Steven Dorsey

24
Feb

Oakland backs license plate readers, drones, and 5 more police tools

Oakland Public Safety Committee: The committee voted to keep all 7 OPD surveillance tools, from plate readers to drones, and sent it to a March 3 council vote. Plus $3,409,389 in paramedic gear.
4 min read
24
Feb

SF approves $40M hotel subsidy (+ two dissents)

San Francisco Board of Supervisors: $40M Hearst Hotel tax incentive approved 9-2, civil immigration enforcement barred on city property, Fisherman's Wharf Entertainment Zone created.
3 min read
24
Feb

Taller buildings near Oakland transit? Council weighs in March 3

Oakland Community and Economic Development Committee: The committee backed exempting most properties from SB 79 until a local plan, and sent it to Council March 3. Unger's amendment failed 2-2.
3 min read
23
Feb

SF pushes back fire sprinkler deadline 5 years (+ hardship rules expanded)

San Francisco Land Use and Transportation Committee: High-rise sprinkler retrofit deadline pushed from 2027 to 2032, parklet rules rewritten, and 25 District 8 landmark designations advanced 3-0.
4 min read
23
Feb

San Jose has 31,000 homes approved. Two-thirds can't get built. (+ FIFA prep)

San Jose Community and Economic Development Committee: Staff reported about two-thirds of 31,000 approved housing units are infeasible to build now. 4 reports accepted 5-0.
4 min read
19
Feb

San Jose homeless team: 474 contacts, 3 took the ride to services

San Jose Public Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support Committee: Homeless contact team logged 474 contacts and got 3 to accept a ride to services. ICE-linked review heads to March 10.
6 min read
17
Feb

Oakland rewrites sex-work law and funds Sausal Creek land return

Oakland City Council: The city's prostitution law now penalizes buyers and creates a survivor support fund. Plus $843,875 in Measure DD funds toward a Sausal Creek land return.
3 min read
12
Feb

San Jose to weigh childcare as economic policy on March 17

San Jose Neighborhood Services and Education Committee: childcare sent to March 17 budget message as an economic policy goal. FFN caregiver program ends July 1.
4 min read
12
Feb

SF moves PG&E takeover resolution forward (+ worker protections added)

San Francisco Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee: PG&E acquisition resolution cleared 3-0 with new worker protections. Plus a continued hearing on the December 20 outage.
5 min read
11
Feb

SF extends paratransit contract two more years (+ $18.5M dry dock fix)

San Francisco Budget and Finance Committee: Transdev paratransit contract extended two years with $30.8M added, $18.5M pulled to stabilize Port dry docks, plus free Lunar New Year transit.
4 min read