San Francisco Public Safety Committee Meeting - April 23, 2026
San Francisco Board of Supervisors Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting – April 23, 2026
The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on April 23, 2026, at approximately 9:15 AM (Pacific) to consider four agenda items: a liquor license for a new music venue, an ordinance to create drug-free permanent supportive housing, a resolution supporting JROTC programs, and a resolution condemning recent ICE actions. The committee voted unanimously to forward all items to the full Board with positive recommendations.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar was presented. All items were discussed individually.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 2 (Drug-Free PSH Ordinance): Over 30 public speakers testified. Supporters, including members of the recovery community, argued that drug-free options are needed and that current drug-tolerant housing perpetuates addiction. Opponents, including housing providers and tenant advocates, warned that evictions for drug use could lead to increased homelessness and urged that recovery housing be additive, not exclusive, and that replacement housing be guaranteed. Several speakers noted that 26% of overdose fatalities occur in permanent supportive housing and that there are approximately 9,000 drug-tolerant units versus only 42 drug-free units. One speaker read the names of over 960 people who died in PSH.
- Item 4 (ICE Resolution): One speaker from the public urged the strongest possible sanctuary policy and denounced federal immigration enforcement actions.
Discussion Items
- Item 1 – Type 90 Liquor License for Mellow SF (1401 H Street): Officer Brandon Erickson of the SFPD ABC Liaison Unit presented the application. The area is designated high crime and high concentration, but Park Station has no opposition. Conditions include noise limits and litter control. The applicant expressed gratitude, and Vice Chair Sauter noted visiting the venue. The committee voted unanimously to prepare a resolution finding that the license serves public convenience or necessity.
- Item 2 – Ordinance to Expand Drug-Free Permanent Supportive Housing (File No. 210003): Chair Matt Dorsey presented the ordinance, which applies only to future city-funded site-based PSH. It would prohibit illicit drug use on site (allowing alcohol and marijuana), require a survey of current residents’ preferences, and establish a policy to meet demand for drug-free options. The ordinance includes rulemaking by HSH and DPH and provides that a single relapse cannot trigger automatic eviction. The committee discussed concerns about exclusivity and evictions; Chair Dorsey noted that state law prevents using state funds for drug-free housing and that the ordinance preserves flexibility via an escape clause. The motion to forward passed 3–0.
- Item 3 – Resolution Supporting JROTC: Supervisor Alan Wong introduced the resolution. Presenters included instructors and students from Galileo and Lowell High Schools, who described how JROTC builds leadership, discipline, and community. The program serves six high schools with nearly 1,000 cadets. The resolution affirms the Board’s support for preserving the program as currently constituted. No public comment. The motion passed 3–0.
- Item 4 – Resolution Condemning ICE Actions and Reaffirming Sanctuary City Policies: Chair Dorsey proposed three amendments to correct factual descriptions of a recent incident, replace “recommit” with “continue to abide,” and adjust the title. The committee adopted the amendments and forwarded the resolution to the full Board with a positive recommendation, voting 3–0.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Motion passed 3–0 to prepare a resolution and forward with positive recommendation.
- Item 2: Motion passed 3–0 to forward the ordinance to the full Board with positive recommendation. No amendments were adopted at this hearing; the ordinance will be debated further.
- Item 3: Motion passed 3–0 to forward the resolution with positive recommendation.
- Item 4: Motion passed 3–0 to adopt Chair Dorsey’s amendments and forward the resolution with positive recommendation.
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 Tuesday, April 23rd, 2026. I'm Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Chair of this committee. I'm joined today by fellow committee members. Vice Chair Danny Sauter and Supervisor Alan Wong. As always, we are grateful for our clerk, uh, Ms. Moni Creighton, whom we thank for staffing and keeping us on track today. Um as well, we appreciate the entire team at SFGov TV for facilitating and broadcasting today's meeting and especially to our producer uh Suce Enos. Madam Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes, please make sure to silence all 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 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 dot C-R-A-Y-T-O-N at SFGOV dot or G. 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 it as part of the official file in which you are commenting. Finally, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda of May 5th, 2026, unless otherwise stated. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Uh would you please call the first item? Yes. Uh item number one is a hearing to consider that the issuance of a type 90 on sale general mu General Music Venue liquor license to the Mellow LLC to do business is the Mellow SF, located at 1401 H Street, will serve the public convenience or necessity of the city and county of San Francisco. Thank you, Madam Clerk, and for those who are attending for higher profile things today. I want to make sure just so you know this is something that we can get out of the way pretty quickly. Um I want to welcome uh San Francisco Police Officer Brandon Erickson from the uh department's uh liaison unit to the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control, or ABC. Uh thank you, Officer Erickson. Um floor is yours. Thank you. Good morning, supervisors. Thank you for having me. You have before you a PCN report for the Mellow LLC, operating as the Mellow SF. They have applied for a type 90 license, and if approved, this would allow them to operate in on sale general music venue at 1401 H Street. There are zero letters of protest, zero letters of support. They are located in plot 664, which is considered a high crime area. They are in Census Tract 166.01, which is considered a high concentration area. Park station has no opposition. AOU recommendation approval with the following conditions. Conditions one, except as provided in condition two below, no noise shall be audible beyond the area under the control of the licensee. Condition two, any noise caused by entertainment or amplified sound that is subject to the provisions of an active entertainment permit issued by the San Francisco Entertainment Commission shall be authorized in accordance with the limits established by that entertainment permit, including any limitation on hours during which entertainment or amplified sound is permitted. A violation of the entertainment or amplified sound noise conditions of the of the entertainment permit as determined by the San Francisco Entertainment Commission shall be deemed to be a violation of this condition. Any noise that is subject to or is beyond the scope of the entertainment permit shall be subject to condition one above. Entertainment permit means any of the following: a just to add music permit, a limited live performance permit, a place of entertainment permit, a fixed place amplified sound permit, or any similar such permit issued by the San Francisco Entertainment Commission. Condition three. Petitioners shall actively monitor the area under their control in an effort to prevent the loitering of persons on any property adjacent to the licensed premise as depicted on ABC for ABC Forum 257. Last condition number four, the petitioner shall be responsible for maintaining free of litter the area adjacent to the premise over which they have control as depicted on ABC Form 257. Great.
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