July 2004

miniFEST – Coming in September

miniFEST – September 20, 2004
Back by popular demand, miniFEST is returning to Fort Mason. After initially planning to bring back our rather sizeable trade show, we have decided to scale back our plans and stick with our fun-loving miniFEST.
On Monday, September 20, 2004, hot dogs and soda pop will fill the halls of the Conference Center at Fort Mason at 5:30 p.m. Numerous vendors will be on hand, showcasing their products and services. The San Francisco Apartment Association (SFAA) will also sponsor free classes on recycling and capital improvement passthroughs. Look for a class schedule and an announcement in next month’s magazine.

Security Deposit Interest: 1.2% March 1, ‘04 - Feb. 28, ‘05
After a couple of months in limbo, the index used to calculate the rate for security deposit interest payments has been selected. The ordinance, signed by Mayor Gavin Newsom in late May, amended Chapter 49 of the Administrative Code to require the city to use the Federal Reserve’s 6-Month Certificate of Deposit rate in determining the calculation of San Francisco’s security deposit interest rate. The previously used index had been discontinued, and as a result there was a brief period when the city had no legal basis for determining the interest payment rate. Consequently, the new rate is retroactive to March 1, 2004, with the rate set for the following 12 months at 1.2 percent.

SFPUC Offers SF Apartment Owners New Toilets
Did you know that improving the efficiency of toilets is one of the easiest ways to conserve water? By replacing an older model toilet, you can cut water use by 50 to 70 percent. Thanks to a fantastic offer by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, owners of apartment buildings in San Francisco are now eligible to purchase brand-new toilets for only $10 each—a savings of nearly 70 percent. Supplies are limited. For more information on the program, rules of eligibility and pre-approval, contact the SFPUC Water Conservation Section at 415-551-4730.

Supervisor Daly Seeks Change in Rent Board Commission
Just like the energizer bunny, attempts to tweak the city’s myriad housing laws, just keeps going and going and…After failing last fall to garner enough votes from fellow supervisors to place a ballot measure calling for the election of Rent Board Commissioners, Supervisor Chris Daly is at it again, this time sponsoring a radical change in the structure of the Rent Board Commission. Currently, the mayor appoints five commissioners: two as landlord representatives, two as tenant representatives and one as a neutral. Daly’s proposal would place a charter amendment on November’s ballot, expanding the commission to seven members, five of whom would most likely serve as tenant
representatives. The amendment would also alter the appointment process by shifting power to the Board of Supervisors, giving them four appointments, while the mayor would receive three. Unanimously passed out of the rules committee of the Board of Supervisors, the charter amendment requires six votes from the full Board of Supervisors in order to be placed on the ballot. The vote will be held on July 13.

Supervisors Consider Rent Board Fee Change
Supervisor Chris Daly has also authored legislation to amend San Francisco’s Rent Ordinance that will force landlords to pay 50 percent of the city’s annual Rent Board fee. Currently, the $26 fee is divided between tenants and landlords, with tenants required to pay $21.50 and apartment owners $4.50. The proposal sailed through the Board of Supervisors’ finance committee, passing unanimously. The
legislation will be heard before the full Board of Supervisors on July 13, 2004.

City Sets Hearing Date on Slip Resistant Standards
The San Francisco Department of Public Works will consider the adoption of new regulations and slip resistant standards for manholes, vaults or sub-sidewalk basement covers as well as grills or grates on public sidewalks. (Please read the article found on page 14.) Anyone interested may attend the Department of Public Works hearing on this matter at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 400 at 9 a.m., Wednesday, August 4, 2004. Additional information on this matter may be obtained prior to the hearing at 875 Stevenson Street, Room 460, or by calling Nick Elsner at 415-554-6199.

Tri-County Apartment Association Office Burns
The offices of the Tri-County Apartment Association (TCAA)—SFAA’s sister organization in the South Bay—were destroyed in a devastating fire late last month in San Jose. The four-alarm blaze completely destroyed the 15,000 square-foot commercial building. Two fire fighters suffered minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital for treatment,
according to the San Jose Fire Department. No TCAA employees were injured. The origin and cause of the fire are unknown at this time.