Supes to weigh SFO honor for Harvey Milk

Former Mayor Willie Brown has a bridge named after him, and now slain Supervisor Harvey Milk might get an airport terminal. The proposal to put Milk’s name on the domestic side of San Francisco International Airport will go before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. It’s a scaled-back version of a more sweeping plan that former Supervisor David Campos put forward four years ago to name the entire airport after the gay icon.

Campos hit unexpected resistance when he pressed for a charter amendment that would have put the Harvey Milk Airport question to voters. When other politicians bristled, Campos gave up.

Now his protege and former aide, Supervisor Hillary Ronen, is backing the

Harvey Milk Terminal measure.

“This is a way to have national impact, especially for queer people living in other parts of the country where you can get kicked out of your home for your sexual orientation,” Ronen said.

The ordinance she will introduce Tuesday was recommended by the Airport Facilities Naming Commission, which Campos formed as a compromise after abandoning his original proposal.

Campos surmised that Milk’s name stirred controversy among people who thought the airport should be named after somebody else.

“The relationships and history he had with people got in the way,” Campos said.

Airport Commission President Larry Mazzola, who opposed the Harvey Milk Airport idea, insisted Monday that the supervisors adhere to the commission’s naming policy. It forbids renaming of any terminal, gate or boarding area, but allows such locations to be “dedicated” to people — although sparingly.

— Rachel Swan Flush with cash? San Francisco is applying for a $625 million loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help offset the costs of a major upgrade to the city’s wastewater treatment facilities.

The EPA invited the city to apply for the loan as part of the federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, or Wifia, a program that provides low-cost loans to help local governments improve their municipal water infrastructure.

Twelve projects are eligible for Wifia funding, according to the EPA. Michele Huitric, a spokeswoman for the agency, said the “EPA intends to loan the requested amount to all 12 projects for a total of $2.3 billion,” but added that each municipality must still submit an application and negotiate the terms of the loan with the agency.

If approved for the loan, San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission would use the funds to help finance a $1.3 billion renovation of the city’s 60-year-old solid wastewater treatment facilities.

The upgrades would allow the city’s treatment plants to more effectively capture and treat odors and improve its ability to utilize biogas.

“With the help of the federal government’s low-cost loan program, we’re going to upgrade our City’s sewer infrastructure while realizing significant savings for ratepayers,” said Harlan L. Kelly Jr., the PUC’s general manager, in a statement.