Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon and welcome to the September 1st, 2026 regular meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramutu Shaloni, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost, nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects b

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Let's go to approval of our meeting minutes.

Colleagues, could I have a motion to approve the minutes as presented? Moved by Chen, seconded by Cheryl. Madam Clerk, can you please call the roll?

Without objection, the minutes will be approved after public comment as presented. Madam Clerk, let's go to unfinished business. Please call items 1 through 22 together.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Please call the roll.

Without objection, the ordinances are finally passed. Please call item 23.

I think we can take this item. Same house, same call. Without objection, the ordinance is finally passed. And Madam Clerk, please call our new business. Please call Item 24.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Does anyone need a roll call on this? OK. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Oh, Supervisor Sautter.

Make sure this new system is working. Thank you, Board President. I will be voting against this item today. And I do think it has evolved to a better place. I appreciate the committee members for their amendments to get it to this point. But on the whole, I think this has an equal chance of maybe improving some things as it does detracting from what we really should be focused on here, which is a healthier tree canopy and stronger neighborhoods. Specifically, I'm worried about the fact that if we don't plant these trees at the time of construction and development, that we may never get them pl

Thank you so much. This item came out of the Land Use and Transportation Committee, and I will be voting to support it. I just wanted to address a couple of the points that I have heard from many advocates who oppose this legislation and to explain why I'm voting for it. First of all, I wanted to thank my colleague, Supervisor Wong, for his work and his staff's work on this. I do think that it makes it easier for smaller property owners, mostly homeowners on the west side, to add those ADUs to densify their properties, which is what we want. But I also sort of really want to reject some of the

Thank you, President Mandelman. Colleagues, there are a few reasons why I'm voting no on this legislation. First, this legislation makes it more difficult to protect the existing tree canopy by removing the appeals process for city trees slated for removals. In 2018, Cayamita Cuatro was slated to have up to 78 trees removed, and the right to appeal led to a negotiation between and constructive settlement that saved approximately 45 mature trees on the Latino Cultural District's main corridor and added 100 more throughout the cultural district. This will be more difficult in the future with the

Supervisor Mahmoud. Colleagues, I want to thank the sponsors for bringing this legislation forward, and in particular, the in lieu fee option for smaller projects, I believe is a great step to make building the types of projects envisioned by the family zoning plan a little bit easier, while also generating more funds for tree planting and watering citywide. I do want to acknowledge that I also did have misgivings about the legislation coming directly from experience in District 5, particularly around the appeals process. Earlier this year, residents in the Lower Haight and DuBose Triangle lea

I would like to invite a representative of Public Works to maybe come forward and answer a question or two. I had a good conversation with the Director Short earlier today. And the purpose of this is to get some of this stuff just on the record here. I'm a former member of the Board of Appeals. It hurts me to take jurisdiction away from the Board of Appeals. From my conversation with Director Short, it sounds like the way in which these appeals and the number of these appeals to the Board of Appeals has increased significantly with the publication online of information about proposed tree remo

I'm sympathetic to that. I think one of the things that's a little troubling or very troubling is that in the last 10 years, as the city's assumed responsibility for street tree maintenance, we've seen more of them coming out than going in. and I spoke with Director Short about that as well. She believes that that era is coming to an end, that you've done the work of getting rid of many of the trees that needed to be taken out, and that you have the resources and are going to have the resources to be adding at a faster clip than you are removing. But can you talk a little bit about why you and

And you have additional resources for new planting that you have not had over the last few years?

All right. Thank you for answering some questions. And you may sit down. All right. Thanks. Madam Clerk, please call the roll on this item.

And the ordinance is passed on first reading. Madam Clerk, let's go to our 230 Special Order Recognition of Commendations.

OK. May I have vet votes come up? OK. Colleagues, today I'm honored to recognize VetBoats for their extraordinary work supporting our veterans. And as we mark Suicide Prevention Month, we also recognize the vital role that community connection and a renewed sense of purpose can play in veterans' lives. VetBoats is a veteran-led organization that brings veterans together through therapeutic sailing, hands-on boat restoration, maritime skills, and camaraderie. Their programs give veterans an opportunity not only to learn and work together, but also to rebuild confidence, develop meaningful relat

All right. Madam Clerk, let's go to roll call.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Colleagues, today I have one ordinance and one resolution for introduction. Today I'm introducing legislation to help stem the tide of San Francisco's eviction crisis. Evictions in San Francisco hit a 10-year high last year, and data shows that we are on pace for an even higher number of evictions this year. Nonpayment of rent is the reason behind over half of recent eviction proceedings and the true number is likely even higher as landlords are not required to report nonpayment eviction notices to the rent board. Eviction defense attorneys attribute the rise in evictio

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Colleagues, today I am introducing an ordinance to make a minor adjustment to the planning code to extend eligibility for legal nonconforming rear yard structures to include those constructed between 2003, the current cutoff, and 2010. The change is motivated by the experience of two elderly disabled constituents in my district. Sam and Mar are retired mental health professionals. He a marriage and family counselor. She, a licensed clinical psychologist. They spent their careers helping others through crisis and grief. But now in their later years, both are facing their

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Colleagues, at the beginning of this year, I asked the budget and legislative analysts to inventory and report on opportunities for using vacant or surplus city and public properties for housing and other public purposes. And at my request, the BLA has spent the past several months conducting a review of publicly owned properties across the city with the goal of identifying properties with potential for development, secondary uses, or joint development using specific evaluation criteria. They canvassed 30 city departments, agencies, and educational entities, including S

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Colleagues, today I have one in memoriam. I am honoring the life and legacy of Vivian Ann Hopkins, a true daughter of San Francisco. Vivian was raised in Potrero Hill and graduated from Mission High School in 1970. She carried with her throughout her life the values she learned from her mother and grandmother. hard work, determination, integrity, and a deep commitment to community. Vivian built an extraordinary career spanning entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, nonprofit service, and public administration. She brought her talent for organizing, problem solving, and

Colleagues, I'm introducing a resolution to support Congressmember Kevin Mellon's AV Emergency Response Coordination Act. San Francisco has been on the front lines of autonomous vehicle deployment, and we've also seen firsthand what can happen when these vehicles encounter extraordinary circumstances. During last December's major PG&E power outage, and again following the 4th of July fireworks, autonomous vehicles became stranded and in some cases interfered with traffic and emergency operations. This legislation takes a practical approach. It would establish clear national standards for commu

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Colleagues, today I am officially introducing a pair of legislation, the Small Business Tenants Union and the Workers Opportunity to Purchase Act. Today, these legislation with the intention to empower our small businesses and create entrepreneurship opportunities and job security for workers. Over the last few years, as the cost of living and market speculation rises, we have continued to hear stories about longtime small businesses getting forced out, facing the same challenges as tenants, residential tenants in San Francisco. High rent, threats of eviction, unreasona

All right, Madam Clerk, let's go to our 3 p.m. special order. Please call items 25 through 28 together.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. We have before us an appeal of the tentative parcel map approval by Public Works for the project at 2722 to 2724 Folsom Street. After the hearing, the board will vote on whether to approve or conditionally disapprove the decision of Public Works. Unless there are objections, we will proceed as follows. Up to 10 minutes for a presentation by the appellant, also the project sponsor. Then there will be public comment of two minutes per speaker in support of the appeal. Then we will hear a presentation of up to 10 minutes from the city departments. Again, there will be publ

I don't see any questions. Thank you. So we will now open public comment. Up to two minutes, a speaker in support of the appeal.

OK. No, there are zero callers. All right. So public comment in support of the appeal is now closed. And we will now hear for up to 10 minutes from representatives of city departments.

Thank you. I don't see any questions. Oh, I do. Supervisor Fielder.

Thank you, President. For planning, the sole condition of approval here provides that the final subdivision map not be approved until all planning code violations at the property are abated. Is this a typical condition of approval for a tentative map such as this one, and why or why not?

Thank you. And is this a condition that you generally include even in cases where there is not an outstanding notice of violation?

Got it. The owners appear to contest the existence of an unlawful dwelling unit here. How and when did planning determine the existence of a UDU here?

Thank you. And when owners disagree with planning code violations or findings, what is the best way to address these disagreements or request appellate review?

Thank you. And for Public Works, do you have any concerns about the condition that planning has attached to this tentative map approval?

Thank you. Back to you, President Middleman.

All right. Thank you, Supervisor Fielder. So we will now open public comment for members of the public who would like to speak in opposition to the appeal. Again, two minutes to speaker. And Madam Clerk, will you please call the first speaker?

All right, public comment in opposition to the appeal is now closed. And so lastly, we will invite the appellant to present a rebuttal argument of up to three minutes.

All right. If there are no further questions for the appellant, then this public hearing has been held and is now filed. And as previously discussed, we will now consider whether to approve or conditionally disapprove the decision of Public Works and the tentative parcel map. Supervisor Fielder.

Thank you, President Mandelman, and thank you, everyone, for your attention to this matter. I'll keep this brief, as this is an appeal on a very narrow issue. I've reviewed the record, including the appellant's materials and the responses from the departments, and also considered the testimony here today. I am persuaded that Public Works and Planning have the authority to impose the disputed condition on this tentative map approval. and that they properly did so. I do not find the evidence or arguments presented by the appellant to support removal of the condition. I'm therefore inclined to up

There was a second. Was that Walton? OK. A motion has been made by Supervisor Fielder. A second from Supervisor Walton. And on that motion, Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Without objection, item 26 is approved and items 27 and 28 are tabled. Madam Clerk, let's go to general public comment.

Madam Clerk, there are no callers in the queue.

Public comment is now closed. Madam Clerk, please call the for adoption without committee reference agenda items 31 through 33 together.

Do I have the new system right? I do. Could I sever item number 33, please? OK.

Supervisor Wong. I'd like to add my name as a co-sponsor to item 31. OK.

I think that's everybody. All right, Madam Clerk, can you please call the roll on items 31 and 32? On items 31 and 32, Supervisor Wong.

Without objection, the resolutions are adopted. Please call item 33.

Colleagues, today I am very pleased to be voting on this resolution recognizing September 2026 as National Service Dog Month here in San Francisco. Since 1975, Canine Companions has provided expertly trained dogs, service dogs, excuse me, free of charge to adults, children, and veterans with disabilities, as well as facility dogs to healthcare, education, and criminal justice professionals. Locally, the San Francisco South Bay Chapter carries this mission forward, raising awareness, recruiting volunteers, and building community across Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, and San Francisco count

All right. I think we can take this item. Same house, same call. Without objection, the resolution is adopted. Madam Clerk, do we have any imperative agenda items?

Madam Clerk, do we have any further business before us today?