Committee recommends suspending private‑property graffiti citations, waiving fees back to Jan. 1, 2021

Supervisor Gordon Marr, chair of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee, moved on April 8 that the committee recommend to the full Board of Supervisors an ordinance that would temporarily suspend the portion of the city's graffiti abatement law that allows citations to private owners and would waive pending fees and fines back to Jan. 1, 2021.

The committee recorded a unanimous recommendation to the Board: Vice Chair Catherine Stephanie, Supervisor Matt Haney and Chair Marr each voted "aye" and the item will be scheduled for the full Board on April 20.

Why it matters: proponents said the measure shifts the burden for cleanup off small businesses at a moment when many merchants are financially fragile. Sponsor Supervisor Ronan told the committee the ordinance "will temporarily suspend citations to business and property owners for graffiti" and noted reports from merchants who said they had been repeatedly tagged and then cited by the city while trying to recover during the pandemic. "Specifically, this legislation will suspend the portion of the graffiti ordinance that allows citations to be issued to private owners for the duration of the emergency order and waives any pending fees or fines back to 01/01/2021," Ronan said during remarks.

Supporters at public comment included small business owners who described repeated tagging and short abatement timelines. Elizabeth Vasquez, whose business on Fourth Street had been painted over multiple times, called for fees to be waived because merchants are "just trying to survive." Mission merchant advocates asked the city to consider paint kits, mural programs and other investments so that businesses have attractive, graffiti‑resistant solutions.

What the ordinance does and does not do: the legislation, as described to the committee, would pause the city code provision that authorizes issuing citations to private owners for graffiti abatement and would waive specified unpaid assessment fees and fines within the stated retroactive window. The city would remain responsible for graffiti removal on public property and retain authority to respond quickly to hate‑speech or offensive public graffiti. The committee's recommendation does not itself change the code; it forwards the ordinance to the full Board for consideration and vote.

Next steps: the ordinance was recommended to the Board of Supervisors for its April 20 meeting. The full Board will consider the measure and any amendments, including details on scope, time limits and whether additional funds or programs will be paired with enforcement changes.

Notes: the committee discussion referenced the Public Works Code graffiti provisions and the Small Business Commission's February resolution urging relief for merchants. The clerk noted the item would be agendized for the April 20 Board meeting upon approval by this committee.