San Bruno Community Foundation looks to wind down

The foundation is responsible for administering $70 million in restitution funds received from Pacific Gas and Electric after the 2010 pipeline explosion and fire that killed eight, injured 66 and destroyed 38 homes. It spent the bulk of that money, around $51.5 million, on a new Recreation and Aquatic Center for the city.

Over the years, the foundation has also funded soccer field restoration, a yearly scholarship program, and community grants for local programs and nonprofit organizations that serve San Bruno residents.

Now, the community foundation board is left with a remaining $15 million to $20 million and must decide how to spend it. That conversation has been ongoing for several months at board meetings, Executive Director Leslie Hatamiya said.

“What do we do next with the remaining funds? That’s been what the board’s been pondering for the past few months,” she said.

With previous projects, like the aquatic center, extensive community feedback was gathered before moving forward — a process that hasn’t happened in this case, in large part because of what the board perceives as its limited options, she said. The remaining $15 million to $20 million won’t be enough to fund the creation of an entire facility by itself.

“If the city isn’t ready to do that project and doesn’t have additional funding sources to do that project, it isn’t really an option,” she said. “Right now, the fire station is really the one realistic option.”

The recently-passed Measure Q authorized the city to take out $102 million in bonds over time to help to replace the outdated Fire Station 52, complete stormwater systems repairs and do streetscape repairs.

At a time when San Bruno is already facing financial woes, Measure Q’s predetermined financial commitment to funding a new fire station makes the project a more realistic choice for the board. In addition, funding support from the foundation could also mean more Measure Q money going to San Bruno’s many other unfunded infrastructure needs, board President Malissa Netane-Jones said.

Like Hatamiya, she noted that inviting community input and generating a facilities wish list — like a new library, for example — might give people unrealistic expectations.

“Opening up another listening session to spend down the remaining funds could also give false hope to a lot of people,” she said.

Vice Mayor Marty Medina acknowledged that there’s been community concern around how little resident input has been considered. He’ll likely be attending the meeting May 7, he said.

“I wanna be respectful of our boundaries. I’m also a resident here,” he said. “It all comes down to San Bruno having numerous things to be improved and not having enough money to do it all in a timely manner — how do we prioritize? The public needs to be involved in that decision.”

Netane-Jones said that Fire Station 52 would be an impactful way for the foundation to wind down its work in San Bruno. As a nonprofit designed solely to steward settlement funds, she firmly feels that the foundation’s work isn’t meant to continue forever.

“I think it’s a really pivotal time for the foundation, as we’re moving into this next phase of how to allocate or distribute what we have remaining after the Recreation and Aquatic Center,” she said. “We weren’t meant to live on forever.”

The foundation’s jurisdiction is separate from that of the City Council, though the two entities often work in tandem — for example, if the board passes a recommendation to use its remaining funds on Fire Station 52, that recommendation would then be sent to the City Council.

Both Mayor Rico Medina and Councilmember Michael Salazar — who serve on the City Council ad hoc committee for the foundation — said it’s been the continued practice for councilmembers to respect the independent jurisdiction of the foundation.

“They’ve been transmitting publicly that they’re considering winding down … and I kind of had mixed feelings about it,” Salazar said. “I was on the council when we first established it, and we kind of thought it was maybe something that could continue in perpetuity. … They’re thinking they would provide a better benefit to the community by providing a larger project.”

Members of the foundation, alongside Rico Medina, said that concluding the majority of the foundation’s work with a well-functioning fire station would be an impactful and full-circle moment.

“To have another opportunity for a legacy project in San Bruno is a blessing under an unprecedented disaster,” he said. “At least we have an opportunity to make a difference.”

If the board moves in this direction at its upcoming meeting — which can be attended via Zoom or in-person at the San Bruno Senior Center at 7 p.m. — it will also direct the executive director to begin trimming the budget and reviewing staffing needs.