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Budget committee backs release of nearly $787,000 for citywide public-space pilot
Summary
The Board's Budget & Finance Committee approved release of $787,245 in reserve funds to the Office of Economic & Workforce Development to fund a citywide public-space initiative, which will pilot activation, beautification and stewardship at selected sites including Mendel and Gene Suttle/Settle plazas.
SAN FRANCISCO
The Budget and Finance Committee voted to release approximately $787,245 in committee reserve to the Office of Economic and Workforce Development for a citywide public‑space initiative that will pilot activation, beautification and stewardship projects at 27 selected sites.
Joaquin Torres of OEWD told the committee the FY 2018-19 budget included $1.287 million for the initiative. The board previously released $500,000; today's action approves release of the remaining $787,245 pending business‑plan milestones. Torres described a three‑part strategy: daily activation and programming, landscaping and maintenance, and a nonprofit intermediary to coordinate work and build local capacity.
Torres and Parks Alliance partners described an equity framework to prioritize lower‑resource neighborhoods and said site assessments are nearly complete (six of 27 remain). Two early pilots identified for the first tranche of implementation are Mendel Plaza and Gene Suttle (also referenced as Gene Settle in materials).
Budget analyst Sevin Campbell said the Budget and Legislative Analyst (BLA) verified that the business plan and a competitive RFP process to select a nonprofit administrator had been completed and recommended release of $787,245, with an initial agreement of $400,000 tied to milestones and deliverables.
Public comment included concerns from a Fillmore neighborhood resident about outreach and community engagement; supervisors acknowledged those concerns and emphasized the equity framework. Chair Cohen moved to approve the release and file the item as heard; the motion passed without objection.
Context: The initiative is intended to create a consistent toolkit and funding pathway for public‑space work across neighborhoods, build nonprofit capacity, create temporary jobs and local programming, and measure effects using data, community input and job tracking.
