San Francisco Board of Supervisors Meeting – April 7, 2026

Meeting Overview

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors held its regular meeting on April 7, 2026, beginning at 10:15 AM. The board addressed a wide range of items including consent calendar approvals, multiple ordinances and resolutions, introductions of new legislation, public hearings, and a major appeal regarding a conditional use authorization for a property at 524-526 Vallejo Street. The meeting also featured special recognitions for retiring BART official Molly Burke and La Casa de las Madres on its 50th anniversary. The board voted on several key items, including upholding the planning commission's de facto denial of a conditional use authorization (CUA) for the Vallejo Street project.

Consent Calendar

• Items 1 through 9 were approved unanimously (10 ayes) without objection. These routine items included ordinances and resolutions considered non-controversial.
• Minutes from the February 24, 2026 and March 3, 2026 meetings were approved unanimously after a roll call vote (10 ayes).

Unfinished Business

• Item 10 (ordinance on compact mobile food operation definitions and fees) was finally passed without objection.
• Item 11 (ordinance to de-appropriate $34.36 million and appropriate same amount to police department overtime for FY 2025-2026) was finally passed without objection.
• Item 12 (ordinance requiring DPW to evaluate mechanical street sweeping and update refuse receptacle requirements) was finally passed without objection.
• Item 13 (ordinance approving police surveillance technology policy for electronic location tracking devices) was passed on a 9-1 vote with Supervisor Walton voting no.

New Business (Items 14-30)

• Item 14 (resolution approving third modification to contract with Hallmark Aviation Services LP for airport services, increasing contract amount by $10.4 million to $30.4 million) was adopted unanimously (10 ayes).
• Items 15 and 16 (resolutions approving amendments to agreements with San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Rafiki Coalition for Health and Wellness for health access point services) were adopted without objection. Item 15 increased funding by $11.9 million (new total $21.8 million) and extended term through June 2030. Item 16 increased funding by $10.6 million (new total $20 million) and extended term through June 2030.
• Item 17 (resolution to authorize second amendment to contract with Sapient Corporation for property assessment system replacement) was continued to April 14, 2026, upon motion by Supervisor Chan, who cited the need for more information on $15 million in staffing costs. The motion was approved without objection.
• Item 18 (resolution approving second amendment with Instituto Familiar de la Raza Inc. for health access point services, increasing amount by $9.2 million to $17 million and extending term to June 2030) was adopted without objection.
• Item 19 (resolution retroactively approving contract with San Francisco Marin Food Bank for CalFresh Stop Gap Emergency Gift Card Initiative for $9.1 million for two months in 2025) was adopted without objection.
• Items 20 and 21 (resolutions approving ground lease and revenue note for Wisteria Lane Affordable Housing Project – 100% affordable 158-unit development at Balboa Reservoir) were adopted without objection. The ground lease is for 75 years with a 24-year extension option, and the loan agreement is for $29.3 million over 57 years. Item 21 authorized a $112 million multifamily housing revenue note.
• Item 22 (ordinance approving airport surveillance technology policy for transportation network company virtual queue technology) was passed on first reading without objection.
• Item 23 (resolution authorizing the Mayor's Office of Victims' Rights to solicit donations for crime victims for six months) was adopted without objection.
• Item 24 (resolution urging mayor to establish a citywide women's advancement and gender equity action plan) was adopted without objection.
• Item 25 (resolution adopting San Francisco Behavioral Health Services Act annual update for FY 2025-2026) was adopted without objection.
• Item 26 (motion approving mayoral reappointment of Anna Vandegna to redevelopment successor agency oversight board) was approved without objection.
• Items 27 and 28 (motions approving mayoral nominations to Treasure Island Development Authority Board of Directors – Eric Dazmalke and Timothy Kojo Minta) were approved without objection.
• Items 29 and 30 (motions approving mayoral reappointments to Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors – Dominica Henderson and Stephanie Cahina) were approved without objection.

Committee Reports

• Item 35 (ordinance amending environment code to update climate action goals and planning process) was passed on first reading without objection.
• Item 36 (motion to approve President Mandelman's nomination of Lily Wong to Board of Appeals) was approved without objection.

Introductions of New Business (Roll Call)

• President Mandelman introduced legislation to clarify and define electrical work under the San Francisco Building Code, requiring work to be performed by properly certified contractors. He also offered in memoriams for Andrea Shorter (political strategist, died March 19, 2026) and Brixton, a therapy dog.
• Supervisor Melgar introduced legislation to close a loophole in the health code regarding smoking in outdoor spaces of bars and restaurants, noting that six of nine bar patios tested by UCSF had peak air quality readings in the EPA unhealthy range. She also introduced a resolution in support of State Senate Bill 1091 (community anti-displacement and preservation program), citing 3,740 evictions in San Francisco in the last year, the highest in 10 years.
• Supervisor Sauter introduced a resolution in support of HR 2410 (Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act), a federal tax credit for converting commercial buildings to housing.
• Supervisor Walton introduced a resolution standing with San Francisco's Pacific Islander community against targeted threats, and a resolution declaring April 11-17 as Black Maternal Health Week, noting that Black birthing mothers account for 4% of births but 50% of pregnancy-related deaths in San Francisco, and that rates of very premature births among Black babies increased 71% between 2016 and 2024. He also offered an in memoriam for barber Anderson J.B. Williams.
• Supervisor Chan introduced in memoriam for John Elberling, affordable housing advocate and president of Tenants and Owners Development Corporation (TODCO), who owned about 1,000 units of low-income housing in SOMA.
• Supervisor Chen introduced hearings on conditions for women in custody and on family affordability, including analysis of proposed budget cuts from the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development and the role of community-based organizations.
• Supervisor Mahmoud introduced legislation to prohibit sale and delivery of uncertified lithium-ion batteries and powered mobility devices, citing over 120 building fires in the last five years caused by these batteries, with a significant concentration in District 5 and the Tenderloin.
• Supervisor Dorsey introduced a hearing request on police staffing challenges in the Southern police district, noting that patrol officers respond to 390 calls per officer (second highest citywide) and staffing is at 78% of recommended levels.

2:30 Special Order – Recognitions

• Molly Burke was recognized for 35 years of service with BART and four decades in Bay Area transportation. She retired from her role as community outreach manager. Supervisor Wong presented the commendation.
• La Casa de las Madres was recognized on its 50th anniversary of serving survivors of domestic violence. The organization has served over 14,000 survivors since 1976. The board proclaimed April 7, 2026 as La Casa de las Madres Day.

3:00 Special Order – Public Hearing and Vote on Appeal (Items 31-34)

This was a public hearing on the appeal of the de facto denial of a conditional use authorization (CUA) for a project at 524-526 Vallejo Street and 4-4A San Antonio Place. The project proposed to legalize the merger of three dwelling units into one and reinstate one ground floor unit within a legally four-unit building. The planning commission had a 3-3 tie vote on December 4, 2025, resulting in a de facto denial, which the appellant (the property owner, Caitlin Holloway and Ben Ramirez) appealed to the board.

Appellants' Position: The appellants argued that the four-unit designation was never lawfully granted because the units were never constructed, the permit was issued without required public hearing and exceeded density limits (lot allows 2.4 units under RM-1 zoning), and that the building was built as a single-family home. They claimed the developer (Peter Escander) was the bad actor, that DBI signed off on a building that didn't match plans, and that forcing four units would displace their family of four. They requested approval of a two-unit configuration (return to original) with one added unit.

Planning Department Position: The department recommended upholding the denial, citing consistent records from multiple agencies (DBI, Fire Department, 3R reports) showing four legal units. They argued that approving the CUA would legalize an unauthorized merger, result in a net loss of two rent-controlled units, conflict with the Housing Element, and set a dangerous precedent.

Public Comment: Seven speakers supported the appeal, describing the family's community involvement and arguing the developer acted fraudulently. Fifteen speakers opposed the appeal, representing tenant advocacy groups (San Francisco Tenants Union, Housing Rights Committee, North Beach Tenants Committee, San Francisco Anti-Displacement Coalition, Chinatown Community Development Center, others). They argued that the owners knowingly bought a four-unit building, that approving the appeal would incentivize illegal mergers and evictions, and that rent-controlled units must be preserved. One former tenant (Joseph Padilla) submitted a letter confirming he lived in Unit 4A from 1990.

Key Discussion Points:

• The 2016 certificate of final completion and subsequent listing of the property as a single-family home within 45 days raised questions about DBI inspections. DBI confirmed the inspector on that permit was under investigation for unrelated matters.
• The lot's density under RM-1 zoning is 2.4 units, meaning the four-unit permit should not have been issued.
• Supervisor Sauter proposed a compromise to direct findings that a three-unit project might be desirable, but this motion failed on a 5-5 vote (Supervisors Mandelman, Melgar, Walton, Chan, Chen voted no; Sauter, Cheryl, Wong, Dorsey, Mahmoud voted yes).
• The board then voted 10-0 to approve item 32 (uphold the planning commission's denial) and table item 33, effectively denying the appeal. Findings for the decision were not prepared due to the failure of item 34 vote.

General Public Comment

• Comments included a call for rights of nature laws, an announcement of Poems Under the Dome event on April 24, 2026, criticism of the Hayes Street closure study and treatment of residents, comments in support of American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month, and critiques of city policies on policing and homelessness.

Adoption Without Committee Reference (Items 39-47)

• Item 40 (resolution recognizing April 2026 as American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month) was adopted without objection after a separate vote. Supervisor Mahmoud noted a record 8,658 complaints of anti-Muslim bias nationwide in 2024.
• Item 45 (resolution supporting California State Assembly Bill 2344, which would establish a statewide animal abuse registry) was adopted without objection. Supervisor Dorsey sponsored.
• Other items (39, 41, 42, 44, 46, 47) were adopted without objection. Item 43 (resolution) was sent to committee by Supervisor Walton.

Key Outcomes

• Approved: Consent items 1-9, minutes, unfinished business items 10-12, surveillance tech policy (13), numerous contracts and appointments (14-16, 18-30), climate action ordinance (35), Board of Appeals appointment (36), and multiple resolutions on introductions (women's action plan, behavioral health update, etc.).
• Continued: Item 17 (Assessor Recorder contract) to April 14, 2026.
• Denied: Appeal of de facto denial of CUA for 524-526 Vallejo Street (items 31-34). The board voted 10-0 to uphold the planning commission's denial (approve item 32, table item 33). Item 34 (findings) failed 5-5.
• Adjourned in memory of: Andrea Shorter, Brixton (therapy dog), Anderson J.B. Williams, and John Elberling.