SAN FRANCISCO – CITY HALL
Lee Heidhues 1.4.2024
Wednesday afternoon I traveled to City Hall on the 5R-Fulton line, again. For yet another go around with the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force (SOTF).
The reason I went for the fourth time since last July is to have SOTF waive the privilege and make public a Privileged and Confidential Memorandum written by the City Attorney in 2021. Which dissects the inner workings of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) and its two non-profit entities joined at the proverbial hip.
Political power broker Dede Wilsey is on the governing Board of all three entities involved with the FAMSF
The request to make the Memorandum public was approved on an 8-2 vote.
But. Nothing is ever finished in San Francisco.
The discussion between the 10 members of the Task Force droned on for nearly 90 minutes. While I stood at the speaker’s podium in room 428 and was afforded the opportunity to speak several times. I was the person who sought to have the Privileged and Confidential Memorandum made public.
I reached this point after prevailing in my Complaint against the FAMSF. I filed the Complaint in May 2022 to force this politically connected and wealthy organization to release its communication regarding its attempt to destroy JFK Promenade, a 1.5 mile car free sanctuary in Golden Gate Park.
At the Board of Supervisors, the ballot box in November 2022 and through the courts. The FAMSF lost in all three venues.
I presumably prevailed last summer. The Task Force ordered that the documents be released. But the FAMSF argued it does not have to produce many documents because its two non-profit entities are exempt from public records disclosure requirements.
Regrettably the SOTF lacks subpoena power.
The Memorandum I want made public goes into detail about FAMSF and its two non-profits.
The meeting on Wednesday night got to the point of absurdity. At the beginning the Deputy City Attorney told the Task Force his office, led by City Attorney David Chiu, had no problem with making the document public. But, when it became apparent the Task Force was going make the document public the Deputy City Attorney did a complete 180 degree turn.
He amazingly told the group he thought it was not going to be voted upon at the meeting. And his office needs more time to review it before saying “Yes. Make it public.” The Deputy City Attorney was arguably the only one in the room with that opinion.
Nonetheless, the Task Force accommodated the City Attorney even though several panelists pushed back on his assertion. What will happen next is either the 2021 Memorandum will be ok’ed for release in a few days or it will be on the Agenda, again, in February. And I will make another trip to City Hall.
Given one last opportunity to speak I told the group I was frustrated with the manner my request to have this Memorandum be made public is being handled. It is very disrespectful. It proves to me, once again, that the powerful monied interests at San Francisco City Hall will only exhibit some transparency kicking and screaming at every step in the process.
Top Photo: Dede Wilsey and Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco CEO Thomas Campbell
Lee's Perspective 