Supervisors Pick Four to Restart Stalled Animal Advisory Council

San Francisco's Animal Advisory Council, which has been unable to meet because a 60-day limit on holdover appointments left it without a quorum, moved a step closer to getting back to work. At its Sept. 28, 2026, meeting, the Rules Committee voted 3-0 to recommend four appointees from a field of seven. The committee also unanimously sent the full Board a motion to suspend Sheriff's Department Oversight Board Commissioner William Palmer over official misconduct findings.

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• Four Animal Advisory Council appointees recommended on a 3-0 vote, with seven applicants for the seats
• Council chair says a 60-day holdover limit kept the body from meeting
• Incumbent Irina Ozernoy returns, and three applicants are passed over
• Suspension of oversight commissioner William Palmer advances 3-0 to the full Board
• Inspector General findings send misconduct charges to the Ethics Commission

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Animal Council Gets a Quorum Lifeline

1 big thing: The committee recommended Rebecca Schwartz for Seat 1, Irina Ozernoy for Seat 2, Mark Ryle for Seat 4 and Larissa Beckwith for Seat 7. One of the four terms ends April 30, 2027. The other three run through April 30, 2028.

Why it matters: The council, formerly the Animal Commission, has been sidelined. "Because of the 60-day limit that was implemented for holdover appointments, we haven't been able to meet," said Michael Angelo Torres, Chair, Animal Advisory Council.

The basics: A holdover appointment lets a member keep serving after a term expires until a successor is seated. According to Torres, the new cap on that arrangement left the council unable to convene.

Where things stand: Six of the seven applicants presented. Ryle was absent. Victor Young, Committee Clerk, said Ryle had a conflict but remained interested. Stephen Sherrill, Supervisor, District 2, the committee's vice chair, said he had spoken with Ryle at length. "I do not begrudge his absence today, and I appreciate being able to talk with him, and I look forward to supporting him," Sherrill said.

Board President Rafael Mandelman said his staff met with the applicants. "This is one of those situations where we have too many good applicants for too few seats," Mandelman said. He then moved the four-person slate.

Who made the cut:

Schwartz is an 11-year San Francisco Animal Care and Control volunteer with an MPP and an MBA. She pledged to serve "the broad public interest, not one specific constituency." She also proposed working with veterinary clinics to close a pet licensing gap.

Ozernoy has served on the body since May 2021 and is its vice chair. She volunteers with Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue and is a certified wildlife rehabilitator. She called glue traps one of the most inhumane pest management methods and cited her dialogue with pest-control firm PESTEC, whose views she said she does not share. Torres urged her reappointment.

Beckwith is a health psychologist, board treasurer of the Animal Fix Clinic and a California Veterinary Emergency Team volunteer. She offered expertise in disaster planning and the city's veterinary shortage, and she stressed solutions that fit "existing budgets."

Passed over: Three applicants were not selected.

• Alexandra Porsnikov is a University of San Francisco law student and Animal Legal Defense Fund extern. She helped save the body from decommissioning and worked on the city's glue trap ban.
• Emily Gazzardi is a hospital chaplain applying for the second time. She organized 40 people to comment on food and diet policy in the city's climate plan.
• Rachel Miller has volunteered at Animal Care and Control for nine years and holds a master's in animal law. She flagged shelter overcrowding and a proposed state code amendment that would bar pet ownership as the sole reason to reject a rental application.

Torres gave shout-outs to Porsnikov, Gazzardi and Beckwith.

Shamann Walton, Supervisor, District 10, the committee chair, underscored the stakes. He cited the council's importance "when we have mountain lions running around the Sunset and coyotes all over San Francisco."

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The motion passed without objection. For: 3 (Walton, Sherrill, Mandelman). Against: 0. Absent: 0. The slate combines shelter-volunteer experience (Schwartz), wildlife rescue (Ozernoy) and veterinary nonprofit work (Beckwith). That mix suggests shelter capacity, wildlife coexistence and pest control are likely agenda items. The pest-control industry has already been part of those debates. The applicants' ideas remain proposals, not adopted policy.

What's next: The appointments are expected on the full Board's Oct. 6 agenda. Walton encouraged unsuccessful applicants to keep applying. Torres noted another seat opens when current terms end, around April 2027.

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Oversight Board Commissioner Faces Suspension

What changed: The committee voted 3-0 to send the full Board, as a committee report, a motion that would:

• Suspend Commissioner William Palmer from the Sheriff's Department Oversight Board
• Approve charges of official misconduct under Charter Section 15.105
• Transmit the charges to the Ethics Commission
• Direct the City Attorney to serve Palmer

Why it matters: The case targets a commissioner who served as president of the body charged with overseeing the Sheriff's Department. It rests on findings from the Inspector General's Office.

"When you abuse your power and break the trust of the public, you should not be allowed to continue to serve the people of San Francisco," said Vice Chair Sherrill, the item's sponsor.

Where things stand: Sherrill said the Inspector General produced "clear evidence" that Palmer engaged in multiple instances of official misconduct while serving as board president. "It is therefore our duty to suspend Mr. Palmer from the board while an ethics investigation goes forward," Sherrill said.

Board President Mandelman credited Sherrill with requesting the Inspector General investigation. He called the removal of an appointed official "process-rich." Mandelman also noted that Walton had earlier sent Palmer a letter asking him to resign. Walton thanked Sherrill for making sure "we go through the necessary steps to move this forward."

Sherrill thanked Walton, the Inspector General, the City Attorney's Office and reporters who covered the case. "When people ask about the importance of journalism, this is a good example," he said.

What's still unknown: The specific acts of misconduct were not described at the hearing. No response from Palmer was presented, and no members of the public commented.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: For: 3 (Walton, Sherrill, Mandelman). Against: 0. Absent: 0. If the full Board approves the motion, Palmer steps aside while the Ethics Commission investigates. The oversight board would continue without its former president. For residents who follow jail and sheriff accountability, the case is a test of whether the city's oversight structure can police itself.

What's next: The motion is expected before the full Board on Oct. 6. The Ethics Commission investigation would follow.

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Looking Ahead

Both items head to the Board of Supervisors, expected Oct. 6. Animal advocates should also watch for the next Animal Advisory Council vacancy, which Torres said will open around April 2027.