San Francisco Rules Committee Meeting – April 20, 2026

The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on April 20, 2026, at approximately 10:15 AM (transcript starts at 18:15 UTC, but the meeting is morning local time). Chair Supervisor Shimon Walton presided, joined by Vice Chair Supervisor Stephen Sherrill and President Supervisor Raphael Mandelman. The clerk was Victor Young. The committee considered eight items: appointment continuations, cultural district designation, entertainment zones, and board appointments.

Consent Calendar

• Item 8 (Behavioral Health Commission) was continued to the call of the chair without public comment.
• Item 6 (Jeanette Howard reappointment to Treasure Island Development Authority) was continued to the call of the chair because the candidate was not present.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 2 (Glen Park Entertainment Zone): Shane, co-owner of Glen Park Station Bar, spoke in favor, stating the zone would boost community engagement and revenue for local businesses, and noted the success of prior night markets funded by the Civic Joy Foundation.
• Item 7 (Sugary Drink Distributor Tax Advisory Committee): No public comments were made.
• No public comments were made on any other items.

Discussion Items

• Item 1 (Pacific Islander Cultural District): Chair Walton presented the ordinance to establish the district in Visitation Valley and Sunnydale. He noted it had passed unanimously at the Historic Preservation Commission. President Mandelman added himself as a co-sponsor. The item was moved to the full board as a committee report with positive recommendation.
• Item 2 (Glen Park Entertainment Zone): President Mandelman described the zone as permitting restaurants and bars to sell alcohol for outdoor consumption during events, inspired by COVID-era adaptations. He credited the Merchants Association and Glen Park Association for the plan. No questions were raised by colleagues. The item was sent to the full board.
• Item 3 (Upper Fillmore Entertainment Zone): Vice Chair Sherrill presented the zone, emphasizing support for events like the Fillmore Jazz Festival. He thanked Ben Van Houten, the Fillmore Merchants Association, and Supervisor Mahmood. No questions were raised. The item was sent to the full board.
• Items 4–6 (Treasure Island Development Authority Reappointments):
  • Item 4: Timothy Rayoff spoke, citing phase two projects including behavioral health buildings and Bay FC breaking ground.
  • Item 5: Linda Fadiki Richardson spoke, highlighting her experience in community development, transportation, and her focus on housing and sustainability. She mentioned an upcoming major announcement about scaling housing.
  • Item 6: Jeanette Howard was not present. The committee voted to continue the item.
  • For items 4 and 5, the committee amended the motions to replace "rejecting" with "approve" and sent them to the full board with positive recommendation.
• Item 7 (Sugary Drink Distributor Tax Advisory Committee): Two applicants presented:
  • Dr. John Ma, a general surgeon and former committee member (2019–2021), described his work on the San Francisco soda tax (Prop E and Prop V) and cited global progress from 20 to nearly 120 taxing nations since 2016. He advocated for doubling the tax and making it a special tax, referencing a 2025 JAMA paper.
  • Rodha Galeb (called as "Rada Belet"), a registered dental hygienist with a master's in public health, works at Health Right 360 and leads a food pharmacy program. She emphasized integrating nutrition into oral health care and applying a community-based perspective.
  • Vice Chair Sherrill moved to forward Dr. John Ma to the full board. The motion passed without objection.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1 (Pacific Islander Cultural District): Moved to full board as committee report with positive recommendation (unanimous: Sherrill aye, Mandelman aye, Walton aye).
• Item 2 (Glen Park Entertainment Zone): Moved to full board as committee report with positive recommendation for consideration on April 21, 2026 (unanimous).
• Item 3 (Upper Fillmore Entertainment Zone): Moved to full board as committee report with positive recommendation for April 21, 2026 (unanimous).
• Item 4 (Timothy Rayoff reappointment): Motion to amend (strike "rejecting", insert "approve") and recommend passed (unanimous).
• Item 5 (Linda Fadiki Richardson reappointment): Same amendment and recommendation passed (unanimous).
• Item 6 (Jeanette Howard reappointment): Continued to the call of the chair (unanimous).
• Item 7 (Sugary Drink Distributor Tax Advisory Committee): Dr. John Ma forwarded to full board for seat three (unanimous).