Rules Committee Advances Small Business Commission Reappointments, Urges Stronger Outreach to Micro and Latino Businesses

The Rules Committee on April 1 moved multiple Small Business Commission reappointment items to the full Board and used the hearing to press commissioners and applicants on outreach to small and micro businesses, permitting streamlining and the commission’s role in supporting minority entrepreneurs.

The committee took up the mayor’s reappointment of Luke O’Brien (item 4) and heard more than half a dozen witnesses who described his engagement on permits, the soft‑story seismic retrofit initiative and Small Business Week outreach. Supporters said O’Brien brought private‑sector permitting experience to the commission; a written statement from O’Brien (read into the record) cited his work on interdepartmental permitting reviews and efforts to reduce duplicative fees.

Supervisors also discussed Commissioner Richard Ventura’s record (items 6 and 7). Ventura reviewed past cases in which the commission mediated local business disputes, described merchant walks across City districts and highlighted energy‑efficiency rebate programs the commission helped track (the transcript cites outreach affecting '213 businesses' for refrigeration rebates and '244 businesses' for lighting rebates, producing combined savings figures discussed by the commissioner). Ventura acknowledged he needed to be more visible to some micro and Latino business networks and committed to greater outreach and merchant walks.

Supervisor David Campos and others urged both commissioners and the Office of Small Business to prioritize outreach to the smallest 'micro' businesses, especially monolingual immigrant entrepreneurs. Ventura said the office had used Spanish‑language radio outreach and delegated face‑to‑face case handling to a Latina staffer to improve access and pledged to step up in‑community engagement.

The committee also heard that the Office of Small Business is exploring modest revenue options to increase capacity; Ventura cited a proposal to increase the business registration fee (currently $35) by $5–$7 to help sustain the office. Supervisors and public commenters flagged the need to ensure increased fees would be cost‑effective and reach micro‑enterprise populations.

The committee advanced the reappointments and related tabling/rejection motions to the full Board for final action. Committee members said they will continue to press the commission and the office to expand merchant walks and targeted outreach to small immigrant‑run businesses.

What happens next: the reappointments and related motions will appear on the full Board agenda; supervisors and staff indicated they expect follow‑up on outreach plans and proposed fee changes.