Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Regular Meeting – June 26, 2025
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Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Regular Meeting – June 26, 2025
The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at approximately 11:15 AM (18:15 UTC) in City Hall. Chair Supervisor Matt Dorsey presided, joined by Vice Chair Bilal Mahmood and Supervisor Danny Sauter. Clerk Monique Creighton staffed the meeting. The committee heard three agenda items: an ordinance to streamline entertainment permitting, a hearing on the city’s implementation of SB 43 (conservatorship reforms), and a hearing on the Residential Care and Treatment Workgroup’s final report.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 2 (SB 43): Seven members of the public spoke in support of full and aggressive implementation of SB 43. Speakers included Steve Fields (Progress Foundation), who urged a comprehensive historical understanding of why past initiatives failed; Michael Sarracusa (D3 resident), who urged the city not to take its foot off the gas; and Carolyn Kennedy (D8 resident, Rescue SF), who emphasized the need for better coordination among street teams, clinicians, and the public conservator’s office. Other speakers (Melissa, Sylvia, Rob Ayavau) echoed calls for swift action, noting that eligible individuals are suffering on the streets.
- Item 3 (Workgroup Report): Four members of the public spoke. Michael Sarracusa supported the recommended 140 new residential beds, especially locked subacute ones. Justin Saw urged adoption of the workgroup plan to secure beds and reduce bottlenecks. Steve Fields (Progress Foundation) advocated for including provider perspectives and early intervention strategies. Carolyn Kennedy asked for more beds more quickly, noting that the emergency department is not a diversion. A final speaker, Cole Bettles (Connor Dows), stressed the need to support case managers with adequate funding.
Discussion Items
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Item 1 – Ordinance Amending Police Code (Entertainment Permits): Maggie Wyland, Executive Director of the Entertainment Commission, presented the ordinance as part of Mayor Lurie’s Permit SF package. Key changes include: eliminating unnecessary referrals to DBI and Planning for certain permit types; replacing the 30-day leaflet requirement with a two-week written notice; clarifying fee waivers for nonprofits; streamlining permit review for events with 12+ permits based on a calendar year; eliminating obsolete permit categories (e.g., masked balls, dance hall keepers); aligning noise enforcement definitions with modern standards; and converting the one-time outdoor amplified sound permit fee to a flat $558. Supervisor Sauter, a co-sponsor, noted that the changes reduce redundant steps and consolidate work under one department. No public comment was offered. The committee voted unanimously (3-0) to forward the ordinance to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation.
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Item 2 – Hearing on SB 43 Implementation: President Rafael Mandelman, who requested the hearing, opened by expressing disappointment that SB 43 has not been the “game changer” hoped for. Kelly Dearman (Director, Department of Disability and Aging Services) and Daniel Sai (Director of Public Health) presented. They reported that 186 temporary conservatorships have been granted since implementation in January 2024, 163 using the expanded grave disability criteria (which includes severe substance use disorder and inability to provide for personal safety or necessary medical care). However, the monthly average caseload in 2025 is only 3% higher than 2023, and has decreased 1% from 2024. The departments trained 1,700 staff and created an LPS Review List of 26 individuals currently eligible. Key barriers to more conservatorships include: insufficient locked subacute beds (estimated shortfall of 100–140), lack of appropriate placements, and the need for dual-diagnosis treatment capacity. A pilot program launched in May 2025 uses shelter beds with wraparound clinical supports for up to five individuals. The new 5150 criteria for severe substance use disorder alone have resulted in short holds (average 20 hours) because patients sober up quickly. The recidivism rate for conservatorship is 5%. Supervisor Mandelman noted that the expanded definition has not been used standalone for substance use disorder; all cases involve co-occurring serious mental illness. He stressed the need for state-level reforms, including allowing involuntary administration of long-acting antipsychotics without full conservatorship. The committee voted unanimously (3-0) to continue the hearing to the call of the chair.
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Item 3 – Hearing on Residential Care and Treatment Workgroup’s Final Report: President Mandelman introduced the report, which was prepared by the Controller’s Office under his request. Laura Marshall (Controller’s Office) presented four key themes: (1) need to expand capacity for locked subacute (MERC) beds (55–95 needed) and behaviorally complex Adult Residential Facilities (ARF/RCFE) beds (20–40 needed); (2) market failures causing placement denials even for high-paying clients; (3) the state’s role in regulating, funding, and coordinating regional solutions; and (4) operational challenges such as procurement delays and staffing shortages. The ongoing cost of adding 100 locked subacute beds is about $20 million per year (general fund), and 140 beds would cost about $28 million. Dr. Daniel Sai and Dr. Hillary Cunnins (DPH) outlined plans to add 190 treatment and recovery beds and 100 step-down beds between 2025 and 2028, including 90 locked subacute beds at the ZSFG Behavioral Health Center, dual diagnosis facilities, and expanded residential treatment. They noted that 2,600 residential care and treatment beds currently exist, with a net increase of 90 beds since February 2024. The state has awarded $88 million in capital for behavioral health projects since 2022. Supervisor Mandelman emphasized that the city’s true need is likely higher than the report’s estimates, and that state hospital capacity has declined. The committee voted unanimously (3-0) to hear and file the report.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Motion to forward the ordinance to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation passed 3-0 (Sauter, Mahmood, Dorsey).
- Item 2: Motion to continue the hearing to the call of the chair passed 3-0.
- Item 3: Motion to hear and file the hearing passed 3-0.
- All items acted upon are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of July 8, 2025, unless otherwise stated.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning, everyone. This meeting will come to order. I'd like to welcome everyone to the regular meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for Thursday, June 26th, 2025. I'm Supervisor Matt Dorsey, chair of this committee, and I am joined today by Vice Chair Bilal Machmood and Supervisor Danny Sauter. Our always capable clerk today is Ms. Monique Creighton, whom we thank uh for staffing us today. And uh together we'd like to express our gratitude to Jeanette Eganloff and the entire team at SFGov TV for facilitating and broadcasting today's meeting. Madam Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes. Please make sure to slightly install cell phones and electronic devices. Documents to be included as part of the file should be submitted to the clerk. 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 and writing in either of the following ways. First, you may email them to myself, the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee clerk at M O N IQ E dot C R A Y T O N at S F G O V dot O R G. Or you may send your written comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office and to City Hall. Number one, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlit Place, Room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. If you submit public comment and writing, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and also included as part of the official file on which you're commenting. Finally, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of July 8th, 2025, unless otherwise stated Thank you, Madam Clerk. Will you please call the first item? Yes, item number one is an ordinance amending the police code to one increase the filing fee for the one-time outdoor amplified sound permits, two, eliminate permit requirements for ball or ring throwing games, dance hall and mass balls. Three, eliminate referral of place of entertainment permit applications to the Department of Building Inspection, DBI. Four, eliminate referral of limited live performance and fixed place outdoor amplified sound permits to the planning department. Five, relax public notice requirements on the applicant and the entertainment commission with respect to applications for place of entertainment, limited live performance and fixed place amplified sound permits. Six require the entertainment commission to hold a hearing on any application for a one-time event permit or one-time outdoor amplified sound permit in cases where an applicant has previously obtained 12 or more permits in the same calendar year rather than the preceding 12 months. For extended hours permits, eliminate referral to DBI and eliminate referrals to the Department of Public Health and the Fire Department in cases where the applicant or permittee already holds valid permits from those departments in eight amend definitions relevant to noise limit enforcement. Thank you, Madam Clerk. This item is sponsored by the mayor's office and is co-sponsored by Supervisors Cheryl and Sauter. Maggie Wyland, the Executive Director of the Entertainment Commission is here to present, and it's my understanding that Carrie Bernbach of the Office of Small Business is also here to assist with any questions following the presentation. Ms. Wyland, before I turn it over to you, though, I do want to invite uh Supervisor Sauter to say a few words as the co-sponsor for this. Supervisor Sauter. Thank you, Chairman. Look forward to hearing your presentation this morning and uh supporting this, of course, as a co-sponsor. Um, you know, I think this is uh uh uh a common uh sense set of changes. Um part of a larger uh number of changes we're taking in the city to support small businesses and entertainment. Um of the things that I consistently hear is that uh operators and small businesses are are fine with going through a process, but they need to know what that process is, and in particular um when they maybe are working with one department and then at the last minute here that they have to go restart this process with an entirely new department, that's where the frustration and slowdown comes. So um, with this uh set of legislation really removing redundant steps, steps where we can consolidate this work under one department rather than scattering it across a few. I I really appreciate that part of this legislation. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Sauter and Executive Director Wyland. Welcome. The floor is yours. Good morning, supervisors. My name is Maggie Wyland, and I'm the director of the entertainment commission. Thank you all for having me here today. The entertainment commission is a small six-person staff with a seven-member commission.
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