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Board approves emergency overtime and a string of ordinances including downtown hospitality zone and zoo loan
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on May 19 approved an ordinance to cover increased fire overtime, created a downtown hospitality zone, and authorized loans and appropriations including a loan to the San Francisco Zoological Society, taking multiple measures on a packed consent and legislative calendar.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance on May 19 to appropriate funds across several departments to address projected overtime and other costs, including an approximately $8.7 million appropriation to the Fire Department for overtime.
President Mandelmann declared the ordinance finally passed after a roll call that produced 10 ayes. "Without objection, the ordinance is finally passed," Mandelmann said after the clerk read the item and the roll was taken.
The board also approved a package of related measures. Members adopted a $2.5 million loan to the San Francisco Zoological Society from recreation and park funds to support zoo operations (moved under a separate ordinance) and a subsequent resolution authorizing Recreation & Parks to enter a loan agreement of up to $8.5 million to support the zoo’s long‑term sustainability. "This loan will be repaid over 10 years in the form of deductions from the Zoo's management fee," the clerk summarized when the loan resolution was introduced.
On code amendments, the board passed an ordinance changing administrative rules governing boards, commissions and advisory bodies by a 6‑to‑4 vote; Supervisors Chan, Chen, Melgar and Walton recorded the nos. The clerk read the tally before Mandelmann announced, "The ordinance is finally passed." The item included a range of housekeeping and structural changes the board described as updates to legacy code.
The board also voted to create a downtown hospitality zone, an amendment to the administrative code intended to direct regulatory and program decisions in the downtown core. That ordinance passed on unanimous voice vote.
Several other housekeeping measures were adopted on the consent calendar, including designations of community outreach newspapers for FY2026–27 and naming Clinton Riley Communications (doing business as the San Francisco Examiner) as the city and county’s official newspaper for fiscal year 2026–27.
The actions come as the city navigates competing demands on general‑fund resources and departmental budgets; supervisors emphasized the need to cover known overtime and make targeted loans to preserve institutions such as the zoo. The meeting record shows the board took a series of roll calls and votes across multiple items during a single session and adopted the ordinances without delay.
The board adjourned after completing its calendar and reading several in‑memoriams.
