This week, the highlights at City Hall include the likely reorganization of a commission overseeing mental health policy, support for drug-free supportive housing, and the possible landmarking of the city’s most visually distinctive building after over 50 years on the skyline.
On Monday, the Rules Committee will have a full docket ranging from an ordinance to create a Pacific Islander Cultural District in the Visitacion Valley and Excelsior neighborhoods to the appointment of 10 seats on the city’s Behavioral Health Commission.
The commission, a state-mandated body that contributes oversight over mental health policy, has suffered some recent controversies resulting in a vote by members last November to remove one member, Alex Humphrey, for “conduct that was seriously disruptive to the functioning of the commission” and the resignation of another member, Bahlam Vigil, over concerns “regarding the current situation and the various issues impacting the commission.” The 28 applicants include current cochairs Kescha Mason and Liza Murwaski.
Later in the day, the Land Use Committee will mull several pre-upzoning landmark applications from the northeast corner of the city, all sponsored by District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter. They range from the storied Vesuvio cafe in North Beach to — and this may be a surprise for some — the Transamerica Pyramid. Developer Michael Shvo recently sold off the property at a $200 million loss after an ambitious restoration of the building by starchitect Norman Foster.
Also, on Monday afternoon, the Health Commission will take public comment regarding the Department of Public Health’s budget for the next biannual cycle. Mayor Daniel Lurie has ordered the department to cut $40 million during this period, and stakeholder groups are expected to show up in force at this meeting.
On Tuesday, the Municipal Transportation Agency board will be asked to approve budgets of $1.5 billion and $1.6 billion for fiscal years 2026–27 and 2027–28, respectively. The agency continues to face a structural deficit, which could grow to over $400 million by 2030. SFMTA plans to rely on local and regional tax measures to help close the gap.
On Tuesday, the full Board of Supervisors has a relatively routine agenda but will likely pass a resolution proffered by District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong honoring the life of Vicha Ratanapakdee, who was killed by Antoine Watson in January 2021. Watson was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and released on a suspended sentence and credit for time served in March.
On Wednesday, the Budget and Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing convened by District 10 member Shamann Walton on the status of job programs across the city, especially those that could be subject to budget cuts. Many of these are under the aegis of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, which was hit hard by Lurie’s initial wave of layoffs and is rumored to be set for consolidation.
Finally, the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee will consider a more topical and controversial item of legislation this Thursday— an ordinance to expand drug-free supportive housing, sponsored by District 6 member Matt Dorsey and supported by five additional board members, including Board President Rafael Mandelman.
The bill has organized opposition from homeless advocacy groups despite a determination that a quarter of the city’s overdose deaths occur in current supportive housing, which follows a “harm reduction” approach to drug use in those facilities. Drug-Free Sidewalks, an advocacy group that supports Dorsey’s bill, is organizing support, including public commenters at the meeting, so the testimony should make for an interesting session.
This article has been updated.
