Commission approves 2023–24 calendar, elects chair and vice chair and sets contract-review thresholds

The Homelessness Oversight Commission approved its proposed meeting calendar for fiscal 2023 and 2024 by roll-call vote, with Commissioners Katie Albright, Jonathan Butler, Bevan Dufty, Christine Evans, Joaquin Guerrero and Sharkey Laguana recorded as voting "Aye."

During regular calendar and governance proceedings the commission then moved to elect officers. Commissioner Butler was nominated and approved as chair in a unanimous roll-call vote. Bevan Dufty was nominated and unanimously approved as vice chair. Commissioners then voted to set one-year term limits for the chair and vice chair.

On the subject of contracts and oversight, Executive Director Shereen McSpadden proposed thresholds for which HSH agreements would be brought before the commission for review: agreements with an annual amount over $500,000 (excluding contingency), modifications that increase an agreement beyond $500,000, any agreements that require Board of Supervisors approval, and entirely new programs or services with annual amounts over $100,000. Commissioners raised follow-up questions about whether cumulative or multi-year agreements with a given nonprofit should be aggregated for oversight and asked staff to return with a recommended approach. Commissioner discussion also emphasized the importance of surfacing equity-focused and culturally specific programs for commission review even when contracts are below numeric thresholds.

Formal recorded actions at the meeting included approval of the meeting calendar (motion moved and passed) and the elections of Butler and Dufty to leadership positions. The meeting adjourned after a two-minute moment of silence requested in memory of Banco Brown.