Rules Committee Regular Meeting – September 16, 2024

The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors convened on September 16, 2024, with Acting Chair Supervisor Asha Safai and President Aaron Peskin present. Supervisor Shamann Walton was excused. The committee took up the Police Department's drone policy, a proposed library branch site, mayoral appointments to the Public Works Commission and SFMTA Board, and Urban Forestry Council appointments. All items were advanced to the full board, some with amendments or without recommendation.

Drone Policy (Item 1)

• The San Francisco Police Department presented amendments to its Unassisted Aerial Vehicle policy, adding prohibitions on use that infringes First Amendment rights, non-law-enforcement purposes, unsafe operation, equipping drones with weapons, and using drones as a force option.
• The policy would require drone operators to minimize inadvertent recording and maintain data retention rules: digital media without evidentiary value may be deleted within 30 days; evidence with evidentiary value must be retained for at least 2.5 years; and public footage cannot be retained longer than 30 days unless a sworn captain determines an open criminal investigation requires it.
• Supervisor Peskin said he was prepared to make the amendments, and Acting Chair Safai requested a future update on drone operator staffing and deployments.
• Public comment: H. Brown expressed strong support, urging rapid training of operators and citing drones' potential for disaster response. Jordan opposed the policy, arguing that safeguards would not prevent police misuse and calling the expenditure unjustified.

New Library Branch Site (Item 2)

• Supervisor Safai introduced an ordinance requiring that the new library branch serving the Ocean View, Merced Heights, Ingleside, and Lake View neighborhoods be built on the city-owned parcel at 100 Orizaba Avenue, subject to environmental review and other approvals. An amendment allowed an alternative: expanding the existing Ocean View Branch at 345 Randolph Street onto an adjacent parcel.
• Supervisor Peskin requested the item go to the full board without recommendation while he gathered more information.
• Public comment: Josh asked for an amendment referencing the 2021 Climate Action Plan's tree preservation policy; another speaker urged preserving existing trees on the site for habitat.

Public Works Commission Appointment (Item 3)

• Eleanor Blume, an attorney and Sunset District resident, was nominated. She addressed sidewalk maintenance, staffing, and the department's recovery from a difficult period.
• Supervisor Safai highlighted Public Works' historic vacancy rate of 20–30% in operations and encouraged Blume to prioritize it.
• Public comment: H. Brown asked for a public restroom near the Armory; Jordan opposed the nomination, asserting Blume was a mayoral appointee without an equity lens and raising concerns about street sweeps.
• The committee voted to amend the motion by removing the word rejecting and forwarding the nomination with a positive recommendation.

MTA Board Appointment (Item 4)

• Mike Chen, nominee for the Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors, described his meetings with Chinatown groups and addressed concerns from the previous hearing. He expressed support for transit operators and said vehicular towing should be a last resort with meaningful alternatives and public consultation.
• Supervisor Safai asked about proposed changes to no-overnight-sleeping restrictions; Chen agreed that changes should include notice and opportunities for public input.
• Public comment: H. Brown supported Chen and requested a bike lane safety improvement; Jordan opposed Chen, arguing he was a political appointee and criticized his positions; Robin Pam (Kids Safe SF), Peter Beldon (Sierra Club), and Lian Chang spoke in favor, citing Chen's advisory committee record.
• The committee voted to amend the motion to delete rejecting and forwarded the nomination with a positive recommendation.

Urban Forestry Council Appointments (Item 5)

• The committee considered seven appointments to the Urban Forestry Council. Coordinator Jesus Lazano described the candidates; three applicants spoke.
• Pamela Nagel, seeking reappointment, noted the urban forest is shrinking and expressed a goal to increase council visibility.
• Joshua Clipp, applicant for seat 6, described his work on Mission Verde and securing a nearly quarter-million-dollar tree-planting fee from UCSF.
• Antonio Moreno, applicant for seat 7, spoke of his restoration work with the Bonnie Shirk Foundation in the Excelsior.
• The committee appointed Morgan Basset Favel (seat 1), Carla Nagy (seat 2), Pamela Nagel (seat 3), Edgar Sochi Flores (seat 4), Caroline Scanlan (seat 5), Joshua Clipp (seat 6), and Antonio Moreno (seat 7), including residency waivers for seats 1 and 5.

Key Outcomes

• All votes passed without objection, with Supervisor Walton excused.
• The drone policy item was forwarded to the full board as a committee report as amended.
• The library branch ordinance was forwarded without recommendation.
• The Public Works and MTA nominations were forwarded with amendments removing rejection language and positive recommendations.
• The Urban Forestry Council appointments were approved.