Rules Committee advances multiple nominations including Cindy Wu to Planning Commission

The Rules Committee on Feb. 2 advanced three local nominations to the full Board of Supervisors, moving them forward as committee reports without opposition.

Cindy Wu, nominated by the president of the Board of Supervisors for a term ending July 1, 2012, described her four years managing community planning in Chinatown and said she would prioritize community engagement and cross‑neighborhood outreach if appointed. Wu told the committee she had spoken with the City Attorney’s Office and would recuse herself from matters with a direct financial conflict involving her employer. "I think reducing greenhouse gases is a great goal, but we need to make sure that we understand what all the implications of these policies are," Wu said during questioning on housing and transportation policy.

Supervisors pressed Wu on integrating planning decisions with housing and transportation goals; she recommended tracking aggregate project impacts so staff and commissioners can compare approvals against the city's housing element and broader objectives.

The committee also advanced Arcelia Hurtado’s nomination to the Board of Appeals. Hurtado, an attorney who described work at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office and leadership of a national nonprofit, said she would bring legal experience and attention to due process to the appeals body. She told the committee that, while decisions are guided by law, hearing neighborhood perspectives "enriches the process."

A third nomination, Deepa Mehta, was advanced to the Child Care Planning and Advisory Council to fill a District 6 seat through April 2013. Mehta, a programs coordinator at Glide Foundation, said she works primarily with subsidized families and planned to bring an after‑school perspective and represent families who use subsidized care. Public commenters including Graeme Dobson urged the committee to approve Mehta, citing a need for broader representation for school‑age care on CPAC.

All three items drew public support from a range of community organizations and individuals who spoke at the meeting. Committee members said they would forward the nominations to the full board as committee reports with positive recommendation and no opposition recorded in committee.

The appointments will be formally considered at the board meeting scheduled for the following Tuesday.