San Rafael PAC elects new chair, defers schedule and faces public pushback on annual report
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Summary
Commission votes to elevate Vice Chair Davidi to chair and appoint Member Ruiz vice chair; committee defers 2026 schedule to a Jan. 10 special meeting and hears sharp public criticism that the draft annual report gives undue weight to a contested working-group writeup.
San Rafael — The Police Advisory Commission elected new leadership and set a short procedural timetable for finalizing its annual report after members of the public urged revisions to how the PAC described a recent internal working group.
At the PAC's Dec. 17 meeting, members moved Vice Chair Davidi into the chair position for the coming year. The motion to appoint Davidi passed by roll call; all recorded members voted in favor. The commission then appointed Member Ruiz as vice chair by roll call vote.
The leadership votes were followed by a calendar and planning discussion. Staff proposed a 2026 meeting calendar (January–June; August–November; July and December dark) and recommended the committee defer a detailed scheduling discussion to an already‑scheduled January 10 special meeting so the commission could concentrate on the draft annual report tonight. The PAC voted to move the schedule discussion to that special meeting and continue with annual report review.
The draft annual report prompted extended public comment and sharp criticism from community advocates. Representatives of the group MV Free and several other speakers urged deletion or substantial reduction of a section the draft attributes to a so‑called RIPA working group, calling that writeup "an unlawful and inappropriate scheme to undermine the PAC's legitimate final recommendations." Tara (public commenter) and others urged that the report must accurately capture the racial‑disparity data and the evidentiary basis for the PAC's May 21 recommendations.
Several commissioners said they share public concerns about the report's balance. "The working group report on the RIPA working group is entirely too weighty for this annual report," one member said, urging staff to reduce its prominence or place the SRPD response in an appendix. Another commissioner said they had asked for clarification from staff and had consulted the city attorney about the group’s formation and noted there had been no quorum at that meeting.
What happens next: Staff said it will take committee feedback into account and return a revised annual report in January 2026 for final adoption and forwarding to the city council. The schedule discussion for 2026 will occur at the Jan. 10 special meeting as directed by the PAC.