San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee Meeting (November 17, 2025)

The Rules Committee met on November 17, 2025, chaired by Supervisor Shimon Walton with Vice Chair Stephen Sherrill and President Rafael Mandelman (joined during the meeting), and welcomed Supervisor Bilal Mahmood as a guest. The committee acted on an ordinance creating a Fillmore Entertainment Zone, confirmed the Controller’s appointment of the City’s first Inspector General, and advanced multiple appointments/reappointments to the Assessment Appeals Boards amid discussion of heavy caseloads (including statements that appeals have risen to “over 10,000 cases a year,” compared with “3,000 to 5,000” when one member started).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Fillmore Entertainment Zone (Item 1)
  • Community member (name not stated) expressed support for the entertainment zone and requested an amendment to extend the zone “over to Webster Street” to protect Gene Suttle Plaza; also stated the legislation would help with a future ISCOT hearing and expressed a desire to restart “Fillmore Fridays.”
  • Majid Crawford (Executive Director, New Community Leadership Foundation) expressed support, stating corridor stakeholders were excited; said the Fillmore Collaborative (formed in 2020) helped bring “millions of dollars” into the corridor and that businesses believe the zone could have a “tremendous impact.”
• Inspector General confirmation (Item 2): No public comment.
• Assessment Appeals Board appointments (Items 3–5): No public comment.

Discussion Items

• Item 1 — Ordinance creating the Fillmore Entertainment Zone

  • Supervisor Bilal Mahmood requested the committee send the item forward as a committee report with a positive recommendation. He described the entertainment zone as a near-term action alongside a longer community action planning process, stating it would allow alcohol-serving establishments on the Fillmore corridor to sell “drinks to go” during specified events (initially focusing on larger events such as the annual Juneteenth celebration). He emphasized coordination with OEWD on a management plan for safety and neighborhood compatibility, and thanked community advocates and city staff involved.
  • Supervisor Catherine Stefani asked to be added as a co-sponsor and expressed support, citing discussions with the Fillmore Street Merchant Association and stating entertainment zones can give small businesses flexibility.
  • Chair Shimon Walton expressed support, citing the Fillmore’s cultural history and framing the initiative as supportive of small businesses and as a step toward addressing gentrification-related impacts.

• Item 2 — Motion to confirm/reject the Controller’s appointment of Alexandra Shepard as Inspector General (Charter § 3.105J)

  • Alexandra Shepard (Inspector General appointee) described her background: 25+ years of investigative experience as an attorney, including nearly 20 years as a DOJ prosecutor in San Francisco; she noted she was speaking in her personal capacity. She described work on cases including fraud, public corruption, money laundering, bid rigging, price fixing, and obstruction of justice.
  • Controller Greg Wagner supported the appointment and emphasized the recruitment process and the need for a fair, objective partner within the city’s “public integrity ecosystem.”
  • Chair Walton questioned how the IG would prioritize investigations. Shepard emphasized “impact investigations,” highlighting (1) potential to return significant money to the City and (2) outsized deterrence. She cited bid rigging in municipal contracting as an example of a high-dollar impact area.
  • Shepard referenced the Controller’s whistleblower hotline volume, stating it received “close to 700” complaints last year, and described how the IG could focus on more complex matters (similar to the Controller team’s category 1 or 2 items) and coordinate with the DA, City Attorney, and Ethics Commission.
  • In response to a question, Shepard said departmental overtime abuse “could be” an investigative area.
  • Vice Chair Sherrill asked about balancing ROI in dollars versus public trust; Shepard said public trust should be a key factor and noted the IG could pursue matters important to public confidence even if they do not return substantial funds.
  • Shepard also discussed proactive detection using data analytics to identify patterns early.

• Items 3–5 — Assessment Appeals Board appointments/reappointments

  • Item 3 (Board 1, two members; term ending September 4, 2028):
    • Franco Cirelli described financial/real estate credentials (MBA, CPA, CFP, real estate broker; taught real estate at City College) and willingness to serve on any board to help address backlog referenced in news.
    • Jeffrey Jonathan Morris sought reappointment, describing over a decade on Board 1 and providing examples of complex cases (e.g., possessory interest marina slip, large hotel valuation disputes, Millennium Tower matters, Westfield-related value reduction discussions).
    • Nicholas Goldman (noted a name typo as “Gottman”) described being an estate planning attorney with prior real estate/mortgage experience; stated he joined Board 2 in January and was asked to join Board 1.
  • Item 4 (Board 2, three members; term ending September 4, 2028):
    • John Lee sought a fourth term reappointment (serving since 2013), stating caseload increased from “3,000 to 5,000 cases a year” to “over 10,000 cases a year,” and emphasized running efficient, fair hearings.
    • Assessment Appeals Board Administrator Alistair Gibson reported Jose Edmondson-Sabral could not attend due to Achilles tendon surgery and requested to be put back on the calendar for a future meeting.
    • Mervyn Conlon (10+ years on the board) emphasized the need for equitable hearings given disparities in presentation capabilities and noted appraisal experience.
    • Susan “Betsy” Elizabeth Miller sought reappointment, describing litigation experience and emphasizing fairness, questioning, and ensuring both assessor and appellants are heard.
  • Item 5 (Board 3; multiple seats with varying terms):
    • James Reynolds stated he has 25 years as a residential real estate appraiser and 10 years as a board hearing officer.
    • Administrator Alistair Gibson stated Christine Nelson could not attend due to being out of town; he relayed that she sought appointment to Board 3 as an alternate member because she wanted a smaller role than the regular rotation.
    • President Mandelman thanked applicants and stated the City is being “flooded with appeals”; he supported proceeding with Nelson’s alternate appointment based on staff recommendation.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1 — Fillmore Entertainment Zone ordinance: Approved to forward to the full Board with a positive recommendation as a committee report; passed without objection.
• Item 2 — Inspector General confirmation: Committee recommended confirmation as amended (removing “rejecting” language) and forwarded as a committee report for full Board consideration on November 18, 2025; vote 3-0 (Sherrill Aye, Mandelman Aye, Walton Aye).
• Item 3 — Assessment Appeals Board 1 (term ending September 4, 2028):
  • Reappointed Jeffrey Jonathan Morris to Seat 1; appointed Nicholas Goldman to Seat 4; vote 3-0.
• Item 4 — Assessment Appeals Board 2 (term ending September 4, 2028):
  • Reappointed John Lee (Seat 2), Mervyn Conlon (Seat 3), and Susan Miller (Seat 4); vote 3-0.
  • Jose Edmondson-Sabral: continued/held for future scheduling due to medical recovery (Achilles surgery), per administrator’s request.
• Item 5 — Assessment Appeals Board 3:
  • Forwarded appointments: Franco Cirelli (Seat 1), James Reynolds (Seat 4), Christine Nelson (Seat 6, alternate member role as described by staff); vote 3-0.