Board adopts multiple ordinances, resolutions and appointments; key votes on business vacancy taxes, homelessness funding and housing grants

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors considered and voted on multiple ordinances, resolutions and appointments at its Feb. 11 regular meeting. Several items were passed on a consent or "same house, same call" basis; a handful of items required individual roll calls.

Highlights

- Minutes: The board approved the minutes from the Jan. 8, 2025 inaugural board meeting (roll call: 11 ayes).

- Item 6 (Ordinance): Amendments to the business and tax regulations code relating to commercial vacancy tax exemptions under Article 29, Section 2909 of the Business and Tax Regulations Code were finally passed; the clerk noted final passage requires a two‑thirds affirmative vote (8 votes) and the board took the measure on the same house call.

- Item 7 (Ordinance): An ordinance amending the Administrative Code to provide core initiatives intended to strengthen the city's response to homelessness, substance use and mental‑health crises passed 10–1 (Supervisor Walton voted no).

- Item 8 (Appropriation): The board appropriated $526,000 from the general reserve to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to support two‑hour free parking in the Portsmouth Square garage and transit fares for Lunar New Year events (vote: 11 ayes; passed on first reading). See the transit article for details.

- Item 9 (Resolution): The board authorized the Human Services Agency to apply for and accept an allocation from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (approx. $4,200,000 for transitional housing and $630,000 for housing navigation and maintenance) to assist young adults; the clerk announced the resolution was adopted without objection.

- Item 10 (Grant agreement): The board approved a retroactive grant agreement with Young Community Developers for programs including Black to the Future and a school site mentoring program for a five‑year term (07/01/2024–06/30/2029) totaling approximately $12,400,000. Supervisor Shamann Walton requested to be excused from participating; the roll call on the item showed 10 ayes with Walton excused.

- Item 11 (Contract amendment): First amendment to an agreement with Bay Community Resources for several youth and career pathway programs, increasing the contract amount by $1,500,000 for a new five‑year term (through 06/30/2029) — adopted (11 ayes).

- Item 12 (Resolution): Approval of water capital improvement programs and a water system improvement program budgeted at $80,000,000 with an anticipated 10‑year timeframe (April 2025–March 2035) — adopted without objection.

- Item 13 (Lease/amendment): A third amendment to a lease/use and operating agreement related to BART station facilities at San Francisco International Airport, providing a rent credit in support of BART's next‑generation fair gates replacement project (amount: $3,150,000) — adopted without objection.

- Item 14 (Grant amendment): Fourth amendment to a grant agreement with Catholic Charities for rapid rehousing for families, extending the term by 16 months and increasing the amount by approximately $4,700,000 for a new total of $14,500,000 — adopted without objection.

- Item 15 (Ordinance): An ordinance approving an amended airport surveillance technology policy (automated license plate readers, ground transportation management system and parking guidance) passed first reading on the same house call.

- Items 16–23 (Appointments): The board approved a slate of appointments and excusals to regional boards and commissions (Bay Area Air Quality Management District, SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission, Golden Gate Bridge District, MTC and others); roll calls showed votes consistent with each motion and several supervisors were excused from voting on items that directly appointed them.

- Item 24 (Military equipment use policy): Referred back to the Rules Committee for amendment after a motion by Supervisor Rebecca Chen and a second by Supervisor Shamann Walton; the motion to send back passed 11–0. (See separate article for details on this referral and the proposed amendments.)

- Items 25–27 (Committee reports): Resolutions and ordinances forwarded as committee reports, including authorization for certain solicited donations for services under behested payment waivers and a planning/health code amendment for inclusionary housing non‑potable water exemptions, were adopted as noted in committee reports.

- Item 30 (Adopted without committee reference): A resolution introduced for adoption without committee reference was approved unanimously (11 ayes) on first reading.

Context and procedure

Many items were handled on the consent calendar or with the clerk's "same house, same call" procedure when sponsors indicated no objection. Where a supervisor requested excusal from a vote because of personal connections (for example, Supervisor Walton and item 10), the clerk recorded the excusal and the roll was called for the remaining members. Several items required or noted specific vote thresholds; the clerk verbally confirmed when a two‑thirds vote or other threshold was needed.

What the record does not show

For items approved without debate or sent on "same house" call, the public transcript and roll calls show outcomes but do not include detailed committee deliberations or the full contract texts; those are available in the ordinance/resolution files and committee reports referenced by each item.

For more detail on any individual ordinance, resolution or contract amendment listed here, staff reports and committee minutes provide the formal texts and fiscal analyses.