The San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting on March 9, 2021, addressed a range of issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, budget allocations, housing policies, and code updates. The board approved an emergency ordinance mandating hazard pay for certain retail workers and discussed measures to protect occupants of residential hotels. The meeting also covered vaccine dissemination updates from Mayor Breed. Several key pieces of legislation were introduced, and the board heard public comment on various concerns, including the observation wheel structure in Golden Gate Park. It also had several items that were severed from the For Adoption Without Committee Reference Agenda.
Angela Calvillo, Clerk of the Board, announced that Board Members will participate remotely through videoconference due to the COVID-19 health emergency. The public can provide live comments by dialing a provided telephone number, or submit written comments via email or U.S. Postal Service.
President Walton inquired about corrections to the January 20, 2021, Board Special Meeting Minutes at the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee and the February 2, 2021, Board Regular Meeting Minutes. There were no corrections requested. Supervisor Walton, seconded by Supervisor Peskin, moved to approve the minutes, and the motion carried.
Mayor London N. Breed acknowledged the women on the Board for Women's History Month. She then provided an update on vaccine dissemination in San Francisco, noting that over 196,000 people had received their first dose and over 90,000 had received their second dose. Educators are a priority to return students to in-person learning, with April 12, 2021, as the target date. San Francisco is moving towards entering the Orange Tier.
The Board approved the following ordinances: authorizing the Public Utilities Commission to join the Community Choice Aggregation Joint Powers Authority; settlement of a lawsuit filed by Benito Taylor for $85,000 due to personal injury; settlement of a lawsuit filed by Gayle L. Brownlee for $65,000 regarding an employment dispute; and settlement of a lawsuit filed by Maurice Caldwell for $2,500,000 alleging fabrication of evidence and wrongful conviction.
The board approved an ordinance amending the Building Code to waive fees for certain accessory dwelling unit projects through June 30, 2023, and requiring annual reporting on such waivers. Additionally, they passed an ordinance appropriating $165,000 from the General Reserve in the Department of Building Inspection to provide Accessory Dwelling Unit permit services in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-2021. Supervisor Safai was excused from voting due to a possible conflict of interest.
The Board approved a resolution authorizing the Director of Property, on behalf of the Department of Public Health, to amend the lease of real property for a 33-bed treatment facility located at 1421 Broderick Street at a base rent of $372,510 per year with annual rent increases of 3%, extending the lease through January 31, 2024.
The Board approved an ordinance amending the Administrative Code to establish protections for occupants of residential hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes placing residents meeting isolation/quarantine criteria in solitary hotel rooms, requiring DPH to notify hotels when a resident tests positive for COVID-19, creating a hotline for residents, and providing daily data on COVID-19 incidence among residents.
The board passed the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to exempt certain agreements for the development of the Potrero Yard Modernization Project from Chapters 6, 14B, and 21 of the Administrative Code, while requiring payment of prevailing wages and compliance with local business enterprise utilization and local hire policies.
The Board adopted a resolution authorizing the General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to execute Amendment No. 1 to the New Headworks Facility Construction Management Staff Augmentation Services Agreement, increasing the agreement by $10,000,000 for a total not to exceed amount of $27,000,000 and with a time extension of one year, for a total term of seven years, from June 12, 2017, through June 14, 2024.
The Board adopted a resolution retroactively authorizing the Department of Technology to enter into the Fifth Amendment of an Agreement between the City and County of San Francisco and AT&T Corporation, to extend the term of the agreement by one year for a total term of February 26, 2010, through December 31, 2021, and to increase the not to exceed amount of the agreement by $18,266,199 for a total amount of $140,695,756.
The board adopted a resolution retroactively authorizing the Fire Department to accept and expend a grant in the amount of $636,363.64 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to purchase four mini-pumper apparatus, and another resolution retroactively authorizing the Fire Department to accept and expend a grant in the amount of $883,145.45 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to purchase personal protective equipment.
The Board adopted a resolution retroactively authorizing the Department of Public Health to accept and expend a grant in the amount of $4,545,455 from Kaiser Permanente through the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation to participate in a program, entitled "Adoption of Enterprise Electronic Health Record System," for the period of November 1, 2019, through October 31, 2021.
The board passed on first reading, an ordinance amending the Planning Code by revising Zoning Map Sheet No. ZN07 to rezone Assessor’s Parcel Block No. 3516, Lot Nos. 039, 040, 041, and 042 (118-134 Kissling Street), from Residential Enclave District to Residential Enclave District - Mixed; affirming the Planning Department’s determination under the California Environmental Quality Act.
The board passed on first reading, an ordinance amending the Building Code to implement expanded compliance control and consumer protection provisions for projects, individuals, agents, and entities with a history of significant violations; and affirming the Planning Department’s determination under the California Environmental Quality Act.
The board adopted an amended resolution urging the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Planning Department, Municipal Transportation Agency, Public Works, Fire Department, and Recreation and Park Department to develop a proposal for a permanent Shared Spaces Program, addressing accessibility for people with disabilities. The motion carried by unanimous vote.
The board adopted a resolution initiating a landmark designation under Article 10 of the Planning Code for the Trocadero Clubhouse in Sigmund Stern Recreation Grove located at 2750-19th Avenue; and extending the prescribed time within which the Historic Preservation Commission may render it’s decision by 90 days, for a total of 180 days.
The board adopted resolutions determining that the transfer of a Type-20 off-sale beer and wine liquor license to Gratta Wines at 5299 3rd Street and the transfer of a Type-21 off-sale general license to Mainland Market & Produce at 5601 Geary Boulevard will serve the public convenience or necessity.
The board adopted a resolution urging the Board of Supervisors to save San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Senior Class of 2021 activities by providing support, funds and/or City resources; and, if allowable under current health orders, to be made available to SFUSD Seniors for senior specific activities.
The board adopted a resolution supporting Assembly Constitutional Amendment 3, authored by Assembly Member Sydney Kamlager, and denouncing structural racism and any vestiges of slavery.
The board approved appointments to the Immigrant Rights Commission, dividing the question to consider the appointment of Sarah Souza separately. Supervisor Peskin was excused from voting on the appointment of Sarah Souza. Both the divided question (Sarah Souza) and the remaining balance of the question were approved. The Mayor's nomination for the appointment of Larry Yee to the Police Commission was also approved.
The board held a hearing as a Committee of the Whole to consider a proposed Emergency Ordinance requiring COVID-related hazard pay. Public comment was taken, and after the hearing, the Board of Supervisors reconvened and passed the Emergency Ordinance, as amended, requiring certain retail locations that include grocery stores or pharmacies, and property service contractors for those locations, to pay employees an additional five dollars per hour during the public health emergency related to COVID-19. The President then inquired as to whether any member of the public wished to address the Board. John Gomez; Erica Swager; Ryan McGillis; Jessica Cry; Speaker; spoke in support of the Emergency Ordinance.
The Board passed on first reading an ordinance amending the Police Code to require grocery store, drug store, restaurant, and on-demand delivery service employers to provide health and scheduling protections related to COVID-19 to workers; and to sunset an emergency ordinance with similar requirements.
The Board approved the appointment of Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, for an indefinite term, to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority. Supervisor Mandelman was excused from voting on this matter.
The board heard public comment from various individuals, including concerns about construction deficiencies, the need to return children to in-person learning, sex crimes and public corruption, and a citation received in the Tenderloin.
The board adopted several resolutions without committee reference, including one urging the implementation of a Gender-Equitable Recovery Plan, one honoring Chinese American Women, one urging the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement to administer the Healthy Airport Ordinance, one urging the United States Congress to support a National Director of Gun Violence Prevention, and one recognizing every March as Women's History Month in San Francisco.
The board severed a resolution authorizing construction of an observation wheel structure in Golden Gate Park and referred it to the Rules Committee after hearing extensive public comment both in support and against the observation wheel.
The board approved a motion scheduling the Board of Supervisors to sit as a Committee of the Whole on April 6, 2021, to consider the appointment of a Public Health Officer.
The board adopted an amended resolution recognizing every March as "Endometriosis Awareness Month" in the City and County of San Francisco, amending the definition of endometriosis to be 'a chronic, inflammatory disease characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue found outside the uterus in other areas of the body'.
At roll call, several ordinances and resolutions were introduced for consideration: an ordinance appropriating funds for arts and cultural programs, an ordinance suspending graffiti abatement violations, an ordinance related to fire alarm system upgrades, an ordinance related to electric facilities at development projects, a resolution regarding a grant for 900 Innes Boatyard Park, a resolution regarding an agreement for low-floor diesel-hybrid coaches, a resolution regarding the Office of Early Care and Education, a resolution for homeownership assistance for child care operators, a resolution supporting California Assembly Bill No. 1400 (Guaranteed Health Care for All), a resolution supporting California State Senate Bill No. 299 (Victim Compensation: Use of Force by a Peace Officer), motions related to amending board rules and reversing a common sense exemption, mayoral appointments to the Treasure Island Development Authority and Police Commission, a mayoral nomination of appointment for the Human Resources Director, and several requests for hearings on various topics.
A request from Supervisor Peskin was granted for the City Attorney’s Office to draft legislation creating a passive meeting body, the Refuse Reform Task Force of San Francisco, charged with meeting at monthly intervals for a period of no more than six months, and providing analysis to the Board of Supervisors no later than November 1, 2021 regarding the reform of San Francisco’s waste management service.