OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Port Commission Honors Outgoing President Brandon, Approves Leases on April 22, 2025

Port Commission — Tuesday, April 22, 2025
BodySan Francisco, California
SessionPort Commission
DateTuesday, April 22, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:23:47

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

22nd, 2025.

0:02

Roll call, President Kimberly Brandon.

0:04

Here.

0:05

Vice President Gil Gilman.

0:07

Present.

0:07

Commissioner Willie Adams.

0:09

Here.

0:09

Commissioner Stephen Englum.

0:11

Here.

0:11

And Commissioner Stephen Lee.

0:13

Here.

0:14

Item two is approval of minutes for the April 8th, 2025 Port Commission meeting.

0:18

So moved.

0:19

Second.

0:20

We have a motion and a second.

0:22

All in favor?

0:23

Aye.

0:24

Any opposed?

0:26

Motion passes unanimously.

0:28

The minutes of the April 8th, 2025 meetings are adopted.

0:32

Item three is the land acknowledgement.

0:35

The San Francisco Port Commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramatoshalone, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula.

0:44

As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramatushaloni 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.

0:58

We recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland.

1:02

We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors, elders, and relatives of the Ramatushaluni community and by affirming their sovereign rights as first peoples.

1:11

Item 4 is announcements.

1:15

Please be advised that the ringing of and use of cell phones and similar sound producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting.

1:22

A member of the public has up to three minutes to make public comments on each agenda item unless the port commission adopts a shorter period on any item.

1:30

Public comment must be in respect to the current agenda item.

1:33

The commission will take in-person and remote public comments on each item, beginning with commenters in person.

1:39

For remote public comment, dial 1415, 655, 000 1, and enter access code 2664 75 2452, pound pound.

1:58

Then dial star three to raise your hand to comment on the item being discussed.

2:02

And audio prompts will signal when it is your turn to speak.

2:05

If you are watching this meeting on SFGov TV, there is a short broadcasting delay.

2:09

To not miss your chance to comment, please dial when the comment when the item you want to comment on is announced.

2:14

Mute your device and listen to the meeting from your telephone, which has no delay.

2:19

Item five is public comment on items not listed on the agenda.

2:23

Thank you.

2:24

Is there any public comment on items not listed on the agenda?

2:32

Seeing none, do we have anyone on the phone?

2:38

There are no public callers at this time.

2:41

Thank you.

2:42

Public comment is closed.

2:44

Next item, please.

2:46

Item six is the executive director's report.

2:49

For callers who wish to make public comment on this item, please dial star three to raise your hand to comment.

2:59

Good afternoon, Madam President, Vice President Gilman, members of the Commission, Port staff, and the public.

3:06

I'm Elaine Forbes, the Executive Director.

3:11

Today is a monumental day in the history of the port, and I want to focus on uplifting the legacy of President Kimberly Brandon on the occasion of her final port commission meeting after serving with great distinction for 28 years.

3:27

Please also join me in wishing our esteemed Commission president a well-deserved close of her service and all the best for her future endeavors, which I know will continue to span civic work across the city and possibly the nation.

3:43

Commissioner Kimberly Brandon was appointed to the San Francisco Port Commission by the Honorable Willie Mayor Willie Brown Jr.

3:52

Um in August of 1997.

3:56

She is the longest serving port commissioner as far as our records go back to 1968.

4:03

She is also the first African American woman to serve on the commission.

4:07

She is a native daughter of San Francisco, and she has dedicated her life to social justice and economic empowerment for people, for programs, and for organizations just like the port or San Francisco State University.

4:23

Allow me to share some personal reflections.

4:32

During this time, she mentored me from my role as Chief Financial Officer into someone capable of leading this great organization.

4:42

She devotes countless hours in service, whether on this port commission and on nonprofit boards, but she also spends a great deal of time mentoring people.

4:54

I have witnessed this firsthand, her supportive people.

5:00

She is a true friend in good and bad times.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Comment█████████████████████████████29%
Port Management████████████████████20%
Executive Director's Report█████████████13%
Public Real Estate██████████10%
Waterfront Resilience█████████9%
Real Estate And Leases███████7%
Procedural████4%
Land Acknowledgement███3%
Public Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

San Francisco Port Commission Meeting - April 22, 2025

The San Francisco Port Commission met on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, for a regular meeting that began at 11:30 a.m. and adjourned at 4:14 p.m. The meeting was dominated by tributes to outgoing Commission President Kimberly Brandon, who served 28 years, and also included votes on a consent calendar and a new restaurant lease.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 7A: Approved the Port’s 10-Year Capital Plan for Fiscal Years 2026 to 2035.
  • Item 7B: Approved a 30-month lease agreement for arts and culture activation at Pier 29 with CAST at Large, LLC (Community Arts Stabilization Trust).
  • Item 7C: Approved a Mutual Termination Agreement with Scoma’s Restaurant, subject to Board of Supervisors approval.
  • Item 7D: Approved a Settlement Agreement with Castagnola Restaurant, resolving all balances due. The port will receive $300,000, with terms including rent waivers and reopening requirements. All consent items passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

During the recognition of Commissioner Brandon, multiple individuals spoke in support of her legacy:

  • Port staff and community members (David Beaupre, Dan Hodap, Alice Rogers, Byron Rhett, and others) praised her commitment to equity, community engagement, and the Southern Waterfront.
  • Lieutenant Governor Elena Kounalakis (remote) highlighted her trailblazing role as the first African American woman on the commission.
  • Timothy Allen Simon commended her work to promote economic opportunity despite Proposition 209 limitations.
  • Diane Oshima (remote) credited her with transforming the waterfront vision.
  • Commissioner Brandon’s father spoke of her lifelong dedication to San Francisco.

Discussion Items

  • Item 8A: Approved a new 10-year lease with two 5-year options for 340 Jefferson Street Partners, LLC, for a restaurant space at 340 Jefferson Street (former Pompeii’s Grotto). The operator, Chasca Rio, will serve Salvadoran cuisine. Financial terms: base rent $10,395/month (Year 1), 3% annual increases, 5.5% percentage rent. Port will provide $470,000 in tenant improvement allowance from the ARPA Tenant Attraction and Retention Fund. The lease includes a port option to terminate if gross sales do not reach approximately $2.1 million by the end of the third year. The item was approved unanimously.

Recognition of Outgoing Commission President Kimberly Brandon

  • Executive Director Elaine Forbes delivered a comprehensive tribute, noting Brandon’s 28 years of service, her role as the first African American woman on the commission, and her longest tenure since 1968. Forbes credited Brandon with mentoring staff, championing community advisory committees, advancing equity in contracting, and leading major projects (e.g., Cruise Terminal Plaza, Crane Cove Park, Mission Rock, Pier 70, resilience partnership with Army Corps).
  • Commissioners and staff shared personal reflections, emphasizing her preparation, patience, and advocacy for justice and inclusion.
  • Commissioner Brandon responded with gratitude, noting her confidence in the commission’s future and pledging to remain engaged.
  • A proclamation from Supervisor Shamann Walton was read honoring her service.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent calendar items 7A–7D approved unanimously.
  • Item 8A (340 Jefferson Street lease) approved unanimously.
  • Commissioner Willie Adams requested an update on Pier 45 development; staff noted the item is on the forward calendar and a briefing will be scheduled.
  • Meeting adjourned at 4:14 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

22nd, 2025. Roll call, President Kimberly Brandon. Here. Vice President Gil Gilman. Present. Commissioner Willie Adams. Here. Commissioner Stephen Englum. Here. And Commissioner Stephen Lee. Here. Item two is approval of minutes for the April 8th, 2025 Port Commission meeting. So moved. Second. We have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes unanimously. The minutes of the April 8th, 2025 meetings are adopted. Item three is the land acknowledgement. The San Francisco Port Commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramatoshalone, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramatushaloni 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. 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 Ramatushaluni community and by affirming their sovereign rights as first peoples. Item 4 is announcements. Please be advised that the ringing of and use of cell phones and similar sound producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. A member of the public has up to three minutes to make public comments on each agenda item unless the port commission adopts a shorter period on any item. Public comment must be in respect to the current agenda item. The commission will take in-person and remote public comments on each item, beginning with commenters in person. For remote public comment, dial 1415, 655, 000 1, and enter access code 2664 75 2452, pound pound. Then dial star three to raise your hand to comment on the item being discussed. And audio prompts will signal when it is your turn to speak. If you are watching this meeting on SFGov TV, there is a short broadcasting delay. To not miss your chance to comment, please dial when the comment when the item you want to comment on is announced. Mute your device and listen to the meeting from your telephone, which has no delay. Item five is public comment on items not listed on the agenda. Thank you. Is there any public comment on items not listed on the agenda? Seeing none, do we have anyone on the phone? There are no public callers at this time. Thank you. Public comment is closed. Next item, please. Item six is the executive director's report. For callers who wish to make public comment on this item, please dial star three to raise your hand to comment. Good afternoon, Madam President, Vice President Gilman, members of the Commission, Port staff, and the public. I'm Elaine Forbes, the Executive Director. Today is a monumental day in the history of the port, and I want to focus on uplifting the legacy of President Kimberly Brandon on the occasion of her final port commission meeting after serving with great distinction for 28 years. Please also join me in wishing our esteemed Commission president a well-deserved close of her service and all the best for her future endeavors, which I know will continue to span civic work across the city and possibly the nation.

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