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Board continues public hearing on draft reparations plan and dreamkeeper initiative to March 14
Summary
The board continued a scheduled Feb. 7 public hearing on the draft San Francisco reparations plan and Dreamkeeper Initiative to March 14 after a handful of in-person and remote public comments urging timely action.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Feb. 7 continued a scheduled public hearing on the city’s draft reparations plan and Dreamkeeper Initiative to March 14, after several speakers urged the board to proceed without delay.
President Peskin opened the committee-of-the-whole session for the hearing but said the chief sponsor was unable to attend and requested a continuance. Supervisor Dorsey moved to continue the item to March 14; Supervisor Ronan seconded the motion and the board took the motion without objection.
Public comment and themes
Reverend Amos Brown, identified as president of the San Francisco branch of the NAACP and senior pastor of Third Baptist Church, told the board he was disappointed the hearing would not occur during Black History Month and urged the board to show “the moral compass to show some love for African Americans in this city.” He told the board that “justice delayed is justice denied” and said the continuance was a setback in the city’s reparative work.
Other callers and in-person speakers urged prompt action and described historical and present harms. Kurt Bradford Young, identified as a Mission District resident and small-business owner, said his life experience gave him perspective on why reparations mattered and urged the city to deliver on promises. Gloria Berry, a member of the Reparations Committee who called in remotely, said she was disappointed by the continuance and noted the advisory committee’s 111 recommendations should not be reduced to a small subset of proposals.
Procedural notes
Interpreters were introduced for the hearing; the clerk indicated interpreters would provide language assistance when speakers used languages other than English. The board set a two-minute timer for public speakers during the hearing and gave priority to in-person commenters before callers on the remote queue.
What’s next
The item was formally continued to March 14. The clerk and board presidents said that members of the public will be able to speak at that future hearing and that interpreters will be present. Several speakers asked the board to expedite follow-up work and to treat the advisory committee’s recommendations comprehensively rather than narrowing the focus.
Ending
The continuance paused the scheduled Feb. 7 presentation and public-comment period; supervisors and committee members signaled the item will return on March 14 for a full committee-of-the-whole hearing.
