San Francisco Rules Committee Regular Meeting - November 9, 2026

The San Francisco Rules Committee, chaired by Supervisor Shimon Walton and joined by Supervisor Matt Dorsey and later President Rafael Mandelman, met on Monday, November 9, 2026, to consider three agenda items: exempting Port of San Francisco resilience projects from fiscal feasibility requirements, establishing a private right of action for tourist hotel violations of the Healthy Buildings Ordinance, and making appointments to the Immigrant Rights Commission. All votes were unanimous.

Port of San Francisco Resilience Projects Exemption (Agenda Item 1)

• Presentation: Helen, an analyst with the Port’s Waterfront Resilience Program, presented Ordinance 261087, which would exempt certain port capital improvement projects addressing flooding, sea level rise, and seismic risks from the requirement to submit a fiscal feasibility study (Chapter 29 of the Administrative Code) before initiating environmental review. She noted that the program meets Chapter 29 criteria (projects >$25 million, >$1 million in public funds) and that preparing each compliance report takes 6–9 months, while each year of delay could add $31–$110 million in present value costs. Similar exemptions were granted to SFMTA and SFPUC in 2018. The port has already completed extensive cost-benefit analyses via the 2020 Embarcadero Seawall Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment and a July 2026 flood study. Next steps include submitting a CEQA application by the end of the year.
• Speaker Support: Supervisor Matt Dorsey, co-sponsor, emphasized that strengthening the seawall is an existential, life‑safety imperative and that the exemption removes unnecessary delay without sacrificing accountability. He noted that Chapter 29 was designed for discretionary projects, not necessary resilience work.
• Public Comment: One speaker supported the exemption but asked the committee to ensure data and figures on long-term program costs remain publicly available to uphold accountability.
• Key Outcomes: The committee voted unanimously (Dorsey, Mandelman, Walton all aye) to forward the ordinance to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation.

Private Right of Action for Tourist Hotel Violations of the Healthy Buildings Ordinance (Agenda Item 2)

• Presentation: Supervisor Shamann Walton (on behalf of Supervisor Chen, who presented) introduced Ordinance 241212, which would create a private right of action allowing tourist hotel employees or their unions to file civil lawsuits against hotels that violate cleaning and disease prevention standards (the Healthy Buildings Ordinance, passed in 2020). The amendment would require a credible finding by the Department of Public Health before a suit could proceed. Supervisor Chen requested the file be duplicated: the original to advance with a positive recommendation, and the duplicate to be held for further amendments.
• Debate: Supervisor Dorsey expressed general support for enforcement but noted concerns about private rights of action. He moved to amend the ordinance by deleting language on page 9 (lines 14–20) regarding factors courts may consider for civil penalties. The amendment passed unanimously. President Mandelman supported moving the original forward while allowing continued conversations with stakeholders.
• Public Comment: Speakers included Alex Bash (CEO, Hotel Council of San Francisco), who noted the industry has not yet recovered and asked for time to negotiate a compromise; Lizzie Tapia (President, Unite Here Local 2), who emphasized the need to enforce existing law; and several hotel workers who described the physical toll of cleaning rooms left unscheduled for days. The San Francisco Labor Council supported the bill, while San Francisco Travel asked for a reasonable response period for hotels. An individual speaker supported the enforcement mechanism and urged DPH to use data for accountability.
• Key Outcomes: The committee unanimously approved the amendment, then unanimously voted to forward the original ordinance (as amended) to the full board with a positive recommendation. The duplicate file was continued to the call of the chair for further work.

Appointments to the Immigrant Rights Commission (Agenda Item 3)

• Presentation: The committee considered five seats (one term ending June 6, 2027; two ending June 6, 2028; and two ending June 6, 2029). Four applicants appeared: Cesar Moreno (new applicant, seat 2), Laura Padilla (reappointment, seat 5), and two absent but supported reappointments—Jesse Ruiz Navarro (seat 1) and Adubu Traoré (seat 9, requiring a residency waiver). Supervisor Chen expressed support for the three reappointments, citing their diverse perspectives from youth, the African diaspora, and the trans Latino community.
• Public Comment: John Ellis (speaking individually) urged the commission to use data to solve cross‑agency document deadline problems. Sarah Souza, chair of the Immigrant Rights Commission, spoke in support of the reappointments, noting their work on economic opportunity, health access, and human rights.
• Key Outcomes: The committee unanimously voted to reappoint Jesse Ruiz Navarro to seat 1, appoint Cesar Moreno to seat 2, reappoint Laura Padilla to seat 5, and reappoint Adubu Traoré to seat 9 (with a residency waiver), and forward these appointments to the full board with a positive recommendation.