Ethics commission moves executive‑director evaluation to closed session and votes not to disclose outcome

The San Francisco Ethics Commission voted to go into executive session for the performance evaluation of Executive Director St. Croix and later voted not to disclose its closed‑session deliberations or the evaluation.

At the meeting, commissioners debated whether the personnel matter should be public. A motion to go into private session for the evaluation was moved and seconded and carried, and the commission entered executive session. Members of the public urged the commission to keep personnel matters open, arguing the public should see the commission’s directions to the executive director. Ray Hartz said evaluations “ought to be open to the public so we can see what your directions to the Executive Director are.”

After returning to open session the commission considered whether to disclose any aspect of the performance evaluation. A motion that the Ethics Commission not disclose its closed‑session deliberation or the public employee performance evaluation passed unanimously.

The meeting proceeded to other agenda items including approval of minutes and the executive director’s public report on open‑data improvements. The decision to withhold disclosure closes the public record on the substance of the evaluation at this meeting; the commission cited personnel‑privacy norms in its discussion.