Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Use of District-Discretionary Measure K Funds - Supervisorial District 4
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant of district-discretionary Measure K funds not to exceed $20,000 to Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center (Renaissance) to support their Street Vendor Compliance and Business Launch Pilot Program, and authorize the County Executive, or designee, to execute the grant agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years.
The Board of Supervisors (Board) held study sessions on Measure K expenditures and approved funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 budget cycle, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for one-time district-discretionary needs and projects. District 4 has submitted a request to use their district-discretionary Measure K funds as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
|
District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 4 (Supervisor Lisa Gauthier) - Renaissance to support their Street Vendor Compliance and Business Launch Pilot Program. |
$20,000 |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018. District 4 indicates that this organization is either a public agency operating within the County, or a nonprofit organization registered and in good standing with the California Attorney General. District 4 indicates that the sponsoring Board member, member’s family, and member’s supervisorial staff do not serve as an officer, director, or play a policy role for the grantee organization.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
This is a request to authorize a grant to Renaissance, and resulting grant agreement, in an amount not to exceed $20,000, to support their Street Vendor Compliance and Business Launch Pilot Program. The County Executive’s Office will administer and manage the agreement.
District-discretionary Measure K funding for this organization has previously been provided as listed below:
• On October 8, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding, sponsored by District 1 and District 5, for grantee City of South San Franciso for use at the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, for an amount not to exceed $184,165, to support small business counseling to assist entrepreneurs with forming or expanding businesses, accessing capital, and identifying new markets.
• On May 9, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding, sponsored by District 2, not to exceed $70,000, to Renaissance to support childcare business training.
• On July 20, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding, sponsored by District 4, not to exceed $50,000, to Renaissance to support a feasibility study to bring a Business and Family Resource Center to North Fair Oaks to support local small businesses and residents.
Renaissance’s mission is to empower and increase the entrepreneurial capacities of socially and economically diverse individuals, strengthening communities through the creation of sustainable businesses, jobs, and financial self-sufficiency. Renaissance provides bilingual (Spanish/English) business training, one-on-one consulting and access to capital and networks - resources unavailable in the under-resourced communities in San Mateo County.
This district-discretionary grant will be used to fund the following project or services:
District-discretionary Measure K funds will support Renaissance’s Street Vendor Compliance and Business Launch Pilot Program. Street vendors play a vital role in the local economy and cultural life of District 4 communities, yet many face layered regulatory requirements that can be difficult to navigate. For vendors selling hot food, obtaining a county health permit is a foundational step and must be initiated prior to securing a local business license. These processes are often complex, largely online, and require significant upfront fees, creating barriers that often prevent vendors from starting or completing the compliance process. The program aims to facilitate the legal compliance process for San Mateo County food street vendors. The launch of this program will combine bilingual business education, one-on-one technical assistance, and startup grants to help vendors overcome barriers to compliance and long-term business stability.
Renaissance will coordinate with County staff throughout program development and implementation to ensure vendors receive accurate, up-to-date information on permitting and regulatory requirements. This program will support vendors across the communities of East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City.
The pilot will use a layered service model to reach a broader group of vendors while providing deeper assistance to vendors ready to move through the compliance process. Renaissance will serve up to 25 vendors through bilingual Street Vendor Orientations focused on permits, licensing, and available support resources. From this broader pool, Renaissance will support one Comienza con Confianza, a four-week business foundation and compliance readiness series tailored for street vendors, cohort serving up to 8 vendors and will provide one-on-one compliance and business support tied to permitting and licensing with approximately 5 hours of individualized assistance per client. Participants will develop personalized compliance roadmaps and basic business planning tools to help them understand required permits, licenses, costs, timelines, and next steps.
The pilot will also provide up to 7 Compliance Milestone Grants of $500 each, tied to participation and demonstrated progress toward compliance. These grants are intended to help offset costs and incentivize vendors to complete key steps in the compliance process. The pilot will generate concrete implementation data, including participation levels, permit initiation and completion rates, time to compliance, vendor-readiness benchmarks, and identification of barriers encountered. These outcomes will position Renaissance to pursue additional private and public funding focused on small business legalization, economic inclusion, and public health.
This district-discretionary grant will enable the organization to meet the current unmet need or service gap within the County: This grant addresses a clear service gap by supporting small business development, promoting economic inclusion and development, and improving public health and safety through increased compliance with food operation standards.
District 4 has informed the grantee organization that this grant is one-time only, and that the grantee organization will need to find other sources of funding going forward. The grantee organization will use the Measure K grant as follows:
|
Item |
Amount |
|
Program Director @ 5% FTE |
$2,600.00 |
|
Program Manager @ 9% FTE |
$3,200.00 |
|
Program Support / Coordinator @ 13% FTE |
$3,200.00 |
|
Business Consultants @ $75/hour (70 hrs) |
$5,250.00 |
|
Program Materials |
$500.00 |
|
Compliance Milestone Grants (7 @ $500) |
$3,500.00 |
|
Indirect Costs (9.5% of total project costs) |
$1,750.00 |
|
TOTAL |
$20,000 |
A total of $20,000 will support Renaissance’s Street Vendor Compliance and Business Launch Pilot Program, including bilingual orientations, one Comienza con Confianza cohort, individualized technical assistance, compliance milestone grants, program materials, and implementation and reporting support during Summer-Fall 2026.
The project or services funded by this district-discretionary grant will be implemented or provided between June 23, 2026, and September 1, 2027, and is estimated to be completed by September 30, 2027.
Total Measure K Request: Not to exceed $20,000.
The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an agreement providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds for the purposes stated herein. The County will disburse the funds to the following organization for the purposes described above:
Sharon Miller
CEO
Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
275 5th Street 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 348-6243
sharon@rencenter.org <mailto:sharon@rencenter.org>
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
Description |
Target |
|
Up to 25 vendors will participate in bilingual Street Vendor Orientations focused on permits, licensing, and available support resources |
100% Complete |
|
Up to 8 vendors will participate in one Comienza con Confianza cohort and develop personalized compliance roadmaps and basic business planning tools |
100% Complete |
|
Up to 8 vendors will receive one-on-one compliance and business support tied to permitting and licensing |
100% Complete |
|
Up to 7 vendors will receive Compliance Milestone Grants of $500 each tied to participation and demonstrated progress toward compliance |
100% Complete |
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution as to form.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
This project supports small business development and economic inclusion by helping street vendors navigate complex permitting and licensing requirements and formalize their businesses. By increasing compliance with food operation standards, the program improves public health and safety while supporting long-term business stability and economic opportunity.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2025-26 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget.