Official Statement Airport Commission City and County of San ...

policy is in effect between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. for certain departures from selected runways. These
preferential runway departure and quiet bridge approach policies permit departures and landing approaches to occur
over water in order to minimize the over-flight of surrounding communities.
Noise Insulation Program
In 1991, the Commission authorized the execution of an agreement with the City of South San Francisco to
provide up to $10 million for aircraft noise mitigation in exchange for a prohibition by the City of South
San Francisco of residential uses of land located under the Airport’s Shoreline Departure Route.
In 1992, the Airport entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the neighboring communities of
South San Francisco, Daly City, Millbrae, San Bruno and Pacifica and the County of San Mateo to provide up to
$120 million of funding for noise insulation (including FAA grants). Each participating community administers its
own program. In 2000, the Commission approved supplemental agreements with the County of San Mateo, and the
cities of Daly City, San Bruno and South San Francisco to provide funding in an amount not to exceed $34.2 million
to insulate almost 1,800 incompatible structures and to eliminate incompatible land uses within the Airport’s noise
contour.
Funding for the Airport’s noise insulation program has been provided from a number of sources, including
proceeds of Commission bonds, federal grant reimbursements to cities and operating revenues. Participating
communities have received an aggregate of approximately $187 million in noise insulation grant funds for the
programs described above and for prior programs, consisting of approximately $135 million advanced by the
Commission and approximately $52 million in grant funds from the FAA, and have reported that more than 15,210
dwellings have been insulated from aircraft noise.
Community Outreach
The Commission has funded the Airport Community Roundtable (an association of local government
representatives) since 1993. The Airport Community Roundtable was a first-of-its-kind noise outreach program in
the nation initiated to address noise-related issues and provide information to the public on the Airport’s efforts to
reduce aircraft noise.
Local Ordinances
Under the terms of their agreements with the Airport, the surrounding communities of South San Francisco,
Daly City, Millbrae, San Bruno and Pacifica, and the County of San Mateo are required to promote actions to
protect new purchasers of homes within their communities from aircraft noise, including by (1) adopting ordinances
requiring notice to prospective buyers of homes of the location, nature and scale of the Airport’s operations, and
(2) adopting ordinances requiring homes within the noise contour constructed after January 1, 1993, or renovated at
a cost equal to 25% or more of the value of the home, to be insulated to meet FAA noise insulation program
standards.
Employee Relations
The Charter governs the Airport’s employment policies, and since 1976 has prohibited strikes by City
employees. The Charter authorizes the San Francisco Civil Service Commission to establish rules and procedures to
implement those policies. During Fiscal Year 2008-09, the Commission had 1,256 full-time employees and has
budgeted 1,327 full time positions for Fiscal Year 2009-10.
There are presently 18 labor unions representing Airport employees. In November 1993, San Francisco
voters approved an amendment to the Charter that allows employee organizations representing City workers to
negotiate wages, hours, benefits and other conditions of employment through collective bargaining. The decision to
choose collective bargaining is irrevocable. All Airport employees now bargain collectively. Most Airport
employee unions enter into new agreements with the City every three years. Disagreements between the employees
and the City in collective bargaining are resolved by an arbitration board whose decision is final. There have been
no strikes by City employees since the adoption of a strike prohibition in 1976.
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