PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
John St. Croix
(415) 252-3100
For release:
November 6, 2007
SUMMARY OF ACTIONS TAKEN AT NOVEMBER 5, 2007 MEETING
At its meeting on November 5, 2007, the San Francisco Ethics Commission took the following action:
- Approved for final adoption, by a series of 5-0 votes, the draft Statements of Incompatible Activities (“SIAs”) of the following departments: City and County Employees' Retirement System; General Services Administration; Department of Public Works; Department of Telecommunications and Information Services; Entertainment Commission; Office of the Assessor-Recorder; Treasurer and Tax Collector; Civil Service Commission; Asian Art Museum; War Memorial and Performing Arts Center; Adult Probation Department; Police Commission and Police Department; Office of Citizen Complaints; Department of Emergency Management; Children and Families Commission; Department of Human Services and Human Services Commission; Department of Aging and Adult Services and Commission on Aging; City and County Health Service Board and Health Service System; Taxi Commission; Residential Rent and Stabilization Board; Office of the District Attorney; Office of the Public Defender; and City Attorney's Office. SIAs that have been finally adopted will not go into effect until thirty days after all SIAs have been finally adopted.
- Approved by a vote of 4-1 a version (“version A”) of draft legislation proposed by Supervisor Daly to consolidate the public finance programs for candidates for Mayor and the Board of Supervisors. On October 15, 2007, the Commission by a 4-1 vote had approved this draft legislation with amendments. At subsequent hearings, the Rules Committee separately approved two versions of the proposed legislation that required further consideration by the Commission. Version A contained substantive modifications to the administrative costs provisions, opened a 30-day window in which a candidate could retract a statement of non-participation and file a statement of participation in the public financing program, and raised reporting thresholds in section 1.152(a). In approving version A, the Commission also approved a technical amendment to section 1.134.5; and changes to section 1.152(a) to return the reporting thresholds from $10,000 to $5,000 and from $140,000 to $100,000 so that candidates seeking election to the Board of Supervisors must file reports with the Ethics Commission when they reach those respective levels in contributions or spending. The Commission did not approve version B of the legislation. Under the law, the Board of Supervisors may amend the Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance (“CFRO”) if the amendment furthers the purposes of the CFRO; the Ethics Commission approves the proposed amendment in advance by at least a four-fifths vote of all its members; the proposed amendment is available for public review at least 30 days before the amendment is considered by the Board of Supervisors or any committee of the Board; and the Board approves the proposed amendment by at least a two-thirds vote of all its members. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the legislation at its meeting today.
- Approved by a vote of 5-0 vote changes to the template for the Statements of Incompatible Activities that would help to clarify the advance written determination process.
- Approved by a vote of 4-1 a recommendation that the Board of Supervisors support legislation to amend San Francisco Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code section 3.1-102 to authorize the Ethics Commission to implement voluntary electronic filing of Statements of Economic Interests (Form 700).
- Approved by a vote of 4-1 a proposed change to Ethics Regulation 1.107-2 to provide that a person required to attend a training on the Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance (“CFRO”) may satisfy the training requirement by receiving training on the Commission’s website, when the Commission has posted a training presentation on its website. The online presentation may be in the form of a video, slideshow, or any other medium that effectively conveys substantially the same information provided in a live training workshop. The Commission, at its discretion, may permit the online presentation to satisfy the training requirement only for candidates and treasurers who have attended a live training during the prior year during which there have been no substantive amendments to the CFRO. Regulations adopted by the Commission become effective 60 days after the date of their adoption unless before the expiration of the 60-day period two-thirds of all members of the Board of Supervisors vote to veto the regulations. S.F. Charter §15.102.
The Commission will next hold a special meeting on November 30, 2007 at 1:30 p.m. in Room 408 City Hall. The Commission will hold a hearing on the charges filed by the Mayor against Ed Jew, member of the Board of Supervisors; and on mayoral candidate John Rinaldi’s claim for public financing under the Mayoral Election Campaign Fund. The Commission’s next regular meeting will be held on Monday, December 10, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. in Room 408 City Hall.
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The Ethics Commission, established in November 1993, serves the public, City employees and officials and candidates for public office through education and enforcement of ethics laws. Its duties include: filing and auditing of campaign finance disclosure statements, lobbyist and campaign consultant registration and regulation, administration of the public financing program, whistleblower program, conflict of interest reporting, investigations and enforcement, education and training, advice giving and statistical reporting.
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