Board committee forwards ordinance creating limited amnesty for properties tied to Santos and Curran fraud schemes

The Budget and Finance Committee on Friday voted to amend and forward to the full Board of Supervisors an ordinance (File No. 250191) creating a time‑limited amnesty program for properties identified in the Department of Building Inspection—9s (DBI) internal quality control audit tied to work by engineer Rodrigo Santos and former inspector Bernard Curran.

The ordinance, introduced by Board President Rafael Mandelman, would waive specified planning code enforcement, waive planning and DBI fees tied to abating the identified violations, and provide refunds to owners who already paid those fees. Chair Supervisor Connie Chan moved the amendment proposed by Mandelman and to forward the ordinance to the full board with the committee—9s positive recommendation; the motion passed on a 3-0 roll call (Vice Chair Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Member Angadio and Chair Chan voting aye).

Why it matters: The ordinance responds to an internal DBI audit of properties that had contact with Santos and Curran amid criminal prosecutions of both men. Mandelman said the measure is designed to relieve property owners "who were unwittingly and through no fault of their own swept up in the sad and sorry saga of Rodrigo Santos and Bernard Curran." The program aims to limit additional financial burdens from fees and penalties for a defined subset of affected owners.

Key facts and discussion - Scope of affected properties: DBI staff described an initial population of 5,445 properties that were identified as having been touched by Santos or same-day inspections by Curran. DBI—9s final audit found no imminent life‑safety hazards but flagged a small share of properties for unauthorized or out‑of‑scope work. The Budget and Legislative Analyst (BLA) report cited 177 properties flagged in the audit, of which 136 had received notices of violation and 41 remained under investigation. Earlier remarks in the hearing also referenced roughly 130 audited properties with unauthorized work; the transcript reflected both figures. - Amnesty mechanics: According to DBI staff, property owners who seek amnesty would be required to certify existing conditions, use a streamlined permit pathway, complete required work, and finalize permits. Mandelman said the ordinance would allow owners to come forward within a multiyear window (the ordinance text circulated with the file and comments referenced a five‑year period; the BLA report noted a three‑year application window); that timing is recorded in the legislative file and should be verified in the ordinance language forwarded to the full board. - Cost and budget: The BLA estimated the revenue impact of fee waivers at about $925,000, mostly DBI fees. BLA staff reported DBI indicated it can absorb the lost fee revenue without an impact on services. - Policy concerns: The BLA report noted two policy issues: the amnesty language assumes property owners did not collude with Santos or Curran; separately, the audit scope limited review to properties tied to Santos and same‑day inspections by Curran, meaning other properties inspected by Curran outside that scope may not be covered and could pose outstanding issues. The Planning Commission recommended excluding persons and entities on the city—9s expanded compliance control program from the amnesty; planning staff said that recommendation had not been incorporated into the draft ordinance circulated to the committee.

Record of votes and committee action Chair Supervisor Connie Chan moved to adopt President Mandelman—9s proposed amendment to the ordinance and forward the amended legislation to the full board as the committee—9s report. The committee voted by roll call: Vice Chair Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Member Angadio, and Chair Chan voted "aye." The motion passed 3-0 and the item was forwarded to the full Board of Supervisors for consideration later the same day.

What remains unsettled The hearing transcript records some inconsistent figures and timelines across presenters: the total number of audited properties flagged in various statements (about 130; 177; 5,445 total touched) and differing multiyear windows (three years cited by the BLA; five years referenced by DBI/presenter). The ordinance language in the legislative file (File No. 250191) will control these specifics when the full board considers the item. Committee members and staff also noted open questions about whether any property owners colluded with the convicted actors and whether additional properties outside the audit—9s scope require review.

Public comment and next steps No members of the public spoke during the committee—9s public comment period on this item. The committee forwarded the amended ordinance to the Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation; the full board will consider the ordinance along with the committee report on today—9s meeting agenda.

Acknowledgments and file references The ordinance was introduced as File No. 250191. Committee members and staff who spoke about the item included Board President Rafael Mandelman, DBI staff member Tate Hanna, Budget and Legislative Analyst Nick Menard, and planning department staff Adrien Maloney. The committee record notes prior review by the Code Advisory Committee, the Building Inspection Commission, and the Planning Commission, each of which recommended approval before the committee hearing.