The Power of Words: Remote Public Comment Comes to an End

The SF Animal Commission is ending remote public comment implemented during the pandemic. photo: AdobeStock

When it comes to inspiration, nothing does more for me than the words of others. You can often find me scribbling down quotes while watching television or googling phrases like “inspiring quotes” and “quotes about facing challenges” when I really should be doing other things.

It might be a line I read in a book, saw plastered across a t-shirt or coffee mug, or scribbled down on a bar napkin that’s now hanging on my refrigerator door. But these are words that mean something to me, that I can count on to inspire me when I need them most.

I am often inspired by comments that I hear on the dais at meetings of the Animal Commission. In fact, one of my favorite agenda items during our monthly commission meetings is the public comment period when commissioners get to hear from the community about the issues that matter the most to them. A comment may be for or against an action the commission is considering or it could be sharing something heartbreaking that the speaker personally experienced. We never know what comments we may hear, but we do know how difficult it is to publicly express one’s thoughts - especially within the confines of the two-minute time limit - and we are very appreciative of those who take the time to speak to us.

Unfortunately, there will be one less way for the community to provide public comment at our meetings in the future. Since the start of the pandemic, we have had two ways in which people can voice a public comment during a meeting: in person and remotely. But beginning with our next meeting in January, we will no longer be able to allow remote public comment.

As many are aware, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors recently voted to discontinue remote public comment at meetings of the board and its committees. Mayor London Breed has since instructed that all commissions should also adopt the new rule of the Board of Supervisors and discontinue remote public comment except when necessary to accommodate a disability.

This means the Animal Commission, like all other city bodies, must discontinue remote public comment starting in January. Public comments may still be made in person, as well as via email or written public comment, but unless there is a change in the mayor’s decision, we will not be able to allow public comments to be made remotely at our future meetings.

To be clear, meetings will continue to be streamed so people can still attend remotely; they just won’t be able to voice a comment remotely. And although I understand the reasons for this decision, which have been well documented in the local press, it saddens me that we will no longer have that option for interaction with the community.

In happier news, I look forward to beginning my third year as commission chair in January. With all the issues related to the return to in-person meetings now behind us (and I would be the first to admit that the transition back to City Hall was more difficult than I imagined it would be), my fellow commissioners and I are looking forward to a productive year in 2024.

Beginning next month, we hope to continue work on some of our previous actions and discussions, including the proposed shock collar ban, as well as a possible glue trap ban and further exploring alternatives to rodenticides. We will continue to work with the Department of Animal Care and Control on recommendations that we approved earlier this year, and we will keep discussing ways to address problems related to live animal markets in our city. There is a lot of work to do, no doubt about it, but I feel strongly that we will be able to make compassionate progress on these matters as well as others.

To all our Bay Woof readers and everyone else in the animal community, we wish you a happy holiday season and a wonderful 2024. We look forward to seeing you in the new year at City Hall!

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The next meeting of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 11 (the commission will not meet in December). Meetings are held in Room 408 at City Hall, 1 Carlton B Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102. Information regarding remote access to meetings is available at https://sf.gov/animalcommission . Agendas for upcoming meetings are published 72 hours prior to that meeting.

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Please be aware that the views and opinions expressed in this column are those of Commissioner Torres and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare.