San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting - November 3, 2025
San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting - November 3, 2025
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee, chaired by Supervisor Shimon Walton and joined by Vice Chair Supervisor Cheryl and President Rafael Mandelman, met on November 3, 2025, to consider three appointment items. The committee unanimously approved nominations for the Building Inspection Commission and the Early Childhood Community Oversight and Advisory Committee, and made three appointments to the Our City, Our Home Oversight Committee after extensive public testimony and debate.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 1 (Judy Lee): Randy Shaw, Director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, supported Lee, highlighting the importance of community-based commissioners and warning of threats to the Building Inspection Commission from a February reform vote. Jeff Chow from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Mathias Mormino from Chinatown Community Development Center also voiced strong support, citing Lee's community ties and ability to bring people together.
- Item 2 (Early Childhood Committee): Audrey, an early childhood educator, spoke in favor of Monique Gidry's reappointment, praising her leadership and equity focus.
- Item 3 (Our City, Our Home Oversight Committee): Extensive public comment featured speakers for and against incumbents and new candidates. Multiple speakers (Rebecca Jackson, Stephanie Ashley, Sunbear Jackson, Carolyn Gusen, Christian Jimenez, Solange Kuwa, Lupe, Lauren Hall, Anna Berg, Cody Keene, Maritza Salinas, and others) urged reappointment of Jennifer Friedenbach to Seat 8, citing her role as primary architect of Prop C, her expertise, and her advocacy resulting in over 5,000 people housed and 4,000 additional shelter beds. Speakers also supported Chanel Williams and Kenzia Vilas Martinez. Others, including Forrest Liu, Griffin Lee, and several community members, opposed Friedenbach, criticizing her leadership and the "Housing First" approach, and strongly supported Billy Lemon, citing his lived recovery experience and leadership at the Castro Country Club. Bevan Dufty, Supervisor Matt Dorsey, and others also spoke for Lemon. Troy Boyd and Angel Baten highlighted Lemon's mentorship and inclusive approach. No speakers opposed Williams or DiAntonio.
Discussion Items
- Item 1: Approval of Judy Lee to Building Inspection Commission – Supervisor Mandelman praised Lee's background as program director of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, her decade of city government experience, and her community ties. The committee voted unanimously to approve the nomination and send it to the full board.
- Item 2: Appointments to Early Childhood Community Oversight and Advisory Committee – Barbara Ellen Walden (Seat 7) and Monique Gidry (Seat 9) presented their qualifications. The committee unanimously approved both appointments, including a residency waiver for Walden.
- Item 3: Four appointments to Our City, Our Home Oversight Committee – Eight applicants were considered for four seats. Candidates included incumbent Chanel Williams (Seat 2), Jennifer Friedenbach (Seat 8), Julia DiAntonio (Seat 6), and newcomers Nancy Gitoito, Lashanti Woods, Billy Lemon, and others. Chair Walton thanked all applicants but noted the limited seats. President Mandelman and Supervisor Dorsey expressed strong support for Billy Lemon, citing his recovery journey and work at Castro Country Club as needed expertise. Chair Walton voiced disappointment that Jennifer Friedenbach would not be reappointed, acknowledging her foundational role in Prop C and her decades of advocacy. Supervisor Dorsey noted the difficulty of choosing among qualified candidates. President Mandelman also supported Chanel Williams (Seat 2) and later moved for Julia DiAntonio (Seat 6).
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Unanimously approved Judy Lee's appointment to the Building Inspection Commission (motion by Chair Walton, amended to approve).
- Item 2: Unanimously approved Barbara Ellen Walden (Seat 7) with a residency waiver and Monique Gidry (Seat 9) to the Early Childhood Community Oversight and Advisory Committee.
- Item 3: Appointed Chanel Williams to Seat 2, William "Billy" Lemon to Seat 8, and Julia DiAntonio to Seat 6 of the Our City, Our Home Oversight Committee. Seat 4 was continued to the call of the chair. All motions passed without objection.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning and welcome to our November 3rd, 2025 Rules Committee meeting. I'm your chair, Supervisor Shimon Walton. I'm joined by Vice Chair, Supervisor Cheryl, and soon to be joined by President Mandelman. Today's clerk is Victor Young, and I want to thank Jamie Eschewberry from SFGov TV for publicizing this meeting and make sure that it is available to the public. Mr. Clerk, do we have any announcements? Uh yes, public comment will be taken on each item on this agenda. When your item of interest comes up and public comment is called, please line up and 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 BICTOR.yo N G at SFgov.org. If you smit public comment via email, it'll be included as part of the file. You may also send your written comments via US mail to our office in City Hall when Dr. Carlton be good at 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 of November 18th unless otherwise stated. Thank you so much, Mr. Clerk. Would you please call item number one? Item number one is motion approving rejecting President Rafael Mandelman's nomination for the appointment of Judy Lee to the Building Inspection Commission term ending July 1st, 2027. There is a request that this matter be sent out as a committee report. Thank you so much. And I believe we have Ms. Judy here this morning. Would you please tell us about yourself and why you want to serve? Good morning, President Manelman, Supervisor Walton, and Supervisor Cheryl. My name is Judy Lee, and it is an honor to be considered for an appointment to the Department of Building Inspection Commission. As a native San Franciscan and a longtime tenant, I have seen firsthand the challenges residents face in finding and maintaining safe, affordable housing. These experiences have grounded my belief that housing is not just about buildings, it is about people, families, and the communities that make our city home. Throughout my career in public service and community leadership, I have worked at the intersection of government and neighborhoods, helping tenants, small businesses, and residents navigate city systems. I understand how critical the Department of Building Inspection is to maintain public trust, safety, and fairness in that process. If appointed, my priorities will be threefold. First, to strengthen transparency and accountability, ensuring that the department's decisions and processes are clear, consistent, and accessible to all. Second, to advance equity and inclusion so that language cultural or economic barriers do not prevent residents from receiving fair and timely service. And third, to foster collaboration, building stronger partnerships between DBI, other city departments, and the communities we serve to proactively address issues and improve responsiveness. My goal is to help ensure that San Francisco's buildings are safe, our systems are equitable, and the Department of Building Inspection continues to reflect the values of the city it serves. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you so much. Thank you, Chair Walton. Our interface is a little weird, funky over here. Like we can't actually, we don't have the queue. Oh. We do hear, but not on ours. Um, we got some technical issues over here on the supervisor side. Just let letting the clerk know. Um, all right, and with that, uh, thank you, Chair Walton. Uh, I want to thank um uh Judy Lee for being willing to serve in this role. Um, I think she's an excellent nomination, if I do say so myself. Um, as she uh said, she currently serves as program director of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and leads initiatives that support small businesses, workforce development, and community engagement across San Francisco. Her background in economics and workforce development combined with over a decade of experience working within city government gives her a deep understanding of both the policy and operational side of how our city functions.
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