Votes at a glance: Board approves multiple ordinances and resolutions, rejects one major housing subsidy measure

At its Oct. 21, 2008 meeting the San Francisco Board of Supervisors took roll‑call action on a long consent calendar and a series of regular calendar items. The board approved a number of ordinances and resolutions (many by roll call) and rejected one high‑profile housing subsidy ordinance (see separate coverage of Item 22). The following summarizes key formal actions recorded in the meeting transcript.

Key ordinances and resolutions (selected)

- Item 18 — Laguna Honda Hospital replacement project (ordinance appropriating approximately $26,000,000 of tobacco settlement revenues and approximately $26,000,000 of 1999 Laguna Honda Hospital G.O. bond interest earnings): Ordinance finally passed. Roll call recorded 10 ayes and 1 no; the transcript records “There are 10 ayes, 1 no. Ordinance is finally passed.”

- Item 19 — Affordable housing preference (ordinance to provide preference to certificate‑of‑preference holders under the Redevelopment Agency program): Ordinance finally passed by unanimous roll call (11 ayes).

- Item 20 — North Beach Neighborhood Commercial District (planning code amendment to limit new bars/restaurants): Ordinance finally passed (10 ayes, 1 no on final vote as recorded).

- Item 21 — Subdivision code amendment extending a condominium conversion prioritization lottery for seniors: Ordinance finally passed (9 ayes recorded after recusals; three supervisors were recused for the item).

- Item 23 — Crystal Springs Bypass tunnel (ordinance appropriating approximately $86,000,000 of bond proceeds for the water system improvement program): Ordinances passed on first reading (11 ayes recorded in the transcript).

- Item 24 — Grant acceptance for clean air vehicles (Department of the Environment accept and expend approximately $210,000): Ordinance passed on first reading (same house, same call).

- Item 28 — Sheriff’s Department contract amendment with Aramark Correctional Services (increase contract from $15.2M to not exceed $24M; extend term to 6/30/2010): Resolution adopted (same house, same call).

- Item 31 — Agreement with PRWT Services, Inc. for citation processing services in an amount not to exceed approximately $53,000,000: Resolution adopted by roll call (transcript records 11 ayes).

- Items 48–55 — Redevelopment Agency ground leases and related ground‑lease authorizations (Mercy Housing Westbrook Plaza project; South of Market clinic; Armstrong Place senior housing; Octavia Court supportive housing): Staff presented leases and the board approved the resolutions. The transcript records roll calls and adoption; for example, on items 49, 50, 51 and 55 the roll call recorded nine ayes when certain members were absent.

- Items 59–64 — Adoption‑without‑committee items (scheduling committee of the whole on the economy; International Credit Union Day; grants and recognitions): Adopted by unanimous roll call (11 ayes on adoption calendar).

Notable contested item and procedural votes

- Item 22 — Rental subsidy program for low‑income families: The board voted 5 ayes and 6 noes; the measure failed (see separate article).

- Item 30 — Lease of property at 1700–1740 Seventeenth Street (Police Department lease): The item generated debate, and the board initially adopted the resolution by roll call (the transcript records “The resolution is adopted”). Later in the meeting a motion to rescind and re‑refer to committee was introduced and put to roll call; that motion failed on a 4–7 vote, so the original adoption stood. (Transcript records a sequence of a vote adopting the resolution, an attempted rescission and referral, and the referral motion later failing.)

How votes were recorded in the transcript

Votes on many consent items and routine resolutions were handled as “same house, same call” or by a single roll call; where roll calls occurred the clerk read members’ names and recorded each supervisor’s vote. For several substantial items (financial appropriations, land transfers, and multi‑million‑dollar contracts) the transcript records explicit tallies and the final outcome (approved/failed/passed on first reading). Where supervisors were recused the transcript records individual recusals and adjusted totals.

If you need the verbatim roll‑call record for a specific ordinance or resolution (individual supervisor votes as captured in the transcript), note the item number and the reporter will extract the roll‑call lines verbatim from the meeting record.