Board places $425 million Embarcadero Seawall bond on November ballot

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted July 24 to place a ballot question on the November 6, 2018 municipal election seeking voter authorization for up to $425 million in bonded debt to finance construction, reconstruction, seismic strengthening and repair of the Embarcadero Seawall and other critical infrastructure.

During brief remarks on the ordinance (item 30), Supervisor Aaron Peskin noted support from multiple administrations, calling the measure a down payment on larger public and private investments needed to protect downtown infrastructure from sea-level rise. The board took a recorded roll-call vote on the ordinance. The clerk announced nine ayes on the roll call in the hearing record.

The ordinance, as recorded in the hearing transcript, was ordered to appear on the November ballot. Supporters characterized the bond as an initial, necessary investment to mobilize forthcoming billions in federal, state and local funding for long-term seawall and shoreline resilience work.

Speakers (attribution whitelist) - Aaron Peskin, Supervisor (government) - Clerk (announcing roll calls and vote tallies)

Authorities []

Actions - {"kind":"ordinance","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"30","ordinance_number":"not specified"},"motion":"Adopt ordinance to submit a ballot question to voters to incur $425,000,000 of bonded debt for Embarcadero Seawall and related infrastructure","mover":"n/a","second":"n/a","vote_record":[{"member":"Kim","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Mandelmann","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Peskin","vote":"yes"},{{"member":"Ronan","vote":"yes"}],"tally":{"yes":9,"no":0},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Clerk recorded 9 ayes on roll call; ordinance ordered submitted to the November 6, 2018 ballot."}

Clarifying details - Bond amount proposed to appear on the ballot: $425,000,000 (described in the ordinance title on the record). - Purpose: construction, reconstruction, acquisition, improvement, demolition, seismic strengthening and repair of the Embarcadero Seawall and other critical infrastructure.

Discussion vs. decision - Discussion: Supervisor Peskin and other speakers framed the bond as a down payment on larger multi-jurisdictional investments required to protect the downtown waterfront from sea-level rise. - Decision: The board voted to place the bond question on the November 6, 2018 ballot, with a roll-call vote recorded in the meeting transcript.

Proper_names [{"name":"Embarcadero Seawall","type":"location"},{"name":"City and County of San Francisco","type":"agency"}]

searchable_tags:["seawall","bond","ballot_measure","resilience"],

provenance":{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"s=5203.83","local_start":0,"local_end":64,"evidence_excerpt":"Item 30 is an ordinance to adopt a question to appear on the 11/06/2018 ballot regarding the proposed ordinance to incur 425,000,000 of bonded debt for the City and County of San Francisco to finance the construction...the Embarcadero Seawall and other critical infrastructure.","tc_start":"01:26:43","tc_end":"01:27:47","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"s=5322.91","local_start":0,"local_end":28,"evidence_excerpt":"On item 30, supervisor Kim...there are 9 ayes...Alight. Thank you. Without objection, this ordinance is finally passed unanimously.","tc_start":"01:28:28","tc_end":"01:29:58","reason_code":"topicfinish"}] },