San Francisco Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting – May 20, 2025

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors held its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 2:30 PM (with special orders at 3:00 PM). The board approved a consent calendar of routine financial and administrative items, held commendations for AAPI Heritage Month and retiring public safety leaders, conducted hearings on an appeal of a categorical exemption and conditional use authorization for a project at 1310 Junipero Serra Boulevard, and adopted a report of delinquent building code enforcement charges. All votes were unanimous (11-0) unless otherwise noted.

Consent Calendar

• Items 1–3 (GO Bonds): Appropriated $194,000,000 in General Obligation Bond proceeds (Series 2025F) to the Departments of Public Health, Public Works, and MTA for healthcare, transportation, and street improvements; authorized issuance of up to $390,000,000 in bonds under the Healthy, Safe and Vibrant San Francisco 2024 bond; and authorized sale of up to $194,000,000 in Series 2025F bonds. Passed on first reading/adopted.
• Item 4: De-appropriated and appropriated $250,000 from General City Responsibility to support District 10 safety plan, including violence prevention, safe passages, and youth services. Passed on first reading.
• Item 5: Amended Administrative Code to allow accelerated procurement of fire apparatus without standard solicitation requirements. Passed on first reading.
• Item 6: Accepted a retroactive $2,696,215 grant from the Department of Homeland Security/FEMA for the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (Oct 2024–Sep 2027). Adopted.
• Items 7–8: Approved grant agreements with Glide Foundation ($14,115,847 for Free Meals Program) and San Francisco-Marin Food Bank ($12,604,048 for Food Assistance Program), both July 1, 2025–June 30, 2029. Adopted.
• Item 9: Approved sale of a 46,000 sq ft portion of Parcel 21 in South San Francisco to the City of South San Francisco for $132,000. Adopted.
• Item 10: Authorized acquisition of permanent and temporary construction easements from BART for $306,000 for the Regional Groundwater Storage and Recovery Project. Adopted.
• Items 11–12: Approved ground lease and loan agreement for 160 Freelon Street (100% affordable housing, 85 units, including 22 units for formerly homeless and 5 for the city’s plus housing list), with a 75-year lease, $15,000 annual rent, and a loan not to exceed $22,577,900; authorized up to $76,000,000 in multifamily housing revenue notes. Adopted.
• Item 13: Authorized joint grant application with Treasure Island Development Authority for up to $50,000,000 from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program for the IC4.3 project. Adopted.
• Items 14–15 (Referred without recommendation): Retroactively authorized amendments for Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center ($300,000 for youth services and TGNC research) and Bayview Hunters Point Foundation ($18,079,996 for mental health and substance abuse services, extended through Dec 31, 2026). Adopted.
• Items 16–17: Determined that liquor license transfers for El Chavo Supermercado (15 Ocean Ave) and Casa Guadalupe Supermarket 2 (3400 Cesar Chavez St) serve public convenience. Adopted.
• Items 18–19: Confirmed mayoral appointments of Meghan Thurlow to the Public Utilities Commission (term ending Aug 1, 2028) and Rebecca Saroyan to the Board of Appeals (term ending July 1, 2028). Motions approved.
• Items 30–33: Approved settlement with PG&E regarding FERC disputes (10-year secondary voltage service); authorized settlement of $111,500 for a trip-and-fall lawsuit; authorized solicitation of donations for fire apparatus; and declared intention to renew the Dogpatch & Northwest Potrero Hill Green Benefit District with a public hearing set for July 2, 2025, at 3:00 PM. All adopted.
• Items 36–39 (Adopted without committee reference): Proclaimed May 22, 2025 as El Farolito FC Day; celebrated Bike to Wherever Day on May 15, 2025; recognized May 24–June 1, 2025 as Queer and Transgender Asian and Pacific Islander Week; and approved Final Map 11177 for the Balboa Reservoir Mixed-Use Project. All adopted unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• General public comment included: a speaker objecting to the city’s RFP process for Juneteenth events, urging the board to recall the RFP; a speaker criticizing the board’s vote on the gift program settlement, stating that former Translatina recipients have been forced back into survival prostitution, experiencing increased abuse and mental health issues; a speaker opposing the allowance of Waymo autonomous vehicles on Market Street, citing dangers to transit, bicyclists, pedestrians, and taxi drivers; a speaker advocating for full funding of City College of San Francisco and free tuition to support the middle class; and a speaker raising concerns about the city’s lack of responsiveness and the need for artificial intelligence in government processes.

Discussion Items

• Commendations (Special Order 2:30 PM): The board issued multiple commendations in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and other recognitions. Honorees included: Carol Ito (founder of PAWBAC, airport commissioner, Status of Women commissioner); Master Ho Ying Hang (40 years of tipta therapy); Dr. Paula Lee (VA director for San Francisco); Elaine Yen and Many Lai (owners of Imperial Garden in Portola); Assistant Chief of Police David Lazar (retiring after 33.5 years, with remarks from Chief Scott and multiple supervisors); six Public Works employees (Corey Jackson, Dominic Charles, Michael Lunardelli, Jackie Wilson, Henry Ramirez, Milton Navarrett) for their frontline service; Christine (executive director of All My USOs); dance groups from the Sunset District; and Cynthia “Sin” Wang (entertainment commissioner, small business advocate).
• Appeals for 1310 Junipero Serra Boulevard (Items 22–29, Special Order 3:00 PM): The board held consolidated hearings on an appeal of a categorical exemption from CEQA and an appeal of a conditional use authorization for a proposed 25-foot-tall, ~20,000 sq ft maintenance building on the San Francisco Golf Club property. An agreement was reached between the project sponsor and appellant (Friends of St. Thomas More School). The board heard public testimony (none offered) and then voted to affirm the categorical exemption (item 23) and approve a revised conditional use authorization (item 28 as amended) with additional conditions: (1) good-faith routing of construction traffic away from St. Thomas More Way; (2) tree removal outside school hours or during summer recess; (3) watering of earth-moving areas at least three times daily; (4) compliance with health code dust control; (5) establishment of a hotline for dust complaints; (6) compliance with DBI and Fire Department requirements for fire suppression; (7) compliance with SFPUC stormwater controls; and (8) installation of an audio/visual alarm on the northern elevation for fire alerts. Items 24, 25, and 27 were tabled.
• Building Code Enforcement Assessment Costs (Items 20–21, Special Order 3:00 PM): The board held a hearing on a report of delinquent charges for code enforcement violations. DBI Senior Housing Inspector Matt Luton presented the 28th annual report. After public comment (one speaker objected to lines 30–31 for 1465 Oakdale Ave, citing pending court negotiations), DBI agreed to remove several properties: 522 34th Ave (line 10, already paid), 15 Noble (lines 28–29), and 146 Vernon (lines 56–57). The board then approved the amended report and adopted the resolution.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous approvals: All consent calendar items, committee reports, and for-adoption items passed 11-0.
• 1310 Junipero Serra Boulevard: The board affirmed the categorical exemption (item 23) and approved the conditional use as amended (items 28, 29), with specific conditions detailed above. Items 24, 25, and 27 were tabled.
• Building code enforcement: The report of delinquent charges was adopted with amendments, removing several properties following payments and negotiations.
• New business introduced: Supervisors introduced several items for future action, including a letter of inquiry regarding the 311 API shutdown, a performance audit of the Recreation and Parks Department, a resolution opposing proposed Medi-Cal cuts for undocumented adults, and a request for a hearing on Vision Zero 2.0. Supervisor Melgar noted that traffic crashes have cost San Francisco $2.5 billion over the last five years.
• In memoriams: The meeting was adjourned in memory of former Commissioner Alan Wayne Martinez and Mr. Peter Flannery.