January 26, 2009                                                       Volume 14, Number 6
This Issue of the BOMA San Francisco Advocate Is Brought To You By:
EMCOR SERVICE/
MESA ENERGY SYSTEMS

OUTGOING BOARD PRESIDENT PESKIN PROPOSES NEW BUSINESS TAXES 
As a departing gesture, former Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin introduced a bill that calls for an emergency based on the severity of the San Francisco's budget crisis.  In order to address the City's fiscal shortfall, the measure proposes a special election in June to ask the San Francisco electorate to vote on new funding sources.  Specifically, possible increases on existing taxes, as well as the creation of several new taxes, that will affect the BOMA San Francisco membership. Click here to view the bill's language:

SFPUC COMMERCIAL WATER CONSERVATION ORDINANCE: WE NEED YOUR INPUT!
Please click here to view the revised city ordinance that will require low-flow toilets/urinals be installed in all commercial buildings by January 1, 2016.  We need your help to review the revised ordinance carefully and give us your feedback.  What should BOMA's response be?  What changes would make it more acceptable?  Please email Ken Cleaveland at kenc@boma.comand John Bozeman at johnb@boma.comwith your thoughts.  You can read SFPUC's memo to BOMA here, and read more on the Commission's Water Conservation Programs (as of January 1, 2008) here.

SAN FRANCISCO'S NEW GOVERNMENT LEADERS
BOMA congratulates the new leadership on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors: Board President David Chiu (District 3), and the chair of the Budget & Finance Committee, Supervisor John Avalos (District 11).  With the new freshman leadership in City Hall, there is a greater opportunity for an open dialog regarding public/private policy and also for working with the business community, including commercial real estate.  Please follow the links to learn more about Supervisor Eric Mar (District 1) and David Campos (District 9), the other two members of the freshman Supervisor class of 2009.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PRESIDENT DAVID CHIU MEETS WITH BOMA
Board President David Chiu met with several San Francisco leaders recently to discuss the current budget deficit crisis.  The meeting was very productive and encouraging as Supervisor Chiu was receptive to establishing an open dialog with the association.   Moreover, Mr. Chiu left with the understanding that BOMA does not only represent building owners but also the business interest of thousands of small San Francisco businesses that fuel the City's general fund.  Mr. Chiu also discussed budget reform—specifically, the set-asides that have contributed to the City's current budget deficit problems—and expressed an interest in reviewing the cost-effectiveness of such set-asides.  

ASSESSOR PHIL TING CLARIFIES REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY ASSESSMENT POLICIES
Recently, a number of BOMA members met with San Francisco Assessor Phil Ting to discuss several taxable/assessable issues that pertain to the commercial real estate industry.  The results of the meeting can be found here.

BOMA INTRODUCES THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING MODEL
BOMA and the Clinton Climate Initiative are pleased to present the BOMA Energy Performance Contracting (BEPC, pronounced like "Pepsi") model, a groundbreaking model contract and supporting documents that allow building owners and operators to execute sophisticated energy efficiency retrofits to existing buildings.  For more information on this exciting and money-saving program, please click here. 

EXPERIENCE EXCHANGE REPORT GOES ONLINE
The commercial real-estate industry's best benchmarking tool, the Experience Exchange Report (EER) is now only available online for BOMA members.  Developed in conjunction with well-respected industry research firm, Kingsley Associates, the new EER's data will be available via the Web as the book and CD versions will no longer be available.  This new Web-based resource is easier and faster to use, completely interactive and offers tremendous flexibility.  BOMA members will be able to submit and locate data more quickly and efficiently than ever before.  For more information on the EER, please click here.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS RESOURCES
Please note, the webpage for BOMA San Francisco's Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC) is continually updated with information for the membership, including: emergency and disaster preparedness resources, as well as future meeting dates.  The next EPC meeting will be held on February 10, 2009 at The Pyramid Center, 600 Montgomery St., 48th Floor, from 9:30 a.m.  – 11:00 a.m.

The first EPC meeting of the year was a fruitful one with numerous public and private officials in attendance.  Michael Cummings and Andrea Davis with the City and County of San Francisco's Department of Emergency Management were in attendance and have produced a training calendar for those who are interested in participating.  Please click here to download the calendar.

The Department of Emergency Management will also be hosting a special training session specific to building owners and mangers soon.  Stay tuned!

The EPC is interested in additional participation by building managers.  If you would like more information, please contact committee chairwoman Ellen Kovach with The Swig Company, LLC at ekovack@swigco.comor at (415) 693-0180. 

UPDATE – COMMERCIAL LIGHTING EFFICIENCY ORDINANCE
As you may be aware, in February 2008 the Mayor introduced the Commercial Lighting Efficiency Ordinance (CLEO) to the Board of Supervisors.  CLEO has since been reviewed and approved by the Code Advisory Committee in April 2008, as well as the Small Business and Building Inspection Commissions in June 2008.  At present, according to the San Francisco Department of the Environment, CLEO is now waiting for the City Attorney's office to vet a few minor amendments in order for the ordinance to make its way through the legislative process.  We'll keep you posted on CLEO's progress as it develops.  For questions, please contact Cal Broomhead, at the San Francisco Department of the Environment at (415) 355-3706 or cal.broomhead@sfgov.org.

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING INSPECTION IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE
Please click here to view the most current update on the recommendations from the Business Process and Reengineering (BPR) Steering Committee on Implementation for the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection.

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING INSPECTION – BROWN BAG LUNCHES
Please note the dates below if you are interested in attending the City and County of San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection Brown Bag Lunch talks:

February 19  Green Building Update
July 16   What is a Historical Building?  Landmarks, Historic Districts, etc.
August 20 Odd and Unusual Buildings of SF – Part II
October 15  San Francisco Seismic Hazards: Soft Story Buildings

The Talks will be presented in Room 2001, 1660 Mission Street from noon to 1:30 p.m.   For more information, please contact Laurence Kornfield, Chief Building Inspector, at (415) 558-6244.

HEALTH CARE SECURITY ORDINANCE ANNUAL REPORTING FORM
The Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO) went into effect on January 9, 2008.  For those employers in San Francisco who have 20 or more employees and need to submit an annual report on their healthcare coverage to the City, the Annual Reporting Form (ARF) for the HCSO can be found here.  If you are unsure if your business falls under the HCSO, please click here.

PG&E ISSUES NEW RATE SCHEDULES
PG&E has issued new rate schedules that went into effect January 1, 2009.   The net result for BOMA members should be an electricity cost reduction of about 1% from the rates that have been in effect since October 2008.

SAN FRANCISCO GREEN BUILDING FINANCING PILOT PROGRAM
The Capital Markets Partnership (CMP) is interested in working with one or more private sector existing building owners within the City of San Francisco in the San Francisco Pilot of its national Green Building Financing Program.  Pilots are underway in other cities including in California.   If you are interested in volunteering one or more of your buildings to possibly obtain green building financing, which could include the underlying refinancing needs of the building, please contact Michael Italiano at info@capitalmarketspartnership.comor (202) 338-3131. 

LOS ANGELES REDUCES TAXES ON BUSINESSES
In light of outgoing Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin's bill calling for a special election to raise existing taxes and create new taxes to curb San Francisco's budget debacle, it's nice to hear of a set of tax reforms—located in that other city in California, Los Angeles—that actually REDUCES taxes on business for an aggregate reduction of around 15%.  You can find the report here.  Perhaps our City leaders should consider a similar measure to create a more business-friendly climate during these tough economic times.  

NEWSOM'S EXPLORATORY CAMPAIGN RAKES IN THE CASH
On January 13, 2009 Mayor Newsom's exploratory campaign for California governor announced that they have raised nearly $1.2 million since it launched on July 1, 2008 with $400,000 in December alone.  You can view the full report on the Secretary of State's website here.

WHO'S FUNDING OBAMA'S INAUGURATION?
People from all over the world watched President Barack Obama make history on January 20, 2009 as he was sworn-in as the 44th President of the United States of America.  While you may have been mesmerized by the grandeur of the Inauguration, did you happen to wonder who funded the event?  Well, in case you were wondering, some well-heeled corporations and heavy-hitting industries decided to donate a few dollars to make the Inauguration a special one.  You can read more about it here.

GAO REPORT ON THE STATUS OF OBTAINING TERRORISM INSURANCE  
In September 2008, the United States Government Accountability Office conducted a study to determine the status of efforts by policyholders of obtaining terrorism insurance through the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (TRIP).  If you are interested in reading the report, please click here.  For more information on the TRIP, please click here.

SEISMICALLY SECURING CEILING TILES
Please click here to view information on seismically securing ceiling tiles in your building.

UPCOMING BOMA EVENTS – CHECK THEM OUT!
Please click here to view BOMA San Francisco's calendar of events—BOMA committee meetings, education events, seminars, social events, and workshops—for 2009.

"There are no true friends in politics."
-- Marcus Tullius Cicero

For more information about Emcor Service/Mesa Energy Systems, go to www.mesaenergy.com. .