Rules Committee approves procedural amendments, orders rules package to full Board

Clerk Angela Calvillo presented a comprehensive update to the Board of Supervisors' rules of order intended to correct clerical errors, improve placement of sections and modernize format; the clerk said a finalized document would be effective Jan. 8 once formatting is complete.

Supervisor Scott Wiener proposed two specific process amendments: a rule (3.61) requiring the committee chair, upon request by any member, to share a draft agenda with all committee members at least seven days before the meeting; and a provision tightening calendaring so that an author's written request to schedule a hearing would obligate the chair to calendar it within 30 days (after the initial 30-day hold) unless the author agreed otherwise. Wiener argued the changes would improve transparency and reduce delays.

Deputy City Attorney John Giffner indicated the proposed changes were not substantive legal changes and could be acted on by the committee. Committee members discussed whether draft agendas shared among members would become public records and debated preserving chair discretion to calendar items in months with heavy workloads. David Pilpel and other public speakers urged further review of some rules language and recommended adjustments to the order of presentations in appeals hearings.

The committee voted to amend the package to add rule 3.61 and moved the rules package to the full Board with recommendation. The clerk said the rules, if approved by the Board, would become effective Jan. 8 after formatting and indexing were completed.

The committee also opened public comment on other items in the packet, including a settlement (Item 7) that it later discussed in closed session.