San Francisco Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting – March 4, 2025
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San Francisco Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting – March 4, 2025
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 10:15 AM in City Hall. President Rafael Mandelman presided, with 10 members present initially (Supervisor Fielder was excused for jury duty and arrived later, bringing quorum to 11). The meeting included consent calendar approvals, unfinished business, new business, special order commendations, roll call introductions, and public comment.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1–16 were approved unanimously without severance. These included routine approvals and numerous lawsuit settlements: Vincent Keith Bell ($825,000), Javier Grajeda ($30,000), Marvella Branner ($110,000), Matthew Gyves ($500,000), John Pugh ($60,000), Latoya Starks and Sanvada Kitcher ($2,880,000), and others. Also on consent were amendments to the Administrative Code regarding electricity purchases, Planning Code changes for the Third Street Alcohol Restricted Use District, disability access improvements, and Leland Avenue zoning.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Obsidian spoke against perceived divisive celebrations (Black History Month) and weather manipulation, and called for ending QR codes and digital IDs.
- Leah McGeever (D6) read a poem alleging she is a political target of Supervisor Matt Dorsey, expressing feelings of war and lack of support.
- Chris Hard Klein alleged a surveillance system at 250 Kearney Street caused harm to veterans, referencing multiple deaths and arsons, and called for investigations.
- Richard S. D. Peterson (82) described a seven-and-a-half-year wait to build a house in Noe Valley due to bureaucratic delays, criticizing outdated compliance forms.
- Jim McAfee accused the Department of Public Health of failing to report patient share-of-cost revenue from Laguna Honda Hospital.
- Nick Colina (Anco Iron) spoke in support of Item 37 (LBE resolution), stating that LBEs spend over $77 million in wages in San Francisco and provide union jobs.
- Daryl Davis (small business owner) urged support for the LBE program, calling it essential for equitable contracting.
- Tricia Gregory (micro LBE trucking company) also supported the LBE resolution.
- Samuel Adams (Baines Group) cited 30% LBE subcontract dollars and 33% local workforce on affordable housing projects.
- Salah Haquea Chandler spoke about her son’s unsolved murder in the 2015 San Francisco quadruple homicide, criticizing the trial and reward process.
Discussion Items
- Item 17 (Unfinished Business): Ordinance to exempt downtown non-residential-to-residential conversions from development impact fees and extend the adaptive reuse program. Passed 9–1 (Supervisor Walton dissenting).
- Item 18: Retroactively authorized the Public Library to accept a $1,966,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for Jail and Re-entry Services, adding three positions. Adopted unanimously.
- Items 19–20: Accepted grants for Embarcadero Plaza renovations ($12.5 million from BXP) and Great Highway Promenade planning ($1 million from Coastal Conservancy). Adopted.
- Item 21: Approved $24.6 million contract amendment with CDM Smith for Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant ozonation. Adopted.
- Item 22: Accepted $675,000 grant from James Irvine Foundation for Northern California Apprenticeship Network. Adopted.
- Item 23: Authorized $50.6 million loan for 1135-1175 Ellis Street under the Small Sites Program. Adopted.
- Item 24: Authorized $8.225 million Homekey grant for 42 Otis Street permanent supportive housing, with $8.7 million in matching funds. Adopted.
- Item 25: Approved $13.424 million contract for seven battery-electric buses from New Flyer. Adopted.
- Item 26: Referred without recommendation from Budget Committee: Third Amendment to Brilliant Corners contract for Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool, increasing the total to $59.54 million. Supervisors Dorsey, Chan, and Sherrill expressed concerns about underperformance (140-day placement average vs. 75-day target) and unrealistic metrics, but noted a reprocurement process underway. Adopted as a resolution.
- Item 27: Resolution affirming support for birthright citizenship and opposing President Trump’s executive order. Adopted.
- Item 28: Resolution authorizing fundraising for immigration, LGBTQ+, environmental, reproductive rights, and racial equity services via behested payment waiver. After initially passing same-house-same-call, Supervisor Chan requested a rescission and then voted no, citing perception of conflict for Assessor Recorder Joaquin Torres. Final vote: 9–1 (Chan no).
- Item 29: Resolution supporting SFMTA’s Joint Development Program to address a $321 million structural deficit. Supervisor Melgar advocated for developing underutilized agency land for housing and revenue. Adopted.
- Items 30–32: Various code amendments (Form 700 filings, property tax refunds, parking tax reporting) adopted.
- Items 33–34: Reappointments to Citizens Committee on Community Development (Clinton Loftman) and Early Childhood Advisory Committee (Cindy Lopez-Chastain). Approved.
- Special Order – Commendations: Recognized Chef David Ho for 40 years at Sam Wo restaurant, and Rob Connolly (President, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco) for 25 years of service. Speakers praised their community contributions.
- Roll Call Introductions: Supervisors introduced new legislation and resolutions, including amendments to the Healthy Airport Ordinance (Mandelman/Walton), hearings on HSH contracts and the Four Pillars drug strategy, an entertainment zone on Union Street, a resolution on equitable shelter distribution, wastewater drug testing, data subscriptions modernization, and a resolution honoring Ramadan.
Key Outcomes
- Item 17 passed on final reading (9–1) to ease downtown residential conversions.
- Item 26 (Brilliant Corners) adopted despite reservations; HSH to reprocure services with standardized metrics.
- Item 28 adopted 9–1 after rescission, with Supervisor Chan opposed.
- Items 37–40 (For Adoption Without Committee Reference) adopted: Item 37 reaffirms the Local Business Enterprise (LBE) program; Items 38–40 include a resolution opposing federal bureaucracy reduction, and reappointments to the Bicycle Advisory Committee and Commission on Disability and Aging Advisory Council. All passed with 11 ayes except Item 37, which was adopted without a recorded roll call.
- Adjournment in memory of David Sahagan, Charles Fan (founder of The Slanted Door), and Mark Izu (musician and Japantown advocate).
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. Welcome to the March 4th 2025 regular meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll? Thank you, Mr. President. Supervisor Chan. Chan present, Supervisor Chen. Chen present, Supervisor Dorsey. Dorsey present, Supervisor Rengario. Engario present, Supervisor Fielder, Fielder not present, Supervisor Mahmud. Mahmud present, Supervisor Mandelman. Present. Mandelman present, Supervisor Melgar. Present. Melgar present, Supervisor Sauter. Sauter present, Supervisor Cheryl. Cheryl present, and Supervisor Walton. Walton present. Mr. President, you have a quorum. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Supervisor Fielder is stuck in jury duty. So could we have a motion to excuse Supervisor Fielder? Moved by Cheryl. Is there a second? Second by Chen. And I think I'm going to say excuse her until she arrives if she arrives. And we can take that without objection. Okay. All right. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramatush Alone, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramitu Shaloni 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. And colleagues, will you join me in saying the pledge of allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. And on behalf of the board, I would like to acknowledge the staff at SFGov TV, particularly today, Colina Mendoza, who record each of our meetings and make the transcripts available to the public online. Madam Clerk, are there any communications? Yes, thank you, Mr. President. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors welcomes you to attend this meeting in person in the board's legislative chamber, room 250, second floor in City Hall, or you may watch the proceeding on SFGOV TV's Channel 26. You may also view the live stream at WWW.sfgovtv.org. If you'd like to provide comment in writing, you can do so by sending an email to BOS at SFgov.org or use the postal service, send the letter to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the number one, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlick Place, City Hall, Room 244, San Francisco, California, 94102. If you need to make a reasonable accommodation request under the Americans with Disability Act, or to request language assistance, contact the clerk's office at least two uh business days in advance by calling 415-554-51A4. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Let's go to approval of the meeting minutes.
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