San Francisco supervisors approve a range of budget, housing and public‑works measures; mural fee and telecom box rule wins 6‑2

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Sept. 19 adopted a series of ordinances and resolutions covering tax levies, grants, professional services contracts, and planning and public‑works code changes.

The measures adopted ranged from a property tax levy for local special districts and a $25 million agreement to administer the city’s Childcare Facilities Fund, to a $40 million professional services contract for the Seawall Resiliency Project and a mural in‑lieu fee tied to telecom surface‑mounted equipment. Most items were approved unanimously; the ordinance setting mural in‑lieu fees and modifying exceptions for surface‑mounted facility permits was adopted on first reading with a 6‑2 vote, with Supervisors Kim and Peskin dissenting.

Why it matters: The items collectively fund and authorize programming and capital work across the city (public health, housing, hospital services, and waterfront resilience) and change local requirements for planning and the use of public right‑of‑way. The mural fee/telecom equipment change updates how artwork and equipment siting are handled and sets a calculated fee for murals tied to box sizes.

Most significant actions and details - Property tax levy (Item 6): The board approved an ordinance to levy property taxes at a combined rate of $1.1723 per $100 of assessed value to fund the San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco Community College District, BART and BAAQMD, and established a $0.089 per $100 passthrough rate under Administrative Code Chapter 37 for residential tenants for fiscal year ending June 30, 2018. The ordinance passed unanimously on first reading.

- Childcare Facilities Fund administration (Item 9): The board retroactively approved a grant agreement with the Low Income Investment Fund to administer the San Francisco Childcare Facilities Fund and provide technical assistance from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2020, for approximately $25,000,000. Adopted unanimously.

- Seawall resiliency contract (Item 11): The board authorized the Port’s executive director to sign a professional services agreement with CH2M Hill Engineers, Inc. for planning, engineering and environmental services for the Seawall Resiliency Project, not to exceed about $40,000,000 over a 10‑year term. Adopted unanimously.

- Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital lease (Item 10): The board approved a lease authorizing T‑Mobile West LLC to occupy part of Hospital Building 25’s equipment room to participate in a distributed antenna system and provide enhanced cellular service; monthly base rent of $55,000 is to be waived while T‑Mobile participates in the DAS. Adopted unanimously.

- Treasure Island relocation services contract (Item 8): The board approved a five‑year professional services contract with Associated Right of Way Services, Inc., with two 2‑year options and a not‑to‑exceed amount of $1,250,000 for relocation services related to Treasure Island redevelopment. Adopted unanimously.

- Public health Zika grant (Item 7): The Department of Public Health was retroactively authorized to accept approximately $225,000 from Public Health Foundation Enterprises for Zika response work (Mar. 1, 2017–Jul. 31, 2018). Adopted unanimously.

- No Place Like Home planning grant (Item 12): The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing was authorized to apply for up to $150,000 in technical assistance from the California Department of Housing and Community Development to support No Place Like Home planning and implementation. Adopted unanimously.

- Bond/IRS allocations (Items 13–15): The board adopted three resolutions to declare intent to reimburse certain expenditures from future bond proceeds and to allow the mayor’s housing office to apply to the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee for residential mortgage revenue bonds: up to $95,000,000 (1950 Mission), up to $65,000,000 (490 South Van Ness), and up to $50,000,000 (and $12.96M for Shotwell Street). Adopted unanimously.

- Planning code and legacy businesses (Item 16): The board passed an ordinance amending the planning code to support legacy businesses, expand the definition of historic buildings, and impose additional rules in North Beach, Telegraph Hill and Chinatown districts to encourage ground‑floor commercial activity. The ordinance passed unanimously on first reading after agreed technical amendments.

- Building code accessibility extension (Item 17): An ordinance amending Chapter 11D of the Building Code to extend compliance deadlines for primary entries and paths of travel for places of public accommodation passed unanimously on first reading.

- Mural in‑lieu fee and surface‑mounted equipment (Item 21): The board passed an ordinance amending the Public Works Code to modify exceptions to the surface‑mounted facility site permit requirement and requiring mural in‑lieu fees to be deposited in the public works street beautification fund. The legislation sets an in‑lieu fee calculated as $2,000 per surface‑mounted facility or $48 per square foot of box size, using whichever calculation yields the larger amount. Roll call on Item 21: 6 ayes, 2 noes (Supervisors Kim and Peskin). The ordinance passed on first reading.

Votes at a glance (selected items) - Item 6 (tax levy): Passed unanimously on first reading. - Item 7 (Zika grant): Adopted unanimously (retroactive authorization). - Item 8 (Treasure Island contract): Adopted unanimously. - Item 9 (Childcare Facilities Fund grant): Adopted unanimously. - Item 10 (ZSFG lease with T‑Mobile): Adopted unanimously. - Item 11 (Seawall contract): Adopted unanimously. - Item 12 (No Place Like Home grant application): Adopted unanimously. - Item 16 (planning code, legacy businesses): Passed unanimously on first reading. - Item 17 (building code accessibility extension): Passed unanimously on first reading. - Item 19 (rental car disclosure): Passed unanimously on first reading (see separate coverage of public safety measures). - Item 20 (restrict visible barcodes/advertising on rental cars): Passed unanimously on first reading. - Item 21 (mural in‑lieu / telecom boxes): Passed on first reading, 6 ayes, 2 noes.

What the board will do next: Several ordinances were continued for one week where technical language or additional review was needed (for example, Item 5, inclusionary affordable housing fee was continued), and some items will return for second reading or follow‑up as required by the city’s legislative process. The board also scheduled a closed‑session labor negotiation meeting and directed further CEQA work and an independent review on a separate water‑related appeal (see separate article on Alameda Creek).