Budget and Finance Committee forwards nine items including Irish Famine memorial, Chinatown clinic lease, transit center amendment and tax relief for affordable

The Budget and Finance Committee on Oct. 15 voted unanimously to forward nine items to the full Board of Supervisors on Oct. 21, including a grant and gifts agreement for an Irish Famine memorial, a temporary lease to relocate Chinatown Public Health Center services, a long-term lease amendment for Muni operations at the Salesforce Transit Center, a 30-year solar funding and license agreement for a new Mission Bay elementary school, a major amendment to a power scheduling contract, two early-childhood services contracts, and two ordinances offering tax relief for affordable housing projects.

The committee, chaired by Supervisor Connie Chan, considered department presentations, budget and legislative analyst summaries and limited public comment before moving each item to the full board with a positive recommendation. All votes recorded in committee were 3-0 in favor.

Why it matters: the items together affect capital projects, near-term clinic operations in Chinatown, long-term transit facility costs and governance, city energy contracting and internal capacity for market participation, early childhood services funding and a set of tax code changes designed to reduce transactional and operating costs for deed-restricted affordable housing. Several items include material fiscal impacts or contingencies that will appear in Board deliberations and future budget cycles.

Key decisions and highlights

Irish Famine memorial — Item 1 The committee approved sending to the full board a resolution authorizing the Recreation and Park Department to accept and expend a combination of cash and in-kind grants from the San Francisco Irish Famine Memorial Committee valued at approximately $500,000 to build a memorial plaza in Lincoln Park on El Camino del Mar. Abigail Mayer, Partnerships Division, Recreation and Park Department, said the project will be delivered in two phases: a concrete plaza (phase 1) and future artwork administered in partnership with the San Francisco Arts Commission (phase 2). Patrick Uniak, chair of the San Francisco Irish Famine Memorial Committee, said the committee expects to break ground around March 17, 2026 (St. Patrick’s Day), weather permitting. The committee will serve as the project’s fiscal sponsor; the Recreation and Park Department will manage capital project oversight. Public comment included a statement from Elizabeth Creeley, consular officer, Consulate General of Ireland, expressing support for the memorial.

Temporary Chinatown clinic lease — Item 2 The committee forwarded a resolution authorizing the director of property to enter into a lease for roughly 11,894 square feet at 845 Jackson Street (Chinese Hospital building) for use by the Department of Public Health as a…