Hosting Panda Bears at the San Francisco Zoo - Behested Payment Waiver

Title Resolution authorizing the Office of the Mayor, Recreation and Park Department, Office of Economic and Workforce Development, San Francisco International Airport, Office of the City Administrator, and the Chief of Protocol to solicit donations from various private entities and organizations to support San Francisco in hosting Panda Bears from the People’s Republic of China, notwithstanding the Behested Payment Ordinance. Version (Version 2) Amendment (6/6/2024 - Amended in Committee on Page 5, Lines 19-21, to read 'WHEREAS, On May 10, 2024, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that SFZS has hired a private investigator to look into allegations of mismanagement, a toxic work environment, staffing shortages, and safety concerns, including concerns about the security of proposed housing for a new jaguar; and WHEREAS, On May 14, 2024, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that some have expressed concern about the conditions of several existing zoo exhibits and upgrades for exotic animals have stalled and left rare animals in temporary enclosures for extended periods of time, including a pair of orangutans, a male fossa, and the zoo’s condors, with one longtime zoo donor calling facilities at the zoo “sadly dilapidated”; and WHEREAS, The Board of Supervisors encourages the administration to also fundraise for improvements for existing exhibits and capital needs that will ensure safety and enjoyment for workers, animals, and visitors; and WHEREAS, These departments seek to fundraise from the entities listed on Exhibit A, which may have interested party relationships with employees or officers in one or more of the departments, as well as other similar private entities and philanthropists, yet to be identified, that may have similar interested party relationships to one or more of the departments, as well as other entities willing to provide philanthropic support to this project; and WHEREAS, SFZS will receive all of the funds raised by these efforts; and WHEREAS, The purpose of the solicitation is for SFZS to expend such funds to cover costs relating to preparing for and hosting the pandas and may also use such funds for other general capital improvements to ensure that the Zoo meets the highest standards of animal welfare, visitor experience, safety and working conditions for years to come;' and on Page 6, Line 21, through Page 7, Line 7, to read 'RESOLVED, That under Section 3.620(f) of the Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code, the Board of Supervisors hereby waives application of the Behested Payment Ordinance as to the Mayor, Chief of Protocol, City Administrator Chu, employees of the Office of the Mayor, employees of the Office of the City Administrator, employees of OEWD, employees of RPD, and officers and employees of SFO so that they may solicit donations from private entities and philanthropists to be provided to SFZS to support the City’s efforts to host pandas and to make other necessary capital improvements to the Zoo that ensure the safety and well-being of workers and zoo animals; and, be it FURTHER RESOLVED, That the parties receiving the waiver will, to the greatest extent possible, work to ensure that City Officers or employees that have an interested relationship with a potential donor are not the parties seeking donations from those donors;')