PUC Supports Passthrough
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has agreed to support a passthrough on its new, higher water and sewage rates. This would be a direct passthrough that would not require a San Francisco Rent Board petition to pass the fees on to tenants. The passthrough would cover 50% of the increased rates, or 70% in buildings with additional conservation amenities like low-flow fixtures. Unfortunately, the SF PUC can’t allow the passthrough without the approval of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The board has until January 2008 to agree to the passthrough; otherwise SFAA will begin seeking signatures to put a measure on the ballot to rescind the increase entirely.

In related news, a variety of homeowners’ groups are fighting the SF PUC’s rate increase, particularly its new tiered system, which penalizes property owners for using a lot of water by charging a higher fee after a certain threshold is met. These groups want the PUC to go back to charging for water purely by volume, as it had previously.

The SF PUC approved a huge increase in water and sewage fees at its May 8, 2007, meeting, claiming that it needs to raise rates (which, for households with average water and wastewater use, increased by $4.36 on July 1, 2007, and will go up to $5.81 after July 1, 2008) in order to pay for seismic improvements and other upgrades to its infrastructure. SFAA opposed this increase, and many of its members attended the May 8 meeting at San Francisco City Hall to let their voices be heard.

SFAA Trade Show September 17
SFAA is pleased to announce that its 2007 boutique trade show will be held on September 17 at Fort Mason from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The theme this year is “Tropical Blast” and will feature a hint of the islands while covering all facets of the multifamily housing industry. The event will kick off with free classes for members followed by a trade show open to the public.

To find out more about the trade show, email SFAA Education and Events Director Vanessa Khaleel at vanessa@sfaa.org or call her at 415-255-2288.

Ellis Act Legislation Fails
In June, a state bill that would have seriously curtailed an owner’s right to use the Ellis Act was narrowly defeated. SB 464 was intended to limit the use of an owner’s state-sanctioned right to use the Ellis Act to “go out of business.” Had it passed in its original form, the act would only be available to owners who had owned their properties for at least five years. But luckily the bill did not have enough support (even after sponsor Sheila Kuehl changed the limitation to three years) to pass out of the Senate. However, the bill was only a few votes short of passing and Kuehl has said that she will bring it back in January 2008.

Quicker Processing at DBI
The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection has announced an overhaul of its over-the-counter services. All customers seeking permits for projects that can be reviewed within one hour will be directed to plan review teams for approvals; previously only projects requiring 15 minutes of examination were given access to this same-day approval process.

The new system works like this: customers will be directed to initial screening personnel on the ground floor of DBI’s offices at 1660 Mission St. Qualified projects will then be sent to the fourth floor for reviews and approvals. Once all plan review stations required have reviewed a project, customers will go back to the ground floor to pay permitting fees at the Central Permit Bureau. As soon as fees are paid, the requested permit will be given out. Right now, the over-the-counter process can be utilized only on a walk-in basis, but plans are in the works to create an appointment system as well.

This change is part of new DBI Director Isam Hasenin’s permit-process streamlining. It is designed to increase the number of qualified permit approvals and issuances, as well as remove large numbers of pending permits from the processing system so that more complex projects can get through the plan-check process.

CCRM for Fall
This fall’s California Certified Residential Manager courses start October 3, 2007, and will be held on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Fort Mason. If you are a SFAA member and enroll before September 1, the entire nine-course series is $660. If you are a member and enroll after September 1, it’s $680. Spots for nonmembers are $880.

To find out more about CCRM, email SFAA Education and Events Director Vanessa Khaleel at vanessa@sfaa.org or call her at 415-255-2288.

How to Use New Online Services
As many SFAA members know, the association has put several important leasing services online, including the brand new SFAA Residential Rental Agreement. Some members have had trouble doing the calculations for the security deposit online because the system is only set up to handle whole dollar amounts. You can still have a deposit with dollars and cents, but you will have to enter the amount manually, rather than using the online system. The same is true for proration of rent calculations. If you are having any trouble using these new services, please call SFAA at 415-288-2288.

Trophy Sponsorship Now Available
Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the SFAA Trophy Awards. The formal dinner event will be held at the Palace Hotel on November 29, 2007. “Lombard”-level sponsorships are available for $500 and include a listing in the program directory, recognition in this magazine, event signage and two complementary tickets to the award ceremony. “Coit Tower” sponsorship is $1,500 and includes four complementary tickets, a half-page ad in the directory, event signage and recognition in the magazine. For $5,000–“Golden Gate” sponsorship–sponsors are entitled to a full-page ad in the directory, a table at the event, major signage and recognition in the magazine and on our Web site at www.sfaa.org.

To find out more about sponsorship or the Trophy Awards event, email SFAA Education and Events Director Vanessa Khaleel at vanessa@sfaa.org or call her at 415-255-2288.

Berkeley’s Green Overhaul
In an effort to decrease Berkeley’s greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050, city officials have introduced a wide-ranging proposal that includes mandatory green building requirements and has landlords footing the bill for bus passes for their tenants. Berkeley voters overwhelmingly passed Measure G, which mandates this enormous greenhouse gas reduction, in November, but city officials have only recently laid out the road map that they think Berkeley dwellers will need to follow to make reaching that goal possible.

One of the major components of the plan involves mandatory green building practices, even for small residential projects, such as using recycled materials, meeting strict energy-efficiency requirements, replacing older appliances and adding insulation. The city also plans to create an assessment district to help residents buy solar panels; the cost for installing a solar system will be added to property tax bills and paid over the course of 30 years, rather than all at once when the system is installed. Another part of the plan calls on landlords to pay for their residents’ bus passes in an effort to create more public transit ridership. Landlords could pass through only $7 per month onto their tenants.