Government Audit & Oversight Committee

Police Commission Statement of Purpose Approved; Will Merge with Annual Report in 2027

The committee approved the Police Commission's required statement of purpose, which will be integrated into its annual report starting in 2027.

Committee Advances Ordinance Cracking Down on Notary Immigration Fraud

Committee unanimously approved an ordinance requiring notaries assisting immigrants to provide free legal services listings and authorizing HRC to handle complaints.

Why it matters: Notary fraud against immigrants is a documented, growing problem in San Francisco, exemplified by a $600,000 court judgment against one predatory notary, and the current federal environment makes immigrants more vulnerable.

ShotSpotter Report Approved; City Logged 797 Alerts but Doesn't Track False Positives

The Department of Emergency Management's annual surveillance report for gunshot detection technology was approved, revealing 797 ShotSpotter incidents in 2024-2025 with no false-positive tracking.

Why it matters: The ShotSpotter contract runs through April 2029, and the city acknowledged it does not track whether alerts are false positives, raising ongoing questions about the technology's accuracy and value.

Eight Items Reconsidered After SF Examiner Failed to Publish Required Meeting Notice

All actions from the February 19 meeting were voided because the San Francisco Examiner failed to publish the legally required newspaper notice, forcing the committee to re-vote.

Why it matters: The noticing failure voided an entire committee session's work, highlighting the fragility of procedural requirements and the city's dependence on newspaper publication for legal compliance under Charter Section 2.108.

Settlement of Lawsuits and Unlitigated Claims Against the City

Items 2 through 8 consisted of three ordinances and four resolutions authorizing settlements of lawsuits and unlitigated claims against the city. No committee discussion or public comment was offered. The committee forwarded all items to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation by a 3-0 vote.

Developer Financial Commitments for Mission District Housing and Community Arts Space

Chair Fielder reported that developers of housing at 2000-2070 Bryant Street and 681 Florida Street have fulfilled their outstanding $500,000 financial promise to fund a community art space. Because the commitment was fulfilled, Fielder moved to file the hearing rather than proceed. One public commenter, Roger from HY Floor and Game Line Painting, testified that his small flooring business is owed approximately $47,000 for work completed on the Carnival/Canna project on Florida Street in October 2024, alleging the property owner relied on developer monies to pay subcontractors and has not paid. The committee voted 3-0 to file the item.

Federal Lawsuit Over DHS Funding Conditions

Deputy City Attorney Brad Resi disclosed that San Francisco has a pending lawsuit against the federal government related to UASI/DHS funding, challenging conditions imposed concerning immigration and DEI. Injunctions have been entered and the case is on appeal.

Bay Area UASI Federal Grant Funding MOU Renewal

The committee heard a resolution to retroactively approve a five-year MOU (December 2025–November 2030) with Oakland, San Jose, and seven Bay Area counties governing the allocation of Federal Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant funds. San Francisco continues as the primary grantee and fiscal agent. General Manager Mei Kyung Kim Molina explained the program's mission to prepare for and respond to terrorist attacks across 14 Bay Area jurisdictions. Deputy City Attorney Brad Resi confirmed a pending lawsuit against the federal government regarding conditions DHS has tried to impose on UASI funding related to immigration and DEI, with injunctions entered and the case on appeal.