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Thank you for your interest in the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance Task Force.

The Sunshine Ordinance adopted by the citizens of the City & County of San Francisco declares that:

  • Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public.
     
  • Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people's business. This ordinance will assure that their deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people's review.

The role of the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force is to advise the Board of Supervisors and provides information to other City departments on appropriate ways in which to implement the Sunshine Ordinance (Chapter 67 of the Administrative Code). The task force will:

 

  • Develop appropriate goals to ensure practical and timely implementation of the ordinance.
  • Propose to the Board of Supervisors amendments to the ordinance.
  • Report to the Board of Supervisors at least once annually on any practical or policy problems encountered in the administration of the ordinance.
  • Receive and review the annual report of the Supervisor of Public Records and may request additional reports or information as it deems necessary.
  • Make referrals to a municipal office with enforcement power under this ordinance or under the California Public Records Act and the Brown Act whenever it concludes that any person has violated any provisions of this ordinance or the Acts.

From time to time as it sees fit, the Task Force issue public reports evaluating compliance with this ordinance and related California laws by the City or any Department, Office, or Official thereof. In addition to the powers specified above, the Task Force shall possess such powers as the Board of Supervisors may confer upon it by ordinance or as the People of San Francisco may confer upon it by initiative

The Sunshine Ordinance Task Force consists of eleven voting members appointed by the Board of Supervisors. All members must have experience and/or demonstrated interest in the issues of citizen access and participation in local government. Two members shall be appointed from individuals whose names have been submitted by the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, one of whom shall be an attorney, one of whom shall be a local journalist and one of whom shall be either a journalist from a racial/ethnic-minority owned news organization, a journalist whose work focuses on issues impacting minority racial or ethnic communities, or a journalist who works with a media organization or publication whose target audience is a minority racial or ethnic community. For purposes of this subsection (a), the term “journalist” shall be interpreted broadly, including but not limited to freelance journalists, photographers and videographers. One member shall be appointed from the press or electronic media. One member shall be appointed from individuals whose names have been submitted by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters. Four members shall be members of the public who have demonstrated interest in or have experience in the issues of citizen access and participation in local government. Two members shall be members of the public experienced in consumer advocacy. One member shall be a journalist from a racial/ethnic-minority-owned news organization and shall be appointed from individuals whose names have been submitted by New California Media. At all times the task force shall include at least one member who shall be a member of the public who is physically handicapped and who has demonstrated interest in citizen access and participation in local government. The Mayor or his or her designee, and the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors or his or her designee, shall serve as non-voting members of the task force.

The Sunshine Ordinance Task Force members have all completed the Implicit Bias Training as required by Ordinance 71-19 which amended the City & County of San Francisco’s Administrative Code. The completion dates are as follows: Member Lila Lahood 12/31/2019; Member Bruce Wolfe 12/31/2019; Member Chris Hyland 12/26/2019; Member Matthew Yankee 12/9/2019.


SUNSHINE ORDINANCE TASK FORCE MEMBERS

     

Seat 1

Dean Schmidt
Term expires 4/27/24

Submitted by the local chapter of the Society
of Professional Journalists and be an attorney

     

Seat 2

Lila Lahood
Term expires 4/27/24

Submitted by the local chapter of the Society
of Professional Journalists and be a journalist

     

Seat 3

Saul Sugarman
Term expires 4/27/24

Member of the press or electronic media with
an interest in citizen access

     

Seat 4

Ankita Mukhopadhyay Kumar

Term Expires 4/27/24

Submitted by the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists

     

Seat 5

Maxine Anderson

Term expires 4/27/24

Submitted by the the San Francisco League of Women Voters

     

Seat 6

Laura Stein
Term expires 4/27/24

Experienced in consumer advocacy

     

Seat 7

Matthew Yankee
Term expires 4/27/24

Experienced in consumer advocacy

     

Seat 8

Chris Hyland
Term expires 4/27/24

Demonstrated interest in or has experience in
the issues of citizen access and participation in local government
     

Seat 9

David Pilpel
Term expires 4/27/24

Demonstrated interest in or has experience in
the issues of citizen access and participation in local government

     

Seat 10

Thuan Thao Hilll

Term expires 4/27/24

Demonstrated interest in or has experience in
the issues of citizen access and participation in
local government

     

Seat 11

Bruce Wolfe
Term expires 4/27/23

Demonstrated interest in or has experience in
the issues of citizen access and participation in
local government

     

Ex-officio

The Clerk of the Board or his/her designee (non-voting)

     

Ex-officio

The Mayor or his/her designee (non-voting)