Committee advances settlements, code and property actions to full board; approves MHSA update

At its July 15 meeting the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Government Audit & Oversight Committee moved multiple agenda items to the full Board with committee recommendations and recorded votes on committee action items.

Closed session recommendations: While in closed session the committee acted unanimously to recommend agenda item 6 (a settlement of unlitigated claims against Walter Wong) to the Board of Supervisors "without recommendation." For agenda item 2 the committee acted unanimously to recommend the item as a committee report; agenda items 3 through 5 were also recommended to the Board, with Vice Chair Connie Chan excused for those votes, as reported on return to open session.

Item 7 — Health Code amendment (Article 42 repeal): Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson explained that the ordinance would repeal the Health Code requirement that certain sugar‑sweetened beverage advertisements carry a prescribed local health warning occupying 10% of ad space. The committee voted to forward the ordinance to the full Board as a committee report (Preston and Mandelmann voted aye; Vice Chair Chan was excused).

Item 8 — San Francisco Mental Health Services Act annual update (FY21–22): Department of Public Health staff told the committee they revised the report following earlier committee recommendations, added a cover letter noting shelter‑in‑place hotels and street mental health challenges, and obtained a state extension. The committee voted to forward the update as a committee report (3–0).

Item 9 — Purchase option for 888 Post (TAY Navigation Center): The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing requested authority to exercise a purchase option for 888 Post Street at a fixed price of $29,000,000; HSH said appraisals support fair market value and the purchase would use roughly $30.1 million in general obligation bond funding. The committee recommended the purchase to the full Board as a committee report after receiving a BLA appraisal review and related reports (3–0).

Item 10 — Lease extension for 601 Van Ness: HSH asked to exercise a lease extension for approximately 8,646 rentable square feet to house administrative staff at a monthly base rent of $30,261 (annual base rent $363,132) and a five‑year extension cost the BLA estimated at roughly $1.9 million. The committee recommended the lease extension to the Board as a committee report (3–0).

Committee votes and next steps: Where recorded, committee votes were unanimous or carried as indicated above; recommended items will appear on upcoming Board agendas on July 20 or July 27, 2021 per clerk announcements.