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San Francisco Board of Appeals elects Kendall Goh president, Michael Garcia vice president amid public concerns about board qualifications
Summary
At its Jan. 19 meeting the San Francisco Board of Appeals elected Kendall Goh president (5–0) and Michael Garcia vice president (3–2). Public commenters urged the board to be more receptive to neighborhood concerns and to observe Brown Act and Sunshine Ordinance obligations.
Kendall Goh was elected president of the San Francisco Board of Appeals at its Jan. 19 meeting and Michael Garcia was chosen vice president after two roll‑call votes. President Tanya Peterson nominated Goh; the motion to elevate her passed unanimously. A subsequent nomination contest produced a 3–2 vote elevating Garcia to vice president.
The votes followed public comment and a curbside discussion about board qualifications and responsiveness. Ray Hartz, director of San Francisco Open Government, told the panel it should welcome public concerns and comply with the Brown Act and the city’s Sunshine Ordinance when members of the public raise questions about operations and procedures. "I would like to see a more open attitude of this board toward members of the public when they raise what I feel are legitimate issues," Hartz said during public comment.
Board members thanked outgoing officers for their service. Commissioners noted the need for clear procedures and accurate minutes; a later clerical correction to the Jan. 12 minutes was adopted by the board.
The officer elections set the membership for the year and framed the panel’s tone for subsequent agenda items, during which several community appeals and enforcement matters drew extended public testimony and debate.
