San Francisco Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting – July 15, 2025

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at 10:15 AM for a regular meeting. The agenda was dominated by the city's budget for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, which addressed a nearly $800 million deficit. After extensive debate, the board approved the budget package, including trailing legislation, with one supervisor voting no. Other major items included a controversial reallocation of Our City, Our Home (OCOH) funds, a procurement reform ordinance sent back to committee, and parking restrictions for large vehicles. The meeting also featured a special order recognizing commendations for Harvey M. Rose, Alice Wong, Sasha Bittner, Debbie Kaplan, and other community leaders. Public comment focused on ICE enforcement, disability rights, and neighborhood concerns.

Consent Calendar

• Items 1–6: Approved unanimously, including ordinances on park codes, planning codes, public works, and police codes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Patricia Eric (Mayor's Disability Council): Urged separating pedestrians from bicyclists at Sunset Dunes, citing danger to disabled people after a woman was hit by a biker on July 1, 2025.
• Leah McGeever (D6 resident): Condemned what she described as ICE kidnapping people at 100 Montgomery Street and criticized the city's collaboration with federal enforcement.
• Mark Bruno (St. Vincent de Paul Society, North Beach): Opposed upzoning that could demolish rent-controlled units, proposing an amendment to protect affordability.
• Ms. Brown (District 5): Requested supervisors attend a memorial on August 14, 2025 for her son and other victims of violence, urging support from Mayor Lurie and Supervisor Mahmood.
• Other callers: Commented on French contributions to American independence, missing children, and personal grievances.

Commendations (Special Order 2:30 PM)

• Harvey M. Rose: Honored for 52 years as budget and legislative analyst. Speakers included former Supervisor Quentin Kopp, former Board President Aaron Peskin, and multiple supervisors who praised his independence and fiscal stewardship. A video tribute was shown. Harvey Rose made brief remarks, expressing gratitude and noting his age with a joke about Baskin Robbins having only two flavors.
• Gotton Gin Neighbors Group: Recognized for transforming a neglected hillside into the “Steps to Wisdom” on Gotton Gin Street. Representative Laura Kemp noted that 11 years of community effort led to completion, but they are now in limbo due to financial mismanagement by the San Francisco Parks Alliance.
• Patty Kamen: Celebrated on her retirement from Catholic Charities after 30 years of service to seniors, including launching the OMI community health fair during the pandemic that served over 450 community members.
• Commander Jahan Eric Kim: Recognized for his two years as captain of Central Station and promotion to commander of the Metro Unit. He thanked community partners and his staff.
• Lucas Kelly and Max Banks: Two San Francisco-raised baseball players drafted in the 2025 MLB draft (Lucas to Seattle Mariners in round 6, Max to Chicago White Sox in round 14). They thanked coaches and families.
• Alice Wong: Honored for her disability justice leadership as founder of the Disability Visibility Project and a 2024 MacArthur Fellow. In her remarks, she criticized federal immigration enforcement (ICE), threats to Medicaid, and the mayor's policies on homelessness, asserting that “access is love” and calling for community-based solutions.
• Sasha Bittner: Recognized for 25 years of disability and domestic workers’ rights advocacy. Her brother Caleb spoke on her behalf, recounting struggles for inclusion and warning against cuts to Medicaid and deportations that threaten home care.
• Deborah Kaplan: Honored for pioneering disability rights work, including co-founding the Disabled Women's Coalition at UC Berkeley. She emphasized that curb ramps and captioning (from the ADA) benefit everyone and urged policymakers to involve disabled people from the start.

Discussion Items

• FY2025-2027 Budget (Items 7–38, minus 36): Chair Connie Chan presented the budget package, describing it as a response to the $800 million deficit and threats from the Trump administration. The budget includes $400 million in reserves to protect Medicaid, housing subsidies, and food security; restores jobs for city workers; preserves funding for Pacific Islander, Native American, LGBTQ, immigrant, and senior programs; and adds $17.3 million for family rapid rehousing, $9.5 million for transitional age youth rapid rehousing, $3 million for RV intervention, $9 million for medium-term housing, and $3.4 million for hotel vouchers. Supervisor Fielder voted no, stating that law enforcement received a $50 million increase while programs for immigrants, families, BIPOC, and LGBTQ communities were gutted. She criticized cuts to Muni service (saving $7 million while SFMTA sits on $140 million in reserves) and flatlined immigration legal defense funding (despite increases by San Mateo and Santa Clara counties). She also severed items 7, 16, 20, 21, and 31. Supervisor Walton noted that the mayor's original cuts were “dramatic” but that the budget restored vital services for low-income families and people of color. He supported the budget. Supervisor Chen expressed concern about underinvestment in her district but praised collaboration and voted yes. Supervisor Sauter thanked the budget chair and emphasized restored SRO collaborative funds, legal services, food security, and street cleaning. She called the process collaborative and transparent. Supervisor Mahmoud highlighted $400 million in reserves against federal actions, increased funding for the Immigration Legal Defense Fund (item 15, a grant of $3.4 million from the Crankstart Foundation to the Public Defender’s office), and support for the city attorney to litigate against the Trump administration. He requested item 15 be severed for a unanimous vote in support of immigration defense. Supervisor Mandelman thanked Chair Chan and noted the budget preserved cooperation between the board and the mayor. He acknowledged that no one is fully happy but called it a responsible foundation.

• Item 36 – OCOH Fund Reallocation: This ordinance reallocates $34.7 million from the Our City, Our Home fund and allows up to $19.1 million of future revenue to be spent by simple majority (Section 4). Supervisor Fielder opposed Section 4, arguing it eliminates the supermajority safeguard from Prop C, setting a dangerous precedent for voter-approved measures. Supervisor Walton agreed, stating that “every dictator states they just want additional authority once” and that the budget already reflects cooperation. He voted against Section 4. Chair Chan defended the amendment, noting the $19 million cap, the restriction to FY2026-2027, and that the additional funds will be used for housing families, transitional age youth, and shelter. She emphasized the balanced approach after negotiations with the mayor. President Mandelman supported Section 4, arguing that the original Prop C allocations from 2018 may have over-invested in permanent supportive housing and that the cap is a modest change. The vote on Section 4 was 8 ayes – 3 noes (Fielder, Walton, Chen). The remainder passed 11-0.

• Item 39 – Open for Business Act (Procurement Reform): An ordinance to streamline city contracting, including eliminating the Sweatfree Procurement Advisory Committee. President Mandelman moved an amendment requiring a procurement impact analysis for future legislation. Supervisor Walton moved to send the item back to committee to work on language to retain the sweatshop committee, seconded by Melgar. Supervisor Dorsey supported the original legislation, calling current contracting “onerous” and “wasteful.” He noted that three emergencies in 5.5 years were needed to bypass normal processes. Supervisor Chen and Supervisor Fielder argued for keeping labor standards, with Chen citing immigrant garment workers and Fielder calling the elimination of the sweatshop committee a “retreat from protecting workers' rights.” President Mandelman argued the committee has no voting power and struggles to make quorum, and preserving it sets a bad precedent for eliminating other redundant bodies. The motion to send back to committee passed 6 ayes – 5 noes (Dorsey, Mahmoud, Mandelman, Sauter, Cheryl voting no). The item returns to committee.

• Item 40 – Large Vehicle Parking Restrictions: An ordinance limiting parking of large commercial vehicles and RVs to 2 hours citywide, with a refuge permit system for people living in vehicles (up to 6 months renewable) and a buyback program. Supervisor Melgar (sponsor) explained that the legislation creates a permit system for RV dwellers to stay legally if they follow rules and work with HSH on housing. She noted the failure of a prior RV triage center but said this approach is more compassionate. Supervisor Chan supported, citing the need to spend OCOH funds on housing rather than letting interest accrue, and thanked Melgar for amendments including short-term residential parking permits. Supervisor Walton opposed, arguing that the city does not have enough housing for RV dwellers and that the legislation will skip people on the street. He referenced the closure of the Bayview Vehicle Triage Center, which failed to transition participants to housing despite $2.9 million annual cost. The ordinance passed 9 ayes – 2 noes (Fielder and Walton).

Key Outcomes

• Budget Approval (Items 7–38 minus 36): The budget (excluding trailing legislation for fees) was approved on first reading 11-0. Items 7 (budget appropriation), 16 (vehicle registration fees), 20 (court reservation fees), 21 (recreation program fees), and 31 (paid parking in Golden Gate Park) were voted together and passed 10-1, with Supervisor Fielder voting no.
• Item 8 (Salary Ordinance): Passed 11-0 after technical adjustments.
• Item 15 (Immigration Defense Grant): Passed 11-0; Supervisor Fielder clarified it is a foundation grant to the Public Defender’s office, not city funding for community organizations.
• Item 36 (OCOH Reallocation): Section 4 (simple majority spending of up to $19.1 million future surplus) passed 8-3; remaining ordinance passed 11-0. Overall passed on first reading.
• Item 39 (Procurement Reform): Sent back to committee on a 6-5 vote.
• Items 41–43 (General Obligation Bonds): Passed 11-0 authorizing up to $150 million in bonds for health and recovery, appropriating $150 million, and de-appropriating $160.5 million from earlier bonds.
• Items 44–52 (Various grants and contracts): All passed on single roll-call votes without objection.
• Items 57–58 (Sidewalk closure and commendation): Adopted 11-0.
• Items 59–60 (Conditional Use and Certificate of Appropriateness at 3400 Laguna Street): Continued to next meeting at Supervisor Chan’s request.
• Adjournment: In memory of Jesus Ramos, Yoni Ramos, Joel Melendez, Renata Kinniston, and Priscilla Breed.