San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting - November 6, 2023: Police Staffing, Airport Surveillance, and Appointments
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San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting - November 6, 2023
The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on Monday, November 6, 2023, at 6:00 PM UTC, chaired by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, with Vice Chair Shaman Walton and Committee Member Asha Safai. The meeting covered four agenda items: a mayoral appointment, airport surveillance technology policies, a behavioral health commission composition update, and a contentious charter amendment on police department staffing. The meeting lasted approximately 1.5 hours.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1 (Mayoral Appointment – Kent Lim): Unanimously approved with an amendment to strike the word "reject" from the motion, sending the appointment to the full board with a positive recommendation. Public comment was not taken.
- Item 2 (Airport Surveillance Technology Policies): Approved unanimously as presented, covering three technologies: application-based commercial transport (Uber/Lyft), electronic toll readers (Fastrak), and a pilot gunshot detection system. No public comment.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 4 (Police Staffing Charter Amendment): Over 20 speakers provided public comment. Supporters of the amended version (requiring a future tax revenue source) included representatives from SEIU 1021, IFPTE Local 21, Chinese Progressive Association, and others, who argued that public safety requires a holistic approach including nurses, dispatchers, and mental health services, and that the original set-aside would harm other city services. Opponents of the amended version, including the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, residents, and a community activist, argued that the funding should come from the general fund, not a new tax, and that the amendment was a political ploy that delayed action on police staffing. One speaker supported the continuance of item 3.
Discussion Items
- Item 3 (Behavioral Health Commission Composition): Chair Dorsey noted that amendments were not ready and moved to continue the item to the call of the chair. The committee unanimously voted to continue. One public commenter supported the continuance.
- Item 4 (Charter Amendment – Minimum Police Department Staffing and Five-Year Annual Funding Requirement): This item generated extended debate. Chair Dorsey, the original sponsor, strongly opposed the amended version (passed last week) which made minimum staffing contingent on voter approval of a future tax. He called it a "CopTax scheme" and argued it denied voters agency. Supervisor Safai, now the sponsor of the amended version, defended it as fiscally responsible given a projected $500 million deficit, and argued that the original set-aside would pit police against other public safety services. Vice Chair Walton supported the amended version, noting that the original minimum staffing level was unachievable and that the police department was not defunded by $120 million in 2020. The committee voted 2-1 to send the item to the full board without recommendation, with Chair Dorsey dissenting.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Approved as amended (motion to strike "reject") and sent to the full board with a positive recommendation. (Unanimous)
- Item 2: Approved and sent to the full board with a positive recommendation. (Unanimous)
- Item 3: Continued to the call of the chair. (Unanimous)
- Item 4: Sent to the full board without recommendation on a 2-1 vote (Walton and Safai in favor, Dorsey opposed). No further action was taken by the committee.
Meeting Transcript
Hi, this is Victorian Chamber. We have Yahoo down. Thank you. Oh, we are. I didn't see the the picture go through. Oh, I hope sorry. I got it. It was left on public PC. Got it, sorry. This meeting will come to order. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Monday, November 6th, 2023 meeting of the Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I'm Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Chair of this committee. I am joined by Vice Chair Shimon Walton and Committee Member Asha Safai. Together, we would 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 particular, our producer today, Mr. James Kawana. Mr. Clerks, do you have any announcements? Yes, 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 up to speak on your right. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing in either of the following ways. Email them to myself, the rules committee clerk at VICTOR.yo UNG at SFgov.org. You may also send written comments via US mail to our office in City Hall One, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlit Place, Room 244. Please make sure to silence all cell phones and electronic devices. Documents to be included as part of the file should be submitted to myself. Items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda on November 14th, unless otherwise stated. And in regards to applause, we uh suggest that you um limit your applause and instead uh give jazz hands to express support if you uh wish to do so. That completes uh my announcements. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Would you please call item number one? Yes, item number one is the motion approving and rejected the mayor's nomination for the appointment of Kent Limb, term ending November third, two thousand twenty-six to the CSS or agency commission, commonly known as the Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Uh Mr. Lim is joining us in person um this morning, and I just want to note for everyone that we have four items on today's agenda, a couple of which may be uh high interest and time consuming. So for appointments being considered, we customarily ask presenters to limit themselves to um two minutes um and be available for any questions from uh myself or my colleagues. Mr. Limb, welcome to the rules committee this morning. And uh you can step up to either microphone for speak for a couple of minutes. The floor is yours. Good morning. Uh Supervisor Dorsey. Walton and Fi Sarfasier. And uh my name is Kent Lim. And uh our family came to San Francisco in May of 1963.
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