San Francisco Rules Committee Considers Graffiti Board, Remote Comment Limits, and Appointments on October 16, 2023
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San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting – October 16, 2023
The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on Monday, October 16, 2023, at 6:15 PM UTC to consider seven agenda items. The committee approved mayoral appointments, established a Graffiti Advisory Board, and advanced a controversial amendment to limit remote public comment. All items were recommended to the full Board of Supervisors.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 1 (Historic Preservation Commission): Woody Labounty (San Francisco Heritage) spoke in support of nominee Amy Campbell, noting her qualifications and experience in historic architecture.
- Item 3 (Graffiti Advisory Board): Amy Cleary (Golden Gate Restaurant Association) supported the reestablishment, citing graffiti impacts on businesses. David Pilpel offered suggestions to expand membership, require quarterly meetings, and mandate bylaws.
- Item 4 (Limiting Remote Public Comment): Over 20 callers and several in-person speakers testified in opposition, representing disability rights groups, seniors, parents, and labor organizations. Speakers argued the proposal was an overreaction to hate speech and would disenfranchise working people, disabled individuals, and caregivers. Multiple alternatives were suggested (e.g., 7-second delay, real-name requirements, immediate muting). No speakers supported the measure.
- Item 5 (Library Laureate Programs): Peter Warfield (Library Users Association) raised concerns about the lack of Library Commission input, unclear stipend limits, and selection transparency.
- Item 7 (Assessment Appeals Board Remote Hearings): Joe Crumfre noted the irony of ending remote comment for the board while preserving it for the Assessment Appeals Board.
Discussion Items
- Item 1 – Mayoral Appointment, Historic Preservation Commission – Amy Campbell: Ms. Campbell introduced herself as a licensed architect with 16 years of experience in adaptive reuse and historic preservation. She discussed the potential for converting downtown office buildings into housing while preserving historic character. The committee voted unanimously to approve the appointment, striking the word “reject” from the motion.
- Item 2 – Appointments, In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority: Three applicants were heard: Edma Mae Johnson (reappointment for seat 1), Mara Math (seat 3), and James Jane Redmond (seat 10). Each described their background in advocacy and community service. The committee voted unanimously to recommend all three appointments.
- Item 3 – Administrative Code – Establishing Graffiti Advisory Board: Supervisor Connie Chan, the sponsor, presented a revised ordinance reducing the board from 25 to 15 members (one per supervisor district, plus mayoral appointees and representatives from DPW, Arts Commission, and Police). She proposed an amendment requiring the advisory board to meet at least once every four months, with automatic termination legislation if it fails to meet. The committee accepted the amendment and unanimously recommended approval.
- Item 4 – Amending the Rules of Order – Limiting Remote Public Comment: Board President Aaron Peskin introduced the amendment to end general remote public comment, citing hate speech incidents and the inability to block anonymous callers under current state law. He noted that a 10-second delay would cost $10 million, and a reasonable accommodations process would remain for people with disabilities. Despite extensive opposition, committee members (Dorsey, Walton, Safai) expressed support, emphasizing that disability accommodations and written comments would still be available. The committee voted unanimously to send the measure to the full board as a committee report.
- Item 5 – Administrative Code – Library Laureate Programs: Library CEO Mike Fernandez and Chief Michelle Jeffers explained that the ordinance codifies existing laureate programs (Poet Laureate, Drag Laureate) to exempt them from Proposition 21G grant requirements. The stipends are designed to recognize past achievements rather than fund specific projects. The committee unanimously recommended approval.
- Item 6 – Administrative Code – Cash Revolving Funds: Eric Mankey (Treasurer & Tax Collector’s Office) presented the ordinance to close or reduce inactive cash revolving accounts for city departments, based on a review during the city’s banking transition. The committee unanimously recommended approval (Vice Chair Walton absent).
- Item 7 – Administrative Code – Assessment Appeals Board Remote and Hybrid Hearings: Alistair Gibson (AAB Administrator) reported success with over 600 remote hearings since December 2020, scheduling over 10,300 applications and finalizing 5,940 appeals. The ordinance would permanently authorize remote and hybrid hearings. The committee unanimously recommended approval (Vice Chair Walton absent).
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Motion passed (Walton aye, Safai absent, Dorsey aye) to recommend Amy Campbell’s appointment to the full board as amended.
- Item 2: Motion passed (unanimous) to recommend Edma Mae Johnson (seat 1), Mara Math (seat 3), and James Jane Redmond (seat 10) to the full board.
- Item 3: Motion passed (unanimous) to accept Supervisor Chan’s amendment and recommend the Graffiti Advisory Board ordinance to the full board.
- Item 4: Motion passed (unanimous) to send the rule change limiting remote public comment to the full board as a committee report.
- Item 5: Motion passed (unanimous) to recommend the Library Laureate Programs ordinance to the full board.
- Item 6: Motion passed (Walton absent, Safai aye, Dorsey aye) to recommend the Cash Revolving Funds ordinance.
- Item 7: Motion passed (Walton absent, Safai aye, Dorsey aye) to recommend the Assessment Appeals Board remote hearings ordinance.
All items are scheduled for the Board of Supervisors’ agenda on October 23, 2023.
Meeting Transcript
This meeting will come to order. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Monday, October 19th, October 16th, 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 vice chair, Shimon Walton, committee member Asha Safai is going to be running a few minutes late, but will be with us shortly. Together, we'd like to express our gratitude to our clerk today, Mr. Victor Young. Thanks also to the team at SFGov TV for facilitating and broadcasting today's meeting, in pr in particular our producer today, James Kwana. Mr. Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes, the Board of Supervisors and his committee are now convening hybrid meetings to allow in-person attendance and public comment while still providing remote access and public comment via telephone. Public comment will be taking 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 discussion, but you will 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 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 all other listening devices you may be using. Alternatively, you may be 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. You may also send your written comments via US mail to our office at one at in excuse me, our office in City Hall at one Dr. Carlton, B. Goodlit Place, room 244, San Francisco, California, 94102. Finally, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda on October 23rd, unless otherwise stated. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Would you please call item number one? Yes, item number one is the motion approving and rejecting the mayor's nomination of Amy Campbell for appointment to the Historic Preservation Commission. Term ending December 31st, 2026. Thank you, Mr. Young. Uh the mayor has nominated Amy Campbell to seat six on the Historic Preservation Committee. Ms. Campbell is joining us in person this morning. We have a fairly uh packed agenda today, so I will as always ask applicants and nominees to limit their remarks to no more than um a couple of minutes and then be available for questions and answers. Ms. Campbell, welcome to the rules committee. The floor is yours. Thank you, and good morning, Supervisor Dorsey and Supervisor Walton. Um it's really such an honor to be standing here today with this nomination. And I will keep this brief, but would love to just take a quick opportunity to just say a few things and then take any questions you might have. Uh for the record, my name is Amy Campbell. I'm a licensed architect in the state of California, and I've been practicing for 16 years. Almost my entire career has been committed to working on the built environment, unlike other architects who do ground up construction. That comes in the form of adaptive reuse projects, rehabilitation of primarily existing commercial buildings. Fortunately, I work for a global firm, but fortunately, most of my work is here in the Bay Area and right here in San Francisco, so I feel quite lucky to live and practice in the same place. I had the chance to work on some jewels of San Francisco, including the Bank of California at 400 California Street, right across the street, Merchants Exchange, and most recently 170 Valencia Street, which is the home of the Gay Men's Chorus, where we are reimagining the home of for the LGBTQ Center of the Arts. It's been a real personal pleasure of mine collaborating with them. Buildings like this are what I call the bells of the ball. They're really what makes San Francisco so special and so different than other cities. And it's really something we want to try to carry forward. I also want to recognize this is a transformational time for cities, especially cities like San Francisco, and that usually translates to transformational change.
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