Budget committee backs $425 million Seawall safety bond, sends measure to full Board

The Budget and Finance Committee on a unanimous procedural vote recommended that the Board of Supervisors place a $425,000,000 general obligation bond on the Nov. 6, 2018 ballot to fund seismic and flood safety work on the Embarcadero Seawall.

Chair Malia Cohen moved to accept the CEQA amendments to the files, duplicate the ordinance for the ballot question so the committee can amend question language later if necessary, continue the duplicated file to the call of the chair, and forward items 1–3 to the full board with a positive recommendation; the motions were seconded and taken without objection.

City Administrator Naomi Kelly told the committee the Seawall is a largely unseen lifeline that supports regional transportation, utilities and the Embarcadero waterfront and that the 2014 lifelines interdependency study identified it as a top capital priority. "The Seawall is important to so many different assets," Kelly said, urging the committee to keep the project moving.

Port Director Elaine Forbes described the…