San Francisco Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting - March 25, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
San Francisco Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting - March 25, 2025
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 10:15 AM (starting at 2:00 PM for special orders). The meeting covered consent items, unfinished business, new business, special commendations for Women's History Month, a continued appeal hearing, and various resolutions. Two supervisors were excused. Key votes included the suspension of the Empty Homes Tax (8-1), adoption of a Drug Market Intervention resolution (7-2), and approval of a parental leave policy for the Board.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1 through 8 were approved unanimously. These included routine approvals such as settlements, planning code amendments, and acceptance of sewer pump stations.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Several speakers urged the Board to transfer general fund money to SFMTA to prevent summer service cuts, citing overcrowded buses and impacts on seniors and disabled riders. Some called for a $7.2 million transfer.
- A representative from BART spoke in support of Item 31 (urging state funding for Bay Area transit), noting that BART faces a $35 million deficit in FY26 and relies on fares for 41% of operating costs.
- Taxi drivers spoke about airport fee issues, alleged harassment, and unfair competition from ramp cabs.
- Residents of District 10 (Shoreview) complained about mismanagement by Related Management and Regency during rehabilitation, including vandalism, theft, and unsafe conditions, requesting a hearing.
- A speaker urged the Board to use what-if scenario modeling tools used by local tech companies to handle budget uncertainty.
- Other speakers addressed spiritual themes, adverse possession laws, and the need for comprehensive drug policy.
Discussion Items
- Item 18 – Drug Market Intervention (DMI) Resolution: Supervisor Mahmood presented the resolution to urge implementation of a DMI strategy to address the fentanyl crisis, emphasizing interagency collaboration, deterrence, and prevention. Amendments were adopted to clarify that enforcement alone cannot eliminate the market and to focus on workforce/youth programs. Supervisor Fielder expressed concerns about lack of metrics and displacement effects, citing a JAMA study showing increased overdoses after drug seizures. Supervisor Chan opposed centering resources on a single academic strategy. The amended resolution passed 7-2, with Supervisors Chan and Fielder voting no.
- Special Order 2:30 PM – Commendations: The Board recognized Women's History Month and Equal Pay Day. Honorees included Dr. Zaya Malawa (pediatrician and public health leader), the Chinese Consolidated Women's Association (25th anniversary), Nicole Santa Maria (executive director of A para Translatinas), Ealing Wilsper (executive director of Filipino Community Center), Cameron Marlowe (Youth Commissioner), Sue Betts (LifeRing Secular Recovery chair), Margaret Graff (Sunset resident and founder of Senior Power), Radhwa Hussein (Tenderloin community leader), and Trend Tang (outgoing CEO of PRC). Each honoree spoke about their work and advocacy.
- Special Order 3:00 PM – Appeal Hearing for 4100 3rd Street: The appeal of a conditional use authorization for a social service facility at 4100 3rd Street was continued to April 8, 2025, at the request of Supervisor Walton (absent). The motion passed unanimously.
- Item 9 – Empty Homes Tax Suspension: Ordinance to suspend the tax pending litigation, retroactive to January 1, 2024. Passed 8-1 (Supervisor Fielder opposed).
- Item 10 – CalWORKs Housing Support Program: Appropriation of $4,956,133 from state and federal revenues for rental subsidies and services. Passed unanimously.
- Items 11-17: Various resolutions adopted without objection, including findings of fiscal feasibility for marina improvement, acceptance of in-kind gifts ($337,920), appropriations limits, delinquent tax settlement, school district bonds ($160 million), liquor license transfer, and the DMI resolution (item 18).
- Items 19-21: Three mayoral appointments to the Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure (Carolyn Ransom-Scott, Earl Shaddix, Mark Miller) approved unanimously.
- Item 26 – Settlement of Grievance: Resolution to settle a grievance with Operating Engineers Local 39 for approximately $1,022,500, adopted without objection.
- Item 27 – Behested Payment Waiver: Resolution authorizing the Department of Homelessness to solicit donations for shelter and homeless services, adopted with amendments requiring reporting back to the Board.
- Item 28 – Parental Leave Policy: Motion to amend Board rules to adopt a parental leave policy, approved unanimously.
- Items 31-37: For adoption without committee reference, including resolutions on Bay Area transit funding, state insurance and housing bond acts, Equal Pay Day, and appointments to advisory committees. All passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Empty Homes Tax Suspension: Passed 8-1 (Fielder no).
- Drug Market Intervention Resolution: Passed 7-2 (Chan and Fielder no).
- Appeal Hearing Continued: Items 22-25 continued to April 8, 2025, by unanimous vote.
- Parental Leave Policy: Adopted unanimously.
- All Consent and For Adoption items: Passed unanimously.
- Commendations: Recognized nine individuals/organizations for Women's History Month.
- Public comment: Multiple speakers on Muni funding, taxi issues, and housing complaints; no immediate action taken.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the March 25th, 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 Ingario. Engartio present, Supervisor Fielder. Fielder present, Supervisor Mahmud. Mahmoud present, Supervisor Mandelman. Present. Mandelman present, Supervisor Melgar. Melgar present, Supervisor Sauter. Soder not present, Supervisor Cheryl. Sheryl present, Supervisor Walton. Walton not present. Mr. President, you have a quorum. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Could I have a motion to excuse Supervisors Soder and Walton from today's meeting? Uh motion by uh Chen, a seconded by Mahmood. Um without objection. We can take that without objection, right? Without objection, Supervisor Sauter and Walton are excused from today's meeting. Um then the San Francisco Board of Supervisors acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramatush Aloney, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramatus Alone 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 Ramatush Aloney community and by affirming their rights as First Peoples colleagues. Will you join me in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance? To the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. And on behalf of the board, um, I would like to acknowledge the staff at SFGov TV and particularly Seuss Enos who record each of our meetings and make the transcripts available to the public online. Madam Clerk, do we have any communications? Yes, thank you, Mr. President. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors welcomes your attendance to this meeting in the board's legislative chamber, room two fifty, second floor within City Hall. Or you may watch the proceeding on SFGOV TV's Channel 26 or view the live stream at www.sfgovtv.org. If you have public comment to submit in writing, you can send it via email, send it to BOS at SFGov.org, or use the postal service, just address the envelope to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the number one, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, City Hall, Room 244, San Francisco, California, 94102. 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 business days in advance by calling 415-554-5184. And finally, Mr. President and members, through a previous arrangement, we will have an ADA accommodation request to provide public statements as the first speaker during public comment this afternoon. Thank you. That concludes my comments. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Let's go to our consent agenda. Please call items one through eight. Items one through eight are on consent.
openpublica.com