San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee Meeting – February 13, 2023
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San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee Meeting – February 13, 2023
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee met on February 13, 2023, at 10:15 AM in a hybrid format. Chair Matt Dorsey presided, joined by Vice Chair Shamann Walton and member Ahsha Safai (remote). The committee addressed six agenda items, including appointments to assessment appeals boards, an extension for the Reinvestment Working Group, homelessness oversight amendments, and a controversial proposal to exempt certain construction contracts from Chapter 12X’s prohibition on contracting with states that have discriminatory laws.
Assessment Appeals Board Appointments (Items 1–3)
- Item 1: Hearing to appoint one member to Assessment Appeals Board No. 1 (term ending September 2, 2024). Applicant Karina Mitchell testified. Due to a clerical error in the vacancy notice, the committee voted unanimously to continue the item to the February 27 meeting.
- Items 2 & 3: Appointments for Assessment Appeals Boards No. 2 and No. 3. Steven Wasserman (Item 2) and Betsy Miller (Item 3) testified. Both were recommended to the full board with positive recommendations, with Wasserman assigned to Seat 5 and Miller to a seat with a matching term expiration. The motion passed unanimously.
Reinvestment Working Group Extension (Item 4)
- Presentation by Supervisor Dean Preston (sponsor), Khalid Samurai (LAFCO policy analyst), and Kristen Evans (RW chair). The ordinance extends the deadline for the working group to submit its business and governance plans for a public bank to September 30, 2023, and its sunset to December 31, 2023. Draft plans were received on February 10, 2023, with final MFC plan expected by March 31 and public bank plan by May 31. The estimated startup cost is $20 million for a non-depository MFC and $50 million for a full depository public bank, with projections of profitability within three years. Public comment strongly supported the extension. The committee voted unanimously to send the item to the full board with a positive recommendation.
Homelessness Oversight Commission Amendments (Item 5)
- Introduced by Supervisor Safai, with presentation by Emily Cohen (Deputy Director of HSH). The amendments streamline oversight bodies: increase the Local Homeless Coordinating Board from 9 to 11 seats to better align with HUD standards, shift Shelter Monitoring Committee staffing from DPH to HSH, and clarify reporting lines. Public comment (including from SMC members Britt Creech, Dale Seymour, and others) raised concerns about perceived conflicts of interest from moving SMC staffing to HSH, arguing it could undermine impartial oversight. The committee voted to accept the amendments and continued the item to February 27, with both motions passing unanimously.
Removing Construction Agreements from Chapter 12X (Item 6)
- Presented by Supervisor Safai. The ordinance exempts Chapter 6 public works construction contracts from 12X’s prohibition on contracting with companies headquartered in states with anti-LGBTQ, abortion-restrictive, or voter-suppression laws. Presenters from PUC (Ivy Fine), Public Works (Bruce Robertson), and SFO (Judy Musqueda) cited reduced competition, higher costs, and specialized needs (e.g., airport equipment from Texas-based firms). Public comment (from small business owners, minority contractor groups, and LGBTQ advocates) overwhelmingly opposed the measure, arguing that 12X protects local LBEs and that no data justify the change. Supervisor Walton opposed, stating it would harm local contractors and reward corporations that flee San Francisco. Chair Dorsey supported the change, noting 12X has not changed any state laws and that it increases taxpayer costs. The committee voted 2-1 to send the item to the full board without recommendation (Dorsey and Safai in favor; Walton against).
Meeting Transcript
Okay. The meeting will come to order. Good morning, everybody, and welcome to the Monday, February 13th, 2023 meeting of the Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I'm Supervisor Matt Dorsey. I am joined today by my colleagues, Vice Chair Shimon Walton. And uh we're waiting on uh committee member Asha Safai. Um thanks so much to our committee. I'm here. I'm here online. Oh okay. The joining us remotely is uh our committee member Asha Safai. Um thanks so much to our committee clerk, Mr. Victor Young. I want to say thanks also to Colina Mendoza at uh SFGov TV for staffing today's meeting. Mr. Clerk, do you have any announcements? Uh yes, the board of supervisors and its committees are now convening hybrid meetings that allow in-person attendance and public comment while still providing remote access and public comment via telephone. The board recognizes the equitable public access is essential and will be taking public comment as follows. First, public comment will be taken on each item on this agenda. Those attending in person will be allowed to speak first, and then we will talk on those who are waiting on the telephone. Take those who are waiting on the telephone line. For those watching either channel 26, 28, 78, or 99 and sfgovtv.org. The public comment call in line is streaming across the screen. The number is 415 65501. Then enter the meeting ID of 248271 4832, then press pound and pound again. When connected, you'll hear the meeting discussions while you'll be muted and in listening mode only. When your item of interest comes up and public comment is called, those joining us in person should line up to speak. And those on the telephone line should dial star three to be added to the speaker line. If you are on the telephone, please remember to turn down your television and or other listening devices. As already indicated, we will take public comment from those attending in person first. Then we will go to public comment uh comment telephone line. Alternatively, you may mail you may submit public comment in writing in either of the following ways. Email them to myself, the rules committee clerk at VICTOR dot Y O U N G at SFgov.org. If you submit comment via email, it will be forwarded to the supervisors included as part of the file. You may also send your written comment via US mail to our office at City Hall when Dr. Carlton Pigotlet Place. Room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. That uh concludes my initial comments. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Will you please call items one through three? Yes. Item number one is the hearing to consider appointing one member, term ending September 2nd, 2024 to the assessment appeals board number one. Item number two is a hearing to consider appointing one member, term ending September 4th, 2023, three members term ending to September 2nd, 2024 to the assessment appeals board number two. Item number three is a hearing to consider appointing one member term ending September 4th, 2023, three members' terms ending September 2nd, 2024, and one member term ending September 1st, 2025 to assessment appeals board number three. And I would just like to note regarding assessment appeals board number one. Uh there was a clerical error on the vacancy notice. So I believe after hearing from that applicant, we may need to continue that matter. Thank you, Mr. Clerk.
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