San Francisco supervisors approve Mayor Lurie’s emergency fentanyl ordinance and reset center

San Francisco supervisors moved ahead with two linked measures aimed at curbing open-air drug use and expanding care for people with substance use disorders: the board approved an emergency ordinance granting Mayor Daniel Lurie expedited contracting powers, and it also approved the service contract for a sobering site called the RESET Center on Sixth Street.

The emergency ordinance passed 10-1. It lets the mayor’s office bypass the usual competitive bidding process to quickly sign contracts to address addiction, homelessness and mental-health needs, and it gives supervisors a 45-day review window on emergency contracts valued up to $25 million. During debate, Supervisor Shamann Walton argued the board lacked a concrete plan, saying, “We do not have a plan in front of us that details what the mayor’s team plans to do with these emergency powers. This is probably the most vivid example of putting the cart before the horse I have seen in my entire six-plus years in office.” Mayor Lurie has said the authority is intended to rapidly add 1,500 shelter beds in the next six months, open a 24-hour drop-off crisis center, hire more public health and safety staff and add treatment beds.

Separately, supervisors approved the RESET Center service contract by a 9-2 vote, with Budget Chair Connie Chan and Supervisor Jackie Fielder voting no. The center, billed as a sobering alternative to jail or hospitalization for people arrested for public intoxication when no aggravating factors exist, will be overseen by the sheriff’s office with support from the Department of Public Health and a contracted operator. Sheriff Paul Miyamoto described the planned space to supervisors: “To paint the picture again, this doesn't have bars. This doesn't have locked doors. This is an open, almost dormitory-like environment.” Chan expressed skepticism before the vote: “I want to believe that this could work, but I have a lot of doubt,” and later warned she will use the city’s budget process to press for accountability: “I will for sure, during the budget process in June, hold everyone accountable.”

Legal and procedural questions shadow both actions. An illegally leaked city attorney memo outlining possible legal objections to the RESET Center fueled concern that the project’s model and statutory footing remain uncertain. Supervisors expect a final assessment from the Board of State and Community Corrections to arrive before or during the summer budget negotiations; that assessment and budget hearings will be key oversight moments. The city also has precedent for alternative overdose interventions: in 2023 the board removed a permitting barrier to allow privately funded overdose-prevention sites to operate while state authorization for city-funded sites was pending.

For residents, the immediate effects are concrete and competing. If the mayor meets his targets, San Francisco could see hundreds of new shelter beds and a staffed sobering site on Sixth Street within months, changing how outreach and crisis response work on the streets. But the measures also set up a summer accountability fight: supervisors have the 45-day review window, the June budget process and a pending state assessment to test whether the RESET Center and emergency contracting will deliver promised services while respecting legal limits and community concerns.