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SFPUC Adopts $8M Green‑Infrastructure Grant Program, Requires Monitoring Plan
Summary
The commission approved guidelines for an $8 million green‑infrastructure grant program to fund projects that manage stormwater and deliver co‑benefits; commissioners requested staff return with a monitoring and inspection schedule.
San Francisco — The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on Nov. 13 approved program guidelines for an $8 million green‑infrastructure grant program that will fund projects to manage stormwater, reduce pollution and deliver co‑benefits such as job training and groundwater recharge.
Sarah Bloom (Utility Planning Division) described the program goals and eligibility: projects must be inside the SFPUC sewer service area and be designed to manage runoff from at least half an acre of impervious surface, sized to capture the 90th‑percentile storm (0.75 inches). Grants will be capped at $765,000 per impervious acre managed and up to $2 million per project; up to $6.4 million is expected to be awarded in the first two years out of an $8 million appropriation (presentation; SEG 3010–3070).
Grantees will sign 20‑year stormwater management agreements requiring maintenance; SFPUC will reserve the right to inspect projects, and the grant agreements include provisions to recoup funds if projects fail to perform (presentation; SEG 3074–3086, 3171–3186). Commissioners pressed for a formal inspection and monitoring schedule; staff said projects will be inspected, will undergo construction inspections and final sign‑offs, and will be incorporated into the SFPUC’s stormwater management inspection program (estimated every three years) with options to propose a more frequent schedule if budget allows (discussion; SEG 3168–3232).
The commission adopted the guidelines and delegated authority to the general manager to negotiate and execute awards; the motion included direction that staff return with a proposed inspection and monitoring plan as part of program implementation (motion and amendment; SEG 3239–3276). Staff expects to launch the program early in 2019 pending Board of Supervisors action for agreements longer than ten years.
Next steps: staff to return with an inspection/monitoring proposal and to prepare the Board ordinance that would allow multi‑year grant agreements; anticipated program launch in February 2019 if approvals proceed on schedule.
Sources: SFPUC staff presentation and Nov. 13 commission action.
