Rules Committee Meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors - April 3, 2023
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Rules Committee Meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors - April 3, 2023
The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on Monday, April 3, 2023, at 10:15 AM, chaired by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, with Vice Chair Shaman Walton and Committee Member Asha Safai. The committee considered several mayoral appointments and a rule amendment to formalize remote public comment. All appointments were approved unanimously with positive recommendations to the full Board, except for the Ethics Commission appointment which was continued due to the nominee's inability to connect remotely. The rule amendment was also approved with a minor typographical correction.
Consent Calendar
- No items were designated as consent; all items were discussed individually.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 2 (Treasure Island Development Authority): James Tallis and Sean McGarry, both from Carpenters Local 22, spoke in support of nominee Timothy Reyff, praising his work ethic and dedication to community interests.
- Item 3 (MTA Board – Steve Heminger): Multiple speakers supported Heminger. Eileen Boken (Sunset Parkside Education and Action Committee) urged the Board to consider MTA governance reform, citing concerns about MTA's priorities and policies. Jody Majaris (Walk San Francisco) endorsed Heminger for his experience and Vision Zero commitment. David Pilpel supported Heminger but noted an outdated Form 700 in the packet.
- Item 4 (MTA Board – Amanda Eaken): Supporters included Michael Chen (MTA Citizens Advisory Council chair), Stephanie Cajina (MTA board colleague), Jody Majaris (Walk San Francisco), Cyrus Hall, and Lan Chang. David Pilpel expressed a dissenting view, stating he had not always felt heard or respected by Eaken, and also noted the missing current Form 700.
- Item 5 (Port Commission): David Pilpel spoke in support of Ed Harrington, praising his qualifications and service.
- Item 6 (Rules Amendment): A caller noted the city's three-tier system for remote comment accommodations and argued it was discriminatory, urging the Board to work with the city administrator. David Pilpel supported the amendment but pointed out a typo and suggested further work on standardizing remote comment rules.
- Item 1 (Ethics Commission): Two callers, including David Pilpel, supported Larry Bush's reappointment and urged the committee to resolve the matter promptly.
Discussion Items
- Item 2 – Timothy Reyff (Treasure Island Development Authority): The nominee, a field representative for Carpenters Local 22, described his interest in the position after attending a community meeting on Treasure Island where residents raised concerns about power outages and utility issues. He emphasized his construction experience and commitment to equitably serving existing and future residents. Chair Dorsey noted the district's housing element goals and the importance of treating Treasure Island as a full neighborhood. The committee voted unanimously to send the appointment to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
- Item 3 – Steve Heminger (MTA Board): Heminger, current MTA board member, reviewed his tenure, including navigating the pandemic, implementing slow streets, shared spaces, and red carpet lanes. He noted Muni ridership is at two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels, and that $1 billion in federal emergency aid is nearly exhausted. He highlighted Vision Zero challenges, noting 2022 was one of the worst years for traffic fatalities. In response to Vice Chair Walton's question on the fiscal cliff, Heminger said local revenue measures may be needed. Supervisor Safai asked about MTA's organizational structure and community outreach; Heminger acknowledged the need for a possible audit and pledged to improve engagement. The committee voted unanimously to recommend reappointment to the full Board.
- Item 4 – Amanda Eaken (MTA Board): Eaken, current chair of the MTA board, spoke about her priorities: addressing the fiscal cliff (projected $130 million deficit in FY25, rising to $214 million in FY26), Vision Zero (37 fatalities in 2022, commitment to improve all 130 miles of the high-injury network by 2024), and building trust in government through a "culture of caring." In response to Vice Chair Walton's concerns about responsiveness, she described efforts to strengthen the Citizens Advisory Council's role. Supervisor Safai asked about a potential management audit; Eaken noted that MTA is 1,200 staff short and everyone is overworked, but she would be open to reviewing the top-heavy criticism. The committee voted unanimously to recommend reappointment to the full Board.
- Item 5 – Ed Harrington (Port Commission): Harrington, former city controller and former general manager of the SFPUC, highlighted his background in government finance, environmental work, and nonprofit board service. He identified key port issues: revitalizing the Northern Waterfront and Fisherman's Wharf, development for affordable housing and jobs, and climate change impacts such as sea level rise. Supervisor Safai spoke about the need for a visionary public-private partnership approach, citing the Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 30-32 proposals. The committee voted unanimously to recommend the appointment to the full Board as a committee report.
- Item 6 – Amending Rules of Order for Remote Public Comment: The motion codifies the Board's recent decision to allow unlimited remote public comment within parameters. Chair Dorsey noted it was a housekeeping step. Public comment included a suggestion to eliminate the three-tier accommodation system. The committee adopted an amendment to correct a typo (changing "rules" to "rule" on page 2, line 10) and then voted unanimously to send the amended motion to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
- Item 1 – Larry Bush (Ethics Commission): Bush was unable to connect remotely. The committee heard public comment supporting his reappointment. After determining he could not be reached, Chair Dorsey moved to continue the item to the call of the chair. The motion passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Item 2 (230186): Approved unanimously (3-0) to send to full Board with positive recommendation.
- Item 3 (230254): Approved unanimously (3-0) to send to full Board with positive recommendation.
- Item 4 (230255): Approved unanimously (3-0) to send to full Board with positive recommendation.
- Item 5 (230284): Approved unanimously (3-0) to send to full Board as a committee report.
- Item 6 (230306): Approved with an amendment (typo correction) and sent to full Board with positive recommendation.
- Item 1 (230053): Continued to the call of the chair (unanimous 3-0).
Meeting Transcript
This meeting will come to order. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Monday, April 3rd, 2023 meeting of the Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I'm Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Chair of this committee. I'm joined today by my colleagues, Vice Chair Shaman Walton and Committee Member Asha Safai. On behalf of my colleagues, I want to express our gratitude to our committee clerk, Mr. Victor Young. Thanks also to the team at SFGov TV for facilitating and broadcasting today's meeting. In particular, Jaime Asheveran, who is producing today. Yes, the Board of Supervisors and its committees are convening hybrid meetings that allow in-person attendance and public comment while still providing remote access and public comment via telephone. The board recognizes that 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 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 number is streaming across the screen. The number is 415 65501. Then enter the meeting ID of 2486-823-8957, then press pound and pound again. When connected, you hear the meeting discussions, but we remuted 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 should dial star three to be added to the speaker line. If you are on the telephone, please be sure to turn down your TV and other listening devices. As already indicated, we'll take public comment from those attending in person first, and then we'll go we will go to our public comment telephone line. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in either writing in writing in either of the following ways. Email them to myself, the rules committee clerk at VIC TOR.yo N G at sfgov.org. If you submit public comment via email, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and included as part of the file. You may also send written comment via U.S. mail to our office in City Hall 1, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlib Place, room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. That completes my initial comments. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Uh would you please call item number one? Yes, item number one is the hearing to consider appointing one member, term ending February 1st, 2029, to the Ethics Commission. Great. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Uh it's my understanding that Mr. Larry Bush is joining us remotely. Uh yes, we were trying to contact him. Um it does not appear he uh he appears to be online at at this time. Okay. Uh we do have a representative with uh the ethics commission who is uh working with Mr. Bush to try to assist him to get online. Why don't we try to address that and come back to it? Can is it okay to call item number two? Yes. Okay. Item number two is the motion approving or rejecting the mayor's nomination for the appointment of Timothy Rayoff to the Treasure Island Development Authority Board of Directors for a term ending February 26, 2026. Great, thank you, Mr. Clerk.
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