San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting - May 22, 2023: City Hall Preservation and Cannabis Oversight Appointments
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San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting - May 22, 2023
The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on Monday, May 22, 2023, at 6:15 PM UTC to consider mayoral reappointments and appointments to the City Hall Preservation Advisory Commission and to hold a hearing and vote on appointments to the Cannabis Oversight Committee. The committee, chaired by Supervisor Matt Dorsey with Vice Chair Shamon Walton and member Asha Safai, voted unanimously on both items.
Public Comments & Testimony
- City Hall Preservation Commission: Two remote callers spoke in support of Clarence Blanchard (resident of District 10) and Ellen Schumer (described as a historian and docent). No in-person public comment.
- Cannabis Oversight Committee: Nineteen applicants presented brief statements. Several members of the public spoke in person and remotely, endorsing specific candidates including Jakari Donaldson, Alex Asefaw, William Dolan, Bram Goodwin, Perry Jones, David Talley, and others. Commenters emphasized the need for equity representation, community reinvestment, and applicant experience.
City Hall Preservation Advisory Commission Appointments (Items 1–3)
- The committee considered three nominations: reappointment of Ellen Schumer (term ending January 13, 2026), reappointment of Mae Woo (term ending January 13, 2026), and appointment of Clarence Blanchard (term ending January 13, 2024).
- Supervisor Dorsey noted the commission’s role in preserving City Hall’s historical character. Supervisor Safai highlighted City Hall’s resilience after the 1906 earthquake and 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
- Ellen Schumer spoke about the building’s Beaux-Arts architecture and 107-year history. Clarence Blanchard described his career as an electrician including work on City Hall and his Navy service; he is also a community member involved in Heron Head Park. Mae Woo was unable to connect remotely.
- Key Outcome: The committee voted unanimously (3-0) to strike the word "reject" from all three motions and recommend the nominations to the full Board of Supervisors for approval.
Cannabis Oversight Committee Appointments (Item 4)
- The committee held a hearing to consider nine seats (terms ending December 3, 2024) on the Cannabis Oversight Committee. Eighteen applicants applied for seats covering equity, labor, retail, cultivation, regulatory expertise, economic development, and medical cannabis patient/consumer categories.
- Supervisor Dorsey noted that some seats had no eligible applicants (e.g., organized labor seats 10 and 11) and that the prescriptive requirements limited flexibility. He encouraged unsuccessful applicants to remain involved.
- Supervisor Safai stressed the importance of equity (minimum 40% ownership for equity applicants), market parity before opening more applications, and support for a pause on new storefront permits to allow existing equity operators to catch up. He also noted public safety coordination with SFPD and planning code changes for security gates.
- Vice Chair Walton thanked all candidates and reminded them that non-selection was not personal.
- Public comment included calls for better communication between the committee and supervisors, adding seats for event licensees and the Human Rights Commission, and support for specific candidates.
- Key Outcomes: The committee voted unanimously (3-0) to recommend the following appointments with two residency waivers:
- Seat 8 (Equity): Ali Jamalian
- Seat 9 (Cultivation/distributor <20 employees): Adam Hayes
- Seat 11 (Organized labor – delivery): Apollo Wallace (residency waiver approved)
- Seat 12 (Storefront retailer): Jakari Donaldson
- Seat 13 (Equity applicant): David Talley (residency waiver approved)
- Seat 14 (Expert on state regulations): Shay Gilmore
- Seat 16 (Medical cannabis patient/consumer): Antoinette Mobley
- The committee noted that seats 10 and 11 remained unfilled and would continue working with organized labor. Appointments will be forwarded to the full board for final approval.
Meeting Transcript
You are unmuted. This meeting will come to order. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Monday, May 22nd, 2023 meeting of the Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I'm Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Chair of this committee, and I'm joined today by my colleagues, Vice Chair Shamon 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 our producer today, Michael Balthasar. Mr. Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes, the Board of Supervisors and this committee are now convening hybrid meetings that allow in-person attendance and public comment while still providing remote access to public comment via telephone. 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. The public comment call in number is streaming across the screen. When connected, you will hear the meeting and discussion, but you will be muted and 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 uh to be added to the speaker line. If you're on the telephone, please remember to turn down your TV and all other listening devices you may be using. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing to either of the following ways. Email them to myself, the rules committee clerk at VICTOR dot YOUUNG at SFgov.org. You may also send your written comments via U.S. meal to our office at City Hall. One, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlit Place, room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. Finally, items acted on upon today are expected to appear at the Board of Supervisors' agenda at their meeting of June 6, 2023, unless otherwise stated. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Would you please call items numbers one, two, and three together? Yes, item number one is a motion to approving or rejecting the mayor's nomination for the reappointment of Ellen Schumer to the City Hall Preservation Advisory Commission term ending January 13, 2026. Item number two is a motion approving or rejecting the mayor's nomination for the reappointment of Maewoo to the City Hall Preservation Advisory Commission term ending January 13, 2026. Item number three is a motion approving or rejecting the mayor's nomination for appointment of Clarence Blanchard to the City Hall Preservation Advisory Commission term ending January 13, 2024. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. There are uh three candidates before us today, two for reappointment and one is being nominated for a first term. Um as stated in the code, this oversight body is responsible for ensuring that this building's historical character and beauty are preserved henceforth and that the facilities are maintained according to the highest standard and not allowed to fall into disrepair. Um there's a lot of pride that San Franciscans can have in our world-class city hall, and as a member of the Board of Supervisors, we get to sit in this beautiful chamber that reminds us just how special this building and our city are. Um I want to thank all the nominees for their willingness to serve on this body. And I think this is unlike many of the other things we oversee. This is uh this is something where we get to see the work that this body does. Um I want to first uh invite up Ellen Schumer. Um I will say it's my understanding that Ms. Schumer has a docent tour after this, so we're gonna probably see if there's any questions for you. But um, Ms. Schumer, welcome to the rules committee. The floor is yours. Well, good morning. And thank you. And the building really is beautiful. There is nothing else like it in the world, and everyone that comes through the doors, whether they're coming in on Goodlit or Van Should appreciate the magnificence of this structure. It is the finest example of municipal bows art built at the time. And it is now one hundred and seven years of age.
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