Government Audit and Oversight Committee Regular Meeting – June 6, 2024
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Government Audit and Oversight Committee Regular Meeting – June 6, 2024
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee (GAO) of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on June 6, 2024, to consider four main items: (1) a retroactive MOU with the U.S. Capitol Police for supplemental law enforcement at the Pelosi residence, (2) a behested payment waiver to solicit donations for hosting panda bears at the San Francisco Zoo, (3) a resolution urging the Mayor and the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF) to seek private donations to restore $25 million in cuts, and (4) a consent block of 29 labor agreements covering city employees (MOUs/collective bargaining agreements). All items were approved and forwarded to the full Board of Supervisors.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Panda Item (Item 2): Multiple speakers opposed the panda plan, citing the zoo’s history of animal neglect (e.g., a tiger escape, a keeper chased by a grizzly, a penguin decapitated, a baby gorilla crushed), aging facilities (some 70 years old), and financial risks. One speaker noted that 6,000 people signed a petition in six days urging cancellation. Speakers argued pandas are not tools for tourism and that the zoo lacks expertise and safe enclosures.
- DCYF Cuts (Item 3): Several representatives from community-based organizations testified about the devastating impact of funding reductions. Youth SF (executive director) described serving thousands of students with a tech-recreation program and a waiting list of 400. Hunters Point Family (25 years in Bayview Hunters Point) said it received zero funding for the next cycle and will have to lay off 18 staff, ending summer youth programs. Mission Neighborhood Health Center (Adelante youth program) noted its 57-year history and that its $255,000 grant was cut to zero. Speakers urged restoration of funds, emphasizing that safe neighborhoods rely on these programs.
Discussion Items
- Item 1 – MOU with U.S. Capitol Police: The SFPD legislative liaison presented a retroactive MOU (Jan–Dec 2024) to staff a fixed post at the Speaker’s residence using off-duty officers, reimbursable by the Capitol Police. No reduction in on-duty services. Chair Preston asked that future MOUs be brought before the committee before they take effect to avoid retroactivity. No public comment. Motion to forward with positive recommendation passed unanimously.
- Item 2 – Panda Bear Behested Payment Waiver: Chair Preston presented amendments developed with the Mayor’s office addressing concerns raised at a prior hearing: narrowing who may solicit donations, allowing simultaneous fundraising for capital improvements at the zoo, and including a list of known potential donors. The amendments were adopted. Public comment opposed the plan. Motion to amend and forward as a committee report passed unanimously.
- Item 3 – Urging Restoration of DCYF Cuts: Supervisor Safai introduced the resolution after the Mayor announced $11.2 million in partial restoration (out of $12 million/year in cuts). DCYF Director Sue stated the RFP process awarded $97 million initially, and with the Mayor’s addition the total reached $103 million. She could not provide the exact remaining gap, as funds were still being allocated and the city attorney consulted on whether a new competitive process is needed. Supervisors expressed frustration that the process harmed nonprofits and families, noting 36 organizations were completely defunded (e.g., Hunters Point Family, Inner City Youth, Youth SF). Supervisor Chan emphasized that restoring the full $25 million would require cuts elsewhere. Motion to forward with positive recommendation passed unanimously.
- Items 4–32 – Labor Agreements: DHR Director Eisen and staff presented 28 ordinances covering 26 bargaining units (21 settlements, 5 arbitration awards). Key terms: 13% wage increase over three years for most unions, with a city minimum wage of $25/hour for all employees (impacting SEIU and Laborers); nurses received a 17.5% increase and 47 new positions. Total wage cost: $78.6 million in year one, $346.9 million over three years; combined wages and benefits total $471.6 million. Additional highlights: improved safety measures, new training programs, vacancy-filling commitments, a contracting pilot with SEIU and Local 21, and a vacancy dashboard promised by January 1, 2025. Public comment was limited to an unrelated housing complaint. Motion to forward all items with positive recommendation passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Forwarded to full board with positive recommendation (3-0).
- Item 2: Amended as circulated; forwarded as a committee report (3-0). Expected at full board June 11.
- Item 3: Forwarded as a committee report (3-0). Expected at full board June 18.
- Items 4–32: All 29 labor agreements forwarded to full board with positive recommendation (3-0). Expected at full board June 11.
- Meeting adjourned after all business completed.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. This meeting will come to order. Welcome to the June 6, 2024 regular meeting of the Government Audit and Oversight Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I'm Supervisor Dean Preston, Chair of the Committee, joined by Vice Chair Catherine Stephanie and Supervisor Connie Chan. Committee clerk is Monique Creighton. And our thanks uh to Colina Mendoza and SFGov TV for staffing this meeting. Madam Clerk, uh, do you have any announcements? Yes, uh public comment will be taken on each item on this agenda. When your item of interest comes up and public comment is called, please line up to speak on your right. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing in either of the following ways. Email them to the government audit and oversight committee clerk at M O N I Q U E dot C R A Y T O N at S F G O V dot O R G. If you can if you can submit public comment via email, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and also included as part of the official file. You may also send your written comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office at City Hall. Number one, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlick, place, room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. If you have documents you would like to be included as part of the file, please submit them to me before the end of the meeting. Please make sure to silence all cell phones and electronic devices to prevent any interruptions to today's proceedings. Finally, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of June 18th, 2024, unless otherwise stated. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Please call item one. Yes, item one is a resolution retroactively authorizing the San Francisco Police Department to enter into a memorandum of understanding agreement with the United States Postal, the United States, excuse me, Capitol Police to provide supplemental law enforcement services for the period of January 1st, 2024 through December 31st, 2024. Thank you. And today we have Carl Nikita with us, board liaison for the San Francisco Police Department, who will be presenting today. Welcome, please proceed. Thank you. Good morning, Chair Preston, Vice Chair Stephanie, and Supervisor Chan. As Supervisor Preston just said, I am Carl Nasita, principal legislative liaison for the San Francisco Police Department. And I'm joined today by SFPD's Chief Financial Officer Kimmy Wu. As Clerk Creighton just read, this resolution before you authorizes SFPD to retroactively enter into an MOU with the United States Capitol Police to provide supplemental law enforcement services at a specified fixed location for the period beginning January 1st, 2024 through the end of this year, December 31st, 2024. As you remember, a prior MOU was retroactively approved by the Board of Supervisors in February of this year, and that MOU covered the period of January 1st, 2021 through December 31st, 2023. And at that time, you asked if SFPD would continue to provide the service, and if so, when we would expect to be back to this committee. We do continue to staff the Pelosi residents with fixed posts of off-duty officers. So the MOU before you today will allow SFPD to be reimbursed by the U.S. Capitol Police for this service. I think really importantly, this service does not reduce SFPD's regular on-duty citywide services. And to briefly explain the retroactivity of this MOU, it just took some time with the U.S. Capitol Police to work out the details, though ultimately, besides dates, the only changes to this MOU compared to the prior MOU approved in February is the invoicing process, and that was at the request of the U.S. Capitol Police. So again, with the board's approval, this MOU will be retroactively affected, effective to January 1st, 2024, through the end of this year, or until SFPD or the U.S. Capitol Police terminate it with notice to the other party. So that concludes my presentation. Thank you, Mr. Nasita. And one one quick question, just um, and it's beyond the scope of the time period we're talking about, but just looking forward. So after December 31st, 2024, uh for future services. Um will we be getting that before committee before it kicks in? I would love to be handling these not as retroactive items uh but in advance of of the contracts to the greatest extent possible. Absolutely understood, and yes, we will bring that to you if the services are needed.
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