel Metcalf, and a number of supportive Supervisorial candidates will be there. The campaign will provide coffee and breakfast, and they'll organize an optional neighborhood walk at the end of the event.

Feel free to forward this blog post on to anyone you think might be interested. Here are the details:

What: Fix Muni Now -- Yes on G campaign headquarters opening
Where: 538 Castro Street, between 18th and 19th
When: 9:30 - 11:30 AM

BOMA San Francisco on KQED's Forum Program to Discuss San Francisco's Transit First Policy




BOMA San Francisco Members:

Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs, partook in KQED's Forum program on August 20, 2010 to discuss San Francisco's Transit First Policy in light of the recent lifting of the four-year old Bike Plan Injunction.  Click here to listen to a recording of the broadcast (not currently available; it should be up on the KQED audio website in a few days).

Guests:
  • Ken Cleaveland, Director of Government and Public Affairs for the Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco
  • Rob Anderson, party to the litigation on the bike plan and blogger on transportation issues
  • Timothy Papandreou, deputy director for sustainable streets for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

UPDATE: Are You Ready For CALGreen? The First Edition is Here!

UPDATE! - August 18, 2010

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please click here to download the first edition of CALGreen - California's green building code.    

--------------------
Original Post - June 14, 2010

California’s green building code becomes mandatory on January 1, 2011 and will affect all new commercial construction.  New mandatory measures address planning and design in the following areas:
  • Site development;
  • Water efficiency and conservation for both indoor and outdoor water use;
  • Energy efficiency;
  • Material conservation and resource efficiency including water resistance and moisture management;
  • Construction waste reduction, disposal and recycling;
  • Building maintenance and operation; 
  • Pollutant control; 
  • Indoor moisture control; 
  • Indoor and outdoor air quality;
  • Environmental comfort.
The California Building Standards Commission is offering a series of regional half-day workshops to help you prepare.  Workshops will provide an overview of the new mandatory standards, voluntary tier structure, compliance checklists and code publication dates. In addition, speakers will provide answers to your specific code questions.

CALGreen classes are being offered up and down the state from San Diego to Redding.  Make sure you are prepared. For more information and to register, visit this website, CALGreen Workshops.

BOMA San Francisco Active Shooter Drill + Emergency Preparedness Seminar - September 15, 2010




BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA San Francisco's Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC) held its 2nd Annual Emergency Preparedness Drill at 303 Second Street on August 18, 2010.  BOMA partnered with the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and the building management to simulate an 'active shooter' and hostage situation in the building in order to test the emergency preparedness plan at 303 Second Street, as well as help the SFPD test their response to the emergency.

Thank you to the building management team at 303 Second Street, the members of the BOMA San Francisco Emergency Preparedness Committee and the SFPD for their invaluable efforts and involvement.

If you're curious as to what happened during the drill and what lessons were learned, please consider attending BOMA San Francisco's 2nd Annual Emergency Preparedness Seminar on September 15, 2010 at the Ferry Building's Port Commission Hearing Room from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.   Click here to register today!

About BOMA San Francisco's 2nd Annual Emergency Preparedness Seminar:

The BOMA San Francisco Emergency Preparedness Committee's 2nd Annual Emergency Preparedness Seminar is generously sposored by these fine BOMA members (in alphabetical order). Click on the image to visit their website!:








Speakers:

David Starkey, General Manager of 303 Second Street
Peter Franklin, Director of Security, The Pyramid Center (Ret.)
Tom Gille, COO, CAC Real Estate Management Co., Inc
Michael Cummings, Private Sector Liaison, San Francisco Department of Emergency Management
Representative from the San Francisco Police Department

Other speakers TBA soon!

Members: $85.00, Non-members: $105.00

Register for BOMA San Francisco's 2nd Annual Emergency Preparedness Seminar TODAY!

This information-packed emergency preparedness seminar has been produced for property and facilities managers and their security staff. Attendees will be able to learn about:
  • The emergency preparedness obligations of building owners and property managers;
  • Lessons learned from BOMA San Francisco’s 2010 Active Shooter Drill at 303 2nd Street and previous year's drills;
  • Resources to help YOU be better educated and prepared for such emergencies.

BOMA SF-PAC Meets with District 2 Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier


Supervisor Michael Alioto-Pier and BOMA SF-PAC Chair Jim Christian

BOMA San Francisco Members:

District 2 Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier met with the members of the BOMA San Francisco Political Action Committee on August 9, 2010 to discuss her successful attempt to run as a candidate for re-election for District 2 Supervisor in November.  Click here for the background story on this issue.  Supervisor Alioto-Pier's successful legal challenge is currently being appealed by the City Attorney.  We'll report any new developments on the blog--stay tuned!

In light of the current ruling, BOMA San Francisco has endorsed Michael Alioto-Pier--along with Janet Reilly and Mark Farrell--for District 2 Supervisor.  Click on the links below to visit their respective websites (in alphabetical order):


Tuesday, August 17, 2010

District 6 Supervisor Candidate Debate + Theresa Sparks Event on August 25, 2010



BOMA San Francisco Members:

As we reported in our August 2010 edition of the BOMA San Francisco Advocate Newsletter, an aggregation of District 6 merchant and community benefit district associations co-sponsored a District 6 Supervisor Candidate Debate, moderated by the enchanting Melissa Griffin, at Kicklabs located on 250 Brannan Street on August 16, 2010.  Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team was there as was Henry Karnilowicz, Vice Chair of BOMA San Francisco's Codes and Regulations Committee and one of the organizers for the well-attended debate.

Participating District 6 Candidates (in alphabetical order):

Debra Walker
Elaine Zamora
Jane Kim
Jim Meko
Theresa Sparks

The event was taped via VidSF, although the video is not ready for distribution.  Click on the links below for You Tube videos from the event:



Position on Sit/Lie (Civil Sidewalks)

BOMA San Francisco's Political Action Committee (BOMA SF-PAC) has endorsed Theresa Sparks in District 6 who was a clear favorite of the event attendees.  Ms. Sparks understands that in order for District 6 to succeed going forward, all District 6 private and public stakeholders must work together to attract and retain small businesses to the area (especially the Mid Market area) and help to address the social issues at hand.

Click here for more information on Ms. Sparks including how you can help her campaign.  Click here for information regarding an event for Theresa Sparks on August 25, 2010 located at the cool and hip Infusion Lounge at 123 Ellis Street from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The News Links - August 16-17, 2010

Commercial Real Estate
  • CoStar’s new indices may help portfolio owners chart prices.
  • New tools improve valuations, appraisal institute reports.
San Francisco
Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma
California
The Economy
Energy & Environment
General

Transbay Demolition Update




This past weekend, the Transbay Joint Power Authority (TJPA) successfully removed the ramp over Howard Street.  This coming weekend, August 20-August 23 they are moving on to the Beale Street ramp between Howard and Folsom Streets.  Due to the location and size of the ramp, Beale Street will be closed from 10:00 pm on Friday, August 20 until 5:00 am Monday, August 23. In order to remove the ramp within that time frame, 24 hour work will be required over the weekend.  

The TJPA has placed a moratorium on jackhammering in between the hours of 11:00 pm and 6:00 am, however all other activities will be ongoing 24 hours a day during the specified hours of demolition.  Demolition is required in order to make way for the new Transbay Transit Center at First and Mission Streets.

If you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Courtney Lodato or Adam Alberti at (415) 227-9700
.
If you have any time sensitive questions regarding demolition activities, please call our 24 hour number, (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

For a more detailed schedule of demolition activities and upcoming street closures, please visit www.transbaycenter.org/demolition

Friday, August 13, 2010

San Francisco Young Democrats District 10 Supervisor Forum




BOMA San Francisco Members:

The San Francisco Young Democrats (SFYD), along with the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club and Harvey Matthews Bayview Hunters Point Democratic Club held a District 10 Supervisor Forum that consisted of 9 candidates in the race.  Click on the link above to watch the video of the event, that was streamed live on SFGate.com via VidSF.

The BOMA San Francisco Political Action Committee (BOMA SF-PAC), who was a sponsor of the forum, has not endorsed any candidate for supervisor in District 10.  Indeed, with a field of 22 candidates, it's no easy task!  Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team was at the standing room only event as was San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell (current District 10 supervisor) and Supervisor David Campos.

Participating Candidates:

Isaac Bowers – View SFYD Questionnaire
James Calloway* – View SFYD Questionnaire
Malia Cohen – View SFYD Questionnaire
Kristine Enea – View SFYD Questionnaire
Chris Jackson – View SFYD Questionnaire
Tony Kelly – View SFYD Questionnaire
DeWitt Lacy – View SFYD Questionnaire
Eric Smith – View SFYD Questionnaire
Lynette Sweet – View SFYD Questionnaire
Steve Moss – View SFYD Questionnaire

*Invited but unable to attend.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance

BOMA San Francisco members have been working with the San Francisco Department of the Environment to craft the Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance. Click here to review the ordinance.

The proposal would require owners of nonresidential buildings in San Francisco to obtain energy efficiency audits, as well as to annually measure and disclose energy performance. It would also requires the Department of Environment to collect summary statistics about the energy performance of nonresidential buildings and make those statistics available to the public.

The proposal would require the owner of any nonresidential building in San Francisco with a gross area of 5,000 square feet or greater to conduct a comprehensive energy efficiency audit for each such building not less than once every 5 years. The audits would have to meet specified industry standards and be conducted by a qualified energy professional in accordance with rules promulgated by the Director of the Department of the Environment. The size of the building would determine the scope of the audit.

The energy professional would prepare a signed report of the energy efficiency audit meeting industry standards. The report would include, among other things: a list of capital and non-capital measures that would improve the building's energy efficiency; an estimate of the approximate energy savings, avoided energy cost, and costs to implement those measures; and an estimate of the economic value of the corrective measures. The ordinance would require the building owner to file with the Department of the Environment a report confirming that the energy efficiency audit had been completed.

Building owners would also be required to use the "ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager"— the Environmental Protection Agency’s online tool for managing building data—to track the total energy use of each non-residential building and obtain an "ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager Energy Performance Rating" for each entire nonresidential building. The owner would then file an Annual Energy Benchmark Summary report ("AEBS") for each covered building with the Department of the Environment. The AEBS would be based on an assessment of the entire non-residential building and related facilities made using Portfolio Manager.

No energy efficiency audit would be required for: (a) a building newly constructed less than five years prior to the date an AEBS was due; (b) a building that received the ENERGY STAR® label from the EPA for at least three of the last five years; or, (c) a building that was certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for Existing Buildings Operation and Maintenance, within the past five years. Owners of financially distressed buildings could apply for extensions of the deadlines for completion of an energy efficiency audit or for submittal of an AEBS.

The Department of the Environment would annually report to the public summary statistics on Citywide energy use in nonresidential buildings and on overall compliance with the Chapter. For individual buildings covered by the ordinance, the department would report whether the building was in compliance with the Chapter, what level of energy audit was required for the building, the date of the most recent audit, and whole-building information on energy use and efficiency.

The ordinance would require building owners to make the Annual Energy Benchmark Summary report available to all tenants occupying the building in order to engage tenants in efforts to save energy.

The ordinance would set a staggered, 3-year schedule for compliance with these new requirements, beginning April 1, 2011.

Violations would be enforced through a system of administrative penalties, after written warning to the building owner.

Please email Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Legislative Assistant at johnb@boma.com with any comments you may have.

Urban Solutions’ First Annual Green Business Symposium on September 28, 2010



BOMA San Francisco Members:

The first annual Green Business Symposium on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 from 1:30-6:30 p.m. is produced by Urban Solutions and will bring together sustainability leaders, local entrepreneurs, and public officials to discuss innovative sustainability practices. The event will include a keynote address by Kevin Surace (founder of green building company Serious Materials and Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009), and a panel discussion featuring green experts and a performance. A networking session will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. This will be a ticketed event. To receive the e-invitation when it becomes available, contact Urban Solutions at info@urbansolutionsSF.org, referencing the Green Business Symposium in the subject line.


The Green Business Symposium promises to be a unique and inspiring event and we hope you can attend!   If you have any questions about becoming a supporting organization, please feel free contact Michelle Brady, (415) 553-4433 ext 114 or michelle@urbansolutionssf.org

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations - Available Funding Information






BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please find the information below from both ChargePoint America and Business Council on Climate Change (BC3) regarding available funding for electric vehicle charging stations.

About ChargePoint America

ChargePoint America will provide 4,600 public and private ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations by October 2011. Coulomb Technologies, Inc. will work together with its distribution and industry partners to evaluate the demand from the respective geographic regions and allocate charging stations based on this and other factors. The ChargePoint America project will collect data characterizing vehicle use and charging patterns, and Purdue University and Idaho National Labs will analyze the data.

For more program information visit www.chargepointamerica.com.  ChargePoint America is a $37 million program that is made possible by a $15 million grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the Department of Energy. They also have a $3.3 million grant from the California Energy Commission to cover installation costs.

About Coulomb Technologies, Inc.

Coulomb Technologies is the leader in electric vehicle charging station infrastructure with networked charging stations installed in municipalities and organizations worldwide. Coulomb provides a vehicle-charging infrastructure, with an open system driver network: the ChargePoint Network (www.mychargepoint.net) provides multiple web-based portals for Hosts, Fleet managers, Drivers, and Utilities, and ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations ranging in capability from 120 Volt to 240 Volt AC charging and up to 500 Volt DC charging.

Justice Department Issues Final Rule Revising ADA Regulations




BOMA San Francisco Members:

The U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has amended its regulations implementing Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which applies to commercial buildings and public accommodations.  This is the first comprehensive revision since the 1991 ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) went into effect.

In making this long anticipated change to the ADA regulations, DOJ adopted standards contained in the U. S. Access Board’s 2004 ADA/ABA Accessibility Guidelines impacting a broad array of commercial building types. The new standards address a variety of building elements, including new requirements for restrooms, reach ranges, sales and service counters, employee work spaces, telephones and stairways.  The revised rules also impact power-driven mobility devices such as Segways, communication services, such as remote interpreting of video conferencing, and lodging reservation systems.

BOMA and its industry coalition partners were successful in securing major concessions in the revised regulations for the commercial real estate industry on the two major issues that facilitate a less problematic and more cost-effective transition to the new rules.

The first is a broad 'grandfather' clause that exempts all building elements that were constructed or altered in compliance with the 1991 rules.  This grandfather exemption is in effect until those elements are subject to a planned alteration and also applies to the “path of travel” to an altered area.   The second is the inclusion of a reasonable time within which to comply with the new rules.  The revised regulations do not become effective until six months after July 27, 2010 but are not mandatory for new construction and alterations and barrier removal until 18 months after publication.  During the period from late January, 2011 and January 2012, projects may be designed and constructed in compliance with the current ADAAG (1991 regulations) or the revised 2010 regulations.

A more comprehensive review of the details of the new ADA regulations is under development by the BOMA staff and we'll post it on the blog once it's available. For more information, vist the DOJ’s ADA webpage.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Fix Muni Now - Yes on G


Sean

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The efforts of the Fix Muni Now - YES on G campaign were recently profiled in this Wall Street Journal article, and last week, Supervisor Sean Elsbernd had an opportunity to talk about Muni reform in his conversation with Ronn Owens on KGO. You can listen here if you missed it.

The Fix Muni Now - YES on G campaign is excited to be moving into the critical second phase of the campaign, and they're starting with a kickoff party August 21st:

Fix Muni Now, YES on Prop G campaign HQ opening
When: Saturday, August 21st, 9:30 am- 11:30am
Where: Campaign HQ- 538 Castro Street, between 18th and 19th

Stop by to see their new office, and hear about what's ahead. If you plan to attend, you can email their campaign coordinator Ben Lowe or call them at (415) 640-7278. Or, if you find yourself available at the last minute, just come on over.

It's time to stop the fare hikes and service cuts.

The Fix Muni Now - YES on G campaign succeeded in getting Muni reform on the ballot. Now, to pass Prop. G, they need to raise the money and recruit the volunteers to get their message out to voters. They only have 8 weeks to go until absentee ballots go out, so they need your help now.

If you can't make it to the headquarters opening, but want to learn more about how you can help, please let the campaign know by signing up here.

UPDATE: SFFD Emergency Evacuation Signs




BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - August 11, 2010

Please click here for a notice regarding the evacuation signage requirements from the San Francisco Fire Department that will allow for a bit more flexibility when ordering new such signage for your buildings.   

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

Original Post - May 18, 2010

On May 13, 2010 the San Francisco Fire Commission approved the final revised San Francisco Fire Department administrative bulletin relating to emergency evacuation signage in buildings (e.g., residential, hotel, and commercial office).  Click here to review the bulletin.  The final bulletin is a great improvement in comparison to the requirements that were originally in place; we appreciate the efforts of the San Francisco Fire Department in working with BOMA San Francisco members to craft more reasonable emergency evacuation signage guidelines.

Please feel free to contact Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Legislative Assistant at johnb@boma.com if you have any questions.


Examples of emergency evacuation signs are below (click on the images to enlarge):






BOMA SF-PAC Positions on San Francisco Qualified Local Measures for the November 2, 2010 Ballot





BOMA San Francisco Members:


The BOMA San Francisco Political Action Committee (BOMA SF-PAC) has taken positions on the following November 2, 2010 local ballot measures, below.

Please take a moment to review the measures and send your comments to Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Legislative Assistant at johnb@boma.com.

County Transportation Authority
  • Prop. AA: Vehicle Registration Fee - NO POSITION
    • This measure would institute an additional $10 annual registration fee on vehicles registered in San Francisco. The money collected from the fee must be spent only on programs and projects that benefit owners of motor vehicles paying the fee and are consistent with a regional transportation plan.
Bond
Charter Amendments
    • Prop. C: Mayoral Appearances at Board Meetings - OPPOSE
      • Requires the Mayor to attend one regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors to discuss policy matters and allows the Board to set the rules and guidelines of how the meetings will be conducted.
    • Prop. D: Non-Citizen Voting in School Board Elections - OPPOSE
      • Charter amendment would extend the right to vote in school board elections to any resident who is a parent, legal guardian or caregiver of a child residing in the City who is at least 18 years of age and not in prison or on parole for a felony.
    • Prop. E: Election Day Voter Registration - OPPOSE
      • Would permit San Francisco citizens to register to vote in exclusively municipal elections on any day up to and including election day.
    • Prop. F: Health Service Board Elections - NO POSITION
      • The Health Service Board is responsible for conducting and annual review of health benefit costs, application of benefits and administering the Health Service System.   This technical Charter amendment will allow the Board to save money on a number of elections required to elect members.
    • Prop. G: Transit Operator Wages (Fix Muni Now) - SUPPORT
    Ordinances 
    • Prop. H: Local Elected Official on Political Party Committees - SUPPORT
      • If adopted, this measure will prohibit any person holding city elective office from serving on a political party central committee.
    • Prop. I: Saturday Voting - NO POSITION
      • Creates the Saturday Voting Fund to pay for the cost of operating polling places on the Saturday before the November 8, 2011 election.  If there is enough money in the Fund to cover the costs of operating the polling places on Saturday, then the measure would require the City to open all polling places twice during the election - on Saturday, November 5 and on Tuesday, November 8.
    • Prop. J: Hotel Tax Clarification and Temporary Increase (NO NEW TAXES!  Visit Economic Recovery SF for more information) - OPPOSE
      • This tax increase proposal would raise the tax rate on San Francisco’s local hotels by 2%, bringing the total tax rate to 16%, plus a 1.5% tourism marketing fee added to most hotel bills bringing the total to 17.5%--the highest in the nation.
    • Prop. K: Hotel Tax Clarification and Definitions  - NO POSITION
      • Mayor Newsom's counter measure to Prop. J that doesn't increase the tax rate, and clarifies who pays the tax. 
    • Prop. L: Sitting or Lying on Sidewalks (Civil Sidewalks) - SUPPORT
      • Click here for more information.
    • Prop. M: Community Policing and Foot Patrols (Board of Supervisors' response to Prop. N) - OPPOSE
      • This measure would require the Police Commission to adopt a comprehensive written policy on community policing. 
    • Prop. N: Real Property Transfer Tax (NO NEW TAXES!  Visit Economic Recovery SF for more information) - OPPOSE
      • This tax increase proposal would boost the tax on the sale of properties over $5 million in San Francisco.  The current rate is 1.5% doubled from .75% in 2008.  See the chart below for more information.  If passed, this rate would be the highest transfer tax rate in California.


      Apture