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Rules Committee forwards Leslie Katz’s Port Commission confirmation after public endorsements
Summary
The Board of Supervisors’ Rules Committee on Feb. 17 forwarded the confirmation of former Supervisor Leslie Katz to the Port Commission after several public endorsements citing her experience with waterfront projects and upcoming events such as the America’s Cup.
Leslie Katz, a former member of the Board of Supervisors, appeared before the Rules Committee on Feb. 17 and urged the panel to confirm her appointment to the Port Commission, framing the role as a chance to steward the waterfront through major upcoming projects.
Katz told the committee she would "keep an open door and listen to all parties" and cited the America’s Cup and Pier 70 as examples of projects that require careful land-use review and environmental protection. "We have, according to estimates, over 9,000 potential jobs as well as over a billion dollars in economic impact to the city," Katz said, arguing the port must balance opportunity with environmental vitality.
A string of public commenters backed Katz’s nomination. Ted Fang of the Asian League Foundation said Katz has "the experience building the public private partnerships that will be necessary to move things forward," and Sunny Schwartz recounted Katz’s work connecting incarcerated people to reentry programs. Reverend Arnold Townsend urged the committee to consider Katz’s willingness to engage on how jobs and contracting will benefit San Franciscans.
Following introductions and public comment, the committee moved the confirmation forward. Supervisor Kim asked if there were questions; none were raised, and the motion to confirm Katz to the Port Commission was forwarded with recommendation "without objection." The item will go to the full Board on March 1 unless otherwise indicated.
The confirmation advances one vacancy on the Port Commission (term ending May 1, 2014); the committee did not record a contested roll-call vote at this stage. The next formal action will be the full Board’s consideration.
