OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting – March 12, 2026: Street Sweeping, Dog Spay/Neuter, and Women in Custody Conditions

Public Safety and Neighborhood Services CommitteeThursday, March 12, 2026
BodySan Francisco, California
SessionPublic Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee
DateThursday, March 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:59:46

Transcript — Verbatim
0:06

Good morning, everyone.

0:08

This meeting will come to order.

0:09

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, March 12th, 2026.

0:19

I'm Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Chair of this committee, and I'm joined today by fellow committee members, a Vice Chair Bilal Machmood, and Supervisor Alan Wong.

0:27

Together, we'd also like to welcome our colleague supervisors, colleagues, Supervisor Danny Sauter and uh Supervisor Merna Melgar, who are joining us.

0:34

Um our ever capable clerk today is Ms.

0:37

Monique Creighton, whom we thank for staffing us and keeping us on track today.

0:42

And as always, we want to express our appreciation to the entire team at SFGov TV for facilitating and broadcasting today's meeting, and especially our producer today, uh, Mr.

0:52

Eugene Labadia.

0:53

Madam Clerk, do you have any announcements?

0:55

Yes.

0:55

Please make sure to silence all cell phones and electronic devices documents to include to be included as part of the file should be submitted to the clerk.

1:03

Public comment will be taken on each item on this agenda.

1:06

When your item of interest comes up and public comment is called, please sign to speak on your right.

1:11

Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing in either of the following ways.

1:15

First, you may email them to myself, the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee clerk at M O N I Q U E.

1:23

T-O-N at SFGOV.org.

1:27

Or you may send your written comments via U.S.

1:29

Postal Service to our office in City Hall.

1:31

Number one, Dr.

1:32

Carlton B.

1:32

Goodlit Place, room 244, San Francisco, California 94102.

1:37

If you submit public comment in writing, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and also included as part of the official file on which you are commenting.

1:44

Finally, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda of March 24th, 2026, and let's otherwise state it.

1:52

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

1:53

Would you please call item number one?

1:55

Yes, item number one is an ordinance amending the administrative code to require the Department of Public Works to perform evaluations and report periodically on mechanical street sweeping operations, including submittal of written performance reports to the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor, amending the health code to revise and clarify clarify outdated terms concerning refuse receptacle requirements and authorize a process for the imposition of administrative fines and affirming the planning department's determination under the California Environmental Quality Act.

2:26

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

2:27

And as I mentioned, we are joined today by District 6 Supervisor Danny Sauter.

2:31

Supervisor Sauter is the sponsor of this first item, and I believe we have staff from the Department of Public Works to answer any questions following their presentation.

2:39

But for now, Supervisor Sauter.

2:41

Thank you, Dorsey.

2:42

Thank you, Chair Dorsey.

2:43

Thank you for having me in this committee this morning.

2:46

Colleagues, I want to share just a little bit about this what is before you.

2:50

The ordinance before you is the first piece of my legislative package, the Clean Streets Act, which is designed to improve the cleanliness of our streets and public spaces.

2:59

It contains changes to the administrative and health codes.

3:03

You can think of it as cleaning up our codes so that we can better clean up our streets.

3:08

First, on the administrative code changes.

3:10

We are proposing that the Department of Public Works submit a report on the city's mechanical street sweeping operations at least once every ten years.

3:19

This idea was a BLA recommendation from a October 2025 audit, which found that surprisingly, mechanical street sweeping in San Francisco is not currently evaluated to determine optimized route scheduling frequency and labor needs.

3:33

It also noted that routes have not fundamentally changed since the last optimization efforts in September 2008.

3:40

And I think we can do better than this.

3:55

And we are still stuck with that decision today.

3:57

There are many neighbors, many of my constituents who want this service.

4:06

So we are asking the Department of Public Works to consider certain metrics and present findings and recommendations on how they may improve the performance of street sweeping operations.

4:16

Some of these key metrics include number one, effectiveness and efficiency of mechanical street sweeping equipment.

4:22

Number two, estimated the average quantity of debris collected per block, season, mile or supervisor district.

4:28

And number three, number of requests and complaints from the public concerning street sweeping operations.

4:34

The deadline for this first report would be on March 31st, 2027.

4:39

To arrive at these particular performance metrics, we consulted with the department, and I see Ian Schneider here from Public Works.

4:45

Thank you for your work on this, Ian.

4:47

We wanted to make sure it would be feasible and realistic, but also productive to improve outcomes.

5:00

Second, our change in the health code, which proposes a clear layman's definition for the term putrescible, which I don't know about you, colleagues, but is not a term that I was particularly familiar with, and I don't think the average everyday resident or small business owner is either.

5:10

So we would uh define this term as it is used in healthcode section 283, which is where the city lays out the standard for properly storing and containerizing garbage for collection.

5:20

The proposed definition aligns with state law and will automatically incorporate future changes to the state law definition.

5:27

This category of waste deserves more attention because we are seeing incidence of dump food and other foul decaying matter on our public streets and sidewalk.

5:37

Um, colleagues, there is an amendment which I have circulated.

5:41

I would like to uh respectfully ask the committee to adopt one non-substantive amendment to section 283 before sending this file to the full board, which is as follows deleting subsection C, which you see on page six, lines two through five.

5:59

Uh so given all that, I'm available for questions, but I hope to have your support in sending this file to the full board with recommendation.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Corrections And Reentry████████████████████████████████████36%
Police Oversight█████████████████████21%
Public Health███████████████15%
Public Safety████████████12%
Public Comment███████7%
Procedural████4%
Reentry Services██2%
Animal Control1%
Language Access1%
Summary of Proceedings

Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting – March 12, 2026

The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 10:15 AM PST (18:15 UTC). Chaired by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, with Vice Chair Bilal Mahmood and Supervisor Alan Wong, the committee considered three items: an ordinance to improve street sweeping reporting and refuse receptacle regulations (sponsored by Supervisor Danny Sauter), an ordinance to mandate spay/neuter for all dogs (continued to April 9), and a hearing on conditions for women in custody in San Francisco jails (called by Supervisor Chen and continued to the call of the chair).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Item 2 (Dog Spay/Neuter): Lucas Illa of the Coalition on Homelessness expressed concern that the bill should not be used to remove dogs from unhoused San Franciscans, and requested fee waivers for low-income and homeless residents.
  • Item 3 (Women in Custody Hearing): Over 40 public speakers testified, many sharing lived experiences and representing organizations such as Young Women’s Freedom Center, Community Forward SF, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, and the Sheriff’s Oversight Board. Key themes included:
    • Demands for immediate suspension and removal of all deputies involved in the May 2025 mass strip search of 20 women, an independent investigation, and pretrial release of affected women.
    • Accounts of inadequate mental health care, lack of sunlight and outdoor access (in violation of Title 15), poor sanitation, mold, lack of hot water, dirty clothing and bedding, and frequent lockdowns (often lasting 8+ hours).
    • Reports of retaliation against inmates who file grievances, sexual assault, and strip searches used punitively or after legal visits.
    • Calls to halt new funding to the Sheriff’s Department and instead invest in community alternatives, housing, and health services.
    • Specific concerns for transgender women, including misgendering, denial of gender-affirming clothing, and placement in male pods.
  • Several attorneys representing survivors (Elizabeth Bertolino, Anthony Label) cited ongoing strip search policies that deter legal visits and violate the Sixth Amendment.
  • Medical and mental health professionals noted that traumatic conditions exacerbate PTSD, insomnia, and chronic diseases, undermining re-entry and public safety.

Discussion Items

  • Item 1 – Clean Streets Act (Ordinance): Supervisor Sauter presented amendments to the Administrative and Health Codes requiring the Department of Public Works to submit a mechanical street sweeping performance report at least every ten years (first due March 31, 2027), and defining the term “putrescible” in alignment with state law. The amendment deleted subsection C. No public comment. The committee adopted the amendment and forwarded the ordinance to the full board with a positive recommendation (3-0).
  • Item 2 – Mandatory Spay/Neuter Ordinance: The committee heard one public comment. Supervisor Dorsey moved to continue the item to the April 9, 2026 meeting to allow more time for refinement. The motion passed unanimously (3-0).
  • Item 3 – Hearing on Women in Custody Conditions: The hearing featured three presentations:
    1. Community Presentation: Andrea “Z” and Zendaya Blossom of Young Women’s Freedom Center shared survivor stories, highlighted systemic violations (lack of sunlight, retaliation, sexual assault, inadequate medical care), and read recommendations including restricting strip searches to individualized reasonable suspicion, securing body camera footage, and ensuring accountability.
    2. Sheriff Paul Miyamoto’s Presentation: Described infrastructure challenges, recent pod reconfiguration to reduce overcrowding, programming offerings (e.g., Sisters, Seeking Safety, community partnerships), staffing processes, and investigation procedures for misconduct. Reported 18 sexual assault reports in 2025 (10 male victims, 5 female, 1 anonymous, 2 combined) and 22 in 2024 (14 unsubstantiated, 4 unfounded, 4 investigated). Noted that strip search policy is under review with community input, and body scanners may be used as an intermediate step.
    3. Department of Police Accountability (DPA) Presentation: Director Paul Henderson outlined the history and scope of DPA’s oversight through a Letter of Understanding (LOA) covering use of force, sexual misconduct, retaliation, etc. Noted 37–40 open investigations and about 42 on average per year for sheriff-related cases. Stressed the need for training and policy changes.
  • Supervisor Chen led detailed questioning on lockdown tracking, program evaluation, staffing reassignment, grievance processing, facility sanitation, access to sunlight, strip search policies, and transition services. The Sheriff acknowledged deficiencies in data collection, hot water infrastructure, and communication with inmates, and committed to improvement. The Public Defender’s Office (Angela Chan) highlighted frequent lockdowns that delay legal visits and hinder release, and the impact of strip search policies on attorney-client consultations. The Sheriff confirmed that no deputies have been terminated in recent years beyond one 2025 case involving a transgender individual.

Key Outcomes

  • Item 1: Adopted amendment (delete subsection C) and forwarded to full Board with positive recommendation (3-0 vote). The ordinance will appear on the March 24, 2026 Board agenda.
  • Item 2: Continued to the April 9, 2026 meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee (3-0 vote).
  • Item 3: Continued to the call of the chair, with Supervisor Chen committing to further hearings, and a request that the Sheriff’s Office convene a working group with community organizations. The committee did not vote on any substantive motions related to the hearing.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 1:30 PM PST.

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, March 12th, 2026. I'm Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Chair of this committee, and I'm joined today by fellow committee members, a Vice Chair Bilal Machmood, and Supervisor Alan Wong. Together, we'd also like to welcome our colleague supervisors, colleagues, Supervisor Danny Sauter and uh Supervisor Merna Melgar, who are joining us. Um our ever capable clerk today is Ms. Monique Creighton, whom we thank for staffing us and keeping us on track today. And as always, we want to express our appreciation to the entire team at SFGov TV for facilitating and broadcasting today's meeting, and especially our producer today, uh, Mr. Eugene Labadia. Madam Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes. Please make sure to silence all cell phones and electronic devices documents to include 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 sign to speak on your right. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in 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 I Q U E. T-O-N at SFGOV.org. Or you may send your written comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office in City Hall. Number one, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlit Place, room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. If you submit public comment in writing, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and also included as part of the official file on which you are commenting. Finally, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda of March 24th, 2026, and let's otherwise state it. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Would you please call item number one? Yes, item number one is an ordinance amending the administrative code to require the Department of Public Works to perform evaluations and report periodically on mechanical street sweeping operations, including submittal of written performance reports to the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor, amending the health code to revise and clarify clarify outdated terms concerning refuse receptacle requirements and authorize a process for the imposition of administrative fines and affirming the planning department's determination under the California Environmental Quality Act. Thank you, Madam Clerk. And as I mentioned, we are joined today by District 6 Supervisor Danny Sauter. Supervisor Sauter is the sponsor of this first item, and I believe we have staff from the Department of Public Works to answer any questions following their presentation. But for now, Supervisor Sauter. Thank you, Dorsey. Thank you, Chair Dorsey. Thank you for having me in this committee this morning. Colleagues, I want to share just a little bit about this what is before you. The ordinance before you is the first piece of my legislative package, the Clean Streets Act, which is designed to improve the cleanliness of our streets and public spaces. It contains changes to the administrative and health codes. You can think of it as cleaning up our codes so that we can better clean up our streets. First, on the administrative code changes. We are proposing that the Department of Public Works submit a report on the city's mechanical street sweeping operations at least once every ten years. This idea was a BLA recommendation from a October 2025 audit, which found that surprisingly, mechanical street sweeping in San Francisco is not currently evaluated to determine optimized route scheduling frequency and labor needs. It also noted that routes have not fundamentally changed since the last optimization efforts in September 2008. And I think we can do better than this. And we are still stuck with that decision today. There are many neighbors, many of my constituents who want this service. So we are asking the Department of Public Works to consider certain metrics and present findings and recommendations on how they may improve the performance of street sweeping operations. Some of these key metrics include number one, effectiveness and efficiency of mechanical street sweeping equipment. Number two, estimated the average quantity of debris collected per block, season, mile or supervisor district. And number three, number of requests and complaints from the public concerning street sweeping operations. The deadline for this first report would be on March 31st, 2027.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com