San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting - June 17, 2024

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee met on June 17, 2024, at 6:15 PM, chaired by Supervisor Hilary Ronan with Vice Chair Shaman Walton and Supervisor Asha Safai. The committee considered ten agenda items, including commission reappointments, appointments, and several ordinances. All reappointments and new appointments were approved unanimously. A controversial ordinance to streamline Vision Zero contracting was amended and continued to the call of the chair. Other ordinances—including the airport surveillance policy update, downtown university attraction fund, library Read to Recovery program, and repeal of the Deemed Approved Off-Sale Alcohol Use nuisance regulations—were all approved with positive recommendations.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 1 (Planning Commission reappointment): One speaker praised Maria Theresa Imperial's compassion and commitment to all communities, saying she exemplifies what a San Francisco planning commissioner should be.
• Item 3 (Public Works Commission reappointment): One commenter complimented Director Short but criticized poor street cleaning and a neglected area around the Armory, stating “on the ground, it ain't happening.”
• Item 4 (Building Inspection Commission appointment): One commenter noted great concrete work by DPW on 20th Street but complained about a 311 request for sidewalk repair near the Housing Authority that has been open for four years.
• Item 6 (Vision Zero streamlined contracting): Several speakers opposed the ordinance. A woman from Mansfield & Mansfield, a small contractor, said streamlining would close the door for her company. Another speaker called the proposal “unforgivable” for not consulting the LBE community. A third speaker argued that the legislation would undermine unions, equal pay, and environmental protections. One commenter from the Latino and Black Builders Association asked the committee to pause and reach out to small businesses. Another speaker said SFMTA is a disaster and that the goal of zero traffic deaths is impossible.
• Item 7 (Airport surveillance): No public comments.
• Item 8 (Downtown university fund): No public comments.
• Item 9 (Library Read to Recovery): No public comments.
• Item 10 (Repeal of alcohol nuisance ordinance): One speaker (Small Business Commissioner Miriam Sassoonis) thanked the committee, noting the fee reduction will help merchants diversify offerings.

Discussion Items

• Item 1 – Reappointment to Planning Commission: Maria Theresa Imperial (incumbent) sought a term ending July 1, 2028. She highlighted her work on the racial and social equity resolution and the housing element. All supervisors spoke in support. The motion to recommend approval (amended to remove “rejecting”) passed unanimously.
• Items 2 & 3 – Appointments to Public Works Commission: Fadi Zabi (incumbent) and Gerald Turner (incumbent) for two seats; Lauren Post (incumbent) as chair. Zabi noted the commission's work in hiring a new director and improving processes. Post described performance metrics, a vacancy rate reduced to 15.7% (down from over 25%), and the importance of the new HR director. Supervisor Safai pressed on vacancy rates and service impacts. All motions passed unanimously.
• Item 4 – Appointment to Building Inspection Commission: Catherine Meng, an architect, was nominated. She acknowledged DBI's history of corruption and inefficiency and pledged to improve transparency and efficiency. Supervisor Safai questioned the root causes of corruption and the lengthy entitlement process. Meng agreed that streamlining could help. Motion passed unanimously.
• Item 5 – Appointment to Port Commission: Stephen Engblom, an architect and urban designer, spoke about resilience, equity, and implementing existing plans for the waterfront. Supervisor Walton asked about equity in port property use; Engblom advocated a triple-bottom-line approach. Supervisor Safai discussed financial stability and port recovery. Motion passed unanimously.
• Item 6 – Streamlined Contracting for Vision Zero Projects: Supervisor Safai introduced amendments to require competitive bidding through pre-qualified lists, preserving LBE requirements and the citywide PLA (pending confirmation from the City Attorney). Public Works Deputy Director Bruce Robertson estimated the process could save 6-8 weeks per contract. After public comment opposing the bill, the committee accepted the amendments and continued the item to the call of the chair for further community engagement.
• Item 7 – Airport Surveillance Technology Policy Amendment: Guy Clark from SFO presented amendments to include pre-security cameras on AirTrain, shuttle buses, and live BART video streaming. The policy does not allow face recognition. No questions from committee. Motion to recommend approval passed unanimously.
• Item 8 – Downtown University Attraction and Retention Fund: Supervisor Safai presented the ordinance to create a fund to attract public universities to South Market, Union Square, and the Financial District, citing the 37% office vacancy rate. He noted a small amendment to explicitly allow bond financing. Supervisor Walton asked about capital plan alignment; Safai said they would work with the capital plan. Motion to recommend approval (as amended) passed unanimously.
• Item 9 – Library Read to Recovery Program: Library Director Michael Lambert and branch manager Doreen Horston described the program, which distributes free recovery literature (e.g., AA/NA books) at all 28 library locations. Over 4,000 copies have been distributed since the pilot. Supervisors expressed strong support. Motions to recommend approval passed unanimously.
• Item 10 – Repeal of Deemed Approved Off-Sale Alcohol Use Nuisance Ordinance: Lorenzo Rojas from Supervisor Stephanie's office presented. The 2006 ordinance is duplicative of state law and has not been enforced recently. Annual fee of $310 disproportionate, often unequally applied. Both SFPD and DPH expressed no opposition. Supported by multiple merchant groups. Motion to recommend approval passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Planning Commission reappointment: Approved unanimously (Walton, Safai, Ronan).
• Public Works Commission appointments: Fadi Zabi and Gerald Turner reappointed unanimously; Lauren Post reappointed as chair unanimously.
• Building Inspection Commission appointment: Catherine Meng approved unanimously.
• Port Commission appointment: Stephen Engblom approved unanimously.
• Vision Zero streamlined contracting: Amendments (including pre-qualified bidders and preservation of LBE/PLA) adopted unanimously; item continued to call of the chair for further community consultation.
• Airport surveillance policy: Approved unanimously, with amendments adding AirTrain, shuttle buses, and BART streaming.
• Downtown university fund: Approved unanimously with an amendment allowing bond financing.
• Library Read to Recovery program: Approved unanimously.
• Repeal of DAO nuisance ordinance: Approved unanimously.

All items acted upon are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of June 25, 2024, unless otherwise stated. The meeting adjourned after item 10.