The Burlingame Voice

Top Golf: Rounding the turn?

I stopped by the Golf Center (aka the old city dump) to check on the progress of the Top Golf project.  My completely uneducated guess is they are about to round the turn.  In golf "the turn" is an expression used to denote the part of the golf course where the front nine turns into the back nine. When you've reached "the turn," you've reached the halfway point of an 18-hole golf course. So "making the turn" means leaving the front nine and moving on to the back nine.  It's been more than five years in the works as noted here.

It's an impressive build and the number of poles surprised me.  One can only hope it generates as much B'game revenue as some city elders are predicting.  The sooner the better!  Here's the view as of now.

Whither City Hall?

I underestimated how many people have noticed (complained?) about the possibility of a new City Hall being considered during a time of tight finances.  The Daily Journal did a piece on it a couple weeks ago and since then, it has been the second most common complaint after the California Dr. reconfiguration.  Who knew that many people are paying attention?  The DJ writes

Burlingame’s City Council is taking next steps toward a new City Hall, approving commercial real estate broker CBRE to identify commercial real estate within the city that could work for a new space.  Burlingame has been exploring options for a new City Hall location since 2023 — hiring architectural firm Group 4 Architecture for a space-needs and cost estimate and real estate advisor Keyser Marston Associates to review existing city-owned property.

But hiring a real estate advisor doesn’t mean any decisions are a “done deal,” Councilmember Michael Brownrigg emphasized at the May 6 meeting, adding that the need for a new City Hall should be better explained to the public.

By my reckoning, Michael Brownrigg has that right.  When I sat through the budget study session recently, he was the first councilor to highlight the drop in the Unassigned Fund Balance from $7.7M to zero dollars in the proposed budget.  Don't hold me to the exact number, but that was what I jotted down off the Zoom call.  Here are the details for what's next:

CBRE will look into Burlingame’s available commercial real estate, representing the city in negotiating transaction terms if the city prefers existing commercial office space, according to a staff report detailing the two-year agreement.  The brokerage group will receive a commission on any purchase or lease agreement, and will be paid $70,000 if no lease, purchase or lease-to-purchase transaction is completed, the staff report said.

From my conversations, the first thing that is needed is a statement of what is wrong with the existing facility.  Having spent a fair amount of time in there over the last 30 years, it ain't great, but it's not terrible either.  Maybe we should have made the new Rec Center a little larger.

Bumpingame: Taking the car out of Carmelita Ave.

One way to get people griping less about California Ave. is to roll out another project unpopular with drivers.  While the aversion to the California conversion is on-going (just mention it at the grocery store!), the multitude of new speed bumps on Carmelita east and west of ECR is jarring drivers' senses--and common sense.  A review of the accident history via the Crimegraphics tracker on the city website doesn't yield nearly enough incidents to cause speed bumps to multiply like rabbits there.  Is the city trying to take the "car" out of Carmelita Ave.?  Shall we rename it Melita Ave.--a main thoroughfare from H'borough to Bumpingame?

The Sunday SF Comicle had a front-page piece titled Drivers feel under siege with S.F. limits.  It described some senior drivers' anxiety over the navigational mazes being implemented as "improvements".  It's more than just banning cars on Market St. or so-called "Slow streets".  And it's not just in EssEff.  I like to pick up the pink Financial Times (of London) sometimes and was amazed to see a Letter to the Editor from a guy in Oakland under the headline Why the nanny state is partly to blame for US road carnage!  He writes:

Meanwhile, endless reconfiguration of America's streets and pavements by traffic engineers who dream of "Amsterdam in Santa Monica" has cluttered once open roadways with mountains of superfluous signage and millions of plastic bollards; new parking arrangement, often in the middle of the street, bicycle paths switched to different lanes every other corner; and elevated bulbs wherever possible--all designed to slow traffic under the guise of creating bike and bus-friendly streets.

The addition of all this visual noise impedes every driver's view, making it ever harder to see that bicycle or pedestrian while elevating the stress.  Alas, too many American drivers have reacted to these safety-related distractions and stressors by developing the habits of road rage.

So don't just blame the culture of freedom that Americans enjoy for the roads mayhem.  At least some fault is due to the nanny state at work, killing us softly with safety enhancements.

George P Csicsery

Zala Films, Oakland, CA, US

My guess is Mr. Csicsery has been to Bumpingame recently.  My wishlist is to take out at least half of the new speed bumps on Melita Ave. and put a moratorium on any more as well as on the cheesy plastic bollards and floppy mid-crosswalk signs that are already looking beat after just a few weeks.  Then bank the money to pay for another police officer to catch scofflaw drivers.  While we're at it, let's check what all of these "improvements" are doing to police, fire and ambulance response times.....

Hat tip to a local wag for the name Bumpingame.

EV charging ahead with preferred parking spots at Walgreens

The news is all pointing to a deceleration in EV sales as car companies' losses per EV pile up and consumers start to really question the benefits of going electric.  People who don't worry about the high initial costs or the lengthy payback (some estimates put it at 7 years) have bought their EVs already.  We are now approaching the trough of adoption while waiting for cheaper versions, longer range and more charging stations.  These trends haven't stopped B'game from going full speed ahead with 16 new charger spaces downtown.  The latest swap of fully public spaces to preferred parking for EVs in need of a boost is coming to the public lot (K) between Walgreen's and Safeway.  This is a busy lot for much of the day and early dining evening.  Per the Daily Journal piece

The City Council authorized the city manager to proceed with negotiations on a contract for Tesla to rent the parking lot space from Burlingame, although councilmembers said they’d like to see details on lease and fee rates as well as plans for signs that would delineate the chargers as usable for all electric vehicles.  Tesla has said they will pay a monthly rent of $6,000, and everything will be free to the city, including installation.

Let's go easy with the F-word (i.e. "free").  It's only "free" if $6K per month covers the lost revenue of the 19 spaces lost.  That's about $315 per month or about a dollar a day per space.  My math says these new charger spaces are far from "free".  

After Beach inquired about the leasing agreement and rental cost, Tesla Supercharger Project Developer Caitlyn Hanner said the company would require a 10-year lease minimum but could provide a rent increase of up to 3% a year.   Installation of the Tesla superchargers would create a loss of three parking spots.

Ten years with a very modest rent escalator is quite a deal.  There are about 57 spaces in Lot K now.  Three will be taken for the e-infrastructure, so about 30 percent of the lot is planned to be preferred parking for EVs.  As the DJ article notes, several council members are Tesla owners and others own other brands which these new superchargers will accommodate.  Did we just witness a conflict of interest that should have caused recusals on the vote?   Just kidding.  But it would have made a great April Fool's Day post.

Maybe the time has come to require chargers to also pay for the parking.  EVs already skirt the gas tax and they inflict more wear and tear on our roads than gas cars due to their higher weight.  I will tag the "Friends with benefits" category as well since this looks like a sweet deal for a few people and the car companies.

Contract negotiations: city staff turnover--not a lot to see here

Unless I missed it, which is possible due to some travel, the news has been quiet regarding the heated contract negotiations at City Hall.  We last covered it in October here.  There was the one-day strike back on December 4th as reported by the DJ here:

More than 100 Burlingame workers picketed in front of city hall Dec. 4 for a one-day strike based on alleged free speech violations by city management that closed down many city services, including the Community Center, the Easton Library and the finance department.  The strike is the first by Burlingame’s municipal workers since 1981.

Aside from the "free speech" claims, the more substantive claim was that low pay was causing much turnover of city staff.  As usual, I am reluctant to go along with broad statements when the actual data is easy to get.  With that in mind, a simple inquiry to the city led to the data through mid-December when I made the request:

• There were 27 CN (casual non benefited) employees who separated with the City in 2023 to current.
• There were 2 CP (Casual with PERS) employees who separated with the City in 2023 to current.
• There were 31 FT (Full Time) employees who separated with the City in 2023 to current.
• There was 1 PN (PERS non-contributory) employee who separated with the City in 2023 to current.

Is the departure of 31 full-timers a lot?  Normal?  A problem?  I'm not sure, but when you think of all the departments as listed here, it doesn't seem like a crisis.  All of these negotiations rightfully happen behind closed doors, but the public statements--mostly by the union reps--bear examination.  And now you have "the rest of the story".

Jan 30 update:  There's a bit more to the story.  I was going to use the DJ article about AI and County employees for a separate post, but commenter Timothy Hooker made such an elegant point below about operational efficiency from tech (see Jan 29) that I will just add the headline here.  Supes, please do not make promises to retain long-term headcount that is no longer needed.  Just don't, OK.

California Exodus: 2023 version

As we ease into the end of the year, it is a time to reflect on the major trends of the year and assess what they mean for the future.  The elephant in the California room is out-migration, particularly of the people who foot the California tab which is large and growing.  We touched on it in July of 2020 here.  And again in October of 2022 here.  So none of this is news--the news is what little Newsom and the Legislature are doing about it.

State budget analysts recently projected a record $68-billion deficit in the next fiscal year because of a 25% drop in personal income tax collection in 2023. Some city, county and other local taxing authorities, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, have also recorded revenue declines.

California is heavily dependent on high earners to meet government fiscal needs. Tax filers in the top 1% of income, earning around $1 million and above, have typically accounted for 40% to 45% of the state’s total personal income tax revenue, said Brian Uhler, deputy legislative analyst at California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office, which estimated the $68-billion budget deficit.

Moody’s Analytics economist Mark Zandi analyzed moves in and out of California for The LA Times using Equifax credit data, to zero in on the age of the movers. He found that since the pandemic in early 2020, California has lost residents in every age group, but by a significant margin the biggest net out-migration came from those 35 to 44 years old.

Pundits on the Left AND the Right (looking at you WSJ) point to restrictive building codes as a key factor, but I think it is way down the list.  In fact, I'll bet a lot of departures are due to the reverse--over-development and all the quality of life problems it brings.  Or the sense that your single-family neighborhood is threatened by the Yes In Your Backyard crew--YIYBYs.  Right behind that are the oppressive taxes on the high earners and the little tricks being played like the Death Tax that slipped through last election.  Pile on the singularly stupid things like fining stores if they don't have a "gender-neutral" toy section or outlawing gas stoves that causes ridicule from friends all over the country and you have a Perfect Storm.

As I said three and a half years ago on the first linked post, this is not likely to change any time soon.  There maybe a Black Swan event at some point but they are intrinsically unpredicted.  All we can do it keep talking/posting about it and hope the politicians wake up to reality.  When the effects of the bad policies noted here finally come home to roost, it may be too late.

Avenews: Pottery Barn closing

B'game has avoided the retail doom loop for the most part.  There are always vacancies on the Avenew and on B'way, but they haven't dulled the sense of vibrancy on the streets-yet.  Now one of the largest spaces on the Ave is going dark as Pottery Barn has announced it will close in January.  The Chron did a piece on the closure and how our store was more than just the average PB:

Malin Kansal, a San Francisco-based real estate agent who worked in Pottery Barn’s corporate office in San Francisco between 2008 and 2012, said that the current “state of affairs” in regard to the retail climate likely contributed to the decision to shutter the Burlingame location.  “As we stand here post-COVID-19, the retail climate is changing so much,” said Kansal. “People love shopping online.”

Kansal said that the Pottery Barn in Burlingame functioned as the “model store” for the larger brand: “They used the store to display and take photographs of the items before the start of the season.”

This will be a test of how strong the Avenew is going forward.  If it needs to be broken in half a la Anthropologie to rent that will be telling.  The new vet at that location, Dr. Treats, is now scheduled to open in January.  Say goodbye to Pottery Barn.

City Strike? Free speech for all?

The only thing I'm certain about regarding this post is that we do not have the whole story.  Kudos to the Daily Journal for running with what they did know yesterday about the potential strike over "free speech" issues among City employees.  The DJ piece starts with

The union representing 130 Burlingame city workers could strike after complaints allege city managers in various departments are interfering with employees’ rights to free speech.  Rod Palmquist, spokesperson for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 829, said the city workers have a right to free speech and express their desire for better-paying wages.

The bit of background we do have is

The state’s Public Employment Relations Board issued an unfair labor practice complaint against the city Sept. 8. In early June, several employees attended a City Council meeting to speak in favor of fair wages. The next day, an employee at the meeting allegedly asked police Capt. Robert Boll a routine operational question. Boll allegedly said, “Why don’t you ask the AFSCME people.” While speaking to a group of employees who voiced the need for a pay increase, Park Superintendent Richard Holtz allegedly responded that they should talk with him if they didn’t like working for the city for the pay they receive, adding he would help them find another place to work, according to a PERB complaint.

First, one could ask why there is such a thing as a Public Employment Relations Board, who is on it and how much homework do they do before they issue a complaint?  I'd like to know what the "routine operational question" was and whether it was asked in good faith.  As far as the second comment by Rich Holtz, that sounds like him exercising his free speech, not interfering with someone else's.  And it's not like he gets to decide who gets paid what in town.  For me the kicker is this bit

City employee Joleen Helley said the city pays 6% less than neighboring cities doing similar jobs, according to the release.

Blanket statistics like that always concern me.  There are so many variables that boiling a pay comparison down to a single number is impossible.  What about time in grade (seniority), performance reviews, benefit packages and the like?  B'game is in contract negotiations now--did the other cities just finish theirs so raises come at different times?  And the BIg Question is who cares what other cities are paying?  That is a false comparison meant to continue a faster upward spiral than is needed to provide the services.  I recall back in the day, a clerical job opening at City Hall drew more than 200 applicants.  The pay must have been competitive enough.

This is just a place marker post for when we know more--if we ever do.

  

BSD: Caught between two parcel taxes

As the B'game School District trustees look at options for more funding, the same fatigue I wrote about here three-and-a-half years ago is still lingering.  The story gets more complicated by a competing proposal as reported in the DJ.  The first proposal extends the old 2014 Measure L (not the recent SMUSHD L) that you see on the property tax bills that arrived this week.  You see all of four current school-related line items on the bill.  The other proposal is different.

During a meeting Tuesday, Oct. 10, trustees discussed their options for possibly extending and increasing Measure L, a $256 per year per parcel tax passed in 2014. The measure is set to expire by 2030 but the board can decide to ask voters for a renewal ahead of time.

Also up for consideration was whether the board had an interest in endorsing a parent-led movement to pass a citizens’ initiative and whether doing so would be legal. That effort is being led by John Wood and Bryant McLaughlin, parents of Roosevelt Elementary School students, and if passed would charge property owners about 8 cents per square foot per parcel or $80 per vacant parcel, generating about $2 million annually. Someone with a 5,000-square-foot parcel would pay $400 a year.

Per some consultant

While a citizens’ initiative needs a simple majority to pass, the district would have no control over how that citizen measure was crafted. Meanwhile, a district measure would need a two-thirds vote for approval but it would get to use its resources to poll the community before developing ballot language, he said.

The city and district would likely need to develop a memorandum of understanding regarding the citizens’ initiative including a possible reimbursement plan for the city fronting the money for the ballot measure (Ed: $330K-448K) were the citizens’ initiative to be put before voters and other oversight grounds if it were approved.

The moving parts are what sort of tax format to use (rates, sunset clauses, etc) and who manages and oversees the monies (the City or the District).  Back in 2020, the bond Measure O passed with 60.17%, well above the 55% needed, so there is already $25 per $100,000 of assessed (not market) value per year in place.  And then there is the issue of getting it passed

Trustee Florence Wong also suggested the study look into whether the public would support the district’s measure with or without changes if another tax measure was on the ballot. Reflecting on previous failed attempts by the district to pass a tax measure, Wong said incremental or smaller changes appear to be more appealing to voters.

“People still remembered when the parcel taxes they tried to pass didn’t, so that’s a stinger when it doesn’t pass. There’s a lot of thought and anxiety about trying to add more taxes,” Wong said. “I feel very confident people would be supportive of continuing what we have.”

She's right.  When the four flavors of tax already total to two grand per year, there is uncertainty about adding more.

High-Cost Rail - Part 160 Gavin Newsom is no Rishi Sunak

Sometimes you get a good up-close view from someone who far away.  I like to pick up the pretty pink Financial Times out of London for a distant view.  You can buy it at Safeway at the customer service counter since we don't have a "newsstand" shop on the Avenew anymore.  I miss that corner cigar newsstand stand.  But I digress.  Thursday's FT carried an editorial about the U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's slow change of heart on various issues as he faces a tough re-election campaign next year.  Funny how the thought of losing one's job can focus the mind.  Among the smart things PM Sunak is doing to survive is kill the high-cost rail project that was to service the north of California England.  Here is the quote:

Some in northern England, the Midlands and beyond may welcome cancellation of the heavily over-budget Birmingham-Manchester leg of HS2.  There is a superficial allure to the promise of spending £3bn instead on "hundreds" of rail, road and bus schemes, including strengthening east-west connections in what the governments has dubbed "Network North".

It goes on to fret about the "squandered" years of preparatory planning--none of which anticipated the massive cost overruns.  Sound familiar?  The Gavinor doesn't have to worry about his California vote-buying; it's intact.  But if he wants to move to Washington, DC perhaps Mr. Sunak is setting the example.

While we are pondering what sort of local east-west road "scheme" might benefit from a smidgen of the California high-cost rail boondoggle gusher, let's refresh our memory thusly from the DJ on Tuesday: Broadway Station grade separation ‘within reach’

It’s been nearly 20 years since a train has stopped at Broadway Station in Burlingame during the weekday, and Caltrain officials said it will take raising the tracks there for that to happen again.

However, the $316 million project is still seeking funding through the federal government. Councilmember Emily Beach said the project is about 83% locally funded through Measure A’s half-cent sales tax. Beach said the project needs the rest of the funding before it breaks ground, anticipated in spring 2026.  “It is well within reach,” Beach said. “And we are going to get it done very soon.”

If one is 17% percent behind something that is moving faster than you are, you are losing ground.  If Gavin were in Sunak's shoes, we would be closer to fixing the daily disaster that is the Broadway interchange.  But he is not, and neither are we.  We are relying on the Inflation Production Act to save our bacon.  Can you say "grease fire"?