Board swaps appointee on Citizens Committee on Community Development after divided vote

The Board of Supervisors amended a Rules Committee appointment and approved a revised slate for the Citizens Committee on Community Development, replacing Nicole Rivera with community organizer Charlie Chamas as one of the board-appointed members.

The Rules Committee had forwarded the names Utuma Belfry, Peter Cohen and Nicole Rivera for the board’s appointments. Supervisor John Avalos moved to replace Rivera’s nomination with Charlie Chamas, citing Chamas’s long-standing neighborhood work on community development. The motion to amend was seconded by Supervisor Mar and drew debate across the board.

Supporters of the swap praised Chamas’s decade‑plus community work and his role strengthening neighborhood participation in development decisions. Opponents argued Rivera brings valuable connections and that the Rules Committee had already vetted candidates; some supervisors warned against using employer affiliation as the sole criterion for appointment.

The amendment passed 6–5 on a roll-call vote. The board then approved the motion as amended, confirming the appointments with the same 6–5 margin. The board’s roll-call exchanges indicated the decision was closely divided; the Rules Committee’s original recommendations were therefore modified by the full board.

Supervisors and speakers urged both the newly appointed members and those not selected to continue contributing to community development work in other roles and commissions.