San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting - July 15, 2024: Charter Amendments and Great Highway Ballot Measure

The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on July 15, 2024, chaired by Supervisor Hillary Ronen, with Vice Chair Shaman Walton and Member Asha Safai. The committee considered several charter amendments for the November 5, 2024 ballot, including items on police accountability, children and youth services, an inspector general, affordable housing, retirement benefits for nurses, firefighters, and police, and a hearing on an initiative ordinance to permanently close a portion of the Upper Great Highway to create an oceanside park. The committee also discussed the city's fiscal challenges, including an $800 million budget deficit.

Consent Calendar

• Item 2 (Children & Youth Services): Passed unanimously as a committee report with positive recommendation. The charter amendment would create the "Our Children, Our Families" initiative to coordinate services, require outcome-based budgeting, and place conditions on school district funding.
• Item 3 (Inspector General): Passed unanimously as a committee report. The measure would establish an Inspector General in the Controller's Office with subpoena and search warrant authority.
• Item 4 (Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund): Passed unanimously as a committee report. The measure would create a fund for rental subsidies for extremely low-income seniors, families, and persons with disabilities, requiring at least $8.25 million annually starting in FY 2026-27.
• Item 5 (Nurse Retirement Credit and Public Safety Communications Personnel): Passed unanimously as a committee report. The measure would allow certain nurses to purchase up to three years of service credit and move public safety communications personnel to a safety retirement plan.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 1 (Electing DPA Director): A speaker recounted historical issues with the Office of Citizen Complaints and urged Supervisor Walton not to back down, supporting the concept of citizen oversight.
• Item 3 (Inspector General): H. Brown expressed strong support, calling it a "wonderful move" and praising the Controller.
• Item 4 (Affordable Housing): John Avalos (Council of Community Housing Organizations) supported the measure but noted that $8.25 million is insufficient and that future revenue measures would be needed. Another speaker recalled a similar past measure that funded the school district.
• Item 6 (Fire Department Pension): Fire Chief Janine Nicholson testified that the one-year averaging provision (pension spiking) has led to inefficiencies, with employees taking short-term positions to boost pensions, then burning sick time. Adam Wood (Firefighters Local 798) explained that the one-year averaging was intended to remove incentives for firefighters to stay longer given elevated cancer risks. Floyd Rollins (Local 798 president) resented any implication that the measure was a veiled attempt to gain benefits, emphasizing the goal of saving lives.
• Item 7 (Police DROP): H. Brown opposed the program, arguing it would retain the worst officers. Adam Wood (Firefighters) supported moving the measure forward, citing immediate public safety needs due to severe understaffing.
• Item 8 (Great Highway): Lucas Lux (Friends of Great Highway Park) noted that the pilot park received over 3 million visits and urged letting voters decide. Zach Lipton (volunteer) supported the measure, citing planning studies showing a maximum of three minutes added driving time and the opportunity for a transformative park.

Discussion Items

• Item 1 (Electing DPA Director): Supervisor Walton moved to continue the matter to the call of the chair, stating he wanted more collaboration to ensure independent investigations of police misconduct. The motion passed unanimously without public comment opposition.
• Item 6 (Fire Department Service Retirement Pension): Extensive debate. Chair Ronen proposed an amendment to remove the one-year averaging provision (pension spiking), which she argued was financially irresponsible during a budget crisis and not related to cancer risk. She noted that the measure would cost $9.2 million in FY25, with the pension spiking portion accounting for $5.5 million. Supervisor Safai defended the original provision, arguing it was paired with lowering the retirement age to discourage firefighters from staying longer. The committee voted 2-1 (Safai dissenting) to amend and continue the item to July 22, 2024.
• Item 7 (Police Staffing and Deferred Retirement Option Program): Chair Ronen moved to continue to the call of the chair, citing lack of data on officer departures, the failure of a prior DROP program, and the need to address root causes of recruitment issues rather than a costly band-aid. She noted the original cost estimate was $80 million, reduced to $600,000–$3 million after amendments. Supervisor Dorsey argued the program would delay 50 retirements in the first year and help address attrition. The motion passed 2-1 (Safai dissenting).
• Item 8 (Great Highway Initiative Ordinance): Supervisor Engardio presented the measure, noting that the southern portion (south of Sloat) is already set to close due to erosion, and that the ballot measure would only close the Lincoln-to-Sloat section, with traffic improvements planned. Supervisors expressed support, with Supervisor Safai emphasizing the need for SFMTA to commit to traffic signal improvements. The hearing was filed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1: Continued to the call of the chair (unanimous).
• Items 2, 3, 4, 5: Recommended to the full Board of Supervisors as committee reports with positive recommendations (all unanimous).
• Item 6: Amended (removed one-year averaging provision) and continued to the July 22, 2024 Rules Committee meeting (2-1 vote, Safai dissenting).
• Item 7: Continued to the call of the chair (2-1 vote, Safai dissenting).
• Item 8: Hearing filed; the initiative ordinance will proceed to the full board for consideration.