SF's SB 79 alternative plan clears final vote (+ 50 new SFPD hires)

San Francisco
Board of Supervisors Meeting
May 5, 2026

TL;DR

• SF's SB 79 Alternative Plan cleared its final vote, permanently exempting industrial employment hubs and locking in the city's compliance path with the state housing law.
• $6.25M federal COPS grant accepted to fund 50 new police officer positions through September 2030.
• Four-year contracts with the SF Police Officers' Association and SF Fire Fighters Union Local 798 (Units 1 and 2) signed into law, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030.
• $991.3M five-year agreement signed with the SF In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority for independent-provider in-home care through June 2031.
• Drug-Free Permanent Supportive Housing ordinance continued one week to May 12 at Supervisor Dorsey's request.

What happened

1. SB 79 Alternative Plan cleared final vote, industrial exemptions locked in
   1. The Board signed into law SF's alternative compliance plan for California's SB 79, the state law requiring local jurisdictions to allow residential uses near transit-oriented development stops. Sites in industrial employment hubs (zoned M, SALI, PDR, WMUO, and P) are permanently excluded, as are sites more than a one-mile walking path from the closest transit stop. The ordinance also amends the Planning Code to permit additional density and height for residential projects on certain parcels within one-half mile of a transit stop.
   2. What this means for you: SF's industrial-zoned land stays off-limits for the state's transit-oriented housing mandate, and the city's alternative plan is now the framework SF will use to comply with SB 79. Parcels within a half mile of qualifying transit stops can see taller, denser residential projects under the new Planning Code rules.
2. $6.25M federal grant accepted to fund 50 new SFPD officer positions
   1. The Board accepted a $6.25M grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to fund 50 new police officer positions. The grant period runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2030, and the Annual Salary Ordinance was amended to add the 50 grant-funded positions.
   2. What this means for you: 50 new officer positions funded through federal dollars for the next four-plus years.
3. Four-year labor contracts approved for SFPD officers and SF firefighters
   1. The Board signed Memoranda of Understanding with the SF Police Officers' Association, SF Fire Fighters Union Local 798 Unit 1, and Local 798 Unit 2 into law. All three run July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030.
   2. What this means for you: Pay, benefits, and working conditions are set through mid-2030 for the city's police officers and firefighters.
4. $991.3M, five-year IHSS agreement signed for independent-provider home care
   1. The Board signed a five-year agreement with the SF In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority for independent provider mode in-home supportive services, not to exceed $991,313,916. The term runs July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2031. A separate $158.4M contract amendment with HomeBridge, Inc. for contract-mode IHSS was also approved, running through June 30, 2029.
   2. What this means for you: If you or a family member relies on IHSS for in-home support, both delivery models (independent provider and agency contract) are funded through the end of the decade.
5. Drug-Free Permanent Supportive Housing ordinance continued to May 12
   1. Supervisor Dorsey moved to continue his Drug-Free PSH ordinance one week. The ordinance would set city policy to expand site-based supportive housing that prohibits on-site illicit drug use, bar the city from funding new site-based PSH that prohibits evictions on the basis of drug use alone, and require HSH to survey residents on their preferences. Dorsey cited a co-sponsor's absence and ongoing conversations with the SF Marin Medical Society and recovery community.
   2. What this means for you: No decision yet on whether SF will shift its supportive housing policy toward drug-free settings. The vote is now expected May 12.

What residents brought up

• A representative of Refuse Refuse and a community organizer asked the Board to sponsor legislation ending the retail sale of cigarettes with plastic filters, the largest contributor to plastic litter cleaned up in their citywide volunteer events. They cited support from 29 neighborhood associations and over 5,500 petition signatures, and noted Santa Cruz and Alameda County are moving on similar bans.
• A representative of Keep Real asked the Board to introduce a resolution initiating an Article 10 city landmark nomination for Crocker Amazon Playground, citing its New Deal-era design, $938,000 in WPA funding between 1934 and 1941, and over 100 WPA-era trees at risk under a planned renovation partnership between SF Rec and Park and the SF Giants LLC. The commenter said construction is targeted for 2027 and asked the Board to act before changes become irreversible.
• A commenter raised concerns about closures and funding cuts to social services and health clinics, including Whole Street Youth Clinic, Larkin Street Youth Clinic, and Southeast Mission Geriatric Clinic, and the experience of transgender residents arriving in SF seeking refuge.

Also happened

• Five lawsuit settlements finally passed on consent: $30,000 (Llamas, vehicle collision), $0 (Airbnb, gross receipts tax refund claim), $75,000 (Smith, sidewalk injury), $69,054.66 (state of California, hazardous waste violations), and $40,612.45 (Ladies & Gentlemen Inc., Sunshine Ordinance and Public Records Act).
• SFMTA authorized to run a curbside electric vehicle charging station permit program, with permittees exempt from a separate sidewalk encroachment permit.
• Blight assessment report adopted with 10 properties stricken after Public Works met with affected owners during the hearing. Final report: 58 invoices totaling $22,712.
• $1.5M appropriated from the General Reserve to the Public Defender to cover projected salary and benefit increases in FY2025-2026. Required a two-thirds vote.
• JROTC resolution adopted 8-1, with Supervisor Walton voting no after Supervisor Wong declined a proposed friendly amendment tying the program's preservation to SFUSD no longer facing a budget deficit.
• Supervisor Sauter introduced an ordinance prohibiting the retail sale of nitrous oxide, with exceptions for medical, dental, research, manufacturing, and food-product uses. Co-sponsored by Wong, Mahmood, Sherrill, and Melgar.
• Bill Walsh Way along Gilman Playground Park renamed to Giants Drive, to match the adjacent segment of Giants Drive at Candlestick Point.

For any updates or corrections, please email steven@polisdesk.com