Rules Committee adopts amendments and forwards park-code changes altering Prozac membership

The Rules Committee on June 12 adopted two amendments to a proposed ordinance that would reduce the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Committee (Prozac) from 23 members to 13, provide for alternate members, allow members to serve more than four consecutive terms, require experience with environmental justice and disability issues and add racial equity as a criterion.

President Aaron Peskin sponsored the ordinance and proposed a minor amendment encouraging alternate members to attend and participate in meetings; Supervisor Chan’s office proposed adding racial equity to the list of relevant experience for appointees. Kelly Groth, staff for Supervisor Chan, said the amendment was approved to form and not substantive. President Peskin said he supported both additions and described the change as a way to make quorum more attainable while encouraging broader participation among alternates.

Wendy Aragon, chair of the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Committee, said her committee voted 13–1 to request a month’s continuance so the sponsor could meet with the advisory committee; she expressed unease about creating a seat explicitly reserved for environmental justice and said she would prefer that her district seat remain and the environmental-justice background be considered more generally. Callers from Prozac also urged a continuance, though one caller and public commenters said a smaller-sized committee could be more effective.

Chair Dorsey moved to incorporate the two amendments (add racial equity to appointment criteria and language encouraging alternates’ participation) and forward the ordinance as amended; the committee voted unanimously (Walton: aye; Safae: aye; Dorsey: aye) to send the item to the Board with a positive recommendation.

What’s next: The amended ordinance will come before the full Board, and affected advisory committees and sponsoring offices may continue discussions about membership composition and implementation.