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Board advances charter amendment to shift street-tree maintenance to city, sets baseline funding
Summary
After months of negotiations, supervisors advanced a charter amendment to return responsibility for street trees, sidewalks and related liability to the city and to establish dedicated funding; the board continued final drafting and set a committee hearing for July 28.
Supervisors on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors moved forward July 26 with a charter amendment that would return responsibility for street-tree maintenance, sidewalk repairs tied to trees, and related liability to the city and establish a dedicated baseline fund for the work.
The measure, led by Supervisor Scott Wiener and co-sponsored by Supervisor Eric Mar and others, would amend the San Francisco municipal charter to have the city assume maintenance and create a special fund. Wiener told colleagues “trees matter,” and described a baseline funding level of $19,000,000 that staff and advocates developed with the Department of Public Works and the Controller’s Office.
Supporters said the change would relieve property owners of an assigned responsibility created years ago by “relinquishment” policies and instead create a citywide program with stable, dedicated funding. Supervisor Norman Yee said the plan would let the city “start taking over the trees now” and asked for a phased approach to build a fully funded program. Supervisor Jane Kim said she supported taking trees off homeowners’ bills and praised the proposal’s effort to link funding to new revenue sources.
Supervisors Aaron Peskin, London Breed, and David Campos also spoke in favor, describing long-term damage to the urban canopy when maintenance falls to adjacent property owners. Supervisor Avalos and others stressed environmental and equity benefits, saying the program could create green jobs and expand tree canopy in lower-income neighborhoods.
The board approved a procedural motion to amend and to continue the item as amended to a Committee of the Whole meeting on July 28 at 8:30 a.m. for final consideration and public discussion of the draft measure, including the funding and ballot language. The amendment passed without recorded opposition; the continuation was agreed to without objection.
What's next: The measure will be taken up at the Committee of the Whole on July 28 for additional review of the amended charter language and associated funding options. Backers said they plan more outreach in the coming days to refine ballot text and determine lockbox/funding details.
Why it matters: The amendment responds to long-running complaints that the city shifted maintenance obligations to property owners, a policy advocates say accelerated tree loss and deferred critical maintenance. The proposed charter change would establish a city-led maintenance program with dedicated funding to preserve and grow the urban canopy.
Votes and formal actions: The board approved the amendment language and agreed to continue the item to a Committee of the Whole meeting on July 28, 2016, at 8:30 a.m.
