BMWORLDWIDE–SAN FRANCISCO- On unanimous votes, the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, an arm of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors found that Planning Director Richard Hillis had hidden and failed to produce a preservation nomination submitted by African-American scholars and architects in 2007 and that the Historic Preservation Commission abetted that failure by refusing to call an agenda item to consider the nomination despite the delay of 14 years.

John William Templeton, curator of the 6,000 site California African-American Freedom Trail, called the 10-0 votes “The Battle of Gettysburg against displacement and preservation segregation.”   He brought the complaints in April.  Templeton is producer of the new film BLACKWOMANCOMING: “They Scared of Mary Helen Rogers being shown through January 2023 at the African-American Art & Culture Complex, where he has been historian in residence since 1995.

File No. 22027: Compliant filed by John Templeton against the Planning Department for allegedly violating Administrative Code (Sunshine Ordinance), Section(s) 67.7; 67.21, and 67.29-7, by failing to post an agenda containing a meaningful description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed at the meeting; failing to responded to a request for public records in a timely and/or complete manner; and failing to maintain and preserve all documents is a professional manner. 

Moved by Vice-Chair Wong, seconded by Member Schmidt to find the Planning Department and the Planning Department Head, Rich Hillis, in violation of Administrative Code, Sunshine Ordinance, section 67.21(b) for failing to provide records in a complete and timely manner and a violation of section 67.29-7 against Planning Department head, Rich Hillis, for failing to maintain records, documents, agendas and correspondence from 2006-2009 in a professional and businesslike manner and orders the Planning Department to supply the responsive records within five business days to the complainant.

The motion PASSED by the following vote:

Ayes: 10 – Wong, Schmidt, LaHood, Wolfe, Yankee, Neighbors, Stein, Hyland, Padmanabhan, Hill

Noes: 0 – None

File No. 22028: Compliant filed by John Templeton against the Historic Preservation Commission for allegedly violating Administrative Code (Sunshine Ordinance), Section(s) 67.7; 67.21, and 67.29-7, by failing to post an agenda containing a meaningful description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed at the meeting; failing to responded to a request for public records in a timely and/or complete manner; and failing to maintain and preserve all documents is a professional manner. 

Moved by Member Schmidt, seconded by Member Wolfe, to find a violation of Administrative Code, Sunshine Ordinance, Section 67.21(b) for failure to timely respond to the document request and orders that the Historic Preservation Commission go back and produce those documents that respond to the initial request and that the records disclosure shall include all the items that were submitted with the intake of the complaint.

The motion PASSED by the following vote:

Ayes: 10 – Schmidt, Wolfe, LaHood, Yankee, Wong, Neighbors, Stein, Hyland, Padmanabhan, Hill

Noes: 0 – None

File No. 22027: Compliant filed by John Templeton against the Planning Department for allegedly violating Administrative Code (Sunshine Ordinance), Section(s) 67.7; 67.21, and 67.29-7, by failing to post an agenda containing a meaningful description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed at the meeting; failing to responded to a request for public records in a timely and/or complete manner; and failing to maintain and preserve all documents is a professional manner. 

Moved by Vice-Chair Wong, seconded by Member Schmidt to find the Planning Department and the Planning Department Head, Rich Hillis, in violation of Administrative Code, Sunshine Ordinance, section 67.21(b) for failing to provide records in a complete and timely manner and a violation of section 67.29-7 against Planning Department head, Rich Hillis, for failing to maintain records, documents, agendas and correspondence from 2006-2009 in a professional and businesslike manner and orders the Planning Department to supply the responsive records within five business days to the complainant.

The motion PASSED by the following vote:

Ayes: 10 – Wong, Schmidt, LaHood, Wolfe, Yankee, Neighbors, Stein, Hyland, Padmanabhan, Hill

Noes: 0 – None

File No. 22028: Compliant filed by John Templeton against the Historic Preservation Commission for allegedly violating Administrative Code (Sunshine Ordinance), Section(s) 67.7; 67.21, and 67.29-7, by failing to post an agenda containing a meaningful description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed at the meeting; failing to responded to a request for public records in a timely and/or complete manner; and failing to maintain and preserve all documents is a professional manner. 

Moved by Member Schmidt, seconded by Member Wolfe, to find a violation of Administrative Code, Sunshine Ordinance, Section 67.21(b) for failure to timely respond to the document request and orders that the Historic Preservation Commission go back and produce those documents that respond to the initial request and that the records disclosure shall include all the items that were submitted with the intake of the complaint.

The motion PASSED by the following vote:

Ayes: 10 – Schmidt, Wolfe, LaHood, Yankee, Wong, Neighbors, Stein, Hyland, Padmanabhan, Hill

Noes: 0 – None

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