Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee held a special meeting on October 29, 2026, chaired by Supervisor Danny Sauter, with Members Alan Wong, Supervisor Cheryl (replacing Vice Chair Bilal Mahmood), and the hearing organizer Supervisor Matt Dorsey. The meeting focused on a comprehensive El Niño storm preparedness hearing and two legislative ordinances.
El Niño Storm Preparedness Hearing: Supervisor Dorsey opened the hearing by describing the unprecedented strength of the current El Niño. He stated the highest October tide ever measured had occurred earlier that week and cited UC climate scientist Daniel Swain's findings that the Oceanic Niño Index is running at 3.3 degrees Celsius above normal (previous record 2.1), with a greater than 90 percent chance of a wetter than average winter, a 5 times normal chance of an extremely wet winter, and a roughly 20 times normal chance of a record wet season. He warned that King Tides on Thanksgiving (Nov 24-26), Christmas (Dec 22-25), and in January (20-23) coinciding with storms could cause historic coastal flooding, calling his District 6 "ground zero." Department of Emergency Management Director Mary Ellen Carroll noted the ocean is already running 1 to 2 feet above normal tide predictions due to Kelvin waves, and stated the city has 76,000 Alert SF subscribers and a 55,000-member WhatsApp emergency alert channel. PUC's Joel Prather reported that 4,700 catch basins have been cleaned and the combined sewer system can treat up to 565 million gallons per day, activating "Stormwatch" when more than one inch of rain is forecast in a 24-hour period. The Port's Michael Martin detailed the construction of seasonal flood walls at Pier 45, Pier 14/Rincon Park, and Piers 80 and 96 using HESCO barriers and industrial sandbags. BCDC Executive Director Larry Goldspend noted that the flooding witnessed at Pier 14 this week is double the level projected for 2050, calling the current situation a "lesson for the future" and emphasizing that "the future is now." HSH's Emily Cohen described a three-phase inclement weather protocol for scaling shelter and outreach. SFFD Assistant Deputy Chief Erica Brown reported that the department analyzed tide predictions and identified 12 days this winter where water could reach flood levels, peaking on Christmas Eve morning. Public Works Nick Holzappel reported 27,000 sandbags on hand with a goal of 50,000.
Fire Code – Banning Lockable Butane Lighters: Sophie Marie from Supervisor Mandelman's office presented an ordinance prohibiting the sale of lockable butane lighters with plastic components. Fire Chief Dean Crispin reported 31 butane-related fire incidents from 2020 to 2025 causing an estimated 3.2 million dollars in property damage, representing a seven-fold increase since 2020. He stated that in 2026, the department has already recorded 3 documented lockable butane lighter fires and 1 death. The ordinance is deliberately narrow to avoid unintended consequences for commercial kitchens, and it does not ban unlocked lighters, metal lighters, or online sales.
Police Code – Cannabis Business Equity Applicant Status: Sophie Marie and Jeremy Schwartz from the Office of Cannabis presented an ordinance allowing the posthumous transfer of verified equity applicant status to up to four designated beneficiaries. Since 2020, the city has issued 71 social equity permits and distributed over 15 million dollars in grants. The ordinance establishes a one-year redemption period and requires beneficiaries to register and verify their familial relationship to the decedent.
Good morning, everyone. This meeting will come to order. Welcome to the special meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for Thursday, October 29, 2026. I am Supervisor Danny Sauter, Chair of this committee, joined today by my fellow committee member, Supervisor Alan Wong, also joined today by Supervisor Cheryl and Dorsey and Supervisor Chen to come soon, I believe. We are grateful to our clerk today, Mr. Victor Young for staffing us, keeping us on track, and thank you to the entire team at SFGov TV for facilitating and broadcasting today's meeting, especially our producer today, Eugene Eugene Labadia. Mr. 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 them to speak. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing in either of the following ways. You may email them to Monique Creighton, the Public Safety Services Committee Clerk at M O N IQ E C-R A Y T O N at SFgov.org, or you may mail written comments via U.S. mail to our office in City Hall. One Dr. Carlton Goodlit Plays, room 244 San Francisco, California, 94102. If you submit public comment in writing, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and included as part of the file. Finally, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of November 10, 2026, unless otherwise stated. That completes the initial announcement. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. And before we begin today, I'd like to move to excuse our Vice Chair Chair Bilal Mahmood from this meeting. Mr. Clerk, can you please call a roll on that motion? Yes, I'd just like to note that Supervisor Cheryl has been appointed to be a member of this committee in place of uh Supervisor Mahmood. On the motion to excuse. Uh Member Cheryl. Hi. Cheryl, I, Member Wong. Wong I, Chair Sauter. Aye. Sodder. Aye. That motion passes without objection. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Will you please call item number one? Item number one is a hearing to examine the San Francisco's preparedness for the upcoming El Nino storm season.