Rules Committee forwards three nominees to Animal Care and Control Commission

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee on Sept. 9 recommended three candidates to fill three openings on the city’s Animal Care and Control Commission, moving incumbents Russell Tonofsky and Jane Tobin and nominee Michelangelo Torres forward with a positive recommendation to the full board.

The recommendation, made by Committee Chair Supervisor Hillary Ronan and adopted without objection, covers seats 4, 5 and 6. Ronan said she wanted a mix of continuity and community representation, and noted the value of having a nominee able to reach Latinx neighborhoods.

The committee heard presentations from all applicants. Michelangelo Torres described 33 years in San Francisco and 25 years at Golden Gate University, where he said he manages security and purchasing, and recounted long-standing volunteer work with rescues and shelter programs. "I've adopted a number of animals, particularly dogs, many of them senior, special needs," Torres said, describing rescue and foster experience and online outreach work.

Incumbent Russell Tonofsky, who introduced himself as a six-year member and past vice chair of the commission, summarized his record of bringing action items through the commission and to the full board. He also told supervisors the commission has difficulty fulfilling basic administrative duties because it lacks a Board sponsor and a clerk, which prevents timely posting of agendas and materials. "We can't post our information on our meeting notes, our agenda, our action items on the website," Tonofsky said, describing the operational hurdle.

Jane Tobin, another incumbent, highlighted more than two decades of volunteer work with Animal Care and Control, her role founding Friends of Animal Care and Control, and the commission’s recent public engagement on feral kitten policy.

Public commenters included the commission chair, Anne Marie Fortier, who urged support for the incumbents and cited the commission’s attendance and ongoing technology issues. One member of the public urged stricter rules for dogs in public areas, including muzzling for animals who bite or threaten children.

Action and next steps: Chair Ronan moved to forward Russell Tonofsky for seat 4, Jane Tobin for seat 5 and Michelangelo (Michael Angelo in some filings) Torres for seat 6 with a positive recommendation; the motion passed without objection and will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for final confirmation.

Authorities, clarifying details and provenance: The clerk read the agenda item as a hearing to consider appointments to the Animal Care and Control Commission; the committee identified seats 4, 5 and 6 as open. The nomination and discussion appear in the meeting transcript from the clerk reading the item through the committee's motion to forward (transcript segments beginning SEG 091; topic evidence spans: topicintro SEG 091 - topfinish SEG 841).

The committee did not take a roll-call vote on this item; the motion was adopted "without objection."