San Francisco Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting – December 5, 2023
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San Francisco Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting – December 5, 2023
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors held its regular meeting on December 5, 2023, beginning at 2:15 PM. The meeting included the consent agenda, extensive debate and votes on housing production legislation, consideration of multiple ordinances and resolutions, a special commendation for a local cross‑country champion, and several hours of public comment—the vast majority of which focused on a newly introduced resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1–7 (routine approvals) were adopted unanimously on a single roll‑call vote. These included a transfer tax exemption for affordable housing, five lawsuit settlements totaling $2,374,240.38 plus statutory interest, and amendments to the Police Code regarding cannabis events.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Public comment on adoption‑without‑committee‑reference items (39–40): One speaker requested that public comment be allocated a minimum of three minutes per speaker, but the board proceeded with the standard one‑minute limit. No speakers addressed the specific agenda items.
- General public comment: Hundreds of people spoke, the overwhelming majority urging the Board to support and promptly vote on Supervisor Preston’s resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Speakers included Palestinian‑American residents, Jewish community members, labor union representatives, healthcare workers, educators, youth, and city employees. Many cited the death toll of over 15,000 Palestinians (including over 8,000 children) since October 7, the displacement of 1.7 million people, and the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund the Israeli military campaign. A smaller number of speakers opposed the resolution, arguing that it was outside the Board’s jurisdiction or that it should condition a ceasefire on the release of all hostages.
Discussion Items
- Housing Production Legislation (Items 8, 32, and 36): The Board considered three interconnected items aimed at streamlining housing production to meet state requirements and avoid decertification of the city’s housing element.
- Item 8 (ordinance to amend the Planning Code) was the primary vehicle. After amendments by Supervisor Melgar (to merge language from Item 32) and Supervisor Mandelman (to add historic preservation protections for pre‑1923 buildings), the ordinance was passed on first reading by a vote of 9–2 (Supervisors Peskin and Chan voting no).
- Item 36 (resolution urging the City Attorney and Mayor to respond to HCD’s policy review) was adopted 8–3 (Supervisors Engardio, Stefani, and Dorsey voting no).
- Item 32 (a duplicate ordinance) was tabled unanimously after its content was incorporated into Item 8.
- Other Discussion Items:
- Item 9 (entertainment permit fee amendments) was initially deferred but later amended and passed on first reading after Supervisor Chan’s motion to restore criminal history disclosure requirements was adopted.
- Item 24 (nonprofit contract monitoring) was sent back to committee at Supervisor Stefani’s request.
- Item 33 (lithium‑ion battery safety) was continued one week to December 12.
- Item 31 (“Love Our Neighborhoods” sidewalk amenity ordinance) was passed on first reading.
Key Outcomes
- Passed on first reading: Housing Production Ordinance (Item 8) as amended (9‑2); Wawona Street Cultural Center Special Use District (Item 23); Commercial/retail/restaurant use expansion (Item 30); Neighborhood amenities ordinance (Item 31); Entertainment permit amendments (Item 9 as amended); and numerous consent items.
- Adopted: Resolution on HCD response (Item 36) (8‑3); India Basin Waterfront Park grants and behested payment waiver (Items 16‑20); affordable housing loan agreements for 1234 Great Highway and 650 Divisadero Street (Items 21‑22); Mission Bay parks agreement (Item 12); renewable diesel contract amendment (Item 15); and commemorative street name and landmark initiation (Items 34‑35).
- Re‑referred to committee: Nonprofit monitoring ordinance (Item 24); duplicated entertainment permit file (Item 9).
- Continued: Lithium‑ion battery safety ordinance (Item 33) to December 12, 2023.
- Tabled: Duplicate housing legislation (Item 32).
- Introduced: Ceasefire resolution (by Supervisor Preston, co‑sponsored by Supervisor Ronan); Dangerous landlord act (directed to City Attorney); Potrero Yard Special Use District; and formal apology to African Americans (referred to Government Audit and Oversight Committee with a hearing scheduled for February 15, 2024).
- Adjourned in memory of Marvin Robinson, Leo La Rocca, Connie Moy, and Aganafer Shiffaru.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon and welcome to the regular meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for today, December 5th, 2023. Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll? Thank you, Mr. President. Shh. Supervisor Chan. Chan present, Supervisor Dorsey. Dorsey present, Supervisor Engardio. Engartio present, Supervisor Mandelman. Mandelman present, Supervisor Melgar. Melgar present, Supervisor Peskin. Present. Peskin present, Supervisor Preston. Preston present, Supervisor Ronan. Ronan present, Supervisor Safai. Safai present, Supervisor Stephanie. Stephanie present, and Supervisor Walton. Walton present. Mr. President, all members are present. Thank you, Madam Clerk. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors acknowledges we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramatushalone who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramatushalone have never ceded, lost, nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors, elders, and relatives of the Ramatu Shalone community and by affirming their sovereign rights as first people. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and through the Republic which expands one nation undergone individual justice for all Madam Clerk. Do you have any communications? Yes, thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the Board of Supervisors and all interested, uh all who are interested in this meeting, you're welcome to come down in person here in room 250 to the Board's legislative chamber in City Hall, second floor. The meeting is airing live on SFGOV TV's Channel 26, or you may view the live stream at WWW.sfgovtv.org. As an alternative to being present, you may submit your public comment in writing in two ways. You can use the email address, BOS at SFGOV.org, or you may send your written comments via U.S. Postal Service to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the number one, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, City Hall, Room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. If you need to request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disability Act, or if you need to request language assistance, please contact the clerk's office at least 48 business hours in advance by calling 415-554-5184. Thank you, members. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Colleagues, is there a motion to approve the board meeting minutes for October 31st, made by Supervisor Mandelman, seconded by Supervisor Walton. On that motion made and seconded to approve the October 31st minutes. A roll call, please. On the minutes, Supervisor Engardio. Engario I, Supervisor Mandelman. Mandelman I, Supervisor Melgar. Melgar I, Supervisor Peskin. Aye.
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