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Tuesday, July 16, 2019
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>> good afternoon and welcome to
July 16th, 2019 regular meeting of the san francisco board of supervisors. Madame Clerk, please call the. [Roll Call]
-- please call roll call.
[Roll Call] Mr. President, you have a quorum >> okay. , we will get started in a second.
I need to talk to our -- okay, we will get started in a second. I need to talk to our city
attorney.
>> sorry about that.
I think we cold will call already.
Okay. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in the pledge of
allegiance.
[Pledge of allegiance]
>> on behalf of the board, I would like to acknowledge the
staff at san francisco
government television, michael
and maja, who record each of our meetings and make their transcripts available to the
public online.
Madame Clerk, are there any communications? >> yes, I have a communication
from the office of supervisor gordon mar.
He is expecting not to be of the board meeting today and requests to be excused.
>> okay.
Could I have a motion from supervisor stefani and seconded
by supervisor. Without objection, supervisor
mar is excused. Colleagues, today we are
approving the minutes from the
June 11th, 2019 board meeting and the minutes from the June 13
th 2019 special meeting at
the budget and committee -- budget and finance committee.
Are there any changes to these meeting minutes? Seeing then, can I have a motion to approve the minutes as presented?
Motion made by supervisor walton
and seconded by supervisor brown
then without objection, those minutes will be approved after
public comment.
Madame Clerk, please call the first item.
>> item one is an ordinance to call and provide for a special election to be held in san
francisco on tuesday, November 5 th, 2019 for the purpose of submitting to the san francisco
voters a proposition to incur $600 million of bonded indebtedness for affordable
housing improvements and to
adopt the appropriate findings. >> supervisor peskin? >> thank you. Colleagues, as I mentioned it
last week's board meeting, it
has been brought to my attention that even though since the days
that a supervisor enacted
legislation to have all of our general obligation bonds have
5050 pass-through his, indeed, in some cases, general obligation bonds are being passed through to tenants and all in all of our districts that
are actually raising their rent.
This did not make sense at first
to me because the whole concept is that we are issuing as much
debt as we are tiring, and our marginal property tax rate therefore is not going up, so
presumably there should not be any increased pass-through his to tenants.
But as it turns out, because,
and our controller can give you
his lovely graph, we have debt that preexists that 5050
pass-through. That is not always the case.
And to that end, and because we
want uniform support for this
affordable housing bonds on our November ballot, I indicated
last week that I would be
introducing legislation that would include hardship provisions for tenants. This is very commonplace. It is commonplace on utility pass-through is, it is commonplace on operating pass-through his, and hopefully
it will soon be commonplace for general obligation bonds.
I have discussed this with representatives of the tenant's community and the landlord
community and hopefully this
will be accepted by everyone and we will have uniform support for this measure. To that end, I have passed out
each and every one of you
members and amendment at pages
ten and 11 to add a new section 18 which would read, landlords
May pass-through to residential tenants under the rent
stabilization arbitration ordinance, administrative code
chapter 37, 50% of any property tax increase that May result in the issuance of bonds authorized
by this ordinance.
Here is the operative sentence,
the city May a ordinances
authorizing tenants to seek waivers from the pass-through is based on financial hardship.
So I would like to make that amendment, continue this one
week to a committee of the whole
and then vote for this on second reading at our last meeting this
month. By way of disclosure, this would
make this measure the late measure.
I want everybody to be aware of
that going into this, and I hereby make that motion that I
have described to item number 1. >> supervisor brown? >> I would like to sign on,
please. >> I will consider that a second
>> you are just going to second?
This is an amendment. Okay. There has been a motion made and
seconded by supervisor brown.
Roll call.
[Roll Call] >> there are ten aye. >> okay.
Even though this will delay the final vote for the bottom
measure --
>> it is a -- it is continue to
a committee of the hole. >> I understand. I just want to say something.
Is that okay with you?
So the good thing is that we still have enough time to still
put it on the ballot.
So, supervisor peskin, you just made a motion to continue. >> I would like to make a motion to continue this to a committee
of the whole for next week, July 23rd, please. >> okay.
Is there a second for that?
Supervisor mandelman. Can I take this same house same
call as amended? Okay.
Motion passes to continue this item.
>> that would be on first reading, Mr. President. >> yes.
>> okay.
>> could we go to item number 2.
>> item two is an ordinance to amend the administrative code to establish the cooperative living opportunities for the mental health loan fund and the program to finance the acquisition of residential properties operated
as communal housing for people with chronic mental illness
and/or substance use disorders. >> okay. Colleagues, can we take this same house, same call? Without objection, this is passed unanimously. Madame Clerk, please go to items
three through seven. >> item three through seven comprised five ordinances that authorize settlement of the following lawsuits. Item three is settling a lawsuit filed by joseph alvarado against
the city for $175,000, filed on September 6, 2018. It involves an alleged personal injury on city streets.
Other material terms are a waiver of the san francisco general hospital lean and
further appropriates the amount for the public utilities commission wastewater enterprise fund balance. Item four, authorizes the settlement of the lawsuit filed by gwendolyn woods against the
city for $400,000, filed December 11th, 2015 in the united states district court, lawsuit involves alleged civil rights violations. Item five settles the lawsuit
filed by margo grant against the
city for $175,000, filed on October 20th, 2017 in the united states district court, northern division of sand -- of california and involves an employment dispute. Autumns -- item six authorizes
assessment through dixie against
the city for $125,000, filed October 23rd, 2017 in san
francisco superior court and involves alleged medical negligence and item seven authorizes settlement of the
lawsuit filed by general
washington against the city for
$40,000 from generally fifth, 2016 he san francisco superior court.
And involves an alleged personal injury sentences go general hospital.
>> can we take these items same
house, same call? Without objection, these ordinances are passed unanimously. Madame Clerk, please call the
budget items eight to 24. >> eight through 24 beginning
with item eight, is the budget appropriation ordinance to appropriate all estimated receipts and expenditures for
departments of the city as of
June first, 2019. Item nine is the annual salary ordinance. New positions in the annual budget and appropriation ordinance for fiscal years ending June 30th, 2020 and June 30th 2021. Item ten is the ordinance to
adopt the neighborhood beautification and graffiti
cleanup. Item 11 is the ordinance to
authorize refunding certificates of participation for multiple
capital improvement project not
to exceed $100. Item 12 is an ordinance to appropriate refunding
certificates of participation
for $160 million to places place these funds on roller's was there. I can 13 is the ordinance to amend the fire code to increase certain fire department fees.
Item 14 is to amend the park code to permit the recreation and park department general manager to said guest docking fees at the marina small craft
harbor. Item 15 is the ordinance to amend the park code regarding nonresident fees a certain specialty attractions. Item 16 is the ordinance to amend the park code for
temporary surcharges at the japanese tea garden. Item 17 is the ordinance to
amend the administrative code,
eliminating fines for overdue library materials. Item 18 is resolution to approve
the fiscal year 2019 through 20 budget for the office of community investment and
infrastructure.
For fiscal year 2019 through 2020 budget.
Item 19 is resolution to concur with the controller's establishment of the consumer
price index for 2019 and to adjust the access line text by the same rate.
Item 20 is a resolution to concur with the controller
certification item 21 is a resolution to authorize the planning department to accept
and expend 625,000 from the california department of housing
and community development for a
planning grant program fund. Item 22, resolution to accept
and expend grants funds for the department of public health. Item 23 is a resolution to
approve the fiscal year 2019 through 2021 expenditure plan for the department of homelessness and supportive housing, and item 24 is a resolution to authorize the san francisco public library to
accept and expend an $808,000 grant of in-kind services, cash money from the friends of the
san francisco public library. >> supervisor viewer? >> thank you. I would like to take this opportunity to speak a little bit about the budget and this
budget process for 2019.
I would like to first thank the
board, the mayor, the mayor's office, my fellow supervisors on
the budget committee.
He office clerk's office, especially long advocates and community organization.
I think in the beginning it was daunting. So many city budgets is only asks. In fact, over $400 million in
community asks. I would like to especially thank tracy bullard who was the backbone of this process, working closely with departments , advocates, the mayor's office in the offices of other supervisors.
I want to appreciate my legislative aides were holding it down well we were deep in the
budget stuff.
And to thank all of the aids of the offices for their support. Chelsea and I both learned a lot
during this process, but the biggest lesson was how dependent san franciscans are on a budget that serves them well and reflects the values of our city.
I would also like to recognize cameron? Patrick for her hard work and
collaboration, as well as sophia kittler, also our hard-working budges late -- budget legislative office and ever controller, and his team. It takes a team to deliver an astounding budget, and I was
honored to be part of the team. Many thanks to john gibbon are for all those hours of public
testimony and reading of the budgets to make sure that we
were legally sound, and I would
like to thank all the public servants, in particular the department heads for their
honorable work that they do every day to serve the residents of san francisco.
Public service is not only noble
employment, it is imperative to
have public servants who deliver city services to the residents of our city. You, the workers of the city and county of san francisco are the machine that makes the city run
every day. Thank you all again, and especially to President You for forwarding these opportunities
to serve the city and this board in the capacity of budget chair.
Inc. You.
>> budget chair fewer, I really want to personally thank you in
public. I think more than that, just the process that you took us through was very smooth. I know it was a lot of work on
your staff to make that happen, and there was open discussions, and there were a lot of needs, as you pointed out.
At the end of the day, we were
able to put a budget together
that actually provided resources for many of the needs that we
feel are very important to us and to our residents in san
francisco and I really also want
to appreciate the mayor's office
and her staff, and ben
rosenfield, and also harvey rose
's B.L.A.'s office.
They sat with us throughout the whole process and I'm really
glad that we got it done.
Today we would not be able to
vote on it, unfortunately because we have to continue our
items, and so thank you very much, supervisor viewer.
Now, these items are all related to the budget, and since we introduced it at the same time, even though some May not need to
be continued, and I'm talking
about items eight through 24, I
would like to have a motion to
continue all these items to week
, two next week's July 23rd meeting. There is a motion made by supervisor mandelman and
seconded by supervisor brown.
Can I take this same house, same call? Then we will continue all these
items eight through 24 until
next week.
Madame Clerk, please call item
number 25. >> item 25 is a resolution to amend the budget legislative analyst services contract to
enact a three-point 2% cost-of-living adjustment
effective July 1st, 2019, to exercise a final two-year option
and increase the total contract
amount to 18 million from genuine first,
2014, through December 31st, 2021. >> colleagues, can we take this same house, same call?
Without objection, this resolution is adopted unanimously.
Madame Clerk, please call the next item.
>> item 26 is an ordinance to retroactively approve an agreement between the san francisco public utilities
commission and the california independent system operator for
reliability coordinator services , for an initial 18 month term through July 6th, 2020, to suspend the administrative code section 21.9
, subsection b., to authorize automatic renewal of contract term in excess of ten
years without returning to the board for authorization, and a
maximum cost not to exceed $3 million. >> okay. Supervisor peskin? >> thank you.
I just would like to note that I have been briefed as to the
retroactivity by the department of the public utilities commission and understand and support the retroactivity in this item.
>> okay. Then colleagues, can we take
this same house, same call? Without objection, this ordinance is passed on first reading unanimously.
Madame Clerk, hall the next item
>> twenty-seven is a resolution to retroactively approve the six amendment to the revenue agreement between public works
and jc to co-for an automatic
public toilet and public service
program to extend the contact --
contract term by 166 days and
extend the termination date to june 30th, 2019.
>> can we take this same house, same call?
Without objection, this is adopted unanimously. Please call 28 through 30 together. >> twenty-eight through 30 are being called together. Item 28 as a resolution to provide for the issuance and
sale of city general obligation bonds for the embarcadero
seawall earthquake safety. Item 29 is a resolution to authorize the issuance and sale
of $50 million in aggregate principal amount of city general
obligation bonds and to make the appropriate findings for both
items 28 and 29, and for item 30
, an ordinance to appropriate
$50 million of this series 2019 be embarcadero seawall earthquake safety general obligation bond proceeds to the port of san francisco in fiscal
year 2018 through 2019. >> colleagues, can we take these
items same house, same call? Without objection, these resolutions are adopted and the ordinance is passed on first reading unanimously.
Please call item 31 and 32.
>> item 31 and 32 are two resolutions at approved agreements, item 31 a proves the cargo facility lease between china airlines limited and the
city for space in airport building 648 and adjacent ramp
space on plot ten for an initial
term of one year with two when your options to extend for an
annual base rent of $1 million. Item 32 is a resolution to approve a 2011 lease and use agreement between the city and iberia to conduct light
operations at san francisco
through June 30th 2021.
>> can we take these same house, same call? These resolutions are adopted
unanimously.
Please call the next item. >> item 33 is a resolution to authorize the department of homelessness and supportive
housing to apply for the
california emergency solutions and housing program from the california department of housing and community for approximately
$1.8 million.
>> colleagues, can we take this
item same house, same call? This resolution is adopted unanimously. Please call the next item. >> thirty-four is resolution to authorize adoption of the san francisco mental health services
act annual update for fiscal year 2019 through 2020. >> colleagues, can we take this
item same house, same call? This resolution is adopted
unanimously. Next item, please. >> thirty-five is a resolution
to approve an amendment number 4 to a san francisco public utilities commission agreement for preliminary design and environmental services, power
transmission project with urs corporation americas to increase
the amount for a total not to exceed $11.5 million, a total duration of 11 years and eight
months and to execute a name change from U.R.S. Corporation
america's to U.R.S. Corporation.
>> can we take this item same
house, same call? Without objection, this resolution is adopted
unanimously.
please call item 36. >> thirty-six is a resolution to approve the fourth amendment to a contract between the municipal
transportation agency and the transbay joint powers authority for transbay transit center
program services to extend the term through December 31st, 2019 and to reallocate funding within task budgets at no
additional cost.
>> can we take this item same house, same call? Without objection, this resolution is adopted unanimously.
Please call the next item. >> item 37 is a resolution to approve amendment number 2 to
the agreement between richmond area multi services inc. And the department of public health for behavioral health services through the peer to peer programs, to increase the
contract amount for a total amount not to exceed $28.3 million and to extend the term for a total term through June 30th, 2021.
>> colleagues, can we take this same house, same call?
This resolution is adopted unanimously.
Please call the next item. >> thirty-eight is a resolution to approve and authorize the
director property to acquire
real property located at 1515
south van ness avenue from lnc
san francisco holdings for a purchase at $19 million to
construct affordable housing, adopting findings that the conveyance is consistent with
the general plan and to execute documents to make certain modifications and take certain
actions in furtherance of the purchase agreement and to assume a lease in certain service
contracts. >> supervisor ronen? >> thank you so much.
When I took office two and a
half years ago, I inherited an appeal of the luxury apartment building that was first proposed for this site. The community was appalled at the shockingly low numbers of
affordable units included in the initial proposal. They appealed and I was able to
bring them together with members
of the community and they reached an agreement that doubled the number of B.M.R. On site.
The appeal was withdrawn on the project was approved.
That was in March of 2017, but despite been fully entitled, the project did not start construction. Ultimately, the developer decided they didn't need the project expectations of the investors and opted to sell and move on. So here we are, a true win for
the community, another 150 units of affordable housing in
district nine. This purchase was made possible
by a $5 million jumpstart grant from that former supervisor, david compost that was secured
directly from the state when he
served on M.T.C., which is the first regional investment of its kind to recognize the link between transportation and
affordable housing. We now are considering how to activate the vacant billions -- building for the immediate term
a temporary arts, cultural, and services, and I'm excited that in the future will be choosing
community-based nonprofit to develop the site to build the
affordable units that district
nine and the whole city so desperately needs. I wanted to thank and give so
much credit to kate hartley and mohcd stuff for the work to complete this purchase and to mission housing activists who
never give up. Thank you so much. >> thank you.
Colleagues, can we take this
item same house, same call? Without objection, this resolution is adopted unanimously.
Please call the next item. >> item 39 is a resolution to retroactively authorize the mayor's office of housing and community development to accept
and expend 5 million-dollar grant for the metropolitan transportation commission for the affordable housing jumpstart grant program through June 30th , 2029.
>> can we take this same house, same call? Without objection, this resolution is adopted
unanimously. Please call the next item. >> item 40 is an ordinance to amend the environment code to
raise the amounts stores style
charge for checkout bags from 10 cents to 25 cents per bag to
require that precheckup backs provided by customers before they reach a point of sale be recyclable or compostable and to affirm the secret determination. >> supervisor brown?
>> thank you.
I would like to first thank my cosponsor, supervisor peskin and
safai, and the department of environment.
This legislation updates and strengthens our checkout back ordinance.
In 2012, we were the first city
in california to introduce the checkout bag charge. We have been a leader when it
comes to plastic and 20 waste
and we are still struggling to reduce waste.
San francisco generates
3 million tons of waste a year. Despite our efforts to date,
this amount continues to grow. We are recycling and composting
with the best of them, but it is
now clear that we will never achieve our zero waste goals if our consumption and generation continues to grow. We need to change.
We need to make refuse the new recycling. In 2012, the sent -- san francisco was the first sitting california to implement a
10-cent charge on all bags at checkout, including paper,
plastic, and reusable bags. Since we have implemented the checkout bag charge, many other california cities have followed suit.
And today, a dozen other cities in california have mandated a checkup bag charge higher than
10 cents.
The cities of san mateo, santa cruz, monterey, pacifica charges
25 cents, as to the counties of san mateo and santa clara.
It is time for us to do the same this legislation proposes to increase our bag charge from 10
cents to 25 cents, effective July 1st, 2020.
This legislation also takes a new step in combating plastic
waste. It requires that precheckout bags such as produce or bulk item bags provided to the
customer prior to checkout are composed double or made of
recycled paper. These are the bags that you might see the produce aisle to back up loose foods or vegetables.
They are typically clear in color, made of polyurethane or other plastic film and are
extremely thin. They are also very difficult to
recycle or reuse. Recently, some businesses have been using noncombustible green
bags -- green plastic bags in
the produce aisles. People think they are being responsible environmentalists
because they compost, but they are actually being fooled by
these types of plastic bags. These types of plastic bags absolutely screws up our
composting.
If passed, starting July 1st, 2020, the single use plastic
produce bags will no longer be allowed to be provided to customers at stores and including farmers markets.
It is time for us as a city, as
a leader on the environment, to step up.
We only have this once 80, this one planet, and it is all on us. Thank you.
>> thank you. Madame Clerk, can you call the. [Roll Call]
Code -- can you call roll call.
[Roll Call] There are ten imacs. >> okay.
This item -- this resolution is
adopted unanimously.
>> it is an ordinance. >> thank you. This ordinance is passed on
first reading.
Why don't we go to -- before we
go to commendations, let's take item 41.
>> item 41 is a resolution to declare the intent of the board of supervisors to order the street vacation for the entirety
of seawall lot 337 and setting a hearing date for the board of supervisors to sit as a committee as a whole on
September 3rd, 2019 at 3:00 P.M. For all persons interested in the proposed
vacation and public-service easements to come and provide
the public comment. >> colleagues, can we take this
item same house, same call? Without objection, this resolution is adopted
unanimously.
Madame Clerk, let's go to our 2:30 P.M. Commendations. >> yes, Mr. President.
I believe I have two.
One from supervisor fewer and one from supervisor peskin. >> supervisor peskin, would you
like to go first? >> thank you.
Colleagues, today I have the distinct pleasure of recognizing
a woman who is almost half a
century career in the newspaper business has seen the industry adapts to no shortage of
dramatic change.
This kind of institution is such
a gift for san francisco, so I
would like to bring leah up to
the podium and just take a moment to reminisce about the adventures of san francisco's. [Cheering] Premier print informant and influencer here in the people's house. Welcome to leah guard check.
[Applause]
She started her career as a
clerical worker 47 years ago at the san francisco chronicle before the industry was driven
by cliques and digital
circulation and then started her
writing career as a columnist in
1984 when I was still in college
her colleagues have spoken about her den mother qualities, as well as the inspirational and intentional work she has done to
pave the way for other women writers and journalists.
She spoke recently on a show about the reader's critiques she
often faces a being too positive and overly optimistic.
I have to say, this is a brand of journalism that should be celebrated at a time when most
headlines can sink readers into
a perpetual state of depression. I also find that positivity quite impressive for someone who has been described as being
perpetually on deadline.
Leah joins the ranks of great san francisco news folk such as a hurricane, stanton della plane
, charles mccabe, and
others, all of whom she knew and worked with.
She has managed to capture the quintessential san francisco
moments in words, in vignettes
that bring our daily lives and
city identity into truly lovely focus. She has been -- she has a full list of favorite columns over
the years, but a couple stand out for me based on their ties to the corner of the safety that city that I live in. There are many.
i had my interns scrubbed them.
One of them that I remember, and this is from, I don't know if you remember this, but this is
from almost 15 years ago, she
describes the eclectic chaos of
larry coffey's barbershop, watering hole, a top russian hill by swims and's a screen,
with vivid recall in a touching obituary and tribute to larry that also highlighted the things
that I personally love most about this city and its
archipelago of villages.
That is how the neighbors that check in on one another and take
care of one another, and how leah managed to boil that down
by writing about the neighbor that found him with his lights
on after he had a heart attack, because it really is about the larger network of community and friends and family, which leah
quite ably expressed by saying
that larry was as messy as his
address book, and the word spread, and he was honored in
high fashion by the italian athletic club after her column was published.
You have celebrated the literary genius of lawrence getty on
occasion of his 100th birthday
, not long ago, and even reported on my official request to city administrator kelly at
the behest of my staff to illuminate city hall in royal purple tribute to the memory of the one and only prints after his passing.
But it was your last column that
both broke my heart and restored
my faith in the powers of journalism, storytelling, and community correspondence. You reflected upon your readers
or genuine love and gratitude and affection for the invitation , as you pointed, to break bread with us at breakfast you haven't just been a storyteller engaged in a one-way discourse, you have been a
confidant and trusted penpal,
engaging us all in a real conversation about our city. What a special and intimate
relationship that we have two thank you for. On behalf of the board of supervisors, leah, thank you, and I also want to say thank you
to jury, your loving husband,
who has supported you for all of these many years. You two are both mentioned is,
and I know that all of my
colleagues share in that. On behalf of the board of supervisors, I wanted to give
you the opportunity to say a few
words and present you with this highest commendation. Thank you, leah garchick.
[Applause] >> I am absolutely thrilled and touched.
I have never been here to see anybody else, so I am honored.
I had no idea what to expect. This is such a detailed remark
and your poor office workers being asked to hunch over my
scribblings, as though they were
doing readings. I am very touched.
I am kind of dazzled to be in this beautiful room where I
don't think, in all these years in san francisco, I have ever
been, and I'm not sure about
this library. I can't help sitting there and
being both the honoree and a citizen of san francisco.
I never -- I tried not to wax poetic about the city of san
francisco, but I live here, as
all of you do, and I am proud and happy to be a citizen of
this complicated and deliriously
happy and blissful he said city
at the same time. Thank you. >> it can bailey sends his regards.
>> okay.
>> supervisor peskin, before you
go, supervisor brown --
>> I just wanted to also give my comments. You are a district five resident
, so leah, thank you
very much, both you and jury.
I always enjoyed talking to you, especially your street fair at the D.M.V. Heights, as you call
your neighborhood, which I think is hysterical and very
appropriate, but, you know, you
also admired -- you're admired in the city not only for women journalists and writers, but for all women. You hit a glass ceiling and push through it.
I just want to say thank you. All of us are looking forward to your next gig because you told
me you would still be writing. >> oh, yes,. >> absolutely.
We'll be waiting for that book, but thank you so much and I
appreciate all your work as a
writer and as a community person , also. >> thank you. Thank you so much.
[Applause]
>> thank you.
So I would like -- the next person I will call up to say
something is not doing a commendation, but he wants to recognize somebody special in the room.
supervisor safai. >> thank you. I just wanted to take a moment to recognize my son and daughter
and mother and mother-in-law. Thank you for coming today and
thank you for joining us. [Laughter]. >> thank you, President E.
[Applause]
>> don't worry, I will make sure that your dad behaves.
[Laughter]
So next up for commendation will
be supervisor fewer. >> colleagues, please join me in
welcoming director ed ruskin to the podium.
[Applause] Ed has been a true and tireless public servant for the residents of san francisco for the past 12 years. He has always had an open door
policy and has been present and
accessible in the community. I have seen him on early
mornings, on a walk to work day, meeting me an elementary school at 7:00 A.M. I have seen him warmly and
humbly greet bus riders it during transit riders week.
I have seen him out at community meetings at 7:00 P.M., thoughtfully answering questions
from neighbors.
He is the picture of a hard-working public servant.
Directing an agency like the sfmta is nothing short of absolutely demanding.
I have seen him bleed with
kindness, a steady hand, and a combination of heart and determination in delivering transportation improvements for
the city, and especially our most transit dependent and low income communities in the city.
a humble, gentle man, he has always been wanting to listen, not just to my opinion as a supervisor, but to the thoughts
and feedback from my residents. Real conversations about
transportation policy and how decisions impact the everyday
experiences of my residents. Under his leadership, we increased service levels by more
than 10%. We launched free transit service
for approximately 115,000 low to
moderate income youth, seniors, and people with disabilities,
which began as a grassroots community campaign. The service equity strategy is taking into consideration the needs of equity neighborhoods and addressing the gap in performance between equity neighborhood routes and roots
and the transit system. The network made transit a priority on our streets. As a result, ridership continues
to grow on rapid routes.
Bucking national trends, even through this political streetscape amidst a sea of ride
chairs and emerging abilities. In 2014, we adopted vision zero to create an aggressive and
strategic plan to court nate efforts toward eliminating
serious injuries and fatalities. Until recently, munimobile operated the oldest transit
fleet in the united states, today, hours is one of the newest and is the greenest fleet
in north america.
The city passed a 500 million-dollar bond measure to support transportation
infrastructure investment.
Today, the sfmta holds the
highest credit rating of any transportation agency in the united states.
And, thank you for all that you have done for the city and our
residence and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. I want to open the floor to my colleagues who would like a few
words to say a few words as well >> supervisor walton?
>> thank you.
I just want to commend you on
taking the helm of one of the most difficult organizations here in san francisco and I know
when something happens on our streets in regards to munimobile , you take all the
blame, none of the praise when things are actually going well
in some instances, but I wasn't always a member of the board of supervisors, but you were always
very responsive as a leader and always willing to have conversations and talk about some of the difficult things that we need to address with munimobile. So I just want to say thank you for your service, commend you for that.
I will end with these three words. Munimobile is complicated.
[Laughter]
>> supervisor brown?
>> thank you.
Director ruskin, ed, like I said at the M.T.A. Board meeting
earlier when we were discussing
you and your career, I mean, I
have to say, when chief scott
said that you always stay calm, that is completely true and I
have seen you people rattle your chains when you were the public
works director, whether the street was dirty, trees weren't trimmed, you name it, we were
complaining.
And then as M.T.A. Director, whether the trains are two
fuller we can't get on, or a protected bike lane, and it was
really interesting because I was at the bicycle coalition last
night talking and we were talking about, you know, protected bike lanes and pedestrian safety and even though we need to do more and we have to push for it, I remember
a time when we were talking
about the wiggle, the idea of the wiggle and how, you know, people were talking about, we
will have to take a parking
space away for daylighting. We're talking about masonic boulevard instead of making it a mini freeway, we're also going to ask the state to lower the
speed limit. And so when I was talking about
this last night, I was thinking
of all of the improvements and all of the advancements that we
have done and I have just, as a city, and you as a leader, I just want to thank you.
Yes, we have to do more, but I
just want to thank you for your
service and your kind way of handling a lot of us in distress when we are trying to get things done.
Thank you, ed.
>> supervisor safai? >> thank you.
Director ruskin, ed, I remember, part of my career in the city,
you were my boss, working a public works. You have truly worked your way through this city, but I like to tell people the last job you'll ever have in the city is the director of the sfmta. So we knew this was going to
come, but I have to say that the seven years plus that you let
that agency, you let it with gumption. You let it in an even keeled manner.
I know you took a lot of heat.
Is a very difficult job to have. I have to say it was always,
always, whether it was 311, public works or sfmta, it was always truly a pleasure to work with you.
I think your style of returning phone calls immediately, meeting
with people, opening your doors up, always making yourself available, I think it is an
admirable style in a way to lead I thank you can walk away thinking back on the seven years that you have led this agency
and looking at all the accomplishments, the bike lanes, the vision zero advancements. I know there will always be
people that you are not going to fulfil they're overall demand, but the truth is, I have said this over and over again, the
progress that has been made in the past seven years, for some people, not fast enough, but the truth is we have made a significant amount of progress under your leadership and you
have brought stability to an agency that was in complete and utter disarray when you took over. There was a series of changes that had happened.
I have been one of the biggest critics, you know that, and I still think there's a lot more work than needs to be done. I thank you would agree with that, but I think the fact that
you were always open, you always have your ears open and talk less, I think that is a hard lesson for a lot of us to learn, but you really do a good job at it. At the end of the day, I thank you can walk away proud of what you have accomplished in the
city and how much time you have given to us all. Thank you for all that you have done and I appreciate the time I had to work with you as a member
of the board, as an employee,
and as a citizen of san francisco. >> supervisor ronen? >> thank you.
I will Miss You very much.
You have always been one of my favorite civil -- civil servants
and department heads in the city it is because of your kindness
and your true dedication to
equity that I don't thank you
are often recognized enough.
It is very genuine and real and hard-fought.
I know you have always done that I'm very excited for you and what ever you will do next, getting a little break after so
many years of this crazy place. Congratulations and thank you
for everything.
>> supervisor mandelman?
>> thank you.
You have had these last eight
years probably possibly the
hardest job in city government, maybe maybe an impossible job,
and yet you have heard some accomplishments. The tough work that you have done is going to bear fruit over
a period of years that will expend -- expand beyond your term. We will be benefiting from the
work that you did to buy
additional buses, trains, fixed infrastructure, over many, many years.
I wanted to thank you for that
and was she will. >> supervisor haney? >> thank you. I haven't been here in this role
that long, but I have been here long enough to see that you probably have the hardest job in the city.
There are so many demands on you
and challenges on our streets. And the breath of your responsibilities is really
incredible. I have been impressed during my time here with the way that you
have done your job, your responsiveness, your humility, which everyone has talked about, and I thank you have this commitment to public service in our city and it is really
commendable. Because I've seen how hard your job is, I'm grateful that you
are here. Hopefully you'll get some time to relax.
I hope you know that we are very appreciative of everything you
have done. >> supervisor stefani?
>> thank you. Director ruskin, it is so sad to see you go.
I have worked with you over these last eight years as a
legislative aide mostly and as a supervisor.
I have to say, you have always been so responsive and
respectful.
And given aids your complete attention, as well. Not just the supervisors.
I can't thank you enough for that. When everyone was talking, I was
writing down the words, client, responsive, and respectful.
That is you to a tee, always. You are all of those things and people are not kind to you and people are not respectful to you
and people do not remain calm and I think this is a testament to who you are.
I was just thinking of you as
st. Francis and our patent -- patron saint of san francisco.
I think the fact that you embody those things when a lot of
people don't, really I think you
are our patron saint and I'm sad to see you go. >> supervisor peskin?
>> thank you.
Everything has been said, but not everybody has said it.
I will not reiterate what I said at the M.T.A. Board a few
minutes ago, but I do want to
say thank you for putting up
with all of us, and particularly , supervisor safai.
[Laughter]
>> director peskin, I guess I
will have the last words here before you speak, but I really
want to appreciate and let you
know I have appreciated my time working with you on the board of supervisors in the last six and
a half years, and as you know, improving the safety of our streets is one of my highest priorities.
And with the passage of our vision zero policy, you have
been such a champion with in
your department to get us there, even though we have a long ways to go, I have seen a lot of
improvements, and I know that I probably drive you crazy with my participatory budgeting program
where each year, unexpectedly you have 5-10 more projects to
do in regards to safety measures
, and, you know, these are important things for our residents to understand.
That when they point out these unsafe conditions that our city
will respond to it and I thank you have done such a fabulous
job.
And even when we have projects where we are trying to improve
it and we point out from, you know, what the residents tell us that, you know, it would be better if you had done it a
different way, and you listen and instead of defending what's there, you look at the situation with your staff, and you say,
you are absolutely right. I think we ought to spend a
little bit more money to change the condition and actually
improve the situation.
For that alone, I really am
going to Miss You at the home because when it comes to
pedestrian safety measures.
This job at the sfmta is one of
one of the hardest positions in
san francisco. Within your own department you have to balance the different
demands and make it go faster,
make it go slower, make it safer , give me more parking spaces, no, take away parking
spaces, and so I know that is
really a difficult situation. Even when we are talking about
daylighting our corners, it is a balancing of, well, will we make it safer or not? Do we care about safety? And we knew it was going to be
difficult, a difficult dialogue, but at the end of the day, we all agree it will be safe for people. We will lose a few parking spaces, but hopefully we will
save a few lives.
What I will really Miss About
you, actually is -- maybe that is why, you know, you are nervous that I am drawing the
end line. I was hoping you would be around
to see that actually happen.
Maybe it will be the start of
something in regards to making it more efficient for people and
growing the capacity of the
trains coming from the downtown area into the west side by
allowing not only two cars, but four cars to be hooked up
together.
[Please Stand by] .
>> Director Rahaim: certain hoping that every day, my family and I can get around the city safely and benefit from
all the services that you helped deliver. Maybe I'll show up in public comment, and I can start grilling you guys in exchange, but I just want to thank you
all for the partnership and the work and the high expectations
you've created for me and my colleagues, the rest of the department heads and for all that you do for all of us who work here and live here and visit here. So thank you very much. It's a great honor, and I appreciate it.
[Applause]
>> President Yee: director
peskin, would you come into the
chambers? [Applause]
>> President Yee: that concludes our special commendation for today.
Madam Clerk, let's go to our
first special 3:00 P.M. Orders, item 46 through 49.
>> clerk: item 46 through 49,
this is the appeal for the
tentative map for 2146 through 2150 union street. Item 46 is the decision for persons interested in the
decision of public works to
approve a tentative map for a
three unit subdivision. Item 47 is the motion to approve the tentative map for
the union street project, and
item 48 is the motion to
conditionally disapprove the department's decision and to approve the appropriate finding.
>> President Yee: okay. Colleagues, we have before us
an appeal to the determination of the public works approving
the tentative map for the
project at 2146-2150 union street. For this hearing, we will be considering the final decision made by public works and approving the tentative map.
The appellant or appellant's representative will have up to
ten minutes for presentation,
up to two minutes per speaker
in support of the appeal, up to ten minutes for presentations from the public works and planning department.
Up to ten minutes for the
project sponsor which will be
represented by barbara hertzig,
and two minutes in opposition
to the appeal and in support of
the project; and finally, a total of three minutes for the
appellant or appellant representative to provide a rebuttal. Colleagues, are there any objections to proceeding this way? Seeing no objection, the hearing is now open. Supervisor stefani, do you have
any remarks you would like to
share before we get going?
>> Supervisor Stefani: not at this time.
>> President Yee: okay. Seeing no names on the roster,
I will ask the appellant or their representative to come forward and present their case.
You have up to a total of ten minutes. >> hi. Thank you very much for giving
the time for me and my wife to speak. I'm adam zagoria, and I appreciate the opportunity to appeal this approval, the tentative map.
We live nearby, very close to this building, and we recently got a letter telling us about this tentative map, and I
realize that this has been --
is well under construction, but
our first recognition that there was construction going on
at this project was this opportunity to appeal the tentative map.
I'm objecting to the scope of this project in effect that they are adding an additional entire story to the existing building, which we never had
any opportunity to approve the
initial complication for the
permits to build this building, and we feel it will lead to deterioration of that street and the buildings of this neighborhood.
It's a very nice street, and we love living there, but there is
a dramatic addition to the existing building that we were
never able to comment on, so that's why I'm hoping you'll give us the opportunity right now to appeal the original permitting of this building.
I have no opposition to the number of occupants in the
building or the number of
units.
>> President Yee: is that it? >> that's it.
>> President Yee: okay.
As you can see, this is not a
dialogue unless we have questions. >>> okay.
>> President Yee: I don't see any comments, so what I'd like
to do is open this up to the board for --
>> Supervisor Peskin: I do have
one question.
>> President Yee: supervisor peskin?
>> Supervisor Peskin: so
separate and apart what you're appeal
appealing today, which is a tentative subdivision map, if looking at 2146 union street, it appears that in 2018, the
actual project which included vertical and horton izontal
additions was approved by the planning department. I assume under the section of the planning code that you received a neighborhood
notification if you are within
300 feet of that.
Do you know if you did or did
not? >> I know I did not, and none of our neighbors did, either. We are very close.
We might be within 150 feet of
that project, but this was the
first notification that we received of this to appeal the map.
I think this process was not handled correctly.
>> Supervisor Peskin: I will ask these questions at the appropriate time of the
appropriate departments. Although what is before us in this peal
appeal is a tangible issue
of the subdivision map, not the project. >> I understand that, but this is a very important decision that's been made about this
property, and I'm angry that we didn't get the opportunity to appeal this at the appropriate
time, so I'm appealing it now, and I think it's important that this be properly vetted by the people it affects, the neighbors to this property, and none of us along -- in our area were notified of this.
>> Supervisor Peskin: I will
ask the planning department at the appropriate time. >> thank you.
>> President Yee: okay.
I don't see anybody else.
I will hope it up for -- open
it up for public comment for
those who would like to support the appeal. >> thank you.
I'm Dr. George susans. I live in a property overlooking this project, and I
have two issues I would like to bring to this board. Number one, when I submitted a letter -- my wife and I submitted a letter about this.
The lawyer who represents the construction of this building
said that, well, we ignored our notification of the construction.
Well, to paraphrase what dr. zagoria just said, we never received a letter that was supposed to come out two years ago from the planning department, and we did not
receive it. We did receive one three weeks ago. And my second complaint is that
the lawyer who represented that
individual said that we had no
grounds to stand on because we received a letter three years ago.
Well, I want to reiterate that
no one on green street received
a letter about this construction. Thank you.
>> President Yee: any other speakers? Seeing none, then this part of the public comment is now closed. [Gavel].
>> President Yee: now, we have up to ten minutes for representatives from the
departments who will split the
time from public works and the planning department.
>> good afternoon, supervisors.
Bruce stores, city and county surveyor. I won't take much time.
We received this application. It's for a four-unit new
construction project -- in
January 2019, deemed the application submitable that
same day, issued tenantable a
approval on May 13 -- I beg
your pardon.
Issued tenantable approval on June 6. We don't have any objection to this going forward, and I
wanted to give my colleagues at planning all the time they need.
>> President Yee: supervisor
peskin, did you want to ask him a question? Okay.
Go ahead, Mr. Starr. >> thank you.
The issues that the appellant brought up in the appeal deal with the proposed expansion of the building and not the
subdivision of the new units, therefore, planning is compelled to respond.
The subject is a mixed use building with ground floor
retail and two units. It includes four new residential units at the rear of the building.
The height of the building is
increasing from 38 feet to
48 feet, including an additional three penthouses that will rise above the roof.
As required by the planning code, a 30-day neighborhood
notice was sent out for the proposed building expansion on
June 14, 2017 and expired on July 14, 2017.
The poster describing the
proposed addition was placed on the building during the 30-day review period. There was no applications filed
on this during the 30-day notification period.
The department understands that
the appellant is not within 150 feet of the proposed site, therefore, planning department does not require they be included in the notice.
The second is the proposed includes substantial height
over the existing height of the
building and that this height
will diminish views.
Discretionary review period is
the time when those issues
should be brought before the planning department. The time to appeal the permit
based on impacts that the proposed project would have on adjacent properties has expired. Further, neither the planning code or the city's general plan protect private views.
Even if the applicant filed a discretionary view, the planning department would not have taken discretionary view solely because of someone's
private view being obstructed. Finally, it's keeping to the neighborhood context with regards to size, massing and scale, and that concludes my
presentation and I'm happy to answer questions.
>> President Yee: supervisor stefani?
>> Supervisor Stefani: thank
you for clearing that up and
clearing up the issue of 150 feet. I think that is providing
confusion here, and I do want you, if you can, explain the
difference again between
appealing the tentative man and appealing the project. What is the difference here?
>> when someone is expanding a building in san francisco in a neighborhood commercial district or a residential district, we do what's called a neighborhood notification. It requires us to send out a reduced side of the plans and project description to all
residents and owners within 150 feet of the property.
That goes out 30 days. Neighbors have 30 days to file what's called a investigationary review which takes the permit to the planning commission for their
review, and if they find there's an exceptional extraordinary circumstance,
they can then modify or deny the project. Once it has left planning, you
can no longer file the discretionary review. However, prior to the building permit being issued, you can appeal the building permit to
the board of appeals which then can review the permit to make
sure that the city is issuing it properly.
The applicant or the appellant
could, if they wanted to, seek jurisdiction at the board of appeals now, but it would be up
to the board of appeals whether or not they grant that
jurisdiction and then hear the appeal.
>> Supervisor Stefani: was there also notice on the building itself? >> there's always a poster
placed on the property itself
for the 30-day period.
It's an 11-by-17 poster.
It's usually bright orange, and
it has the same information the mailed has.
>> Supervisor Stefani: when did that go out? >> same period as the mailed
notice, so June 14 to July 14,
2017.
>> Supervisor Stefani: that
concludes my questioning at this point.
>> President Yee: okay. Supervisor peskin?
>> Supervisor Peskin: and I
just wanted to apologize for
confusing the 311 notice at
150 feet with the C.U. And tentative map notice at 300 feet. I believe that one of the
speakers who lives on the 22 -- 2100 block of green street, I
just checked on the map -- is
outside of that 150-foot radius and therefore would not have gotten that, so I don't know where the appellant lives, but if they are on that same block
of green street, would not have gotten a notice, so it's not that it wasn't mailed as
represented -- I mean, the planning department
representative represented that
the notice was timely mailed, but the appellants are outside of that radius.
>> President Yee: okay.
So seeing no other names on the roster from my colleagues at
this time, I'd like to invite members of the public who wish
to speak in opposition of the appeal to please come forward.
You'll have two minutes. >> thank you.
I'm david stone, 2100 green street.
Yeah, besides the questionable notice situation here, I just
want to say a few things.
This project exceeds the height limit --
>> President Yee: sir, sir, so
if you are supporting the
appeal or against the project,
that opportunity had already passed to speak. >> well, what are you asking for now?
>> President Yee: so these are
speakers that are basically
speak in opposition of the appeal.
In other words, you're for the project. >> oh, okay.
We get another chance to say a
few words?
>> President Yee: no. >> let me just say, you guys
are ruining union street.
>> President Yee: okay. Any other comments? Seeing none, public comment is
now closed. [Gavel].
>> President Yee: okay.
I think we are where -- I
didn't give the project sponsor
a chance to speak yet, so can you please come up?
You have ten minutes. I'm sorry.
You have to speak into the mic.
>> my name is barbara hurzig. I'm here on behalf of the project sponsor. I really don't have much to add.
I've sent all of you a letter explaining the legal position.
Notice -- proper notices were given at the proper time.
The grounds for the appeal are not matters related to the
tentative map approval.
San francisco has an unusual subdivision mapping process
because you cannot file for a subdivision application until you actually have permission
from the planning department that you can go ahead with the
project from a planning
standpoint, so really, the only issue that is left for
discussion at the tentative map approval level has to do with
whether or not the subdivision
itself is consistent with the
general and specific plans. And that finding was already made. There's been no opposition from
the appellants that the findings of compliance from
these plans was erroneous. that's the only consideration today. By the way, the height limit has not been changed at all.
The front of the building is a historic facade.
It has not been touched. I was over today, I have a photo if anyone would like to
see it. The height of the facade is exactly the same. All of the development --
because this is on a grade, all of the development you can see from the street.
So none of the neighbors that are here today will be affected
by the development themselves
unless they're objecting to the
addition of additional dwelling units that are legally
permitted, then I don't think
that's a real valid ground for appeal. Obviously, housing and the addition of housing in san francisco is a critical issue at this time.
So I'm happy to take any
questions you May have, but I see no grounds for supporting the the appeal.
>> President Yee: okay. I don't see any questions.
Then lastly, I'd like to invite
the appellant or their representatives to present a rebuttal argument.
You have up to three minutes. >> thanks very much.
I think you heard the crux of the issue with us is that the people on green street who are very close to this property feel that we should have been notified of the original permit. I'm sorry that we were not aware of that and would have appealed that. They are in effect changing the
height of that building with a roof deck at the original line,
and then they're adding a large
deck for people to live on, to
be present, with two eight-foot high stairwells that is adding an additional level of living to the existing building. I find it hard to believe we're
not in the 150 foot of that property line, if you go from the back of our property to the front of that property or other properties on our street are
not closer. We have a neighbor three doors
down that has a property that
extends very close to union street.
What at a minimum I'd like is it to be reexamined, go back in the process and appeal the original permits. We have absolutely no problem with the number of dwellings there. It's the height of the dwelling which will change the character of union street and set a precedent for additional buildings to add another level above the 40-foot mark. That's all I have to say. Are there any questions?
>> President Yee: okay. Thank you. Okay.
Then this -- this public hearing, item number 46, has
been held and is now filed. [Gavel].
>> President Yee: okay.
We will now reconvene as the board of supervisors. Colleagues, we now have items 47, 48, and 49 before us.
Supervisor stefani, you do have any final remarks?
>> Supervisor Stefani: thank you, President Yee. I want to start by saying when
I moved into the cow hollow neighborhood 18 years ago, I
immediately joined the cow hollow neighborhood
association, was on the housing committee, was an activist.
These are things that I went to the planning commission about,
and I really feel it's unfortunate that it's gop ne this far and you haven't been heard.
And for that, I'm really sorry.
For that, Dr. Zagoria and peggy
zagoria for coming out, and those who have, as well. I have reached out to some of
my colleagues to see if we can
fix some of the noticing issues
so that neighbors do not receive a notice for the map change -- neighbors receive a notice for the map change and not for the project itself.
We have to act on the merits of
this actual appeal and the tentative map. With that said as we heard from public works and the planning department, the appeal before
us today -- I'm not saying that
the concerns aren't valid at all, but the appeal before us
on the tentative map approval does not rise to the standards to disapprove of the determination made by the public works on the map itself, and again.
I'm not saying that your concerns aren't valid in a way, but what we have before us, we're not able to act on it in that way.
So in this case, I do believe the proper course of action
would have been to appeal the permit rather than the tentative map, and I will be
looking into consolidating
those noticing requirements. So with that, President Yee, I
would like to make a motion to
move item 47 forward and to
table items 48 and 49.
>> President Yee: okay. Is there a second?
Supervisor peskin?
Can we take these items same house same call? Without objection, item 47 is approved and items 48 and 49 are tabled. [Gavel].
>> President Yee: colleagues,
the tentative map is finally approved. Okay.
Madam Clerk, can you go to our
next 3:00, item 50 and 51?
>> clerk: item 50 is the public hearing to consider item 51 which is the resolution to establish the property based improvement district known as the downtown community benefit
district to order the levy and collection of assessments against property located in that district for 15 years commencing with fiscal year
2019 through 2020 subject to conditions as specified and to
affirm the ceqa determination.
>> President Yee: okay. We are now sitting as a committee of the whole again. Colleagues, the purpose of this
hearing is to take testimony on
the opposed levy of assessments
of the property-based
improvement district named the
downtown community business improvement district pursuant
to the resolution of intention
we adopted on May 14, 2019.
as described in the management
district plan, the proposed
district would be approximately 669 parcels.
Details of the covered area are
on -- are in the file.
At the conclusion of the public hearing, the department of
public elections will tabulate the votes and report to the board of supervisors.
Voters can review the
tabulation in the basement of
city hall, room 59. The board of supervisors will
neither levy assessments nora prove status of the districts without approval.
We will first here from all in support of the assessment district. They will have two minutes, then, we will hear from all speakers in opposition to the assessment district. Each speaker will have two minutes. During the hearing, a property
owner who has not voted yet or
who wishes to change their vote
May speak with election department staff.
After the hearing closes, the ballots will be counted.
Before I begin, I think I have -- supervisor peskin, would you like to make some remarks?
>> Supervisor Peskin: thank you, President Yee.
I'm going to reiterate the words that I said last week
when we had the union square
V.I.P. Renewal, which is to
thank Mr. Corgis, but also to
thank individuals in the
community who are willing to
improve the safety and
betterment of our downtown area. thank you for your efforts. I hope there is a majority support for this and we will see that later today.
This is democracy in action, so
thank you one and all.
>> President Yee: did you want to invite staff from oewd? Would you like to present?
>> thank you, President Yee, board of supervisors.
Chris corgis, office of economic and workforce development.
As stated, this is the formation of the downtown community benefit district.
This process started back in 2007. I'd like to thank everyone who
worked on this, particularly
lee hefner and sonny angulo.
Also would like to thank
marco lemandry of new city america.
I would like to thank the staff
of oewd, the clerk's office and
the department of elections and
city attorney. Marco from new city america
will present on this new C.B.D.
And its assessment rate. >> thank you, Mr. Corgis, and thank you for the kind words, supervisor peskin. So as supervisor peskin mentioned, we started this
effort in 2007, and we had the recession in 2008 which really
put a quick stop to our efforts to form at that time what was
the financial benefits community benefit district.
The effort picked up in 2015
when a lot of downtown and
property jackson square owners needed more services than what the city was providing.
So we gradually developed a
great strong steering
committee. So the -- why establish the C.B.D. In downtown? This is probably the longest
attempt at a C.B.D. In the history of the city, but the need is great because this is one of the most significant districts if not in the city of san francisco, on the west coast. The architecture, the history
of the financial district in
jackson square is uncomparable, really, anywhere, and we thought that it was deserving of the special benefits that
would be funded by this benefit district. The purpose of the district
would be to fund marketing promotion for the area,
providing daily maintenance and janitorial services in the
public rights of way,
responding to homelessness and
vagrants in the community,
restoring the historic nature
of the district to remain competitive with new and
massive projects south of
market, retaining staff to oversee the new services, ensure that the most efficient and effective practices are being implemented.
The timeline, as I stated, in
2007, and it culminated with our mission in 2018 and ended
in the early part of 2019.
You can see before you the map of the district.
In many ways, it reflects the districts that are currently in
existence to the south, which is east cut to the west, which is union square, and to the
north, which is the small top of broadway district. On the upper corner to the
left, those parcels were included or were considered chinatown, and we wanted to
ensure that chinatown would
decide its own fate and not be
included within the downtown C.B.D.
The budget has broken-down
where there's approximately $3
million or almost 77% of the
budget is what we consider to
be sidewalks.
Ironically, the oldest business
district in the city of san francisco, which is the
business district on jackson, does not have an active website, and it's something we
plan to deal with, to.
The assessment formula is one
of the most simple in the city.
It's a flat fee on building
square footage. It's 10 cents per square foot.
It has two benefit zones.
One benefit zone is for
unimproved areas, empty lots,
and they're set at 8 cents per square foot, and then, everything else because it's basically built out, and
there's not a lot of room for
additional height in the financial district and jackson square because of how many historic buildings.
Those are all set at 10 cents per square foot.
And 77% of the budget are related to sidewalks. When people are talking down
the sidewalk, most people don't
walk down the middle of the street.
The city takes care of the
street, and people take care of the sidewalk. We want to make the sidewalks dynamic, clean, orderly, and make sure that people work within the area, live within the area as well as property
owners, business owners, and visitors have a pleasant experience in those public rights of way. The district will provide the special benefits on a day-to-day basis provided by the nonprofit corporation made up of profit owners and business owners in the proposed district. It'll probably be a very large
governing board as anticipated
because we add 30 to 40 people
participating in an ongoing basis in our district steering committee. How about the services be
provided in the first task is
cleaning beautification and
maintaining order in the right-of-way. Some of the most beautiful streets of the city are to be found in jackson square.
We hope to be underway by 2020. So that's the presentation.
It's long in coming, about 12 years in the making, and I think you'll see substantial
support from all the property
owners who have returned their
ballots to improve this great community benefit district. Thank you.
>> President Yee: thank you. Okay. We will now open public testimony.
If you're here to -- in support of the assessment district, please come up.
You have two minutes. >> hello.
My name is frank collins.
I'm here representing clint mark landmark properties.
This has been a long time
coming, as marco said, but nothing worth doing comes easy.
We urge you to support the
formation of this district. This is both an opportunity and responsibility of all the business owners in the district, and we're very excited to get going. Thank you very much.
>> supervisor rodney fong with the san francisco chamber of commerce. I seek your support here. You see this graed crowd before me.
Had the pleasure of forming the fisherman's wharf community
benefit district ten years ago,
and that was hugely successful. People speak about clean and
safe, but the truth is C.B.D.S
build community, C.B.D.S build
support, and I urge you to support.
Thank you.
>> good afternoon. My name's glen good.
I live at 4400 hate 19 street 19 street. I'm also representing 1 bush
street, which is owned by the tischman spire in this district. We're in support of this. Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
>> President Yee: thank you. Next speaker. >> good afternoon.
My name is shayna eskew. I manage two of the buildings in the district.
I just want to urge my support
and hope that you will adopt this. Thank you. >> thank you.
My name's christie robela.
I represent cbre, and I manage
a property, and I just wanted to urge my support, as well.
>> my name is crissy harris, and I am a property manager in the area, and I just wanted to
also register my support for
the downtown C.B.D. Thank you. >> hi. My name's marty smith, and I'm
one of the owners of all house real estate, which is a real estate company managing properties in downtown. Several of our buildings are in current improvement districts, and the difference between
having one and not having one is dramatic for tenants, for property owners, and for the safety of the people walking
those streets, so we're in full support of the downtown improvement districts. Thanks.
>> President Yee: next speaker.
>> good afternoon, supervisors. Deedee workman with the san francisco chamber of commerce. Really delighted that this is coming before you today.
I want to thank supervisor
peskin and his staff for ushering this after all these
years through to you.
We know that C.B.D.S are a very successful approach to keeping neighborhoods thriving. The downtown core is no different than any other san francisco neighborhood and needs this additional help to
stay clean and to be a thriving, attractive
neighborhood that appeals to
our businesses, to our residents, to our employees, to
our visitors.
This particular C.B.D. Will
fill the gap in terms of where
other C.B.D.S exist and the services there. So we're glad this is coming there, and we urge you to support it. Thank you.
>> President Yee: next speaker. >> good afternoon.
My name's diana rosenblatt.
I manage 515 california, 533, and 535, an entire city block.
We look forward to the support moving forward. Thank you very much.
>> President Yee: thank you. Next speaker. >> hello, supervisors.
My name is jay cheng from the chamber of commerce. I'm here to register my support for the C.B.D.
It is a ten-year-plus project that has been given a lot of attention by supervisor peskin
and oewd on this issue.
C.B.D.S are a great examples of individuals coming together to
build community, strengthening neighborhoods, and take responsibility for the city around us, so thank you.
>> President Yee: next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors.
My name is lynn fazeroli, I am from the san francisco sales organization. We are the travel and sales organization throughout the city.
This has been a long time coming. The C.B.D. Will provide services for our visitors and residents alike. It will provide safety and berment of the community. Some of the key services -- betterment of the community.
Some of the key services are
graffiti abatement and traffic control.
And this will make for a better san francisco, and for that reason, we support the creation of the downtown community benefits district.
>> President Yee: thank you. Next speaker.
>> good afternoon, supervisors.
My name is david fewette. On behalf of the sway company, we would like to support this. Thank you.
>> President Yee: thank you. Next speaker.
>> my name is jackie robinson.
I'm with madison marquette, and
I fully support the downtown C.B.D. >> good afternoon, supervisors.
My name is david harrison.
I'm a long time san francisco resident, long time san francisco business owner and property owner, and I've had
the pleasure of serving on the
board of directors of three
different community benefit
districts: fisherman's wharf,
civic center, and the community benefit district.
I know these things work, and I won't go on, but I strongly
urge that you support it.
>> President Yee: thank you. >> thank you.
>> President Yee: next speaker.
>> example here of this section of san francisco where property
owners and tenants get together and willing to tax themselves
in order to keep their
neighborhoods clean.
If you used their type of philosophies in the area that's
not clean, where you have to go out and pay employees that work for the department of public
works $184,000 a year and their
name is the poop squad cleanup detail, it's a big difference. But yet, we're still located in the same jurisdiction as far as
the city and county of san francisco is concerned.
The most you want to do is cleanup behind the people that are not wanting to use their own rest room because you're not providing them rest room. Each and every one of these tenants and supporters have their own residents in which they live, and they're willing
to tax themselves cleaner than what their neighborhoods already are.
The tenderloin, other areas of the city, areas around city hall are nowhere as near as clean as their area before they
even start taxing themselves to
cleanup their own God damn
area. It's disgusting. You've got a supervisor that's arguing over plastic bags. You want to charge 25 cents more when you go to the store and get a bag.
You spend more time on a God
damn plastic bag than providing permanent housing for people
that are out on the streets. You've got people that are
recovering from the ethnic cleansing. I don't appreciate you talking like that, brown.
I'm talking about you.
>> President Yee: okay.
Seeing
seeing no other persons, are
there any other comments in support of the community
benefit district? Okay. Seeing none, public comment is now closed. [Gavel].
>> President Yee: okay,
colleagues, do we have any other comments on this? Okay.
Seeing none, the hearing is now filed.
The department of elections
will count the ballots cast and will return with the final tabulation later in the meeting
and come back to item number
51.
Madam Clerk, please call items 52 and 53.
>> clerk: items 52 and 53 require the board of supervisors to convene as a special committee of the whole.
Item 52 ais a hearing to consider item 53 which is a
hearing to review and expand
the community benefit district
known as the civic center
community benefit district,
collecting taxes levied in that district for is a years.
>> President Yee: colleagues, the purpose of this hearing is
to take taxes of the proposed
district named the civic center community business improvement district. Pursuant to the board of supervisors resolution of
intention we adopted on May 21, 2019. As described in the management
district plan, the proposed
district would be approximately 771 parcels. Details of the covered area are in the file. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the department of elections will tabulate the ballots and report to the board of supervisors.
Members of the public May view the ballot tabulation by the
department of elections on the basement level of city hall in room 59.
The board of supervisors will neither levy the assessments nor approve the establishment of the district if there is a
majority protest.
If public testimony -- the
public testimony will be as follows.
We will first hear from all speakers in support of the assessment district, then we
will hear from all speakers in opposition of the assessment districts. During the hearing, a property
owner who has not voted yet or who wishes to change their vote
May speak with the department of elections staff. They are just outside the board chamber and will provide you with affidavit and ballot. After hearing closes, the
ballots will be counted. Before we begin, supervisor
haney or brown, would you like to make any opening remarks? Supervisor haney?
>> Supervisor Haney: sure. Thank you, President Yee. Just very briefly.
I'm very strongly in support of this.
I want to thank you, chris, for
your work as well as the staff at C.B.D.
I think there's great things that are happening at civic
center and many positive things that you have been helping to lead.
I think this plan and you are
going to take us in the right
direction, and also public activation.
I also want to realize that there were some issues that we worked on very closely, and we
are working to resolve some of those issues, as well, and I hope that these are improved,
and we can continue to work together.
>> President Yee: supervisor
brown, do you have any comments? Okay.
Then chris from oewd.
>> thank you, President Yee, oewd. I promise this is the last time you'll hear of a C.B.D.
Election for a few months.
This is the renewal and
expansion of the civic center community benefit district. There will be an amendment to
this item after the votes are counted in line of procedure
which will remove two buildings
or 51 parcels from the
northernmost section of the district.
Now, tracey everline from the civic center C.B.D. Is here to
present on the renewal and
expansion of the C.B.D. >> good afternoon, supervisors.
Tracey everline, executive
director for the civic center C.B.D., and I'm very honored to be representing our field personnel who helped take care of the district we sit in today
day in and day out.
Our administrative staff, who have gone above and beyond in
their jobs this past year, making civic center a better
place for everyone in it, and
we've also increased the capacity for our organizations
so we can do more for the community. I'd like to thank the board members, all members of the community who volunteer their
time, and especially our district members who want to be
part of solutions and the power of working together.
This has reminded everyone what
an important role that civic
center C.B.D. Plays. It should be the example of what a safe and healthy neighborhood looks like.
So before you is our proposed district map.
The district includes 771 parcels.
Notable things are that we are
going from two -- from three zones to two, and have a slightly eastern expansion to include U.N. Plaza which is currently without a C.B.D.
We have a $3.2 million proposed budget, with $1.6 million to be
spent in zone 1, $1.7 million
to be spent in zone two, and as
you can see, 77% of the budget is spent towards cleaning services of safety, cleaning, and activation.
As snapshot of our services, cleaning, safety, maintenance, public health and safety, with
a lot of issues that remain on
our sidewalks, and they are the
responsibility of the property owners.
We are removing a lot of
graffiti every day on not-so-easy to clean surfaces.
We are still struggling with
discarded syringes and human
and animal feces in our right-of-way, but our pilot project is very successful, so
we will be adding more of these in the years to come. Couple of more current statistics.
We're currently only able to appreciate wash 46,000 square
feet of sidewalk.
If successfully renewed, we
will go over to 300,000 square feet.
We are still collecting 100,000
needles a year, and we hope
that will go down.
We are providing playground
monitors for safety in the civic center plaza, and we make
sure that all the rental income
from that facility is
reinvested in civic center plaza. The people are feeling much
better about coming to civic center. [Please stand by]
We stand to benefit the most
from this partnership. I fully support this item and I
hope that you do, as well. Thank you. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. My name is miles gordon.
I am here to voice support for this measure.
I represent the ownership of
1355 market street and support the civic centre C.B.D.
Our building houses approximately 2,500 employees in
addition to 300 visitors per day
we greatly benefit from the cleaning and safety ambassador
services provided by the C.B.D. We want the services to continue and appreciate the value of the
C.B.D. To the neighborhood. Thank you. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. I am with emerald fund. We are the developer and
property owners are and -- property manager and owner of three different buildings. It comprises 1,000 apartments
which totals close to 2,000 residents. We are huge supporters of the
C.B.D. The positive changes that the C.B.D. Has brought over the last
nine years have been great. We can't imagine operating without the C.B.D. And we would like to express our huge support for it. Thank you.
>> next speaker.
>> I work for -- I work with properties that are in the civic centre C.B.D.
I have been involved with that C.B.D. Since its inception and I
feel that we have learned a lot and we are really looking forward to renewing it. Therefore I support the renewal. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> hello, my name is ruth. I'm a staff member at san francisco opera.
I walk every day from the castro neighborhood into the civic centre neighborhood. I have been in san francisco for
over 11 years and I am just amazed by the transformation
that I have seen in civic centre we do have more to do and we would appreciate your support in helping us do that. Thank you. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. Patrick mills here representing the bayreuth family of businesses including the by
right cafe kiosk on civic centre
plaza to enthusiastically support the renewal of the C.B.D. At civic centre plaza and
to attest to the astute
management of our facilities,
your support and opening our business, the safety and cleanliness of the plaza and most importantly, the building
of community within the community benefit district. Thank you. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors.
I live at 100 van nuys.
I worked with him on ways to
improve civic centre and in 2006
, he authorized the creation of a civic centre C.B.D.
It took four years to get it to
the point of being authorized by the board of supervisors because it was tricky. We had all these public parcels and it had to be shaped up and
we didn't really know what the area needed exactly.
So eight years from the
inception and now we are back before you saying we better understand it.
We need more money and we are also going to be taking the
responsibility for you and pablo , which has been virtually neglected for the last eight or
ten years, and so I think we are at a really good place.
I would also like to suggest
that, which has not been mentioned, that civic centre is the most significant civic centre of any in the united states.
It is the largest collection of monumental municipal buildings of any city. It is a national treasure and we
need a strong organization to help tell that story and get
people to come because for the
last 50 or 70 years, the area has been misunderstood, it has
been neglected, and it has been ignored.
The C.B.D. Is one of the biggest steps along with a number of others in the last ten years to try to overcome that but more needs to be done. If case -- in case you haven't seen it, I have written it all up in a book that I have put out
recently and I hope that you all have gotten a copy and read it
closely because the last chapter underscores a lot of the things
that happened to mess things up. So I will leave some of my flyers here to encourage you to get the book. [Laughter].
>> next speaker. >> good afternoon. My name is susan and I represent the san francisco conservatory of music.
We are enthusiastic supporters of the C.B.D. We have 400 and more students
coming and going at the building on 50 oh, every day.
On saturdays we have as many as
350 children between the ages of four and 18 coming with their parents to learn about music,
and they come through that area,
too, as well as the fact that we
have about 600 concerts a year free to the public. So we have people coming and
going all the time and we couldn't imagine doing it without the services of the C.B.D. We are very strongly in support. Thank you.
>> next speaker. >> thank you.
My name is lisa and they represent the san francisco opera.
We are thrilled to be here in support of the civic centre
community benefit district. We welcome hundreds of thousands of patrons from all over the world, all over the country and here in san francisco and in the
bay area to the beautiful war memorial performing arts center in the work that the community district has done to clean our
streets provide ambassadors for
patients walking to and from areas around the civic centre
and it has been crucial to our
retention of patrons, and we support this and appreciate your consideration. Thank you.
>> next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors.
I am george, the new manager of permits and reservations for recreation and park, formerly
the executive director of san francisco pride, also here to enthusiastically encourage you
to renew the civic centre C.B.D.
I can say from experience, producing events in this space,
knowing it is a well-funded, a well perceived and they well
resourced venue, it is of the
utmost importance when you're literally bringing millions of people to the heart of the city
so I encourage you to renew it. Thank you. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> good afternoon. My name is justin.
I have been a resident in this
district since 2012 and I have seen it transform. We need to continue this program because it is actually working
to make our streets a lot safer, cleaner, you know, there's not a lot of needles out there anymore , they are offering a public service. They have been doing a great job
and we need to keep this going.
>> supervisors, I am a public-policy leader at square.
Square is headquartered at 1455 market street within the C.B.D. Boundaries. We have about 2,000 people in
that headquarters. I also represent square on the
advisory board of civic centre commons initiative, partnering with the C.B.D.
We partner with them on friday
markets to get local merchants participating and activating spaces like the plaza.
We have sent many employees to events like block parties. These activations are having
important impacts to -- revitalize the community. Square is proud to work with the C.B.D. On this. I'm also a neighbor of civic centre. I live in the tenderloin and have seen every day in my walk to work to civic centre the drastic improvements that the
C.B.D. Has helped to make in the neighborhood. I'm here to support the renewal
and expansion of the C.B.D.
>> good afternoon, supervisors. I'm here representing emerald fund.
I am their chief building engineer for 100 venice, 150 van ness and the civic.
I'm here seeking your support and showing my support for the civic centre C.B.D. Thank you very much. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> good afternoon. My name is tonya and I am the
property manager at 10150 van ness.
I fully support the renewal of
the C.B.D. And I do believe that the services they do provide are vital. Thank you. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> hello. My name is art. I am the owner of one united nations plaza.
It is a little art deco building , but it is the top of the escalator from the civic
centre by main station. That is where tours from the airport come up and see san francisco for the first time. I was born in the city. I practised law in that little building for the last 25 years. This is the best I have ever
seen it. It has a ways to go in terms of
the policing. The neighborhood policing in the neighborhood has has recently been stopped at night.
The tenants in the cafe had to close early because they don't feel safe at night.
Whatever you can do to get 24/7
policing of that neighborhood will help to supplement what this and if it district can otherwise do. Thank you very much. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> I would like to start by
asking you all how you got here today. Did you take munimobile?
Did you get off at bart? Did you walk on hyde street? Did you park underground of the civic centre garage?
Any wait you got here, you are directly benefiting from the
C.B.D.'s efforts in our public spaces. They provide essential services
that the city does not, specifically outside of this building where you all work. Without their efforts, we would
walk through human waste or
animal waste, syringes, garbage, other hazardous materials, and the ambassadors help others in the neighborhood feel safe and
welcome.
That is a direct C.B.D. Program. My name is kate and in a managed the visitor experience with the
san francisco symphony across the street and we adamantly
support the C.B.D. I would like to especially lift up the C.B.D.'s evening
ambassador assistance and garage creators which positively affect our patients who come to
concerts on nights and weekends when the area isn't filled with
workers such as yourselves. There is much more work to be
done to keep the area
consistently clean and safe for employees, residents and
visitors and I would like to register support and thank the board of supervisors for hearing this public comment. Thanks.
>> thank you. >> good afternoon. My name is samara, I am
representing lynn lease. It is a property owned -- he is a property owner in the district
I am here to register our support for the C.B.D. We are great supporters of the C.B.D. We greatly value the work that
the C.B.D. Has done to make this
area safer, cleaner, and more vibrant, and we are particularly
supportive of what the C.B.D. Is doing to program civic centre
plaza with events that help all of us to enjoy this beautiful place.
The civic centre plaza, which some May call a national treasure.
We look forward to partnering with the C.B.D. Going forward to make this whole area more welcoming for the whole community.
Thank you.
>> good afternoon, my name is david. I am representing hastings cold of law. We strongly support the civic centre community benefit district.
I think their effectiveness is
demonstrated by the success they have had to date and with the renewal, we are very hopeful
that they, along with the other
community stakeholders that are committed to improving this
immediate area will continue to see progress as the neighborhood continues to evolve and become
all the more embrace of,
inclusive, and welcoming for all folks.
Thank you very much. >> good afternoon, supervisors. My name is joanne desmond and I
am an assistant business agent, the theatrical stage hand's union. On behalf of our members, we are pleased that the city and sh and have come to an agreement with
respect to the community than if it's district and to compromise
on the financial burden of safety and security around the
orpheum theatre and surrounding areas. as indicated, the community benefits district will help
coordinate ten officers with sh
in. It looks to assist in this
effort as best as we can. Special thanks to supervisor
peskin, safai, and haney, as
well as their staff, and the
staff at the office of economic development for helping to facilitate this agreement.
Thank you.
>> good afternoon, supervisors.
I am the vice President Of production for sh in theaters. We represent the golden gate
theatre and the tenderloin
C.B.D., as well as the orpheum theatre in the proposed civic centre C.B.D. We are pleased of come to an agreement with the civic centre C.B.T. To compromise on the
financial burden of safety and security around the theatre and surrounding areas.
We look forward to working with the C.B.D. Executive committee and tracy, starting in January,
to fulfil the letter of intent and to assist us in coordinating
ten beat officers during a time that we have security concerns
at a projected 200 hours a year. We look forward to sitting down with them before January to discuss their commitments and
our needs.
As just mentioned by joanne, we have special thanks for supervisors peskin, safai, and haney, as well as their staff, and the staff at oewd for helping to facilitate the agreement between the C.B.D. And us.
Thank you. >> thank you. Next.
[Please Stand by] >> that is that the C.B.D.,
through its board and committee
meetings, offers a forum where the different property owners, the different property and business owners and tenants and
so on, but the big groups here,
there's a lot of government property owners -- government
owned properties, a lot of performing arts groups, a lot of
private businesses and private properties. Those groups kind of operate in their own world, for the most
part, and this entity here
offers a way for those groups to communicate with each other and
work together for the common
good of sales and of the city. It is -- a very strongly recommend that you support it. Thank you.
>> next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. My name is lynn. I am from the san francisco travel association and I'm here to support the renewal of the civic centre C.B.D. The C.B.D. Provide services for our visitors and our residents. Some of the key services are
sidewalk power washing,
hazardous material cleanup such
as syringes, graffiti removal,
neighborhood activations, events
, public art, concerts, community ambassadors, safe, informed, and inspired. All of these things make people
feel more welcome on the streets of san francisco. For that reason, we support the renewal. Thank you. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> could afternoon board of supervisors.
My name is barry and I am an nonprofit and service support
analyst and I depend on analyst in this area. I have been living in this area
for almost 14 years and I know that the support of those animals on the people that cater
to the city center, this May be very beneficial for them and I thank you. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> thank you, again. Tom, I am glad we are cleaning
up the area.
The U.N. Was given birth at
civic centre, the U.N. Plaza. I think we've got some of the
local big shots that are in the room here. It would be nice to have a
little statuary for Mrs. Eleanor
roosevelt. If you want to know a little bit
more, refresh your memory about
the women, go to ken burns, I
believe it was roosevelt's episode. It was his last.
Thank you.
>> next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors.
My office is in the civic centre C.B.D. And I have been on the
board there since the inception. We utilize the services of the
C.B.D. And probably call two or three times a day.
We strongly support the renewal and the expansion. Thank you for your time.
>> next speaker. >> I just have a word with matt and I asked if one of these kinds of programs in the tenderloin.
He says that there already is one. if there is, you are doing a
terrible job and I want to put
strong urgency on it. As far as these upper income bracket people expanding, they
need to expand to the tenderloin
where strong drug abuse,
discharging of both animal waste
and human waste is all over the place. That's why you have the poop squad to detail.
They get paid $194,000 a year plus benefits and you still
can't keep the area clean.
It is disgusting, but yet all of these organizations and these testimonies from people that are predominately white within the city, they are taking money out of their income to keep their areas cleaner than they already
are. That's a fraction of the areas
where you live if it was just
half as clean as the tenderloin is, and with the amount of money
that is being wasted, we would be all right. I will tell you the source, the on why. It is like this.
S.F. Viewer, please. The viewer is out of check.
Anyway, can you stop my team for a moment please while I get this
? Around-the-clock, 24 hours a day
it is like this, and even more so. This is life.
This is one of the reasons why because you discriminate against those people who are in low income back -- brackets.
You have a brand-new 300 unit apartment building complex, section 410 that he told you
about, it is part of your own rules and regulations and says 15% dispose spee for low and very low income bracket people, the people that are homeless.
Out of this 300 unit apartment building complex, 45 of though units -- those units is supposed
to be for people in low income.
You have it where low income is
39,000 -- >> thank you.
Thank you.
[Indiscernible]
>> any other -- thank you.
[Indiscernible] >> thank you, Mr. Right. Next speaker. Any other speakers in support?
Seeing none, now I would like to welcome any speakers who are in
opposition of the assessment. Come on up.
You have two minutes. >> good afternoon. Nothing like feeling outnumbered , but I am paul alec,
the priest of these pissed vocal church at the advent on fell street -- at the episcopal
church. Not necessarily speaking against the idea, I love the concept of it, I wish we would have known and been part of the process. Its neck up on us. I think we got swept in the
expansion of it and our organization does not have the resources that the city
government has or the opera, or
anyone that spoke today, and it sounds funny in san francisco,
but $1,000 here or there, and
ours would go up about $3,000, is a lot of money for us.
We live on the edge financially. We don't produce income, we live
by donations.
I just wanted to name that reality. I don't know if other nonprofits
got swept up in it without realizing it.
We found out about two months ago by accident before the mailing came that it was even
happening.
Having said all that, and identifying those unintended consequences, the area around us
certainly needs to be cleaned up thank you. >> thank you.
Next speaker. >> hello. I'm at 234 linden. This is my ballot.
This is what it is worth. As a condo owner.
I am paying, you know, a dollar a month and after right hotline
to, it is only a dollar a month.
After 15 years, that is about $30,000, okay.
For the average homeowner, fs --
ff -- S.F. Jazz -- this is nothing to them. My calculations are right and know what he has gotten back to me on this so I had to go clicking through the thing to
find how much they are paying. The ultrarich here, they are
paying some around $200 a day.
Twitter and uber, and their free cafeterias, they are throwing away that much sushi every day.
For me, this is real money.
In 15 years, what is the $30,000 going to be? Cancer treatment? For me, it is a lot. For the average homeowner, who
are paying what I am paying, this is a lot of money. Nobody cares. People are regularly laughing. It is not fair. Look at all the people who are speaking in favor. Neither single one of them is super rich or they benefit financially. They are getting money back from the C.B.D.
This is amazing because there are fewer homeless people and drug addicts you can't even see
the -- say their home -- whole name. They are on linden now. There is a guy every morning, you know, he has a pile of his
own feces on one side, syringes
on the other, and he is completely comatose.
We are calling 311 all the time. You could completely have the camera going and say here is
linden street. It is completely sad.
Why am I paying, you know, the bulk of the bird and when this is nothing for all the rich people?
One hundred van ness, come on. This is nothing for them. It is totally unfair how the
poor have no say. Think about who owns this election. It is the ultrarich.
The properties over $75 million, they completely owned the vote because it is weighted by property value. My property value is almost nothing, as are the other condos
in the area so we have no voice.
S.F. Jazz's vota 75 of mine.
Uber has over 200 of my vote. How come I -- [Indiscernible].
>> thank you. Thank you.
Next speaker.
Next speaker.
I'm sorry.
>> oh,. >> good afternoon, supervisors. My name is donna.
i live at 720 gough street. I just wanted to say a couple of
things.
One, we have worked with supervisor brown and her office and we want to thank them for
the work they did with us.
We could not afford to stay in the C.B.D. We recognize that it has done some great stuff in the civic
centre area. We do appreciate what you all
have done. The other comment I want to add
to what the minister said is
that if there's something that can be improved in the process
of bringing folks into the renewal things that have to happen, and if it could be done earlier, it would be a great thing.
But thank you. >> thank you. Any other speakers? Seeing no other speakers, public
comment is closed. Colleagues, do we have any other
comments?
Seeing no other speakers and no
comments, then I want to say that this hearing has been heard
and is now filed. Supervisor peskin?
>> so I just want to reiterate comments that I have previously
made with regard to the enabling ordinance that creates community
benefit districts, which is that these are little many governments with parts of the
city that agreed to assess themselves. And as to the impassioned
speaker who just came before us,
yes, it is absolutely true, they
are variously weighted and they
are not one person, one vote. These are actually created in a
way under state law and local
law where certain voters, based on square footage or linear
footage, have a weighted vote.
That is a true fact, but as I was describing to my colleague,
supervisor ronen, the reason that the board of supervisors I
think, in 2003 passed an
ordinance that allows this board
to not approve a C.B.D., even if the voters in that C.B.D. Vote
for it, that allows us to
disband a C.B.D. If it is dysfunctional, if it is gentrifying an area, if it is
discriminating against individuals, if it is dysfunctional, the reason that
we did that is because we understood that these are little
many governments that ultimately
are under the elected government
of the city and county of san francisco, so to the priest and
others that came here, if this
C.B.D., and in the case, as I said in committee and supervisor
haney is well aware of this, the civic centre C.B.D. Is actually a san francisco government C.B.D. Because the number 1
payer into that C.B.D. Is this government. A majority of those properties
belong to the people of the city and county of san francisco.
This board authorizes --
authorized by resolution that we
empower the mayor to vote in the
affirmative for this C.B.D.
If it cease is to work, if it discriminates against people, if
it is a failure, come to this board of supervisors, come to supervisor haney, to this
supervisor, and God forbid that it ever gets that bad, but we
have the power to disband it. I just want to say that again
for the record.
>> okay. Thank you. Any other colleagues want to speak? Seeing none, the hearing has
been heard and is now filed. We will now adjourn from the committee of the whole and
reconvene as the board of
supervisors.
The department of elections will call the ballots cast and we will return with the final tabulation later in the meeting
and come back to item number 53. Okay. Let's go back to our regular
agenda for now. Madame Clerk, I believe your own
item number 42. >> forty-two. Forty-two is a charter amendment to amend the municipal chartier of the city to change the name
of the aging and adult services
commission to the disability and aging services commission to establish qualifications for three of the commission seats, change the name of the department of aging and adult services to the department of disability and aging services
and to change the name of the aging and adult services community living fund to their disability and aging services
community living fund at an
election to be held on November 5th, 2019. This is the first appearance of
this proposed charter amendment. It therefore should be continued until July 23rd.
>> okay. Thank you.
I want to thank my colleagues for your support the far furthest charter amendment that
is needed in order to update the name and commission of one of our departments, which helps
more than one in four san franciscans.
Today we need to support as they grow older. This charter amendment will accomplish the following.
It will change the official name
of the aging and adult services commission to the disability and aging services commission.
It will change the official name
of the department of aging and adult services to the department
of disability and aging services
it will add qualifications to three of the commission's seats
so that one commissioner will be
a person who is 60 years or older.
One will be a person with disabilities, and the last would be a person who has served in the U.S. Military.
Thank you to my colleagues for your support and I look forward
to a shift of passage of the amendment which will be heading to the November ballot with your
support today. Colleagues, can we have a motion
to continue this item to the
meeting on tuesday, July 23rd? Motion made by supervisor
mandelman, seconded by
supervisor walton.
Without objection, this item is
continued to tweak, tuesday, July 23rd, 2019. Madame Clerk, please call the next item. >> forty-three is an ordinance
to amend the administrative code to establish the senior operating subsidies program fund
to be used to lower rent in housing develop its occupied by
low income senior citizens. >> I'm very excited to bring forward.
I know some of you hurt her at committee, but this legislation before you is the result of many conversations we have had
throughout the year about how we
are going to deal with the affordable housing crisis that is impacting seniors.
I want to first thank my cosponsors, supervisors peskin, ronen, mar, and fewer.
By 2030, 26% of the population will be seniors. We will need to increase our
level of attention and
thoughtful investment to ensure
that older adults can aging in
place and with dignity. Seniors 60 years and older make
up 24%, almost one quarter of all persons in the city who are
under the poverty line. The housing crisis is difficult
for seniors in a difficult way. They are facing challenges that
the aging population is facing.
I want to acknowledge that this
hits people at various income levels, even middle income households. Many seniors are living in situations that no longer suits
them and are unable to move
because they simply cannot
afford a market rate unit.
In terms of the reality is that aging adults will need some level of assistance and there
are some -- there are very few options out there.
As a city, we will need to develop solutions to address a range of issues. Today, the focus is on affordable senior housing that
the city helps to subsidize.
I'm proud that the housing bond
will have $150 million dedicated
to the senior housing projects. That is first. However, the peace we were not
able to address in the bond is that when we build affordable
senior housing, units are still not affordable to many on fixed incomes. Many seniors are surviving off
of fixed income like social
security or S.S.I.
Yet the affordable -- the most affordable housing units are
priced at 50% of A.M.I. For one person, that income is
roughly $41,000. Seniors make up three times less
than that on their fixed incomes this situation is really
untenable as more of our residents are retiring and relying on fixed incomes
themselves.
So the legislation before you today establishes what we call the S.O.S., senior operating
subsidies program fund.
In this year's budget, we are ceding this fund with a
5 million-dollar investment over the next five years. This program will lower the cost
of a unit to meet seniors where
they are at, instead of 50%
A.M.I. Units, units will be set
at 15% and 25% of A.M.I. So that seniors on fixed incomes can actually qualify. Our hope is that this program can be used to start bringing
down the affordability in senior housing projects that are
currently under construction or in the housing pipeline.
I hope that this will also inspire a more thoughtful strategy on how we can support our aging population before it is too late.
I want to thank the seniors and advocates who have come out time
and time again, courageously
sharing their stories and struggles. Some of the groups I would like
to thank our the housing bond senior working group, the
dignity fund coalition, senior and disability action, faith in action, and self-help for the old elderly. I also want to acknowledge the
team of the department of aging
and adult services and the mayor 's office of housing for their collaboration. In our commitment to continue pushing the envelope on this
issue, and hopefully get to a place where seniors will never
have to question whether they
will be able to find a safe, affordable and accessible place to live. With this, colleagues, I can
hope I can -- I hope I can count on your support. Supervisor safai? >> thank you. I just wanted to thank you for
your hard work on this.
Please add me as a cosponsor and I just want to reiterate, is one of the districts that has the
highest number of those aging in
place, and many of whom have families move on and they are in
houses that are too large for
them to manage and control, this is such an important piece of legislation to allow for those that want to agent continue to
live in san francisco, that they would do so with dignity. I appreciate your leadership on
this and I am proud to be a cosponsor. >> thank you for cosponsoring.
Supervisor peskin? >> thank you. this is the first time we have
ever done this and I just really
want to salute your leadership.
It is going to have a profound impact on many of our constituents.
Thank you. >> thank you. Supervisor brown? >> thank you.
I would like to be added as a cosponsor. Thank you very much. Seniors are our fastest growing population. And so this is thinking ahead and working upstream. I really appreciate that. Thank you. >> thank you. Supervisor haney?
>> I just want to thank you and
commend you for your leadership
on addressing not just the needs
of this population, but really elevating asked towards having long-term solutions.
I would also love to be added as a cosponsor. >> thank you. Supervisor ronen? >> agreed. This is essential legislation. I'm so grateful to you and looking forward to figuring out
how we can get to 30% of anyone 's income for affordable
housing in the city. >> thank you. Supervisor stefani? >> thank you. I wanted to add my name is a
cosponsor and thank you for your leadership on this. I am definitely looking forward
to finding more room for senior housing industry two.
I commend you on your leadership thank you very much. >> thank you.
supervisor walton? >> thank you. I want to echo the comments made
by my colleagues. As a member of the rules
committee, we were excited to go over this as policy and I would
love to be added as a cosponsor, as well. >> thank you. Supervisor mandelman? >> thank you.
Please add me as a cosponsor. >> thank you. I really appreciate you cosponsoring. Colleagues, you know, before I
do that, I always forget my
staff who works on these really important legislations.
In this case, it is my staff, general low, she was tireless in terms of getting this together and actually moving very quickly
on this piece of legislation with all the advocates.
So colleagues, can we take this
item same house, same call? Without objection, this ordinance is passed on first reading unanimously.
Madame Clerk, please call the
following items together.
Item 44, 45, and item 54, the
committee report, out of order.
>> item 44 is an ordinance to amend the administrative code to modify the san francisco city college financial assistance
fund from which the city provides funding to the san francisco community college district to modify the
membership of the free city college oversight committee that makes recommendations regarding
the uses of those funds. Item 45 is the motion to
withdraw the charter amendment previously ordered some it'd by the board of supervisors for the
election to be held on November 5th, 2019 to establish the
free city college fund to defray certain costs of city college
students and to require annual appropriations in designated
amounts to the fund, and item 54
was considered by the government audit and oversight committee at a regular meeting on thursday,
July 11th between -- 2019, and
was recommended as amended with a new title. Item 54 is also right -- authorization to authorize the department of children, youth and their families to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the san francisco community
college district for the city to
provide financial support to the free city college program,
retroactive to July 1st, 2019 through June 30th, 2029 subject to the budgetary and
fiscal provisions of the charter >> supervisor mandelman? >> thank you.
Supervisor mar is out sick as you noted earlier and not able to be here today, but he has
asked me to read a statement on his behalf. Colleagues, as you know, free city has been a huge success story.
It is broken down barriers to higher education for diverse san francisco residents, rebuilt enrolment in the college following the accreditation crisis and served as an important model for similar efforts statewide and nationally
for tuition and debt free higher education. Free city was started as a pilot program in 2016 through the
vision of supervisor kim and the
free city coalition, and in an initial two-year funding allocation by mayor lee from proposition w., the 2016 real estate transfer tax. The initial funding allocation for their free city pilot program and did in June with an
extension covering the summer of 2019 semester. Additionally, due to the overwhelming success of the
program, the cost of exceeded the original funding allocation
by $2 million per year and the cost that city college has had to absorb. As I joined the board in January , I have been working
with gordon mar -- I have been
working with the free city
college coalition, mayor breed and other city college leaders including the chancellor and trustees on a plan to ensure full funding for free city over
the next decade while also strengthening the program design and financial oversight reflecting learning from the pilot project phase. Despite some differences of perspective and priorities, I have been appreciative of all the parties share commitments to the important program and to ensuring it is sustained for the
next decade and beyond.
After a very robust and complicated negotiation process involving multiple stakeholders, I'm pleased to say we've come to
an agreement on a comprehensive framework and plan for the
future of free city. Besides fully funding them for the next decade, the plan includes a number of significant improvements in the terms of the free city charter amendment that the board voted last December to put on the November 2019 ballot. Notably, the new agreement would
start full file -- full funding this fall, a year earlier for the charter amendment. This represents an additional
eight my $6 million this coming year. This agreement includes a reimbursement of five my $4 million to city college to cover the underfunding over the first two years.
The key terms of the agreement on the future free city are outlined in a tentative agreement between the city and city college that was negotiated by the mayor's mayor's office
and the chancellor his office and was approved bike trustees
on June 27th. Will serve as a basis for an
M.O.U. To be negotiated by city college administration in the coming weeks. As our clerk explained, in order
to move this agreement forward, there are three items to take action on. Forty-four is the ordinance
modifying the city college financial assistance fund to align with the terms of the tentative agreement.
Forty-five is the motion of the
free city charter amendment.
I want to thank the mayor's office in the city college and ministration and trustees for the free city college for
working with us in these complicated negotiations and I wholeheartedly support the three item package before us today.
>> thank you.
Supervisor safai? >> if supervisor mart were here, I was start by saying congratulations and thank you for your leadership. Thank you for the members of
labor for working so diligently
at the table and work in good
faith to come to agreement. I know in this body we have put
forward the idea of making it a charter amendment and the negotiations continue. They could have ended, they
could have walked away, but instead, the leadership and
community members have agreed to embrace this process and working in good faith. So I just want to say I appreciate that and I appreciate all the hard work that was put into that.
As I find out, and they kind of knew by my gut, as is a district
that represents the most number
of people that take advantage of
free city college, this is an increasingly important benefit to working families, and not only the families that are going
there to take part in, but also
the educators and what they mean by institutional knowledge and
what they give back to the city. Please add me as a cosponsor to
this. Thank you to everyone for all your hard work.
I think this just shows that when there are larger issues,
rather than them being divisive, we have the ability to come to the table and workout agreements to the benefit of everyone. Thank you for all your hard work and I am proud to be a supporter
of this.
>> thank you. >> thank you.
>> colleagues, can we take these items same house, same call?
Without objection, the ordinances passed on first reading. The motion is approved, and the
resolution is adopted unanimously.
Madame Clark, I think it is time
to go to roll call, I believe, or am I missing something?
Let's go to roll call. >> okay. Mr. President, we have the
results back from the downtown community benefit district.
>> okay. Let's do that first. >> regarding the downtown community benefit district.
The returned weighted ballots voting for the downtown
community district was 70% and
the return waited ballot voted against the downtown community
benefit district was 29%. Further indicating there was no
majority protest. >> okay.
There is no majority protest. Colleagues, without objections,
can we take a vote on item 51, the resolution to establish the
downtown community benefit --
sorry, supervisor peskin?
>> thank you. Good things come to people who
wait for a dozen years. Congratulations.
Albeit they beat be to you by 14 points.
[Laughter]
>> as I was saying, there is no
majority protest. Colleagues, without objection,
can we take a vote on item 51? The resolution to establish the downtown community benefits? Madame Clerk, please call the
role.
[Roll Call]
>> I'm sorry, I forgot to take my name off. >> on item 51...
[Roll Call]
We are taking the roll call vote
[Roll Call]
There are ten imacs. >> okay. The resolution passes
unanimously.
[Applause]
>> okay.
I think we can go to item 53.
Did we get the tabulation?
>> we are not ready for item 53 yet. >> no problem. Let's go to roll call then.
[Roll Call] >> supervisor brown, you were first up to introduce new business.
>> thank you. Today I am asking for the board
to adjourn in memoriam of amber laurier got who was a long time
a beloved member in the coal valley community in district five. Amber was a fixture in the neighborhood who was always
there with a helping hand extended to her neighbors. She was the most warmhearted person and would help anyone who
needed it.
When talking with her cold valley hardware customers where she worked for several years, she would not only tell you how
to fix the problem, that you
came in to deal with, but she would also than offer to babysit
your kids or walk your dogs when needed. She has a huge -- she had a huge give for knowing when a person
needed a hug or somebody needed to talk.
Amber is survived by her mother,
three sisters and 14 nieces and nephews. valley is a little sadder today
with the loss of one of the most vibrant and caring members of its community. Thank you.
The rest I submit. >> thank you, supervisor brown. Supervisor fewer? >> thank you very much. Today I'm requesting the city attorney begin drafting trailing
legislation for the affordable homes for educators and family now initiative to amend the
three-bedroom unit mix requirement for educator housing
projects in order to accommodate the francis scott key educate a housing project and ensure it
will be eligible for S.B. 35 streamlined approval as soon as this initiative is passed by the voters. I would like to thank supervisor
mar and my cosponsor for working
with me on this amendment to ensure that this wonderful educated housing project, which
has been planned and designed in partnership with united educators of san francisco, to serve the needs of our educators
it will be approved and built as quickly as possible.
Thank you and the rest I submit. >> thank you. Supervisor haney?
Thank you. Today, supervisor ronen and I,
along with our cosponsors, we will be introducing substitute
legislation moving mental health
S.F. And our funding measure on
the March 2020 ballot instead of
the originally scheduled November 2019 ballot. Since announcing mental health
S.F. In May, we have had dozens and dozens of meetings with
community advocates, service providers, behavioral health and
substance abuse experts, police, and frontline emergency
providers and families affected by serious mental health conditions.
All who agreed that an overhaul is desperately needed.
Now we are excited to continue that work partnering with the department of public health and the mayor to put forward a program that the entire city can be proud of. The feedback we have received
from mental health consumers and providers alike is clear.
We need systemic uniform reform to the way we treatment to
health and substance abuse in
san francisco and the best way
to achieve success is through a collaborative, thorough process
with everyone involved. We are committed to meeting weekly with the department of public health, the mayor's office and mental health experts
and we are confident that san franciscans will overwhelmingly support this effort when it becomes before them on the ballot in March.
Mental health S.F. Will be a sweeping, transformational systems change that will finally address our mental health and
substance crisis. It is critical we take the time to get it right. The rest I submit.
>> thank you.
Supervisor ronen? >> thank you. I just wanted to add to
supervisor haney comments that were extremely -- we are extremely excited about mental health S.F. And believe that it
is the right way and vision, a bold one, to overhaul a broken
system here in san francisco,
but it is a big loss that is
attempting to address one of the most entrenched and difficult issues that we are facing here in san francisco.
We believe that a four months delay, moving it from the November to March ballot in
order to have time to hear about D.P.H.'s implementation concerns
can only ultimately benefit the
city and county of san francisco that we have a strong law, but
we can make it even stronger if the department that is responsible for implementing it has the time to give us their
detailed feedback that we can
debate with them about and potentially amend the
legislation. I do think it is amazing and I want to echo supervisor haney been thinking so much to the
supervisors for their support of this measure.
I think the fact that nine out of 11 supervisors promote and support the vision that we have put forward is pretty
extraordinary with a law that
has the potential to create such profound change.
I just really want to thank you all for your competence and for spending the time that you have
two study this major, major
change, and for your vote of confidence here.
Thank you so much for that. Unfortunately, I also have an in
memoriam that I would like to ask supervisor haney and walton
to join onto for a young man
named devon hanh who was a brilliant 15-year-old whose life was tragically and senselessly
cut short on sunday, July 7th, on 24th and cab street in the mission district. He was a victim of terrifying gun violence.
He was only 15 years old.
Although the loss of him is
heartbreaking, I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on all of the joy that he brought into
this world. By all accounts, his smile could light up any room. His teachers and friends
remember him for his kindness
and his incredible generosity. He attended bessie carmichael middle school where his charm and his charisma, even at a very
, very young age were noticed by everyone.
His teachers, his peers, his councilors his councilors at the
crossroads,. He would have attended abraham
lincoln high school in the fall. He was an active participant in
the youth empowerment, nonprofit united players where he made an
indelible impression is not only
a respectful teenager with a giant smile, but was known for his comedic talents. He could always make people laugh and feel better. He strived to improve his community and our city. Together with his two brothers, he handed out hundreds of flyers at a youth -- as a youth
outreach worker and volunteered
at his monthly cleanup events, and eagerly participated
whenever help was needed.
He was a rising star who was on
the path to achieving great things.
His potential was phenomenal and
his tragic death is an anonymous loss, not only to his loving
family and countless friends, but to the entire san francisco community.
When I attended on friday,
together with supervisor haney,
a circle to heal and remember his life, and I held his mother
's hand as tears streamed
down her face.
When she looked at me and said,
I lost my uncle to gun violence when I was a child and was put
in foster care, I then lost my
father, and now I lost my 15
-year-old son who did nothing. He did nothing wrong. Why was he taken from me?
That is the moment, as an elected official, that you just
feel both helpless and also, as if you don't want to work on anything else in the entire
world and stopping this
senseless gun violence that we failed her filled her and
refilled her son. If you looked around the
enormous community that was
there to mourn and celebrate him and you just saw the tears that
were flowing down the faces of all of these young, black men
who know that they, too, could die too young, because we know that it happens every day. It was getting.
And so I just want to recommit
and say we have to do better by these young people.
We cannot let this happen over
and over every month in our city it is just so deeply wrong.
I am certainly going to remember
his mother's face in my head every single day as the fight to make things better.
Thank you.
>> thank you. >> supervisor walton? >> thank you.
Thank you, supervisor ronen for
doing the in memoriam in honor of his memory. One of the things that is very
hard when you serve in our role
is we are used to having issues
and concerns come up and we sit together, we work hard to come up with ways and strategies to
address all of the problems that
we have in this city, and one of the things that has always been
very difficult, and the one thing I don't understand and
don't always have the answer for
is how to address all aspects of violence.
There is nothing worse than
going to a scene where there was
a homicide and talking to
families, or sitting down with a
mother, or any family members
who have lost someone to violence, and not having an
answer in terms of what you can exactly do to make sure that
this doesn't happen again.
[Please Stand by] >> -- and pain and trauma
around him and was trying to do
something about it, was a
leader among his peers, many of whom were at the memorial and
who are devastated, and he had incredible potential. I think what his family told us and what his friends told us
was that he was already a
peacemaker and that they want
us as a city to continue his work and continue his legacy. And the most tragic thing about this sort of violence is that
we know that it's preventible,
and that our city has a
responsibility to make sure
don't have to be afraid to walk
out on their own streets, on their own sidewalks, and be gunned down. And that's what happened to this young child.
And so our hearts and our thoughts and our prayers are
with his family and his friends. I want to especially recognize united players.
He was a very active member of
united players in soma and --
but beyond that, we recommit to make sure that young people in
our city are not in danger, to address gun violence and the prevalence of guns on our
streets, and to remember him
and what he stood for in his
life that was cut far too short.
>> President Yee: thank you,
supervisors, for your comments.
So I guess next up in roll call
is supervisor safai.
>> clerk: okay. Supervisor safai?
>> Supervisor Safai: submit.
>> clerk: thank you.
Supervisor stefani? >> Supervisor Stefani:
colleagues, I recently got back
from italy, where I travelled
as a supervisor to assissi and rumbria. It was incredible to be in
italy where my family is from.
The trip was incredible to learn from one of san francisco's many partners across the world.
I want to thank mayor breedprotocol arranging the trip.
When I was on the trip, I
learned of the death of davon,
from united players and I called them and had a good cry.
The loss of him is certainly
something that I think agonizes all of us. I was heartbroken to not be
able to be at his memorial
service as I was still in italy
but definitely recommit myself
to work on this issue and the loss of life.
As I said, it's not just
shootings, it's every day gun
violence that we need to work on.
I will recommit myself to this
issue in his hone or -- honor. And again, thank you,
supervisor ronen, for your in memoriam on thish issue. The rest I submit.
>> clerk: thank you.
Supervisor walton?
>> Supervisor Walton: thank
you. [Inaudible]
>> Supervisor Walton: -- for suspicion of crime or denial of service based on the
individual's race, age,
ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, immigration
status, and national origin.
Over the last few years, we've
seen an increase of racial
profiling and discriminatory
incidents targeting people of
color posted on social media. Last weekend, a program called project level who works with our inner city youth to expose
them to the arts and allow them
a platform of expression, also providing good jobs for youth
through mayor breed's opportunities for all initiative, they took their
interns to forever 21, which is
the flagship store in san
francisco to purchase clothing for their youth. The program organizers spent thousands of dollars in the
store on the youth, only to be accused of stealing as they were leaving. The manager called the police on the group and when the
police came to verify, the accusations were proven untrue.
The manager has not since apologized, and the company has
also not issued a formal
apology publicly.
During July fourth this year, a
man was waiting for a friend in
san francisco, and was accused
by a friend of breaking in.
There's video evidence of the man harassing the black man who
was simply waiting for his friend.
On June 14, the department of emergency management presented
a community -- presented, and the community came out and
shared their experiences.
Last year in san francisco, I'm
sure you've heard or have seen
the video clip of an individual infamously named permit patty
who accused an eight-year-old
girl of illegally selling water
without a permit across from
oracle park.
And another incident in oakland where another individual named
barbecue becky called the
police on a group of black men
who were simply enjoying a
barbecue. Consistently biased and prejudiced individuals have called the police on people of
color for conducting regular daily activities.
In addition, biased individuals and prejudiced individuals have
also threatened people of color who speak another language
another english. San francisco has reffirmed its
commitment to developing a discrimination-free community
regardless of race, age,
ethnicity, language, gender,
sexual orientation, gender,
immigration status, and
national origin time and time again. And we urge other companies to
do the same by profiling
bias-base -- providing bias-based training, teaching
employees how to file a
discrimination complaint, and companies committing to investigate any violations of discrimination.
We also urge the city to boy cot boy
-- boycott businesses who
discriminate against anyone, just like how we boycott states
and municipalities who are against a woman's right to
choose or against an
individual's right to love and marry the same sex. The rest I submit.
>> clerk: thank you, supervisor. Supervisor yee?
>> President Yee: thank you very much. Colleagues, today I'm calling
for a public hearing into the
allegations of abuse of
patients at laguna honda hospital that were made public
approximately two weeks ago. A city attorney investigation originally initiated by a human resources complaint uncovered
evidence that 27 patients were
subjected to privacy violations
and abuse by staff between 2016
and early 2019.
By June 28, the department of
public health director, Dr. Kol fax kol
-- colfax stated that the
department was developing a
turnaround policy and would be reporting in 60 days.
there's no excuse for what transpired.
Families like my own depend on
laguna honda for care, that
they should be able to trust.
It's going to be the highest --
and it would be the highest quality. I think it is crucial to hear from the hospital regarding the protocols that they have in
place to ensure that this never happens again.
We cannot entrust -- ask our
residents to entrust the care
of loves ones if they don't have a system that guarantees
the well-being of every single patient. And if there is ever a hint of
a violation of any patient's
rights, that there is a system
in place immediately identified
and incur any possible violation.
Since taken by the city they've
reported wellness checks, and retraining the staff on
reporting of violations,
contacting all state and regulatory and law enforcement agencies and more. There are currently investigations being conducted
by both state regulatory
agencies as well as local law enforcement. My office has been contacted multiple times by concerned families and individuals, and I'm sure that other offices May
also be dealing with those concerned about this situation. Anyone with information about
this case is strongly
encouraged to contact the san francisco police department's
special victims unit at 415-553-9225.
Anyone with concerns with
patient care or staff conduct can call the confidential
department of public health
compliant hotline at 855-729-6040. The rest I submit.
>> clerk: thank you, Mr.
President, and we have the results for the civic center
community benefit district, item 53, in addition to item
55, which is still out there.
>> President Yee: okay.
What are we -- can you name the results?
>> clerk: okay.
So the returned weighted
ballots for the community
benefit district was 93.5%, and
voting against was 6.5%, further indicating there was no
majority protests.
>> President Yee: okay. Supervisor brown?
>> Supervisor Brown: yes.
I would like to make a motion
to review and expand with amendments, please?
>> President Yee: what
amendments are you making?
>> Supervisor Brown: the actually amendments are before you.
I would like to renew and
expand the community benefits district. Specifically I would like to
district to remove the parcels 076 07
0768 and 0721 on the western
most edge of the C.B.D. The engineering report is
before you that reflects these changes.
>> President Yee: thank you. Is there a second on this motion?
>> Supervisor Haney: second.
>> President Yee: seconded by supervisor haney. Supervisor peskin?
>> Supervisor Peskin: can somebody describe to me what this is? I was in committee when we talked about it.
I was in this chamber when representatives of S.H.N.
Thanked members of this board.
Mr. Corgis, what the heck is going on here. >> I hope I have answers. Those are good.
So the districts obviously
splits two supervisorial
districts, district 8, which is
supervisor haney, district 5, which is supervisor brown. Late in the game, we got
notified by a group of condo owners at the northwestern most edge of the community benefit district that they believe that their condominium complexes did not actually benefit from the community benefit district.
Taking a look at the map, and
taking look at the N.C.D. Zone and the commercial zone, it did
make sense to amend them out of this. And because they're on the
periphery, the board does have the ability to amend them out of the district.
>> Supervisor Peskin: okay. I think I passed the original
legislation in 2003. I've never seen anything happen like this. Deputy city attorney givner,
have you seen anything like this?
This paper dropped on my second
two seconds ago, and I am not
comfortable doing this, but
deputy city attorney givner
what do you know about amending
these after an election?
>> Mr. Givner: deputy city jon givner. The board could continue this to next week to continue supervisor brown's amendment,
and we can give you some advice during that.
>> and city attorney, I did
buck to buck devlenthal --
>> Supervisor Peskin: I'm not
going to have debates city attorneys. I'm not prepared to do this on the fly without decent legal advice, and I just heard from a deputy city attorney -- you May have spoken from another city
attorney, and I have profound respect for buck, but the guy
who advises this body seems to
know absolutely nothing about this.
>> President Yee: I'm sorry. Let's have some control over this.
Let's don't just invite people. >> steve gibson.
He's the management plan consultant for the -- thank you, supervisor.
>> President Yee: and does he have an answer?
>> he can tell you the state
law that this comes from.
>> Supervisor Peskin: I take legal advice from my attorney,
not from third parties. >> thank you.
>> Supervisor Peskin: thank you.
>> President Yee: so supervisor brown?
>> Supervisor Brown: yes. One of the reasons that we're doing this, and the H.O.A. Had reached out to me, there was a
couple things. First of all, they said that
they were not -- had been
contacted and addressed, and they felt they had been picked
up because the C.B.D. Needed money. These were elderly people in
the condos, and they said they would not be able to afford that increase. So I had said to move forward on this, I would need a letter from their H.O.A., their board,
that this was not something that they wanted, that they felt they did not have enough time to really talk about it
and see if they can really get
a conen -- a sense of do they
want to be in it.
So they felt they were grabbed
at just the corner of it, so they had asked to be removed.
So I had talked to chris and I said I think this is something that we should look at.
>> Supervisor Peskin: by the
way, the policy rationale May
be completely legitimate. I just never have seen this happen before, and no
disrespect to the management consultant, I would like to
have legal advice that is clear.
I think the proper course is
just to continue it a week, and
if Mr. Delventhal gave advice
to Mr. Corgis, that information will eventually come to this
board, so Mr. Givner, based on
his statement, is not prepared
to do that.
I'm the pied piper of C.B.D.S.
I've got five of them in my district.
I want to accommodate the
residents, but I want to get the correct advice.
>> President Yee: supervisor safai?
>> Supervisor Safai: supervisor
haney has the most, with nine.
i'm just joking, supervisor peskin.
I would like to get Mr. Delventhal down here to see
what -- what about the second question? Who a delay hurt this conversation -- would a delay hurt this conversation?
>> procedurally, no.
>> Supervisor Safai: because a a member of the land use
committee, when I did see this,
I did ask on the record, there was a considerable amount of condominiums that were added to
this that were outside of the
normal area that you would imagine a community benefits district in.
I followed up with one of the owners that had just built a building, and they said they
had no idea that this expansion was happening.
Rather than relitigate this, I think supervisor peskin wants to make sure we have the right
legal advice, and probably this has never happened on this body.
I'm fine with continuing that,
but as supervisor peskin --
>> President Yee: supervisor peskin?
>> Supervisor Peskin: thank you, Mr. President.
The thing that is weird about
this is it happened after the election. If it happened before the election, I would have a totally different take on it.
But it's, like, people voted -- it's like donald trump became President And I am no longer a member of the united states.
This is very weird to me.
>> President Yee: supervisor walton?
>> Supervisor Walton: thank you, press ident yee. I guess my question is we didn't think to have this conversation during the hearing
or why did we not have any
mention of this during the hearing here?
Was there a specific reason for that?
>> President Yee: supervisor walton --
>> Supervisor Brown: yes.
You know, I had gotten this
late, and -- this request, and they had said that they -- they didn't know about it. They felt like they were brought in at the last minute. They did not have time to really talk to their building to figure out what that would mean for a lot of people, that
they said a lot of people had bought their units years ago
and were on a fixed income. So I had talked to -- I said if we're going to do something
like this, how do we do it?
Because I had never heard of it being done like this.
So I talked to chris corgis and
said if we are going to take
this condo unit out at the very edge, how would we do it? And he says this is how we do it. And I know he talked to the city attorney because I said
talk to the city attorney and get this correct.
>> Supervisor Walton: and just
to be clear, oewd said to vote
on it and then bring it back?
>> Supervisor Brown: yes.
>> President Yee: supervisor mandelman?
>> Supervisor Mandelman: I
think we should continue this a week. In terms of the no surprises and particularly no surprises to our council, I think we
should let -- we should let this sit for a week, and I think -- also in deference to the supervisor and also in a week, presuming this is
actually all -- we all probably would be willing to vote for this, I think we should continue this and take it up again next week.
>> Supervisor Brown: and can I just say, I have no problem continuing it. I don't have a problem continuing it for a week, as long as it doesn't interfere
with the C.B.D. As a whole
because I don't want that to happen.
>> I move we continue it for a week. >> second.
>> President Yee: so procedurally, there's a
motion --
>> clerk: procedurally, Mr. President, you should have the maker and the mover withdraw the amendment, the motion to
amend it, and you can remake it
once the item's been continued and rescheduled.
>> Supervisor Brown: thank you. I would make a motion to withdraw.
>> President Yee: thank you very much. Now there's another motion to
continue this item a week until
the next meeting on July 23,
made by supervisor mandelman and seconded by supervisor
walton -- no, seconded by --
somebody raised their hand? Supervisor peskin.
Supervisor walton?
>> Supervisor Walton: just a
procedural question because we
already voted on the item, am I correct?
No, not the amendments, I'm
talking about the item.
>> clerk: not the amendments
and not the resolution itself.
>> President Yee: the people in the district voted, and that's how they voted. Okay.
There's a motion and a second
to continue this item. Okay. No objection, same house, same call? Then the motion passes. [Gavel].
>> President Yee: let me see
where I am. I think we have one more item.
>> clerk: item 55. Item 55 was considered by the
rules committee at a meeting on
monday, July 15, 2019, second
charter to create the homelessness oversight
commission to oversee the
department of homelessness and supportive housing. This should be continued to next week, July 23.
>> President Yee: okay. Colleagues, do we have a motion to continue this item to the
meeting of tuesday, July 23, 2019? >> so moved.
>> President Yee: okay.
And seconded without supervisor ronen. Without objection, then, this
item is continued to the next
meeting for tuesday, July 23, 2019. [Gavel].
>> President Yee: Madam Clerk,
I think we'll go to public comments.
>> clerk: at this time, the public May now address the entire board of supervisors for
up to two minutes on items within the subject matter jurisdiction of the board to
include the June 11, 2019 abort meeting minutes, and the special minutes of the budget
and finance committee meeting,
and item 58 through 60 on the adoption without represent to committee items. Please direct your comments to
the board as a whole and not to
individual supervisors or the audiences.
Speakers using interpretive services will get double time.
And if you'd like to use the
overhead, let us know, and remove it when you'd like to
return to the meeting.
>> contrary to what we heard earlier, sfmta is out of control.
We do not want this to happen
to any other districts. Last night, several concerned
owners tried to appeal a charge
station at western addition and marina. The station was built before a public hearing. The neighboring business was
informed that they were placing the racks. There was a subsequent hearing noticed as if the racks were to be built. The neighbors were upset.
The tapes for the hearing were lost.
The person who signed off the
permit did not even look at the
minutes of the hearing.
Predatery practices.
The reason was the bike racks were a block away from this location, and we looked at the other locations that they were
producing, and guess what?
The other three that they're trying to promote right now are all next to small businesses
bike rentals, within a
two-block hearing or another one.
The very stringent rules enable
cause enablers to not appeal this because catherine stefani
was out of the country, and we didn't get it in time. This is most important -- guys, I come here with my time. Please give me respect.
The current law concerning the
fourth -- the ford lift bike
racks, as you May know, the
court in the ccfa action has
granted lyft a preliminary
injunction over its purported exclusivity over dock bike sharing. According to the city
attorney's papers filed in that action, such a construction of an agreement would constitute illegal restraint of trade.
Given the position of the city attorney, is this board going to authorize the city attorney
to make a request to the state
attorney general to file and the
the -- antitrust or other restraining of the trade? This is very important, and I
would like someone to come and get this. >> >>. >> clerk:.
We'll come and get that from you.
>> good afternoon, supervisors.
-- with L.C.A., the county's current operator.
Once again, it appears the san francisco supervisors are
allowing the sheriff's office
to operate the county's E.M. Services via written contract
that has not been publicly
approved by the board.
The sentinel contract begins September 1, 2019.
The contract is a critical effort to san francisco's
efforts to reduce the local
jail population by provide alternatives to practice
additional incarceration.
The public, especially the thousands of individual
shackled with these ankle monitors deserve a properly
noticed public and substantive discussion of san francisco county's electronic monitoring contract. Under the new contract with
sentinel, the sheriff has
included a clause that allows
the company to collect contract fees from the participants should there be a change in the policies. A year ago, supervisors were gushing over their effort to
eliminate all locally controlled adtrition
ministration fees, noting the detrimental effect it has, particularly on low-income people and people of color. Now that san francisco appears
to be handing out monitoring --
>> clerk: thank you for your comments.
>> President Yee: thank you.
Next speaker, please.
>> today's performance by all
of you is an example over supervising what you don't need
to be supervising, and undersupervising when you need to be supervising. Don't feel bad.
your own governor's doing this, too.
I object to governor newsom to provide 21 consider
$21 million to pg&e after several towns of people lost everything they own. It's being expected it'll come from the utility customers. It's not fair.
It's not the only thing that gavin newsom was being foolish about. He was President On an 87 unit apartment complex that's being built for $64 million. I've been telling you all along
the best way for several years,
the best way to build an
apartment complex is 100%
nonprofit developer instead of
a profit developer. When I first met walton, I showed him my technique and developing an apartment
building, and he used my
technique, and my technique
saved him $66 million.
And by the same response, this time another example of the
differential treatment. Here's a 300-unit apartment
building complex. You refuse to use the ordinance
pertaining to 15% of all buildings are supposed to be for low-income bracket people,
and as a result, you're missing out on approximately 45 units that's supposed to be for low-income affordable housing.
And I also object to mario
woods' mother being paid a
moore $400 -- being paid a mere $400 million --
>> clerk: thank you for your comments. [Inaudible]
>> President Yee: thank you.
Next speaker.
>> dear board of supervisors.
My name is pierre lujan, and I
am the person producing the
opposition of naming the
chinatown subway station after
rose pak. We only approached san francisco residents. In two months, as of yesterday,
July 15, we have collected a
total of 10,328 qualified signatures.
Among them, 25% came from
district 3 and total 2600 signatures.
District 6 and 11 each has
about 14%, or 1500 signatures. This is the deck of all
petitions that we have collected.
We have sent you an on-line
copy which provides 1278 pages.
Most signees provided their address, their phone number,
too, so these petitions can all
be independently verified or verified by you. I just want you to know that
none of these volunteers was paid.
They did it by themselves and took to the street mostly during the weekend.
I also want you to know that
the response is tremendous and
more and more people know about this matter and now they are
siding with us.
We will continue this effort
until the naming plan is
revoked or M.T.A. Revokes it. So stop the senseless naming
and let us go back to our job.
>> President Yee: next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, board of supervisors.
My name is patrick, and I am a professional violin teacher.
As you have noticed, people
have been strongly against the
naming of the subway station after rose pak.
Last week, a supervisor staff
told us that she was surprised
to find out that this has been
well supported at the federal level.
As early as 1999, immediately
after the chinese communist
party started persecuting hong
kong, they passed a resolution.
In 2004, congress passed
resolution 304 to condemn china's treatment of hong kong
to protest what people exactly
like rose pak did. All congressional offices in
pay area voted for these
resolutions and they were even cosponsors.
Congressman nanny pelosi voiced
her support.
It is strange that san
francisco treats hong kong has a group that needs to be avoided.
I urge you to have an open mind
and meet with them yourself to find out the truth about them. Thank you.
>> President Yee: thank you. Next speaker.
>> I would like to have that --
>> clerk: we'll come and pick
that up from you.
Thank you.
>> good evening, press and supervisors.
My name is allen zheng, and I live in bernal heights.
I'm here to answer an important
question about naming the
subway station after rose pak.
After a meeting on June 4, was
there a similar outcountry when the hospital was named after
rose pak.
Supervisor peskin's assistant
answered no three times without explanation. That alley was proposed on
April 5, 2016, and it was passed next week with no preannouncement, no public hearing, and no news report, so
nobody knew about that.
That was why it happened that fast.
However, rose's friends made a big thing about this naming,
and the naming of this station
is a very bigger incident than last time.
If you were to name the alley
today after rose pak, what do you think would happen?
I would dare to tell you that the same outcry would occur.
It May not be that big, but it
would happen as most people are not happy with that. As a matter of fact, people are
already talking about revoking
rose pak way, which is the name of that alley.
Many people that I talk to feel obligated to undo the previous
walk and start a serious effort
to revoke rose pak way. Please listen to the voice of
your community.
Don't listen to those self-benefiting interest groups.
>> President Yee: thank you. Next speaker?
>> May I? Thank you.
>> good afternoon, supervisors.
I have graphics for sfgtv.
Fly me to the moon and let me
play among the stars, happy
anniversary, 50 anniversary,
wherever you are of the moon landing. And oh, I've got a surprise especially for you.
Something you always wanted to
do.
we've got two tickets to harvey
milk's terminal paradise, pack
your bags, we'll leave tonight.
Two tickets to paradise. There.
There, there, that's paradise, and I've got my notes here as
the news. Harvey's leaving on a jet
plane, and I know he's watching now.
Up, up and away in the
beautiful, from the beautiful
harvey milk terminal, up, up
and away, up, up, and away, saturday.
Let's see -- you're going to be
a harvey milk's daytripper,
one-way ticket, yeah.
It took you so long to find
out, and you found out.
Yes, you're gonna drive my car,
to the airport, and it's gonna
go real far, and maybe the
airport will love you.
Beep, beep, beep, beep, yeah.
Beep, beep, beep, beep, yeah.
And baby, the airport will love you.
On the harvey milk wings of
love, up and above the clouds,
the only way to fly.
>> President Yee: thank you. Next speaker. >> thank you.
>> President Yee: nice seeing you again.
>> nice seeing you, too. Thanks, President Chiu and supervisors.
>> clerk: President Yee.
>> President Yee: next speaker.
>> dear board of supervisors.
I live in chinatown.
I'm also a volunteer of coalition against the naming of the rose pak.
I would like to share a story, of chinese woman who lives in san francisco.
she told us she hating the rose pak.
She not only opposes the naming chinatown subway station after
rose pak, but also asked how
she could collect signatures by herself.
She was given a blank petition form and our contact telephone number.
A few weeks later, she returned
the form with ten signatures in it. Generally speaking, when
chinese grandmas receive unfair
treatment, they choose to forebear and to keep silent.
But this grandma took her own initiative to collect the signatures.
This petition May be the only
one that she helped to collect
a signature for in her life so far.
Her story tells us the naming
issue is not a simple one.
It must have touched the fabric of our community.
I strongly urge this board of supervisors please heal
grandma's and many other local residents like her. Consider naming issue carefully. Please do not do anything that
hurts local people.
Thank you. >> President >> greetings, board of supervisors.
My name is jack cheng, and I am
an incoming freshman at U.C. Berkeley.
I am absolutely opposed to the
naming of the subway station
after rose pak.
Indifference elicits no
response, indifference is not a response. Indifference is nothing.
at the threshold of a new millennium, warn governments
and nations never to give in to inaction.
Since the worst thing that can
happen to a person can be being
ignored and forgotten.
All in all, I urge you to not be indifferent about our voice,
to not ignore what thousands of people are asking for, to not standup for what seems
politically right, but what is right. Thank you.
>> President Yee: next speaker. >> hello, board of supervisors.
My name is vico, and I'm here
to speak against the naming chinatown central subway station after rose pak.
So a few, we measure a lot, she
was a bully, she was a
controversial figure, and she attacked a lot of people.
So, I mean, so many vices --
like we collect so many petitions and signatures.
Think about it this way. The chinese community don't
like rose pak for sure.
Otherwise, it won't have so many signatures to present to you.
Think about it this way. So I want to request an
in-person meeting with you, supervisors, and give us time
to explain why, and we do have
evidence to show up what rose pak, she is.
So that's why I'm here to just request the meeting with all of
the supervisors, and I hope
that request, you know, can
help you guys learn more about that. And the other thing I want to say, supervisors, I know you
work for your community, and
you work for yourself.
If you work for your community, listen to those different voices.
Thank you so much for your time.
>> hut are hut on you
ello, supervisors. My name is
james, and I work on the west side.
Working on the west side, a lot
of our most marginalized
tenants live in A.D.U.S and landlords want to take
advantage of their situation
and exploit them. Ab-68 takes a tremendous challenge of promoting san
francisco's A.D.U. Regulation
which includes A.D.U.'s under
rent control.
>> President Yee: thank you.
Next speaker.
>> kim cavalonni, san francisco labor council.
I just wanted to come here to reiterate our support, the
labor council's support for the
resolution about ab-5, and how
all these tech companies will now be obligated to hire these
folks and pay them a fair hourly wage and pay their social security, pay them medicare and pay into a system that these folks are going to
rely on, and hopefully we can continue in labor to move the
bar further, making sure that people have health insurance,
retirement plans, and all of that.
So I want to thank raphael
mandelman and all the supes for saying they would support this
type of legislation.
>> President Yee: thank you. Next speaker?
>> I'm supporting the resolution in support of ab 5. Thank you so much, supervisor mandelman, for your leadership
on this, and also supervisors peskin and fewer for your previous work on this issue, as
well, and to supervisors standing on the side of workers today.
There's a lot of talk about future of work. These companies are talking
about self-driving cars, robot people that are delivering our food.
This is not what we want. We want a future we are creating today, which is a future of workers.
When I talk to workers, they're
working 12 or 14 hours.
They're driving here from
sacramento, from fresno, they're sleeping in their cars.
If we talk about flexibility,
no, that's coercion. So we shouldn't trade that flexibility away for what
people's rights are, worker's compensation, paid sick.
Our labor laws that we fought for in san francisco and that's
what ab-5 will help us to step forward and give these workers
the rights they deserve, so
thank you for your support today. >> good afternoon, supervisors. Peter cohen from the council of community housing organizations.
I'm here on item 58 to
encourage the board to support
the resolution opposing unless amended ab 68. And I say that unfortunately.
I'd like to be here saying we
should support it. San francisco has had one of
the first and most robust
a.D.U.S ordinances of any city
in california, certainly, a big city, and we are very proud to
work with supervisors on that
citywide ordinance over the
last few years iteratively, and
now we have a very carefully
designed local issues. It took care of some issues
around condos, around condoization.
This is a cautionary tale,
because as there's more hunger
to do land use policy at the statewide level, we have to
make sure we don't
inadvertently undermine local policies. And that's been the trick
whether it's ab-68 or sb-50, and a whole bunch of other
things coming down the pike. San francisco still stands it's
the leader in the state if not
the policy in doing some very innovative things in housing policy.
We've got to hold on to that
mantle and make sure our legislators get it right.
We've got a good ordinance. Let's work with assembly member
ting to get it right for the state while also strengthening
and supporting our local ledge
lation, support the resolution and make these things go through and come back and
support ab-68 as amended.
Thank you.
>> President Yee: thank you.
Next speaker? >> Mr. President and the
supervisors, normally, I would
still be at work this time of day, but I rearranged my calendar to be here today
because I think it's my civic
duty to voice my opinion on
naming the chinatown subway station after rose pak.
I was very disappointed by the passing of the resolution last
month, urging naming the chinatown subway station after
rose pak, given all Miss Pak's ties to the chinese communist
regime, and personally as someone whose father was a
victim of the C.C.P.S
persecution, I felt deeply betrayed, and if you think I would present a minority opinion, I would sincerely urge you to reconsider. I've spoken to many of my friends and colleagues about the passing of the resolution in recent weeks, chinese or
not, and what I heard from them
is disbelief, disappointment, and anger.
They tell me that rose pak was
known for using cheap tricks
for her own political gain,
such as collecting signatures
through coercion or threats.
They tell me that rose pak is
why we lost the stockton pedestrians mall that everybody loved.
All of this is why I'm standing
here today to sincerely to urge you to reconsider the decision
on this matter before making a decision that would impact our city for decades to come.
Thank you very much for your attention.
>> tom gilberti. 1950s, board of education,
segregation supposedly ended, yet little black children were
having a hard time getting to schools. I heard this story just recently.
A lewis armstrong, an old man at that time but part of
culture said that president eisenhower, ike should take those little girls by the hand
and walk them to school.
He was made to apologize, but I don't understand why he was --
needed to apologize.
Right now on the border, we have americans taking children
away from families if you on the government side should meet with washington, please tell
her to take the squad or the
six young women that are now
part of the house of
representatives that are being bombasted, and bring a television network.
Show america what's going on
down there.
It would be nice, empowering.
A year or two ago, we were
going to let 19-year-olds have
the vote in this city. I was again it, nonplussed, but
now, I would like to see every
16-year-old get to vote. America is going in the wrong direction. Adults, their grandparents have
not been able to help.
We need fresh blood, simplicity
to get things done again. We need to bring our
governments home, and 16, 17,
and 18-year-olds now where their neighborhoods are and where they're going, they can only help in the change. Thank you.
>> President Yee: thank you. Next speaker. >> good afternoon, fellow
american citizens.
I exercise my constitutional authority, and my name is
kathleen wells, and I am the national executive entrepreneur. I'm submitting with the clerk
the paperwork of my united states constitutional judgment demand andlene for U.S. Currency and move to release to
me $500,000, $9.5 million, and
an additional $5 billion.
I also have an additional executive order.
This order goes into the history, the laws, and the facts of our american money
system and the facts around the
verl reserve dictatorship,
whereas the declaration of
independence and bill of rights
is the law in all states and cities.
Whereas the federal reserve act
of 1913 was not properly
ratified by the congress in 1913, whereas the privately
owned federal reserve has no written contract with sufficient legal consideration, plus the national currency supply. Whereas the money velocity,
pieces of money in circulation
has dropped approximately 50% since 2008, declaring a public
safety emergency.
Whereas the federal reserve
bank central dictates for present-day homelessness
created asset inflation which
has produced the need to access interest-free currency to solve
the problems of this health
hazard and protect the general population. [Inaudible]
>> President Yee: thank you.
Next speaker, please. >> thank you.
>> President Yee: next speaker.
Are we done with speakers, sir? Excuse me. Are you speaking, sir?
>> well in light and in part of the reasoned alleged occurrence
and unfortunate incidents at
laguna honda hospital and legislation to help seniors
remain in their own homes and
help mentally ill residents in group homes where there's the
benefit of a ready make social environment and peer group, I applaud you.
Some of you know I provided
security on a psychiatric ward
for 30 days a couple of decades ago.
One evening, a lone psychiatric
nurse asked I assist her
placing a patient in a five-point restraint.
At no time was he saw for a
mental health orientation.
I reminded her the patient's
book of rights, told her to
stop frightening him, and
bitterly returned to her desk.
Along another vain, you May be aware of the fact that billions
of dollars in penalties have been paid in settlements in
recent years by major
pharmaceutical companies who
have allegedly been targeting seniors in nursing homes,
paying kickbacks to doctors,
manufacturing powerful hypnotics to treat mine or
illnesses such as confusion --
>> President Yee: okay.
Any other body want to speak?
If -- seeing none, then public
comment is now closed. [Gavel].
>> President Yee: Madam Clerk,
let's go and call for adoption
without committee agenda item 58 through 65.
>> clerk: items 58 through 65 were introduced for adoption without reference to committee.
A unanimous vote is required for resolution oz s on first reading. Alternatively, any member May
require a resolution to go to committee.
>> President Yee: okay. Would any colleagues like to sever any item? Supervisor mandelman?
>> Supervisor Mandelman: I'd
like to sever item 62.
>> President Yee: supervisor peskin?
>> Supervisor Peskin: items 58
and 59, please.
>> President Yee: so Madam
Clerk, let's take item 60, 61.
>> clerk: 63, 64, and 65.
>> President Yee: okay.
>> clerk: okay.
>> President Yee: colleagues,
can we take these items, same house, same call? Without objection, the resolutions are adopted, and
the resolutions are approved unanimously.
Madam Clerk, please call item 58.
>> clerk: item 58 is a
resolution to oppose california
state assembly bill 68 authored
by california assembly member
phil ting.
>> President Yee: supervisor
peskin?
>> Supervisor Peskin: thank you, President Yee, colleagues.
As I said, this has been on the
agenda the last three meetings.
I don't like this lightly.
Assembly member ting is a former colleague and friend. I was a little bit ahead of my
time in 2002 when I introduced
our first A.D.U. Law in san francisco 17 years ago. I did not tell you how
delighted I am that we're all falling all over each other,
whether it's the mayor's
executive orders or what's been
done by supervisors chiu and
wiener and my predecessor, christiansen, supervisor mar
who's working with planning. Many members of this board, we
are all over it. As a matter of fact, we have
been the example to the state of california and many municipalities have copied us,
and now the state legislative
is falling all over itself to repeat.
Item 58 was based on A.D.U.S.
>> I am truly for assembly bill
68 as it relates to jurisdictions that do not have
robust controls, that do not have A.D.U. Control schemes, God bless.
In san francisco, if out of
here 1 -- our 120,000
single-family homes, if 5% did
it, we'd have 30,000 low-income homes.
My office continues to work
with assembly member ting.
I think our office has disseminated a fact sheet to all offices in this building with respect to three
outstanding amendments, but I
think given the late part of
the session in sacramento, it is important for san francisco to go on record saying we're only going to support this bill if these amendments are made.
I would like to thank the
members of the public from the
housing committee and the coalition on community housing,
and I hope it meets your approval.
I have offered a number of amendments that are not substantive in nature. They are all items have I
spoken to in this speech and specifically, ab 68 should be
amended to allow san francisco
to apply waivable standards to
A.D.U.S to ensure rent control
and san francisco's vigorous
rent control protections remain feasible.
>> President Yee: there's been
a motion and seconded by supervisor ronen. And without objection, that is passed.
So can we take this item as
amended, same house, same call?
Seeing so, then this resolution passes.
Where am I at?
Number 69 --
>> clerk: number 59, Mr. President.
>> President Yee: number 59. [Agenda Item Read].
>> Supervisor Peskin: thank you, colleagues, for the one-week continuance.
In the intervening week, I've had the pleasure of being re
regaled with the land made
island but not the man made
island that is treasure island.
They May well apply to besh aben
-- yerba buena island, but it clearly does not apply to
treasure island, and I want to
thank our county surveyor for
walking me through that
relatively obvious piece of history, so I have no questions, and I will support this matter.
>> President Yee: okay. Can we take this same house, same call?
Then this motion passes unanimously.
Madam Clerk, item number 62.
>> clerk: item 62, resolution to support california state assembly bill number 5,
authored by assembly member
lorena gonzales to codify the
california supreme court's
decision in dynamo versus lodge
that a person is an employee in
terms of wages and benefits.
>> President Yee: supervisor mandelman?
>> Supervisor Mandelman: thank
you, press -- President Yee. Thank you, again, supervisor
peskin for your tireless and successful efforts, and a growing number of san
franciscans are working for big
corporations with 2.9% of san francisco corporations receiving a salary from an
on-line platform.
Uber drivers are in the 10% of
all wage and salaried workers
nationwide at nearly $6 below
minimum wage in san francisco.
Because these businesses
classify workers independent
contractors rather than employees, they leave them without health insurance coverage, without social
security to support them in
retirement, without any of the fundamental protections that have been in place more than
half a century. Late last month, supervisor mar and I held a hearing at the public safety and neighborhood services committee on the issue of employee classification in the gig economy.
Dozens of gig workers came out to share their stories about
their struggles to make ends
meet without a living minimum
wage, health care access, or
any of the employee benefits
they would be subject to if
they were employees. Ab 5 would codify a 2018 california supreme court
decision that resets the past
for employment status to
establish a presumption that workers are employees. It comes as no surprise that not all big corporations are in support. Indeed, yesterday's L.A. Times reported that a coalition
funded by the california chamber of commerce paid uber
and lyft drivers up to $100 to
protest before a big senate
rally last week.
The employees overpower workers
to subvert workers' protection
is not new, but it is certainly not consistent with san francisco values. I believe it's important that san francisco stand in solidarity with workers across the state and look forward to this board passing this
resolution of support for ab 5 today.
I want to thank my lead cosponsor, supervisor peskin
and eight other sponsors for
their support of this
resolution and others, and I
want to again thank erin in my
office and give a special
shoutout to lee hepner in
supervisor peskin's office, as well.
>> President Yee: all right. Colleagues, can we take this
item same house, same call?
Without objection, this item
motion is adopt -- resolution
is adopted unanimously.
Madam Clerk, can you read the memoriams?
>> clerk: today's meeting will
be adjourned in loving memory
for the young leader davon davon hehn.
>> President Yee: okay, colleagues, that brings us to
the end of our agenda. Madam Clerk, is there any further business before us today?
>> clerk: that concludes our
business before us today.
>> President Yee: okay. We are adjourned. [Gavel]