Here’s what’s happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW News:
SFMTA says it needs $21 billion for next 20 years// SF Examiner
"Money makes transit go ’round. And in San Francisco, a new number has been identified to do just that: $21 billion.
"That’s the amount it will take to keep Muni, bike lanes and roadside features in San Francisco in a state of good repair for 20 years and to expand service, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s newly released Capital Improvement Plan."
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Anti-eviction legislation moves forward // 48 Hills.org
"The Board of Supervisors Land Use Committee moved forward a set of eviction-protection laws this week, with Sup. Scott Wiener opposed to one critical part.
"Sup. Malia Cohen, the committee chair, voted to support the legislation with only minor amendments, an indication that there are probably six votes to approve it at the full board."
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Price of conservation: Tri-Valley water rates likely headed higher because customers used less // Inside Bay Area
"Drought-conscious residents in some East Bay communities have outdone the rest of the state, slashing their water use even more than they were asked.
"But their success is causing trouble for a local water provider that has watched its sales dry up -- and now plans to charge more for water to make up the difference."
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San Jose affordable housing law headed to U.S. Supreme Court // Mercury News
"The California building industry has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its legal challenge to a San Jose affordable housing law upheld earlier this year by the state Supreme Court.
"In a petition filed Tuesday in the U.S. Supreme Court, lawyers for the industry argue that San Jose's law and others like it across California violate federal constitutional protections against the "taking" of private property. The Pacific Legal Foundation, a conservative Sacramento group representing the industry, has taken its fight to the nation's high court."
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S.F. property taxes to rise after supervisors’ vote// SF Gate
"The Board of Supervisors approved a 0.008 percent rise in property tax rates for San Francisco homeowners on Tuesday.
"But homeowners will actually see a much higher increase — roughly 3 percent — because of the rising value of San Francisco homes in conjunction with the rate increase approved by the board. That means the average tax bill for a home assessed at $500,000 will rise from $5,789 to $5,948 — a $159 increase, according to an example provided by the city controller’s office."
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Breaching humpback nearly crushes kayakers // SF Gate
"Two whale watchers in a tandem kayak were nearly crushed to death off the harbor in this Northern California town when a nearly full-grown humpback launched itself out of the sea and pancaked right beside the boat.
"The boat was swamped and couple thrown into the water by the impact, but miraculously they were unhurt."
