When in doubt, create a commission. That seems to be the motto at San Francisco City Hall. In fact, San Francisco has so many boards and commissions that it has lost track. There’s no formal listing, nor rubric for measuring their performance.
Enter a new report from the Civil Grand Jury titled, “Commission Impossible.” It puts the number of commissions created since 1898 at 115. That’s far more than comparable cities and counties.
More is not necessarily better. With little accountability, some of San Francisco’s commissions are doing nothing but wasting time and public resources. One-fifth of all commission gatherings were canceled in San Francisco last year, causing delays in finalizing contracts. 5% of commission positions are currently vacant. Grand jurors estimate that City Hall staffers can spend as much as 10% of their time organizing commission meetings or responding to related requests. And keep in mind: members are are also entitled to benefits.
To improve the situation, the Grand Jury recommends that San Francisco eliminate the following 15 commissions:
- Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Craftsmen Examiners
- City Hall Preservation Advisory Commission
- Free City College Oversight Committee
- Shelter Grievance Advisory Committee
- Housing Stability Fund Oversight Board
- Advisory Council to the Disability and Aging Services Commission
- Early Childhood Community Oversight and Advisory Committee
- Long Term Care Coordinating Council
- Mayor's Disability Council
- Service Provider Working Group
- Food Security Task Force
- Sanitation and Streets Commission
- Sweatfree Procurement Advisory Group
- Public Utilities Revenue Bond Oversight Committee
- Rate Fairness Board
The report calls for reducing the size of the commissions that remain (7 or less for existing bodies and 11 or less for new ones). It also advises sunset dates not to exceed three years, stronger requirements for commissioner appointments, and a new body that would track the progress of existing commissions and advisory boards.
Read the Grand Jury report here.
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