Retired Firefighter Advances to Public Works Commission in Unanimous Vote
Rules Committee • San FranciscoOctober 5, 2026
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San Francisco's Rules Committee voted 3-0 on Oct. 5, 2026, to back retired firefighter and former PUC commissioner Anthony Rivera for the Public Works Commission. He pledged to put emergency-vehicle access first in street design. In the same nine-minute meeting, the committee advanced a Fire Department social media monitoring policy without a single question and stalled four youth oversight appointments after the candidate did not appear.
- Anthony Rivera's Public Works Commission nomination recommended 3-0, with a term ending July 2, 2028
- Rivera says "public safety is number one" in curb-cut and streetscape decisions
- Fire Department's Critical Mention monitoring policy forwarded 3-0 with no questions or public comment
- Four youth oversight seats continued indefinitely after the candidate failed to appear
1 Big Thing: A Firefighter's Lens on City Streets
The basics: City Controller Greg Wagner nominated Anthony Rivera to the Public Works Commission, which oversees city street and infrastructure work. The Rules Committee vets such nominations before they go to the full Board of Supervisors.
Why it matters: Commissioners help shape decisions on curb cuts, streetscape projects and infrastructure work that residents encounter daily. Rivera signaled he would weigh those projects through an emergency-response lens.
Where things stand: Rivera told the committee he was born and raised in San Francisco and retired from the San Francisco Fire Department after more than 28 years. He also cited direct experience with the agencies he would oversee.
"I also worked as a liaison to Public Works, PUC. I served as a commissioner on PUC," said Anthony Rivera, nominee, Public Works Commission.
Rivera said he wants to serve to maintain transparency and efficiency, and to ensure infrastructure work is done properly with residents' interests in mind.
Supervisor, District 2 Stephen Sherrill, the committee's vice chair, asked how Rivera's experience reaching curbsides and roadsides as a firefighter would shape his view of curb cuts and streetscape improvements. Rivera's answer was direct.
"Public safety is number one. And I think that we do need to have access for emergency vehicles," said Rivera.
He tied that priority to the city's disaster exposure, noting that "our city is susceptible to earthquakes, large fires, etc." He said the concern is greatest in areas with large gatherings or large apartment buildings.
The other side: No supervisor raised concerns, and no public commenters spoke on the nomination.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Sherrill moved to approve the nomination and strike "rejecting" from the motion. Victor Young, Clerk, Rules Committee, framed the action as a motion to amend and recommend the nomination to the full Board as amended. It passed on a roll call vote (For: 3 — Sherrill, Supervisor, District 8 Rafael Mandelman and Supervisor, District 10 Shamann Walton; Against: 0; Absent: 0).
If the Board concurs, the commission gains a member with ties to both Fire and the PUC. Rivera's stated priorities suggest emergency access will be a recurring question for streetscape and curb-design proposals. That could matter to neighborhoods with dense housing and to project sponsors seeking curb changes.
What's next: The nomination is expected on the Board of Supervisors agenda for Oct. 20, 2026.
Fire Department Monitoring Tool Clears Committee Quietly
The basics: Under the city's surveillance technology legislation, departments need Board-approved use policies for covered tools. COIT, the city's Committee on Information Technology, reviews these policies before they reach the Board.
Why it matters: The ordinance formalizes rules for a social media monitoring tool the Fire Department already uses. Staff acknowledged the policy had fallen through the cracks.
Where things stand: Mark Corso of the San Francisco Fire Department apologized for the delay.
"This was approved by COIT a little while ago and never made its way all the way to the full board," said Corso.
The platform, Critical Mention, is used by a number of other city departments. Corso said the Fire Department uses it to monitor social and news media for mentions and stories about the department and to track engagement across platforms. Reports go to supervisors and chiefs within the department.
Corso said the tool relies on publicly available data and offered assurances on privacy.
"We do not track any individuals on this. This is done in aggregate," said Corso.
He also described the tool's ability to sort results more finely: "We can determine by users, by type of platform, as I mentioned, whether it's Facebook or Twitter or what have you."
The other side: No one tested how the no-tracking pledge squares with the tool's ability to break down results by user. No supervisor asked questions, and no public commenters spoke.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Walton moved to forward the ordinance to the full Board with recommendation. It passed on a roll call vote (For: 3 — Sherrill, Mandelman, Walton; Against: 0; Absent: 0).
The ordinance would bring an already-used tool into compliance with the city's surveillance law. For privacy advocates and residents who post publicly about the department, the full Board hearing is the remaining chance to probe how user-level data is handled.
What's next: The ordinance is expected on the Board of Supervisors agenda for Oct. 20, 2026.
Youth Oversight Seats Left Waiting
Where things stand: The committee took up appointments to the Children's, Youth, and Families Oversight and Advisory Committee: two seats with terms ending July 1, 2027, and two ending July 1, 2028.
"I don't believe I see our candidate here this morning," said Walton.
Clerk Young said the candidate had emailed on Friday saying they would attend in person. No public commenters spoke.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Walton moved to continue the item to the call of the chair. It passed on a roll call vote (For: 3 — Sherrill, Mandelman, Walton; Against: 0; Absent: 0). Four seats on the body overseeing children, youth and family programs stay unfilled.
What's next: No date was set. The item returns only when the chair puts it back on the calendar.
Looking Ahead
The Rivera nomination and the Fire Department surveillance policy are expected on the Board of Supervisors agenda for Oct. 20, 2026. The youth oversight appointments await rescheduling by the chair.