Committee approves surveillance and settlements
At a glance
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The Government Audit and Oversight Committee met with Chair Stephen Sherrill and Vice Chair Bilal Mahmood present. The committee recommended an ordinance updating the Department of Public Works’ surveillance technology policies for drones and an illegal-dumping camera system with license-plate readers, and recommended several settlement ordinances and resolutions related to personal injury and flood/property-damage claims. A scheduled hearing on the Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit was determined to have been erroneously placed on this committee’s agenda and no action was taken; the item remains pending in the assigned committee. A closed-session conference with the City Attorney was not convened.
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What this means
The committee approved new rules allowing Public Works to use drones and an illegal-dumping camera system that includes automatic license-plate readers; this affects how the city monitors dumping and uses aerial surveillance. The committee also approved settlements that will pay claimants for sidewalk injuries and flood-related property damage, which are paid from city funds. A planned hearing about the city’s dog unit was not handled here and will proceed in the committee assigned by the Board President.
Key decisions
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- Recommended Ordinance 260334 approving amended Surveillance Technology Policies for the Department of Public Works’ use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and an illegal dumping camera system with automatic license plate reader technology.
- Recommended settlement Ordinance 260335 authorizing payment of $150,000 to resolve Natasha Koral v. Charles Lewkowitz, et al. (personal injury on a City sidewalk).
- Recommended settlement Ordinance 260336 authorizing payment of $500,000 to resolve Wan Ieng Cheang Che and Kim Heng Che v. Catherine Bonniot, et al. (personal injury on a City sidewalk).
- Recommended settlement Ordinance 260337 authorizing payment of $210,000 to resolve Grace Lee and Pius Lee v. City and County of San Francisco, et al. (personal injury on a City sidewalk).
- Recommended Resolution 260338 approving settlement of an unlitigated claim by Warren Guan for $67,572.61 (property damage from alleged water main rupture flooding).
- Recommended Resolution 260339 approving settlement of an unlitigated claim by Amy Yanyu Chen for $80,000 (property damage from alleged water main rupture flooding).
- Recommended Resolution 260340 approving settlement of an unlitigated claim by The Market of Insurance Carriers a/s/o The Related Companies of California, LLC for $2,434,348 (property damage from alleged water main rupture flooding).
- Recommended Resolution 260416 approving settlement of an unlitigated claim by Charles Reiter for $31,095.31 (property damage from alleged water main rupture flooding).
- No action taken on item 260434 (Hearing on the Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit) because the item was added in error to this committee’s agenda; the prior motion and vote were rendered null and void and the matter remains pending in the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee.
- Chair elected not to convene the planned closed session with the City Attorney on existing litigation.
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Government Audit and Oversight Committee (5/21/2026 10:00 AM)
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