San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee Regular Meeting - December 11, 2023
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San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee Regular Meeting - December 11, 2023
The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on the morning of Monday, December 11, 2023, chaired by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, with Vice Chair Shamann Walton and member Ahsha Safai. The committee considered four items: a mayoral appointment to the Sanitation and Streets Commission, a legislative reduction of the Behavioral Health Commission, an update to Form 700 filing requirements for the General Services Agency, and an extension of the Reentry Council's sunset date. The meeting included public testimony, amendments, and votes, with two items continued to January 8, 2024.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 1 (Sanitation and Streets Commission): Several speakers supported nominee Azalina Eusope. Praveen Takeda (Tenderloin Housing Clinic) praised her willingness to make tough decisions. Lorraine Louis (New Community Leadership Foundation) cited her passion and authenticity. Nafi Falli, a fellow business owner, highlighted her commitment to street cleanliness. Jamie Flanagan (Phoenix Hotel) commended her blend of business acumen and compassion.
- Item 2 (Behavioral Health Commission): Leah McGeever expressed concern about removing the child advocate seat, citing children's psychological impacts from COVID-19. A subsequent speaker argued that reducing the commission size would harm ethnic diversity, noting the absence of Asian members, and suggested filling vacancies instead of cutting seats.
- Item 3 (Form 700 Filers): No public comment.
- Item 4 (Reentry Council): Victoria Westbrook (Re-entry Division Director, Adult Probation) urged support, stating the council is the only collective body in the city that includes 17 city departments, pretrial services, and seven formerly incarcerated individuals.
Discussion Items
- Item 1: Mayoral Appointment – Azalina Eusope to Sanitation and Streets Commission – Eusope, a 21-year resident, small business owner, and mother, introduced herself. Chair Dorsey highlighted her background, including being quoted in the New York Times and recognized as the face of Malaysian cuisine. Eusope emphasized the collective effort needed for sanitation and small business success. The committee voted to send the appointment to the full board.
- Item 2: Administrative Code – Composition of Behavioral Health Commission – Chair Dorsey proposed reducing the commission from 17 to 11 seats to improve quorum and align with state law, which requires 50% consumers/family members, 20% consumers, 20% family members, and at least one veteran. Jessica Brown (DPH) voiced support. Supervisor Dorsey introduced amendments, including adding a seat, adjusting professional qualifications, and resetting term expirations to June 2024. Supervisor Safai questioned the removal of the child advocate requirement; City Attorney Ann Pearson noted it could be restored without a substantive amendment. The committee voted to amend and continue the item to January 8, 2024.
- Item 3: Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code – Form 700 Filers – Sophie Hayward (City Administrator's Office) presented four amendments updating the list of positions required to file Form 700, including adding deputy director, transaction manager, and analyst roles, and removing an operations manager. Because the amendments were substantive, the item was continued to January 8, 2024, to allow DHR to notify labor unions. No public comment.
- Item 4: Administrative Code – Reentry Council; Reporting Duties, Sunset Date – Dominica Donovan (Chief of Staff to Supervisor Stefani) explained the ordinance extends the council's sunset from June 1, 2024 to June 1, 2029, and revises annual report deadlines. The council, established in 2008, coordinates 24 members including city agencies and formerly incarcerated individuals to support reentry. The committee voted unanimously to send the item to the full board with a positive recommendation.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Motion to strike “reject” and send to the full board passed 2–0 (Dorsey aye, Walton aye, Safai absent).
- Item 2: Motion to amend (as read into record) and continue to January 8, 2024 passed unanimously (Dorsey aye, Walton aye, Safai aye).
- Item 3: Motion to amend (as read) and continue to January 8, 2024 passed unanimously.
- Item 4: Motion to send to the full board with a positive recommendation as a committee report passed unanimously.
Meeting Transcript
This meeting will come to order. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Monday, December 11th, 2023 meeting of the Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I'm Supervisor Matt Dorsey, chair of this committee, and I am joined by Vice Chair Shimon Walton, uh member, committee member Ashasafai, I believe, is on his way. Uh together, we'd like to express our uh gratitude as always 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, Sus Enos. Um this is gonna be our final meeting before winter winter recess of the rules committee, and I know my committee colleagues and I would like very much to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to everyone in the uh clerk's office, um our deputy city attorney Ann Pearson and everybody in uh City Attorney David Chu's office and all who make these meetings possible, and that includes the Sheriff's Department who manages access and security to the team at SFGov TV who ensure that our work is accessible to all of those we serve. On behalf of all of us from who make up the rules committee, we hope you all uh enjoy the holiday season and have a uh restful um holiday with your family and loved ones that you have all well earned. Uh Mr. Clerk, do you have any announcements? Uh yes, public comment will be taking on each item on this agenda. When your item of interest comes up and public comment is called, please line 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 dot Y O U N G at sfgov.org. If you submit com public comment via email, it'll be uh forwarded to the supervisors and included in the file. You may also send your written comment via US mail to our office at City Hall, one Dr. Carlton Beagle that place, room 244, San Francisco, California, 94102. Please make sure the silence all cell phones and electronic devices documents to be included as part of the file should be submitted to the clerk. Items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda of January 9th, 2024, unless otherwise stated. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Would you please call item number one? Item number one is a motion approving or rejecting the mayor's nomination for the appointment of Azalina Usoppa, term ending July 1st, 2026, to the Sanitation and Streets Commission. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. The uh mayor has nominated Azalina Yusopet to uh seat number five on the Sanitation and Streets Commission. Um she is joining us this morning. As always, we ask that nominees limit their remarks to just uh to two or three minutes and uh leave us time for questions and answers. Uh Ms. Yusup, um, welcome to the rules committee. The floor is yours, and I uh hope I haven't uh mispronounced your name, but thanks so much. The floor is yours. Good morning, supervisors. Um my name is Azalino Yuso. Uh I have been uh resident of San Francisco for the last 21 years. I have run and operate my business for the last 12 years. And um I'm a mother of two young adults here in San Francisco. They stay here. Love the San Francisco for sure. I currently reside in Kendall Sticks, and my business is here in the heart of Tandeline, uh, which I love very much. I have lived in three different continents before I came to the United States 21 years ago. And San Francisco is by far the city that truly give opportunity to every single person that's doing their best that they can. And I love it very much. I'm very honored. Mayor Bret had nominated me, and I hope I can be useful and helpful, not only to San Francisco, but the community that I currently very much in love with. Thank you. Um thank you so much. I just wanted I wanted to uh just express my appreciation to you for your willingness to serve. I know as uh the mother of children and somebody who's running a small business, you're probably looking for you know things to fill all your leisure time. Um so I appreciate uh you you giving back to your city uh you know, with the full plate that you have.
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