Rules Committee advances several board appointments; Balboa Park CAC seat confirmed over dissent

The San Francisco Rules Committee on Thursday advanced a package of appointments to city advisory bodies and voted 2–1 to confirm a contested Balboa Park Station Community Advisory Committee seat.

Chair Katie Tang convened the committee and the clerk reminded the room that items acted on would be placed on the Board of Supervisors agenda on June 7, 2016. The panel heard presentations from applicants for multiple advisory bodies, including the Child Care Planning and Advisory Council, the Local Homeless Coordinating Board, the Assessment Appeals Board, the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, the Mental Health Board and the Balboa Park Station Community Advisory Committee.

Kelly Dotson, identified on the agenda as the lone applicant for the District 1 seat on the Child Care Planning and Advisory Council, described nearly 20 years working in early childhood and school‑age care and said parents and aftercare staff need more funding and training. "There's so much to be done for funding and training for school age care," Dotson told the committee, saying she wanted to represent parents who rely on after‑school programs. Supervisor Eric Marr offered a strong endorsement; the committee moved and approved her appointment by unanimous consent.

On the Local Homeless Coordinating Board seat, the committee heard from an applicant who identified himself as James and described more than 40 years of public‑health and homelessness work in San Francisco, including program implementation dating to Camp Agnos. "I don't think [homelessness] can be resolved by the local homeless coordinating committee," he told the supervisors, adding the board can influence policy and work with city departments. Helena Brook, executive director of the Mental Health Advisory Board, spoke in support. The committee voted to forward his nomination with a positive recommendation.

Joseph Michael Lake, the nominee for the Assessment Appeals Board, summarized his background as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor and said his document‑review and analytic experience would translate to the appeals role. Supervisors asked about relevant experience and short‑term rental registration; Lake said he is completing the city's business‑registration steps. The committee approved his nomination by unanimous consent.

The committee reappointed Howard Strassner and Howard Bloomberg to the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee after Strassner reviewed his decades of pedestrian‑safety advocacy and urged renewed emphasis on Vision Zero efforts. Public commenters urged greater pedestrian protections. The committee approved both reappointments without objection.

For the Mental Health Board seat, Richard Slota and Marilyn Tesconi both described lifetime and family experience with mental‑health conditions and work in community mental‑health settings. Helena Brook urged the committee to consider both candidates; the committee moved to forward Marilyn Tesconi with a positive recommendation to the full Board, and supervisors indicated support for appointing Richard Slota to another seat when possible.

Item 6, three seats on the Balboa Park Station Community Advisory Committee, drew extended discussion about qualifications and community representation. Brent Rottenizer (appearing as Brent Roteenizer earlier in the record) described his experience as a classroom teacher and his interest in improving safety and station design. Supervisor Malia Cohen said she would not support Rottenizer's appointment because she was "concerned that you haven't really done your due diligence and done the homework, to understand a little bit about the CAC, the function of the CAC," and therefore would refrain from supporting him. After separating the nominations, the committee confirmed Luis Lisiea to seat 2 without objection and took a roll‑call vote for Rottenizer on seat 4. The roll call recorded Supervisor Eric Marr "Aye," Supervisor Malia Cohen "No," and Chair Katie Tang "Aye," resulting in a 2–1 approval to forward the appointment.

Actions taken by the committee will be transmitted to the full Board of Supervisors for final confirmation on June 7, 2016. The committee adjourned with no further business.

Quotes used in this article come directly from the Rules Committee transcript for the May 26, 2016 meeting.