San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting – June 3, 2024
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting – June 3, 2024
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee met on June 3, 2024, at 10:00 AM (agenda start time) under Acting Chair Supervisor Shamon Walton, joined by Supervisor Safai and Supervisor Chan (substituting for Supervisor Ronan). The committee considered seven agenda items, including a controversial ordinance to streamline contracting for Vision Zero projects, multiple appointments to city commissions, and amendments to vending enforcement rules. Several items were continued to the June 10 meeting, while others were approved or rejected.
Public Comments & Testimony
- On Item 1 (Vision Zero contracting), multiple speakers opposed the ordinance, arguing it would waive competitive bidding, local business enterprise (LBE) requirements, and environmental protections. One speaker stated, "You should kill this entire ... it's not needed. Just because somebody's not doing their job doesn't mean you lower the bar." Another criticized SFMTA's track record, saying, "You want to take the guardrails off of an agency that has one of the worst track records ... for transparency."
- On Item 6 (Police Commission reappointment of Debra Walker), public comment was divided. Supporters praised her integrity, fairness, and efforts to bridge divides. One speaker said, "Deborah Walker’s sense of ethics alone are important to the Commission’s balance." Opponents accused her of undermining the commission by supporting Proposition E and causing meetings to be canceled. One speaker claimed, "She has been the mayor's tool to shut down the police commission."
Discussion Items
- Item 1 – Streamlined Contracting for Vision Zero Projects (Ordinance 240501): Supervisor Chan, the sponsor, stated the city has not met its Vision Zero goal and that delays in contracting have slowed safety improvements. The ordinance would allow SFMTA and Public Works to waive certain administrative code provisions (competitive bidding, LBE, equal benefits, etc.) for Vision Zero projects for three years. Deputy City Attorney Ann Pearson clarified that the legislation does not waive federal or state requirements. Supervisor Safai expressed concerns about the lack of a specific project list, dollar caps, and potential for sole-source contracts. SFMTA representative Joel Ramos could not provide detailed project timelines or costs. Public Works’ Alex Burns estimated the waiver could reduce procurement time from 9–10 months to 5–6 months and identified about 15 potential projects. The committee amended the long title to clarify the three-year limit and that the purpose is to expedite contracts. The item was continued to June 10, 2024, for further negotiations.
- Item 4 – Appointments to Our City, Our Home Oversight Committee: Four seats were filled from five applicants. Nancy Gitoito, a community advocate with lived experience of homelessness, spoke about her work with the African diaspora and her refusal to evict black tenants. Jennifer Friedenbach, reappointed to Seat 8, highlighted the impact of Proposition C funding, noting that without it homelessness would have increased 34%. The committee approved Chanel Williams (Seat 2), Kezia V. Martinez (Seat 4), Julia DiAntonio (Seat 6), and Jennifer Friedenbach (Seat 8).
- Item 5 – Appointment of C. Don Clay to Police Commission: Judge Clay, a 45-year resident and former presiding judge, stated his desire to serve as a continuation of public service. He emphasized the need for mutual respect between the community and police. In response to a question about the commission's power, he said, "You always gotta be on the side of restricting power." Supervisor Safai asked about the 272 DOJ reforms; Clay had not studied them but acknowledged their importance. The committee approved the appointment unanimously.
- Item 6 – Reappointment of Debra Walker to Police Commission: Commissioner Walker, a 45-year resident and veteran of multiple commissions, discussed her work on police reform, alternatives to policing, and the HART program. She supported Proposition E, arguing it would improve officer morale and recruitment. Supervisor Safai pressed her on her statement that there was "way too much input from people who don't know what it's like to be a cop" and on her support for Prop E, which he argued undermined the commission's authority. Chair Walton expressed concern that she did not believe the commission should set policy for the department. The committee voted to reject the reappointment (2-0, with Chan absent).
- Item 7 – Vending Requirements and Restrictions (Public Works Code): Supervisor Safai introduced amendments to streamline enforcement against illegal vending, particularly fencing of stolen goods. The amendments allow a verbal warning to be documented and remain effective for 120 days, enabling inspectors to take enforcement action without repeated warnings. Director Short noted it would help "address the bad actors who are ... involved in fencing of stolen goods." The committee approved the amendments and continued the item to June 10, 2024.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1 (Vision Zero contracting): Amended and continued to June 10, 2024, for further discussion on project lists and vendor qualifications.
- Item 2 (Jessica Campos, Child Care Planning Council): Approved unanimously and forwarded to the full Board.
- Item 3 (Jayshawn Anderson, Sanitation and Streets Commission): Approved unanimously.
- Item 4 (Our City, Our Home Oversight Committee): Approved: Chanel Williams (Seat 2), Kezia V. Martinez (Seat 4), Julia DiAntonio (Seat 6), Jennifer Friedenbach (Seat 8).
- Item 5 (C. Don Clay, Police Commission): Approved unanimously.
- Item 6 (Debra Walker, Police Commission): Rejected (2-0, Supervisor Chan absent).
- Item 7 (Vending enforcement): Amended and continued to June 10, 2024.
Note: All items acted upon are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda on June 11, 2024, unless otherwise stated.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good morning and welcome to our June 3rd, 2024 rules committee meeting. I'm Supervisor Shimon Walton. I am your acting chair of the rules committee this morning, joined by committee member Supervisor Safai and Supervisor Chan, who will be substituting for Supervisor Ronin this morning. Our clerk is Victor Young, and I would like to thank Jamie Esthervern for with SFGov TV for broadcasting this meeting for us this morning. Mr. Clerk, do you have any announcements? Uh yes, public comment will be taken on each item on this agenda. When you have 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 N G at SFgov.org. If you submit public comment by email, it will be forward to the supervisors and included as part of the file. You may also send written comments via US mail to our office in City Hall, one Dr. Carlton Goodlit Place, Room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. Please make sure to silence all cell phones and electronic devices. Items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda on June 11, 2024, unless otherwise stated. That completes my initial announcements. Thank you so much, Mr. Clerk. The chair will entertain a motion to excuse Supervisor Ronan from this meeting. Yes, on the motion to uh excuse Supervisor Ronin. Supervisor Chan. Chan I. Supervisor Safai. Safa Eye. Vice Chair Walton. Aye. Walton I. That motion passes without objection. Thank you so much. Would you please call item number one? Yes, item number one is ordinance amending the administrative code to streamline contracting to vision zero transportation projects to authorize the municipal transportation agency and the Department of Public Works to enter into and amend contracts without adhering to environmental codes or provisions related to competitive bidding, equal benefits, local business enterprise unitization and other requirements for construction work and professional and other services related to Vision Zero projects. There is a request that this matter be referred out as a committee report. Thank you so much. And Supervisor Chan, I believe this is your item. Thank you, Chair Walton. Um, and thank you so much for uh uh willingness to uh have this item to be heard today uh as a committee report, potentially to be able to vote it on at full board tomorrow. Um, you know, colleagues, uh, I as you know, the city has not met its vision zero goal, and we have a long ways to go to eliminate traffic fatalities. Uh far too often we have important vision zero projects and proposed improvements that are in pre-construction uh while our communities continue to wait and contend with the dangers of high injury networks and collision hotspots. Uh and so it's a reason why I really wanted to have uh a piece of legislation that declared this as uh as as an emergency on our streets and uh with a sense of of that urgency that I hope uh to have your support um and an approval of this legislation. While that uh only the executive branch uh including a city department can declare the emergency declaration so that we can move forward with uh repairs and other type of uh pro construction projects that is necessary to uh ensure the safety of the public uh on our streets. Uh legislative branch um like ourselves uh as a board of supervisors cannot declare the emergency declaration. Um and so uh this is the best comparable uh way uh as through the policy to uh to really mirroring uh what we can actually do with that uh legislation with this legislation is to really declare this to actually uh cannot, while not in short of declaring it uh emergency, we're able to uh streamline these contracting for vision zero projects. Um I know that there is some language that uh seems to be a little bit confusing to the public and to others, um, but we really have voted similarly a administrative uh co-waiver with a similar goal is the most as most recent. Uh in fact, colleagues, I think uh some of us um on the board uh have been uh co-sponsored to the mayor's uh proposal. It's the administrative co-waivers for the SFMTA to contract for automated speech enforcement system, and that we recently approve it. It waives certain contracting requirements under Chapter 6 and 21. Um I know that there's some concerns about this uh so about the language that currently before us today. So I have asked uh our city attorney to review and see how we can perhaps amend this legislation mirroring um similar language that the board has already approved for the automated speed enforcement system, clearly also again with the goal that we miss we meet our vision zero goals to make our streets uh safer for everyone. And the goal of this ordinance though, it's really uh allow the SFMTA and public works to clear approved uh vision zero projects um that is after the uh conversation with communities and outreach. Um it's not to shortcut the outreach and communications with our communities, but to really push forward once those are approved, uh, that we can push forward these vision zero projects uh through without any delay.
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