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Board of Appeals temporarily accepts SFGTV video as official record after court‑reporter bids fail
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Appeals on July 9 suspended its rule requiring a court reporter until a new contract is secured and designated SFGTV recordings/DVDs as the board—s interim official record, voting 5–0 after brief public comment and staff explanation.
The San Francisco Board of Appeals voted unanimously on July 9 to suspend an internal rule that requires a court reporter at every meeting and to designate the SFGTV recording and DVD as the board—s interim official record while the city reissues a court‑reporter contract.
President Michael Garcia told the board staff had solicited bids through the purchasing department for transcription services but received no responsive offers. Deputy City Attorney Catherine Barnes said the purchasing office may reissue the solicitation and that the interim policy would remain in place until a contract is awarded or other purchasing remedies are implemented.
During public comment David Pilpel urged adoption of the interim rule, calling the court‑reporter requirement "a bit of an antiquated requirement" and recommending the board review the rule in the future. "Given the current circumstances, I would recommend adoption of the interim policy," Pilpel said.
Vice President Frank Fung moved to adopt the interim policy. The board voted 5–0 to approve the motion; board staff noted DVDs remain available for purchase and that any party could transcribe the DVD or bring a private court reporter for a party‑requested official transcript.
The board instructed staff to work with purchasing on next steps to obtain a court‑reporter contract and to clarify notice procedures for obtaining transcripts in the interim.
