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Committee advances SFPUC green-infrastructure grant program with 20-year maintenance agreements
Summary
The committee recommended Board approval of a new SFPUC Green Infrastructure Grant Program that would provide up to $8 million in bond-funded grants over two years, set performance and eligibility rules and require 20-year enforceable stormwater maintenance agreements with property owners.
The Budget and Finance Committee recommended forwarding to the Board a proposed Green Infrastructure Grant Program from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission that would provide $8 million for grants and program staffing over the first two years and require property owners to enter 20-year stormwater management agreements.
Sarah Bloom, a watershed planner with the SFPUC, told the committee the program targets larger, highly impervious properties and requires projects to manage at least 0.5 acres of impervious surface, meet a performance threshold (the first 0.75 inches of storm depth) and demonstrate at least two co-benefits such as groundwater recharge or educational programming. "We are calling that our stormwater management agreement," Bloom said, describing a legally enforceable maintenance requirement intended to ensure projects perform for the useful life of the assets.
SFPUC representatives said the commission has approved $8 million in funding from revenue bonds for the first two years, with maximum grant support of $765,000 per impervious acre and up to $2 million per project. The agency said it will inspect projects and require a maintenance agreement for 20 years to align public investment with asset useful life.
The Budget Analyst's Office noted the ordinance delegates to the SFPUC general manager the authority to execute grant agreements up to 20 years; under the charter, the Board approves grant agreements longer than 10 years. BLA staff recommended two amendments the SFPUC proposed: (1) a two‑year sunset for the delegation tied to the current two-year funding allocation, and (2) quarterly (or biannual) reporting to the Board listing applicants and awards.
During public comment Tamar Barlev, Green Schoolyard Manager for San Francisco Unified School District, voiced support and described the program's potential benefits for schoolyards and outdoor learning.
The committee accepted the two amendments and forwarded the ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
