City and County of San Francisco Wednesday, February 06, 2019
[Gavel].
>> Chair Fewer: the meeting will come to order. This is the regular meeting of
the budget and finance committee.
I am sandra lee fewer, chair of the budget and finance committee. Everyone should be seated. If you don't have a seat.
We have room available in room 263 across the haul.
I am sandra lee fewer, chair of the budget and finance committee. I am joined kbi supervisor by supervisor stefani and mandelman. We are also joined by supervisor vallie brown. I would also like to thank
sfgov for broadcasting this today.
Madam Clerk, do you have any announcements?
>> clerk: yes.
[Agenda Item Read].
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much.
Madam Clerk, can you please
call item number one.
[Agenda Item Read].
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much. I believe we have kathy widener here from the san francisco
public airport to present on this. >> yes, thank you. The item before you seeks
approval for the six modifications to an existing
contract with wcme joint venture for project management
services for the airport's terminal three west modernization project. Modification six would extend the contract through October 4
of 2023 and increase the
contract amount by $36 million.
The t-3 west project included renovating the western half of
the terminal to seismically
upgrade the structure, expand the connector, and expand gate capacity. As with previous management support contracts considered by the board, this multiyear
approval aligns the contract duration with the term and -- excuse me -- amounts approved by the airport commission so that your approval is consistent with what has already been approved by the airport commission. The budget analyst and see
reviewed and recommends approve, and I would happy to answer any questions.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much. Colleagues, do we have any questions for my iss widener,
seeing none, let's go to the budget and finance report.
>> good morning, supervisors.
This is severin campbell from the budget analyst's office.
The board is being asked to approve the sixth amendment to
the contract that increases it from its current amount of 14 million to 50 million.
So the story of the contract is
that the board -- the airport,
as part of the terminal three modernization program entered
into a competitive process with
wcme joint venture and then amended the contract on an annual basis. Modification number four was submitted to the board for approval. They're now requesting that the board approve the contract in its entirety.
The other $50 million budget is actually consistent with what the original project budget was for the term knowledge three
project manage -- terminal three project management scope,
and it is consistent with the
amendment, so we recommend approval.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you. Let's hope it up for public comment. Are there any members of the public that would like to make a motion?
Seeing none, public comment is closed. [Gavel].
>> Chair Fewer: would you like to make a motion?
>> Supervisor Mandelman: I'll make a motion we move this to
the full board with a positive recommendation.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you. Motion approved.
Madam Clerk, item number two. [Agenda Item Read].
>> Chair Fewer: I believe kathy
widener is here from the san francisco international airport
to present on this item.
>> thank you, chair fewer, and
supervisors stefani, mandelman,
and brown.
this lease is for 627,414
square feet of joint space in the proposed terminal.
It would add icelandair to the
other airlines operating at
S.F.O. The agreement -- the less and use agreement is the mechanism that allows airlines to provide flight operations and terminal rents to the airport.
It also provides a common set of lease provisions and permitted uses of terminal space and provides the legal framework for the airport to make its annual service payment to the city.
The airport's projected annual
service payment for F.Y. 18-19 is $46 million.
It's very common that when an airline becomes a provider at
S.F.O., that they become a signator to the lease and use agreement.
The budget analyst recommends approval.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very
much. Colleagues, any questions? Seeing none, let's hear from the budget analyst. >> yes. The board is proposing to add icelandair to the lease and use
agreement. Miss Widener has summarized how that works. Icelandair began operating at the airport in June 2018.
They would then be a party to the lease and use agreement
through June 2021.
They will not have any
exclusive use space. It will be joint use and space.
The price set for these spaces is set annually by the airport.
The payments to the I want under the lease are summarized in tables one and two in our report on page seven. I think the only thing we point
out is that we are now in 2019, so the 2011 lease and use agreement does expire in a couple of years, and the
airport then will have to go into a new negotiation for
that, subject to board approval.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much. Let's open this up for public comment. Are there any members of the public that would like to speak on item number two? Seeing none, public comment is
now closed. [Gavel].
>> Chair Fewer: colleagues? Any questions or comments? Okay. So I make a motion to pass this to the full board with a positive recommendation. I think we can take that
without objection, is that correct? Thank you very much. [Gavel].
>> Chair Fewer: Madam Clerk,
would you please read item number three.
[Agenda Item Read].
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much.
I think we have kathy widener here from the san francisco international airport to present on this item.
>> thank you. Last item for us today. Thank you, chair fewer, members of the committee. The airport is seeking your approval for a new coffee and quick serve concession lease with elevate gourmet in terminal three. The lease will have two locations that combine for 1,991 square feet and has a
lease term of eight years with two one-year options to extend.
Elevate gourmet brands will pay
the greater of a $375 annual guarantee or a percentage of gross revenues. The proposed lease was the
result of a request for proposals process with elevate 2k3w4d
gourmet the highest proposal.
>> Chair Fewer: I think we have
a B.L.A. Report on this. >> yes.
The resolution, the board is being asked to approve this lease between the airport and elevate gourmet.
The page nine, page ten of our
report, table one, does summarize the responders to the R.F.P. For this concession and shows the relative scores of
elevate gourmet. Revenues to the airport over the first eight years of the
lease are expected to be
about -- the minimum revenues
would be received are three million. If the option is exercised,
total revenues would be about 3.7 million. This is assuming there is an
annual guaranteed rent and no increases.
The airport does expect to receive the higher percentage rent under this lease, and we recommend approval.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much. Let's open this up to public comment. Are there any members of the public who wish to comment on item number three?
Seeing none, public comment is now close does. Colleagues, can we have a motion, please?
>> Supervisor Stefani: yes. I'd like to forward this to the full board with a positive recommendation.
>> Chair Fewer: I think we can take that without objection.
Thank you very much. [Gavel].
>> Chair Fewer: Madam Clerk,
can you please call the next item, please.
[Agenda Item Read].
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much.
So we have many representatives from several departments here
who are prepared to answer questions about some of the
line items included in some supplementals that we are going to bring forward, but seeing that we have a large audience here today, I would say let's -- colleagues, if you don't mind, let's open this up
to public comment, and then, we will hear from the budget legislative analyst.
Is that okay with Miss
Campbell? Great.
And I'd like to note here that
we are joined by supervisor gordon mar. Supervisor mar, thanks for joining us.
So I have some speaker comment cards.
I will call these in the order
that they are given to me.
[Names read]
>> Chair Fewer: if you can lineup, please, in order. Everyone has two minutes. please identify yourself, and
you have two minutes to speak.
To come on up if I've called your name. >> hello, everybody.
My name is raphael picazzo.
I am the President Of seiu 1021
school district chapter.
I am asking that the board
approves $60 million to fund the educational system and giving our teachers their fair
share of the 181 million windfall. Our educational system's been
neglected far too long and our teacher deserve what they're getting.
I just ask that you take an honest vote and give our educational system and teachers their fair share.
Our children are too important
to be undereducated by teachers that are not really here for them.
I see these teachers in the room, working with our kids, staying late, putting in extra
hours, extra money, extra time, extra money out of their own pockets to educate our children, even after-school programs.
They're there for our kids, and
they should be respected and
treated, you know, teachers around the world are. Good educators are hard to find and keep in san francisco, and these educators are putting
extra effort in to stay in san francisco. I'm asking that you help them with the little bit of money that they're going to get from the raises that they received
and not be taken away from them.
Thank you. [Applause]
>> clerk: Madam Chair, May I
make a quick nouncement?
There are currently eight supervisors convened in the chamber. We are now convened as a
special members of the board of supervisors.
>> Chair Fewer: all right.
And I would like to announce
that in the chamber, we do not
allow plauz, but you can show your support by doing this with
your fingers. Okay. >> good afternoon, supervisors.
I am here today to advocate that the moneys which the school district is requesting
be given to them, the $60
million. Ultimately, folks are going to climb up here and talk about salaries, but it is all about services and how we deliver services to the children, and
how we improve the system and
how we retain staff, and what
kind of quality of staff we have. So I'm here today to ask that
we make sure that the funding
goes between today and 2021,
and ongoing, hopefully.
Thank you so much.
>> hi.
My name is bridget early, and I've been at every
et and my husband works at hectare
arvey milk. When prop g passed for the
first time ever, there was not
a mass exodus by teachers.
When kids returned in August,
they saw the same faces.
When I got my first paycheck
with the extra 532.51, I was
finally able to exhale. i am reminded to focus on what is in our control as teachers.
We then continue on with the discussion around what we can
do at school to help kids feel
safe and loved. We live in a society where
jails and prisons are built based on the percentage of kids who are failing reading levels in third grade. Our military has more money than all of our public schools combined, the N.R.A. Has been
thriving for decades while
grieving parents are trying to
get bills passed to keep guns
out of our school.
I promise you that I believe in
san francisco and I know san
francisco wants to do things differently.
Thank you, gordon mar. I voted for you. Thank you for voting for us.
And speaking to all of you now -- [Inaudible]
>> Chair Fewer: thank you. Thank you very much.
Next speaker, please. >> hello.
My name's tom harriman. I am not a teacher, I am a paraprofessional, and my role is to support special education students in the school setting,
a job I have been doing 28
years, and I tell you, I'm with young people. There's people that have been
here a lot longer than I have.
Prop g was a good thing because the unique thing about special education --
>> Chair Fewer: excuse me. Could you please speak directly
into the microphone. >> okay.
Is that better?
>> Chair Fewer: yes. >> okay. The thing about special education is they need consistency, they need people that can commit and stay with
them long periods of time. That's just the nature of the work. It's labor intensive, and you can't change that.
Prop g was a good step in the right direction.
When people came back from
their summer break with the
raise, their morale was better. That left us more time to focus on our jobs, focus on our students, look ahead. Prop g, we're on the right course, we're going the right direction, we're finally doing the right thing, and we certainly hope that this board will be part of that. Thank you.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much.
Next speaker, please.
>> good morning, supervisors -- can you hear me?
>> Chair Fewer: yes.
>> my name is sherry linker,
and I'm a retired san francisco unified core substitute
teacher, and right now, I'm a day-to-day substitute with san francisco unified, and right
now I'm here to ask you to help
our students go forwards, not backwards. I am a constituent in
supervisor mandelman's
district, but over the years,
I've also taught in all the supervisorial districts in all the cities.
I've lived in this city over four decades, and I was
fortunate to have moved to san francisco at a time when
educators could afford adequate and secure and stable rental
housing in the city where they worked. Unfortunately, many of our educators who have moved to the city recently are not so
fortunate, and I'm very fearful
that we will lose these
educators, which brings me to my first point.
I'm asking all of you to please
ket aside enough funds for eraf through 2021.
One of the examples that this funding is needed for is to
have the right number of people on the ground with the students. Specifically, that means a healthy student-teacher classroom ratio. While this is necessary at all the city schools, the -- it's absolutely crucial in the hard-to-staff and high enrollment schools that I worked at for san francisco unified. And I've seen the difference
that smaller class sizes make in these schools. Appropriate ratios -- staff-to-student ratios make
the difference between a --
[Inaudible]
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much. Thank you very much.
Next speaker, please.
>> good morning.
My name is jeffrey finger.
I'm a geometry teacher in district five.
I left a lucrative career as a past pastor to be in a classroom -- that's a joke.
I'm here to ask that you
earmark at least $60 million of eraf funds for holding us together over the next several years. We are in no way standing in
opposition for those who are advocating that money to be
given to the homeless.
We are in solidarity, but God
forbid, if you think we're in a
crisis now, go ahead and not
allocate this for the schools,
and watch people leave here en masse.
We finally have some degree of
encouraged faculty at balboa high school because of the significant bump provided by prop g, and we can sustain some
degree of wholeness and not
have our salaries rolled back, and those salaries are already dramatically underfunded. We are historically underfunded.
The teachers are not respected, and let's face it, money, money
is what shows value of our occupations in this city, and I
am asking, from the bottom of
my heart, on the part of all of our teachers who are trying to stay here to play earmark those funds so that we can stay here
over the next several years. Thank you very much. I trust you to do the right thing.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much.
Next speaker, please. >> hello.
My name is sunshine roque. I'm a high school science
teacher, I'm an immigrant, and I'm still holding onto growing up in district 11.
In the story that I've seen since growing up here, we have seen a rise in homelessness. like the 2,500-plus students in sfusd that are considered
homeless, we have seen a rise
in evictions, like the 1,079 in
district 11 that were evicted
in 2017 alone, yet we're seeing a rise in development, a rise
in rent, to the point that rent
is 3,200 for a single studio apartment. We are putting more into
planting trees and picking up
trash than people who have
called off a day of work today to remind you of your jobs. In the history of san francisco, we have seen many supervisors standing beside us at rallies, supervisors standing beside our students for photo ops, and the question is, where do you stand now? Do you stand by your word to support the students, and educators, who are most at risk
because of the choices you make? Thank you. >> good morning. I'm kelley cutler.
I'm a human rights organizer
with the coalition on homeless,
and you're here with the our city, our home commission, and we are here asking to support
the our city, our home coalition to prioritize
homeless housing for our neighbors.
When I heard you read my name first, I was like oh, I wanted
to get talking points from my colleagues. I've had experience with homeless and doing outreach and seeing folks out on the street, and the youth out on the street.
And I'm seeing still -- I
continue to see youth that i worked with over 15 years ago
that are no longer youth, and they're still out on the street
because we failed them. So really asking you to be investing in our youth and to break the cycle because if
we're not investing in -- the same thing is going to continue happening.
And that's about it. Thank you.
>> Supervisor Fewer: thank you very much.
Let me call a couple of more names.
Reynaldo dia.
Asea chapelle?
Earline de-santiago, judith
baker, linda antwon, dennis
kelly, teresa arreaga, santos majara. If I'm not pronouncing the names properly -- I just want
to say I apologize.
[Inaudible]
>> Chair Fewer: okay. Thanks. [Inaudible]
>> Chair Fewer: thanks. All right. So line on up. Next speaker.
>> good morning to everybody here?
My name is claire merced, and I'm a spanish teacher in the school district.
I have been here for decades,
and I know some of you personally. I just want to let you know that I stand totally for this
funding for you to release the
funding for education, for
educators and education and our students.
We have -- we have students --
this funding would allow for
more of our teachers and support staff to provide the
services that our kids need.
And I am more about anecdotes,
and I'm going to let you know
about at least three students that need the services that are not being provided because of the lack of some of this funding.
I worked a lot with minority students, especially latino students, and some of my latino
students have been -- are the minorities, unaccompanied minors that came here.
They -- many of these kids are traumatized. And one student that actually
had his brother -- her brother
shot in central america in front of her. She's traumatized.
She's attending school in my classroom. I have another student, a female student whose father was
actually taken out from home by I.C.E. I have another student that actually died by using drugs because he had no remedy, nothing, no services, so this
funding is not for us, just educators, but it's to provide the services that our minorities and our students -- all of our students need. So I ask you to please consider
putting that money where it's needed.
This is one of the richest cities in the state of california. That money should be there. Thank you very much.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you. Next speaker, please. >> hi.
Jordan davis, and I really
think we need to grow the pie.
supervisors of this city,
ronen, haney, and mar, I'm here
to ask -- we ask for a 171.4 million for the prop c
bridge, and we can do both, teachers and housing together.
As you know, I am transgender,
formerly homeless and disabled.
And when I was out on the
streets, I didn't care much
about these austerity lies.
We could end transgender
homelessness with only
13.5 million, according to a little birdie that came in my ear over five years.
Furthermore, aside from the lost hospital that is
St. Mary's being inhumane and
not reimbursement by prop c, any hospital receiving
government funding raises the
bells for me as a transgender. It's time we get together and
advocate for teachers and
housing together and stop being miserly. When people can't afford to
live here, and people are
homeless, it's time to cut the bullshit and grow the pie.
>> I just have to echo what the previous speaker said. Grow the pie. Our senior and disability action, you know, one of our priorities -- and it's a very big priority is deeply
affordable housing and mental health services.
I know that the conservatorship
issue is going to be coming to
rules committee sometime very, very soon.
Before you consider that, first consider voluntary mental health and substance use
services to fund those and give
those priorities a chance to work. again, education, housing, all
of these things, there's so
much of a need, and -- and in themselves, all of them have priority.
So again, let's grow the pot. We have a lot of smart folks in this room.
We can figure a way out to figure out a way to get equity
I'm here to talk from the heart and for humanity. And there are homeless people
out there on the streets
without a shelter, which is an
essential need, shelter. We all need a place to live, a place to lay our head.
Only then can we start to
fulfill our needs emotionally and mentally, physically. There's people out there
suffering with no toilets, and
I -- I think, as far as humanity, it's something that
we're supposed to do.
We're supposed to take care of
our fellow brothers and sisters
and so we have to think from
the heart and fill our hearts. The money -- there's enough
money in the pie for homeless
and for teachers that need to get paid.
If it wasn't for teachers, we
all wouldn't be here right now, not having any kind of education. So with that -- and I also think we need to -- testifiers and -- and lower income homeless people need to work together and don't -- there's
enough money for both.
Thank you.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much. Next speaker, please. >> hello, supervisors. Thank you and good morning. My name is curtis bradford, and I am the cochair of the tenderloin people's congress.
Yeah, the message from me is
grow the pie, grow the pie. The truth is pitting teachers against the homeless people who
are suffering on our streets is, in my opinion, irresponsible, unnecessary, and
frankly kind of ugly, right?
We're better than that.
There is enough money to do
both, and -- and there is a crisis out there, and it's part
of a rainy day fund. Take the five-minute walk over to my neighborhood in the tenderloin and tell me this is
not a rainy day. Tell me this is not a rainy day. If you're one of the people laying out there right now --
excuse me, I started to cuss. It's a real rainy day. In fact, I don't know if you know, but we in the tenderloin know we had somebody die right in our streets in this last
rain storm, laying there, on
card board, in a doorway, cold, wet, and alone. And if that person had had a
shelter bed, I'm not certain, but I suspect if that person had had a shelter bed and
access to services, they would
still be alive today. So we can do better, we have to do better.
There's enough money to do both. let's just get this done. Thank you.
>> Chair Fewer: thanks. Next speaker, please.
>> hello.
My name's theresa cooper, and
I'm here to support our city, our home.
I'm in a group that's called
singers of the streets.
We are a homeless singer group.
We help people out, we give
them a meal. It's not really people in city
hall, it's religious people
that have cared enough about
the people that died, cared enough that they are on the street, and to ring a bell for them.
If we are not here to support
individuals that live here in our city, I don't know what we
are here for because if we're going to keep massaging the
rich and hold onto all the money because other people are
not worthy or they don't hold
positions of authority, as a group, we have come together.
Our city is -- definitely has a mental health crisis.
Hello, I have a great time on muni or sfmta.
The other mayor said, are we safe in this city?
Well, not if you've got a mental health person talking about beating people down because they don't have support, talking about beating people down. The fact that we don't have
bathrooms -- all you have to do
it look to L.A. To see the
diseases that it caused, and
people are definitely urinating in the drains. Health problem.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you.
next speaker, please. >> greetings. First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the indigenous land that we stand on, and their slavery.
And lastly I want to acknowledge those impacted by the cleerl actions of the united states.
My name is reynoldo, and I live in district eight.
I deserve and our students deserve, the narrative being
pushed by the supervisors and
the issues pushed against the
homeless and educators, funds
are needed in both and at all areas.
At my site, there are houses with staff and students.
You can't be comreply sit in the name of funding ed and finding solutions to houselessness.
I think it is shameful to be comreply sit
complicit and explicit.
Thurgood marshall's an academic high school.
It's a hard-to-staff school.
Please do not make it harder to staff by impacting our wages and limiting our resources. Thank you.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much. Next speaker.
>> my name is faisah chapelle,
and I live in district five, of supervisor vallie brown.
I've only worked at
hard-to-staff schools in the
tenderloin, bayview, and the mission. For me to afford a high quality preschool, I have to send my
twins to school in oakland.
Prop g -- before prop g was passed, I was offered a
position in redwood city making $7500 a year. I didn't want to accept it,
because how could I live with myself, knowing I was leaving
our students in the hands of
another teacher or worse, lon
long-term subs. : subs.
Students are experiencing incredible trauma.
They struggle academically.
Homeless need beds in this
city, but they need schools, to be the structural and safe
setting so they can ultimately learn.
Vallie brown, I, a black public
schoolteacher who started her
career in sfusd, I have two
teaching credentials from S.F. State and national certification, I won't be able
to afford my two kids to go to
presill in my own community. Please consider the funding
necessary to fund our public
schools. Black teachers matter, blood count students matter. Thank you.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you. Next speaker, please.
>> I was born in tijuana, baja california. I am an immigrant when I came here age 11. I brought myself through berkeley, community college,
and I am a fighter.
And I'm here looking at your faces. I should be at my classroom looking at my students and working with my students.
But I have to step out of my classroom to remind you that
you have the power to fund us. You -- historically, this moment, you have the power.
I don't think you should have the power. I don't think we should be kicked in the stomach by someone in irvine who filed a lawsuit because they don't believe in public education.
I want to know if our
supervisors believe in public
education, that if they have my
back and they have my students' back. I thought san francisco was better than this.
I'm just upset that I should be with my students, smiling at them, but I am here, and I don't want to be here.
I don't want to be talking about why we should be funded.
I've been fighting my eviction. As you know, I am barely hanging on here. I have a seven-year-old boy,
and I can relate to everyone
who has to put their kids
through preschool and pay $900 a month. We butt boots on the street.
The voters voted for -- put
boots on the street. The voters voted for prop g, and here it is. You should do the right thing
and support the voters and support our public teachers that should not be here in the first place. They should be in the classroom
taking care of their students.
>> Chair Fewer: next speaker. >> good morning.
My name is earline de santiago. See if I can make this work. Okay.
I worked for 22 years at the san francisco unified school district as a second career.
I am now retired, and I work as
a day-to-day substitute teacher as well as at uesf. Just want to share with you
that I am in support of you as
well as the supervisors of san
francisco.
Looking at the funds, 1
180,000 -- million, dividing
them equitiablely, I serve as the chair for another institution, when you work with the budget, you know that it is sometimes hard, but I'm asking
you how can you justify not
treating education and homelessness equitiablely. Just want to share one incident with you.
Last week, I worked at a school
site over on the eastern side of the city.
This is actually a school that I originally started working in
when I first became a teacher in san francisco.
What I noticed was that as a result of the passing of proposition g, the retention at that school site -- I think there was only one teacher that
had to be replaced this year.
The benefits of proposition g allowed the teachers to stay.
While I was there, I have to say the children surprised me.
They came up, and they said, how about lunch bunch?
I said lunch bunch, what's that? They said, can we have lunch with you.
So I thought one maybe would
be --
[Inaudible]
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much.
Next speaker, please. >> I support everybody who's
spoken here. I'm a native, I went to san
francisco unified schools.
I also am a resident of visitacion valley, and I was also homeless here after getting out of the service in the 90's, and I recovered from
that through the V.A. And
through swords to plow shares. I am proud to be here in
support for our teachers, but I'm hoping you can find funding to fund this windfall. It's a project that's been in planning since 1994.
I personally have been involved
since 1996, and that's maseo
May apartments.
It's a shovel ready project,
and with a 16-to 18-month
construction period, and it's $10.9 million short of that goal. It's shovel ready, and we would
like to see that on the list. I know there are other veterans here that are in support of
that, so I'll cede my time to somebody else.
But thank you.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much. Next speaker, please. >> hi.
My name is linda antwon, and I
know a lot of you all know me.
I'm here on behalf of carver
mission high school, and my child's providers, southeast
health center, Dr. Williams.
I'm here because if we do not help our kids, how is our kids supposed to grow? And I feel like the providers
is there to help our kids to grow and help, but our teachers is here to help our kids grow
to learn to go out in the world
and get what they want.
I feel like san francisco has failed us because we all are voting for you that don't live on our side of san francisco.
So until you walk in our shoes, the rent that we have to pay -- we don't have walmart out here.
We don't have all this extra
stuff as if we live out -- and
I'm not going to leave here.
I've been here since 1963, and I don't plan on leaving here.
I want my kids to have what I
had: schools that's going to help them, doctors that's going
to help them. In order to go to school, they have to be healthy and do the
other things they need to do otherwise they get sick.
I want help from my schools, teachers.
One of my students -- I have straight-a students in the
class.
Don't you know, one of my
straight-a students snapped. When you drive home tonight,
you get on that bridge, I want you to think about what my child had to do because I don't want to take that risk to go over the bridge because basically I don't have the gas to go over there. So look at me.
My name is linda. I helped build carver doors and walls.
I'm tired of coming here and everything that we want, you
all slap it under the rug. [Inaudible]
>> Chair Fewer: thank you, linda.
I'd like to call a couple other names.
Lottie titus, sabrina
frierson -- [Inaudible]
>> Chair Fewer: -- david
strother, latina
ita blanc, tyrone
king, betty robinson harris,
deedee workman.
Thank you very much. >> good afternoon.
My name is michael lee.
Today, I stand before you as a
community -- as a formerly
homeless person.
I came over here first of all
today to acknowledge jeff kosinsky whose dedication and
leadership to he rad indicating homelessness in san francisco is inspirational, and the board of supervisors should be
emulating his example.
This is not an issue of
teachers versus homeless
people. Grow the pie.
You want to talk about a rainy day? The other day in the south of
market, in the midst of a rain
storm, sfpd was evicting homeless people into the street. This time, they didn't take their tents. Normally, they do. Rainy day?
It's not only a rainy day, it's
a morally bankrupt policy which
the city of san francisco is
pursuing to terrorize homeless people.
It is morally bankrupt. So when you talk about a rainy day fund, all you have to do is
come out on the streets with
myself or calle cutler or
anyone from this coalition on
homelessness, and we will show
you a rainy day. It is morally bankrupt to
continue that policy and to
exacerbate it by pitting teachers against homeless people.
we need to link arms in order
to improve the quality of life
for both housed and unhoused
citizens here in this city of
san francisco.
[Inaudible] [Applause] [Applause]
[Inaudible]
>> Chair Fewer: thank you for your comments, sir. Thank you.
Next speaker, please. [Inaudible] [Applause] >> good morning, supervisors. My name is judith baker.
I've worked in early childhood education since 1967, and I'm still working.
I support funding for the homeless, for sfusd educators
and we are also asking for 20 million for early childhood educators for compensation.
I'm quoting from a teacher, a
preschoolteacher who can't be here.
She said preschool educators
are couch hopping, having our students go without medical and dental needs due to the high
cost of living, and we're
repaying school loans for the benefit of families we serve. I also want to speak for the children. The number of times I've had mothers come to the office saying my child is crying and doesn't want me to leave, and I
have to leave to go to work. So I go to the classroom and
hold the crying child so the
parent can leave knowing that
the reason the child is crying
is the teacher has left and we don't know when we will get a replacement. 20 million so this does not
continue to happen.
Thank you.
>> hi, supervisors.
My name is theresa arreaga, I
am the executive director for
public schools. Next door for being with parents for public schools, I'm
a native, spent 20-plus years
working community and college access. I'm here today because we were
early supporters of prop c and prop g -- baby prop c and prop g, knowing that our young
people need people in the classroom and safe spaces to
learn and grow, and only then can our families do what they need to do to succeed in this city.
Growing up in this city, I
didn't realize until I went away to college that my
experience was unique. I think these critical systems
of early education and k-12 are so important. So I'm here to urge you to vote
considerable resources out of awac to these areas.
As other people have said,
there's no reason for us to be fighting each other.
This pie can be big enough. Property taxes dedicated to
k-12 are only 33% compared to 54% statewide, and early ed, even lower. So please, support our families, support our children,
help us continue to be a place
where we can live and learn and grow.
Thank you.
>> I just want to say that
strong schools build strong communities.
And strong schools support kids. we have some awesome, wonderful
teachers in san francisco. We have wonderful programs in our schools in san francisco.
There are amazing things going on in san francisco schools. In the 25 years that I've been teaching in the district, I have seen a district that goes
from teachers living close to
the communities that they work in, having the time to give
extra time after school to work
and to give more to their
students to a situation where
teachers are living far away across the bridge and leaving the school district because
they can't afford to live here anymore. In the last couple of years,
last year or so, we actually hear voices from teachers who
say they are going to say. You know, continuity is what makes our program strong. When people leave, they can't build relationships with kids,
with the community. They keep us strong.
So I just -- my name is julia fong. I didn't say that before.
I work in district four.
I'm a seventh grade teacher at
lawton k-8, and I really want
you to remember our schools and support on you
ur schools.
Thank you.
>> good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the board of supervisors.
First of all, I'd like to thank you, those what are not on the budget and finance committee to hear this. I think it's important.
This year is the 50th year since I began teaching in san
francisco at james denman -- at that time junior high school.
I've seen everyone in the district receive a layoff notice, I've seen 1,000 people layoff notices.
I've seen layoff notices go out for just enough people so we would qualify for expending
rainy day funds. Now, we have turned things around.
During the time that I was in
the eusf presidency -- uesf presidency, I had a drawing done by a second grade girl.
It showed classrooms, it showed
students, and the legend said a classroom is a place where you
have students, desks, but most
of all, you have a teacher.
What we are asking for is full
funding of the $60 million that we need to get through 2021
with the 7% raise that they've earned.
We need that to continue having
teachers in the classroom to continue the wonderful things
that you've heard here.
I hope you will do the right
thing and fully support the $60
million that is needed for the schools. Thank you. >> hello.
My name is santos moreira, and
I'm here today to ask that you
respectfully balance the budget
and help maintain the diversity
of san francisco by keeping families here.
Just real quick, it's -- you
know, this is one of the most
expensive cities in the world,
and on $15 an hour, that's only about $30,000 a year. It's pretty difficult to get to
the next stages, so any money that could be afforded to the
teachers, it goes -- excuse me. I'm a little nervous -- the teachers that need to be supported, and also, it shouldn't be a crime to be homeless or to be in a difficult situation, so with all due respect, please balance
the budget. Thank you.
>> hello. My name is A.J., and I'm
blessed to be here in this sanctuary city.
I May be just passing through,
but I have learned a lot, and I
came here to learn in a
sanctuary city and homelessness manner. However I May be homeless, but I'm not a bum, but I've learned
from fools and from sages, and I also learned a lot from
education as I graduated from cal state long beach with
honors and on the dean's list. What I shall say is this. I have learned much in the
streets, and I have learned much in the classroom, however, we are in the school of life. If the rainy day fund is so rainy as the winter wind
blowing an apple or fruit off
of this free to form some sort
of pie that creates a surplus,
forgive us our trespasses. Let's eat the pie together because the fruit May have
fallen from the tree next door
and if we're not sure where the
tree May have came from, or the fruit.
I May not know the antidote, and I might need some direct information from a more educated individual than I,
however, we May share and eat together. Let's use the rainy, wet money.
if it's rainy, it's slippery.
The law May be reduced. No matter which way you cut that pie, it's going to be a tricky situation regardless.
So let's eat together. Amen. [Applause]
>> Chair Fewer: thank you, sir.
>> my name is mari del luna.
I have been a child advocate for over two decades.
Here in the city, there are no child care options without subsidies, and I was working my
dream jobs supporting students
with disabilities and finding dream jobs and I couldn't
afford making it on my salary
as an educator. I still struggle with gameful employment through the sky rocketing costs of housing and child care costs.
My child and I have spend dozens of hours dropping off
literature at thousands of homes in san francisco. I'm born and raised in this
city, and I'm one of the few families who actually still left in the city, fighting every day to stay here.
I am fighting for the next generations like my child to
have access to quality, affordable child care in san francisco the francisco. The lawsuit that's happening with all of our funding is a slap in the face to everyone that's going to try to stay in the city. Let's fulfill the will of the voters right here, parents,
students, teachers, right here.
I'm here to fight for what the
voters want and what all
parents have been saying across the nation.
I heard that there's about 50 million that you are talking to go for education. Please specify what that is so we don't have to fight each other, okay? Specify what's child care and
what's specified for public education. Think about the parents, think about the students. Thank you.
>> my name's julie roberts-fong.
I'm one of the founders of the
san francisco parents families union.
I want to say that k-12 and public school needs are happening to all the same families.
There's about 2,000 families homeless in sfusd and many of
them are in our schools. $140 million property tax
windfall is key to making sure
that everyone in our city is
paying their fair share.
It was an opportunity that voters validated to focus resources on all of its priorities, including funds for
community school strategies at 20 schools that serve half of the black students in san francisco. I'm hearing that in proposition
five today that supervisors are working on a deal that would dedicate money to housing,
preschool, and k-12 school, and
I'm cautiously optimistic about that.
I'm hoping we'll be able to thank supervisors for keeping prop g whole and for allowing
us to meet our students and families needs. However, this isn't over for families because it sounds like
even with the best proposal
right now, it doesn't specify
what dollars will go to
leadership and what funding
will be going to k-12. What we're asking today is that you clarify -- you take the leadership and clarify what is included for preschool and what
is included for k-12 so that
families continue to advocate together and we make sure that
all of our needs are met.
Thank you. >> good morning, Madam Chair, members of the committee.
My name is delores terrazas. I am the division director of the institute for children,
youth, and families.
I am the Chairman Of mission economic agency. I also want to recognize everyone that has spoken before
me who has spoken with passion
and eloquently about the issues. The early education community
is the beginning of the pipeline of education, so there
is not really a differentiation.
What we need it parity and
equity -- is parity and equity
in funding.
What I'm here to request is
that you allocate $30 million for workforce development and compensation.
We cannot sustain the gains we
made in family support, in housing, in policy that will
sustain workers in this city if
we don't have a compensation
strategy that is cogent, that is significant, and that will be attractive enough to support
the families -- the children of
the families that we care for.
you have on your -- on your
supervisor table people that have expertise, information, data that supports what I'm saying.
If you'd like, we can provide that to you again with any other information that you
would care to here.
Thank you very much. >> good morning, supervisors.
My name is kevin miller. I'm a district 11 resident, and
I just wrapped up a four-year
term on the veteran affairs commission here in san francisco.
I'm here in port of our city,
our home, and here to
specifically speak on behalf of
source to plowshares, where I serve as their communication managers.
They're a pie ner in serving at
risk and homeless -- pioneer in
serve at-risk and homeless veterans. Over the last few years, we've
done a lot to reduce veteran homelessness here in the city
from when the late mayor ed lee made his promise and joined other communities across the
U.S. To end veteran homelessness. In the last six years, we've opened housing sites from the
veteran commons in the mission district area.
The 250 kearny in the financial
district area which serves over 130 veterans and also have opened the fairfax which is a
permit supportive housing site
and safe haven site, but we still have lots of work to do. We still have a plan to actually get to that functional
zero number. And with that, my chief operating officer mentioned
earlier that we do have a shovel ready project in treasure island ready to go.
It's just short about $10 million of funding, and we're asking that some of this
windfall money be dedicated to this project to get dozens more
veterans off the streets into permanent, supportive units with the services they need to stay off the streets and maintained in housing. So thank you for your time and
I hope you guys consider our proposal.
>> prop g is about dignity. Prop g means I can save money
for the first time in my life.
I still pay half my take-home pay for rent. Prop g means I can get my master's degree, develop as a professional and help make
sfusd a world-class place to get an education.
Prop g means that katie, a
colleague of mine and d-2 constituent, currently teaching with a multiple subject credential can pay tuition for
the single subject math
credential she needs to prepare
kids for stem in the 21st century.
Before prop g, paraprofessional
churn was devastating. Paraturnover prevents or high needs special education
students from developing deep relationships of trust with the
staff that supports them.
Before prop g, we lost amazing teachers every year.
Just in the last two years,
we've lost a veteran sped teacher.
We've lost a costa rican teacher who understood the central american refugees we
teach better than anyone. We lost a native egyptian
science teacher who supported
our yemeni students like no
other to another metro area. Please support us.
Our students, families, and
educators are counting on you. Thank you.
>> good morning, board of supervisors.
My name is nancy obregon, and
I'm a native san franciscan. I became a teacher 25 years ago so that students could see
their lives through me. For 21 years I taught at
leonard flynn in the mission
elementary school district, and for the last two years I've been teaching at willie brown.
Today I'm here to tell you
about the difference prop g has made. -- I was excited to be a
founding teacher and looked forward to what the year would bring. We knew there would be challenges being a new school,
having new teachers and having
to support some of our most underserved students in the city.
What we didn't expect was the amount of staff thattest will left, including the principal, in the first year. The second here, the same happened. I know you May have read about it in the paper. Willie brown has had its ups
and downs, but fortunately, we
now have a principal that has been with us two years. Although we've still managed to
lose a significant number of teachers at the end of the year.
When teachers live, it impacts
student teacher connections at the end of the year -- no.
Some of our students from bayview-hunters point, one of
our most socioeconomically challenged neighborhoods having
enough instablity in their
lives and deserve better. Students experiencing homelessness are affected the most. They deserve safe and
supportive classrooms in order to build and maintain healthy connections with teachers and other support staff.
This academic he year, prop g,
we were able to hire -- [Inaudible] >> hello.
I'm erica ray. I live in district one. Thank you for allowing me to give my personal testimony on why I believe san francisco educators deserve a portion of the education and revenue augmentation funds.
First, I must stress that these are excess educational funds.
To not give back some of those funds to education seems unthinkable to me. I live and work in san francisco.
That gets harder every year. In 2017, my husband was laid off for nearly a year.
We accrued a sizeable debt. I seriously considered moving.
Luckily my husband was
reemployed at his business, and
the prop g funds that added to my salary this year have made it possible for me to start
paying back on my debt and make me more secure.
i don't have rent control.
I am a moderate special ed teacher at lincoln high school.
I rely on paraprofessionals to
work with my autistic students,
seven of which require aides.
There is a severe shortage of
special educators and
especially in the mod-severe category. A competitive wage is the only
way we can attract and keep new educators in san francisco unified.
The prop g addition -- add-on has made san francisco unified more competitive. Second, I know the mayor wants
the bulk of these funds
earmarked for homelessness. Sharing funds with teachers isn't taking away supports from
homeless, it's just another way to help, and thank you for your
time, and I hope this -- we get your support. Thank you.
>> good morning.
My name is lee May lovett.
As a long-term educator, I want
to set the record straight.
This is not a windfall, it's a
long-term surplus, and our
property taxes are not going down any time soon.
Now, my son's teacher has said that she was on T.V. Talking about how difficult it was for teachers to live in san
francisco in cramped rooms and small inlaws, and when I hear that, it's not just a personal story, it's systemic because two thirds of teachers say they have to pay more than 30% of their income in rent. And so when you lose one out of eight teachers from the classrooms every year, not to
mention all the paras, all the staff outside the classrooms who provide so much support --
and not to mention all the early childhood educators, I've
worked with 1,000 of them, this is a true crisis. You have to look at education
in a really systemic way, how
we support our educators and our communities.
So I have two asks. When you build housing, prioritize educators.
We need to do so much more.
And second of all, fund education beyond the bare
minimum because that money for professional development that I just went through yesterday at
the college is so critical for
no teachers -- new teachers,
people in high-needs schools. This teacher training is
essential for early childhood educators. Again, I've worked with so many to understand you need the
training for special ed, for
understanding that we need to support the youngest and most vulnerable in this community. Thank you. >> good morning, everyone.
I'm retired -- recently retired
teacher of about 40 years from sfusd.
I am an immigrant, and I was raised in san francisco since I
was five years old, and I also have two children that attended
san francisco unified from kindergarten through 12th grade. I know how difficult teaching can be.
It can be brutal, and it can be rewarding.
I am a mother and a teacher, so I can tell you firsthand that teachers are essential partners
in the raising of our children. Teachers are not asking for the
whole pie, just one or two slices. Barely one-third. Teachers will leave. Many have already left.
It is mostly the young, energyic, enthusiastic teachers that will leave, not us old people. All they are asking for is to
be able to afford to live in the city so that they continue working in sfusd.
The students and families in san francisco unified will be greatly affected. We will start out the next academic year with classrooms with without permanent teachers.
These classrooms will be
personed by various teachers.
Including substitute reachers,
resource -- teachers, resource teachers, as well as sometimes administrators, as well as being divided up into small groups and parcelled out to
other classrooms. The students never recover from these disasters. Many of them are pulled out by
the families and taken to private and charter schools. Right now in san francisco, teachers are receiving a very hurtful message from you. They feel unappreciated and betrayed, and they just want to
be able to plan their future without a stable salary that
meets the housing needs in san francisco.
They cannot stay here. Budgets are statements of values.
What are your values?
Please, please walk the talk. >> good afternoon.
I'm from district eight, and I worked on baby c, and I'm glad to be here.
I'm retired as a family child
care provider, but I felt as
though being a teacher is one of the most valuable and wonderful things that we can
be, and I wanted to come here because I'm, like, very
surprised that there's even a
question of how much should be spent for education.
I recognized here in the
chambers my program of 27 years
of being a family child care
provider, and I do know that
right now, it's at a tipping
point where it's unsustainable
for educators and parents.
Frederick douglass made an important statement. It's easier to build strong children than repair broken man. Teachers' salaries are dead last among the state's districts.
Among all the countless reforms tried over the years, smaller schools, smaller classes, beautiful new buildings, the
one that correlates more reliably with good studentout outcome is the presence of good
teachers and principals that are consistent.
San francisco allocates a small
percentage of its educational budget to teachers salaries and other educational expenses, 41% compared to 63%. The average earnings of rk woulders with four years of college are over 50% higher
than the average earnings of teachers. Something to think about.
teachers deserve to feel respected and supported in
their lives.
Thank you.
>> good morning, board of supervisors.
My name is lita blanc. I am a resident of district eight. I am a retired teacher, teaching almost 38 years in the
mission district, and in those
years, I witnessed the critical
importance of providing our students with stable environments where they can count on experienced educators in the classrooms. The impact of prop g was immediately fell this fall when classrooms were fully staffedtor the first time in many years. I want to step back almost two years when supervisor ronen held a hearing on the impact the affordability crisis was having on those teaching in our schools.
Over 60 teachers and parahe had
paraeducators lined up to tell
their stories barely being able to make ends meet. One factor of that has changed.
The political leadership of the
city, along with uesf along with sfusd and the community that supported us waged a campaign to establish an ongoing income stream so that educators would be able to
continue to do the work they love.
The voters of san francisco overwhelmingly supported prop g because they understand that
educators are at the heart of students' success.
So I am afraid of the impact of a pay cut to those hard working individuals. Imagine what those people will do if they are forced to take a pay cut because the elected
leaders of san francisco chose
to not prioritize education. Thank you very much.
Do the right thing.
>> my name is stephen, and I
teach a special day class for students that we currently
refer to moderate to severe
extensive support needs.
San francisco teachers are expected to earn teaching credentials, masters degrees,
rack up thousands in student loans, and we're expected to lead the future of san
francisco, earning significantly less than our peers in other industries.
This has created a vicious cycle that for most san franciscans is out of sight and out of mind.
But if we can turn our
attention away from the latest
apps and the hottest hipster hangouts, we would see that more and more teachers are leaving this city every single
year and this is robbing our students of the consistency that so many districts are able to offer. [Please stand by]
-- I'm a parent very committed to san francisco.
In this role I'm a special educator at lowell high school and in my role at lowell, not only have I seen many teachers come and go because they can't afford to live here, very
skilled and talented teacher,
but I'm affected by the para-professional crisis as well. They're paid even less than teachers and I have gone years, twice, without a para-professional in my program.
And my students need a para-professional to gain or to
achieve full education. As a parent, I have seen the importance of teacher consistency.
My son in elementary school in are, in his six years of elementary school, went through three first-year teachers that have since left the district.
So he had skilled teachers some
years and he had learning teachers that left.
And that dramatically affected
his achievement, not only in school but liking school, the community of school.
With the prop-g funding, without the funding the city will return to the crisis of not being able
to attract and retain new teachers.
We -- not only are teachers leaving the district to go to
other places, families are also, because of the teacher shortage in san francisco, families are leaving the district. And we need to reinstate the funding for prop-g to keep things going in the right direction.
Thank you. >> good morning, thank you for
your time, esteemed members of the board.
I am kia roy king and I teach
alongside hard-working and
dedicated and brilliant teachers of lowell high school. I represent them here today.
We're asking for $60 million,
one-third, one to share with the measures and programs currently under attack. We all know the value of teachers.
We all remember at least one who helped to shape who we are today. My path to becoming a teacher
was formed in the fifth grade by Miss Cheryl cork.
Not only does Miss Cork teach us though she was on stage, she was
witty and fun in her no-nonsense way. I had struggled with attention and she was the only african
american teacher that I had from kindergarten through high school and my experience of learning
from her, with her, vastly improved my self-esteem as a young black boy growing up in the 1980s on the peninsula. I saw myself in her.
I catch myself most emulating
her when I'm guiding my students at wallenberg.
And I always wanted to consider
to teach at sfsud.
And my son is a first grader at the civil rights academy. The salary that the district could offer at the time made a
dream of becoming a public schoolteacher impossible.
As proposition g was under consideration last year I took and passed nine tests to be qualified to teach in the district with the confidence that san francisco voters would give teachers a living wage.
This year at wallenberg has been transformative for me.
Most of my students never had a
black math teacher and I am
reminded of my experience as a 10-year-old kid in Miss Cork's classroom. For the first time I am blessed to teach students of multiple
races, religions and national origins. i ask that you support us.
Thank you.
>> good morning, supervisors.
My name is bailey robinson-harris.
I'm an early education teacher working with young children in
san francisco for over 44 years. In every neighborhood with
children that were toddlers to
12 year olds, private, for-profit and non-profit and
finally here in san francisco unified school district
celebrating 30 years of working.
I tend to view life and life's
situations from a perspective of
the children that I teach.
Which bodes down to equity and equality.
As we are here this past celebrating the life and times of martin luther king, we think a lot about equality.
So I'd like to just remind the
supervisors that the eraf funds
should be distributed equally,
and 60, 60, and to those in more need.
And also step back and say as an
early childhood education
teacher, educator, that the equity lives is also present
which means that young children and the teachers and the educators that work with them really need to be given more consideration.
We teach children and provide
for them a solid foundation for the rest of their lives and
promote the thirst for learning.
I'd like to share with you a situation that's happened with me about a year ago.
One of my peer educators in my
school said to me, Miss Betty, I want to thank you.
She said for the first time in
38 years I'm finally earning a
little over $20 an hour.
And with that I'd like to say
that the prop g funds have help
helped...
>> good morning, supervisors.
I'm sarah hicks, with the early education educators of san francisco and I want to echo many of the things that came before me because I know that I don't have the time at the mike to say everything that I'd like to say. But I want to say that my
partner is a baker and we love
to bake large pies and I do want
to speak to the pie that I heard
talked about here before and the ingredients that should go into
it so that it bakes well.
Growing the pie I think speaks really to there are people out here that are all speaking to
issues that are very dear to my heart. And the need for growing that pie is obvious.
I want to make sure that the ingredients include a really
clear ask of $30 million for early care ed
educators. Our ask for this year's budget
was $60 million and there was a city-wide plan agreed to, I
believe in 2015, that early care educators, a piece of that was
that early care educators would
move up in salary comparable to san francisco unified school
district educators. San francisco unified school district educators, as you have been hearing, have trouble living in san francisco on the wages. They
that is already too low.
But we'd love to move it up and keep struggling with them for
wages that allow us to commit to this important field.
I wanted to also speak to early
care and education.
Pay equity is looked as a dollar-for-dollar amount for equal, comparable work. But early care and education help those who have dependents to stay in the workforce and that impacts largely women. Without early care education women are taken out of the
workforce and their lifetime earnings are even more dramatically than the comparisons we make on pay equity. So early care education is
absolutely a fundamental
community system that is needed
to support... >> good morning.
My name is leann lakes and I am
a resident of the sunset and a
parent of two children at alice
fong alternative school.
I'm also the President Of the parent association. We all know that homelessness is a problem in san francisco and as our prior speakers have
spoken about, education and homelessness are really aligned with each other. Home
homelessness is not just about a shortage of housing. It's also about education.
And consider the fact that those who are housing insecure are less likely to graduate. And those with less than a high school degree are at higher risk of homelessness. And those with a less than high
school degree have higher rates
of unemployment and lower earning potential. We cannot succeed in education without many of our amazing teachers here today.
So I urge the board and the
committee to fund education. Our teachers cannot afford to live and work in san francisco. Which is reflected in the high
turnover rates.
Lastly, I urge all of you to actually to come to a classroom
and to see what these teachers do.
Witness their patience, their dedication, their commitment.
You know, go to alice fong, and I'm happy to give you a tour or any of the other schools, and see what these teacher does. Because I don't think that you fully understand the impact they have on our children.
Thank you.
>> good morning, supervisors.
Ladi tidi, the vice President Of the commission board.
I am here to ask you and to urge
you to support the hope S.F.
Initiative for sunnydale public
housing unit and the patrol hill housing unit.
They too deserve a piece of that pie, a hefty piece, because you will be changing lives, not just for children and families, but
also for seniors and disabled. It's very important that this
process move right along. So I urge you to support it and to fund it.
Thank you so much. >> good morning, board of supervisors.
My name is sabrina leah-poga and I'm in district 10. For over 11 years I have dealt
with the living conditions in
sunnydale, worsened by mold, repair issues.
We also have limited access to opportunities and resources.
so I urge you to fund for
sunnydale, S.F.F. And patrol hill. We need it especially for our kids.
Thank you.
>> hello, I'm rihanna fryerson
and I as well as many other
residents with sunnydale and patrol hill are here to ask you to not forget about us.
I have been living in sunnydale for over 15 years of my life and
I have been living with mold for
that time and live broken water
heaters and feces coming up through drains in my house through that time. This money is going to go
towards amazingness. Healthy living places for our children. Healthy living places for our seniors. And healthy living places for me and my family.
As a college graduate I was told that, you know, you graduate college and you get to come home
to amazingness.
I was not afforded that opportunity.
I spent four years out of state to come home to the same things.
I spent four years out of state still hoping that my neighborhood would change.
And, yes, $9 million is amazing
and it's a wonderful amount, but what about the rest of the money? Why are we limited to this pocket of money? Why are we limited to what we have now?
I'm asking you to really think about the people in these neighborhoods. And think about the homes that you go home to and think what
i'm going home to. Take that into consideration as you are debating on what to do with this money and where it
should go, take it into
consideration where I live.
Take it into consideration where the children in these schools live.
It starts at home and if I'm not living in a healthy environment then, guess what, I'm not succeeding anywhere. So it starts where they live.
Thank you. >> good morning, board of supervisors.
My name is jonah ecidos and I'm here representing 350 children and families that are served in
our birth to 5 programs that are providing early care and education and family support.
As well as 100 educators that I have at my site. Unfortunately, we can't pull those teachers out of the classroom because we know that there's a shortage of teachers in the city.
And I urge you to consider
investing $30 million from that money towards early care and education.
We know that there's a crisis of
homelessness, but there's --
there's a connection between
E.C.E. And homelessness and what we do in early care and education is provide a stable and a safe environment for those children while their parents
work on getting -- becoming more stable in terms of their housing. We can't compete for these resources. We all need these resources in order to continue to support children, families and our educators.
We cannot educate our young children on the backs of our
teachers who can't even make
enough money to live in the city or even get out of public benefits. That's a crisis. And we need to continue to invest. And I urge you to do that.
Thank you so much for everything
everything.
>> [Speaking spanish] (Voice of
Translator): my name is mia, and I'm representing the
innovate public schools.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): I have four children who studied in san francisco public schools and now
one left in visitation valley.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): I came here to support the teachers because I know that if they have a better salary and a better housing that our children will
also benefit.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): and specifically I want to support the pitch schools which are the
schools that have the lowest --
the lowest outcomes so we can support the most struggling schools.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): and
we're a group of mostly latino and african american low-income families and we know that our communities need the most support.
Thank you.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): good morning, supervisors. I am cynthia. And I have a daughter in lowell high school and also a parent
volunteer with innovate public schools.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): as a mother I feel that it would be very beneficial to receive some
of the funds of the extra E.R.F. >> [Speaking spanish]
Voice of Translator: : especially if they will be focused on schools that are at the highest need and lowest
level of academics.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): and we really support teachers
benefitting from this money.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): another parent who was also a volunteer for a long time in san francisco
public schools told me...
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): she realized, obviously, where there
was the highest need in the schools.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): there's
an unending need of things -- of problems that we face in
schools, like a need for smaller class sizes.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): and giving teachers more resources so they can provide the best education to our kids.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): because our children are the future of this city and if they don't receive an education now they could contribute to the
homelessness problem later. Gracias.
Thank you.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): good
morning, my name is lucetto munoz.
>> [Speaking spanish] (Voice of
Translator): before anything I want to say thank you for your great work in this government.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): and I want to ask for your support on education as a mother because I didn't have the opportunity to study but I really need our children to have this
opportunity to get a better education.
>> [Speaking spanish]
(Voice of Translator): thank you so much for all of your work
and have a good day. >> good morning, my name is deborah summers and I'm a long-time san francisco
resident, a parent, a parent
volunteer, and an employee of
san francisco unified school district.
My daughter attends harvey mill civil rights academy.
And I'm also speaking as a
member of innovate public schools.
We ask you, the supervisors, to honor the will of the voters and
to support san francisco unified
school district parents,
teachers, volunteers, children,
to allocate the $60 million of
educational revenue augmentation fund back to san francisco unified school district.
Thank you. >> hi, my name is virginia chong and I live in district 10.
I also work for wui children's services. We are the largest headstart provider in san francisco which
means that our families are at the federal poverty level. But we also have an array of services that help to support low-income and immigrant
families in san francisco.
I'm here to say that we need to
support this issue on both ends. It's not one or the other.
We're facing a workforce crisis.
There are not enough teachers,
it's slowed down to a trickle.
People are not entering the field. We have volunteers who come to us and say their passion was to go into teaching but they became a lawyer or a doctor instead.
Nobody is going into teaching anymore.
Our kids are struggling.
Our centers are struggling to
fill -- to be able to fill their classrooms with kids, even though we have the infrastructure. We don't have the teachers to be
able to serve the kids. It's not one or the other.
We serve homeless families. We serve foster parents.
We serve single mothers. We serve the highest need families in san francisco. We need to address this from
both ends.
0-5 is the most -- it's the most
-- the -- where our -- the
children's brains develops the most is 0 to 5. If we want to prevent
homelessness and mental health incarceration, we have to provide a safe place for our
children to learn and grow.
Every child missed in this generation is another shelter
bed for the next.
We're losing an entire generation because we don't have
enough teachers to teach them.
Please support early childhood
teachers, sfufd teachers and
homelessness.
>> hello, supervisors, I am
jessica campos. I work the as a preschool teacher and I stand here in
support of our 0-5 teachers, but
as well all teachers. Our education system is really hurting right now.
We're losing teachers and me myself going back to school I
see the interest in becoming a teacher diminishing. We need to put funding into education. There will always be children. That's our next generation.
But if we're not focusing in educating our children our future generations will fall into systemic issues that we
really need to address now. The importance of building
relationships and the children being engaged in education is very, very important.
So, please, we ask you to give a
portion to -- $30 million to our E.C.E. And a big chunk for our education system in san francisco.
Thank you. >> hi, good morning.
And it's still morning -- just.
My name -- well, my name is carey gray and it's good to see you all.
I am a public school parent and
I'm President Of the second
district of the california state parent-teacher association. Here in san francisco we have 64
units which means that we have
about 8,000, 9,000 members in the city of san francisco.
And while you have heard some
really compelling testimony and experiences from teachers and
from other parents, I want you
to know that there are thousands
of parents -- and thousands of
residents -- who voted to
support prop g and prop little c and prop big c.
And the second district is a membership organization and we
voted to support prop g because we know how critical it is to support our teachers in our community schools.
And we voted to support prop little c because we know how critical early childhood education is for our students.
So all I'm asking is that you support the will of the voters
and the families and the residents, many of whom you have met here today, who really support these issues. You have an opportunity to support the will of the voters
in a real tangible way right now when you allocate this funding.
And I appreciate your continued support for public education.
Thank you. >> hi.
My name is allison eddie-brodman and I'm a resident of district 5.
I understand that there's been a compromise, and I appreciate that, but I'm going to make this comment anyway because I'm really, really irritated that we even had to have this fight.
I'm a parent of a fifth grader at tenderloin community school just up the street and she has
been there since pre-k.
T.C.S. Has a 20% homeless
student population.
We're kind of a perfect example
of how awful this budget fight
is because we need the
specialized services and staff
that prop g was designed to fund.
It is our family liaison, our social worker, who identify and
work with our homeless students.
But, obviously, those at-risk
kids also desperately need the
housing funds.
T.C.S. Is also a popular spot
for photo-ops because of its proximity to city hall.
Last fall our classes were
disrupted by a photo-op for our now state superintendent of
public instruction who decided
to have a photo-op there before
classes were over.
He disrupted our school day.
Your meetings are held at T.C.S. And I don't know how many of you have been there during our school day though.
We need you to do right by our
kids and to give equitable
funding now and in the future to all of these services.
Thank you. >> good morning, supervisors.
My name is tanika moss and I'm the C.E.O. Of hamilton families
and also a member of the human services network. And I wanted to come out today to thank you all for your
leadership on this work.
It is dismaying to me that we
are having a debate around do you favor teachers or do you favor homelessness?
We have a responsibility as a
community to favor everyone and
recognize that the priorities of the people who are most in need is urgent.
We have 2,000 students in our school district every day who experience homelessness.
So when you talk about the
families who need quality educators, they also need housing. And we also know that you cannot actually learn effectively as a student in the district if you do not have a place to live.
And so the debate is -- I stand in solidarity with our teachers and I stand in solidarity with our families who every single
day have an urgent humanitarian crisis on their hands about
making the hard choices around
being housed and working and
living in their city or moving outside of their city for opportunity.
So I encourage you to prioritize homelessness and housing support with these dollars. And if you're thinking about the future investments that you think about an equitable share of those investments. So if you're thinking about making investments in teacher salaries over time I encourage
you to think about that same equitable share for homelessness and housing services in the future.
Thank you.
>> good morning or afternoon.
My name is megan graber and this
is my 12th year and I'm a school social worker.
And the last nine years at
everett school and Mr. Mandelman district. And my husband is a veteran
teacher on special assignments.
Please Stand By:
>> please think about those
teachers at everett, think about those teachers right now.
They're trying to make our city a better place. Please support fair share for
public ed. Thank you. >> hello.
My name is liz katie, and I've worked with the homeless, particularly the homeless mentally ill for the past ten years, the past five in san francisco.
It's been so wonderful to hear
from the people in education, saying that they want to stay
in this district but they are being pushed out. We are experiencing the same thing in the community of mental health.
How sad as the richest city in america, we are here, some of
the most in-need communities arguing who should get the money when it's very clear we are all in need of it.
I'm here today to encourage you
to grow the pot and think about
the prop c and the prop g funding that's been held up in these lawsuits and to look at
if there's not enough money to
go around, certainly not
funding anything that's not
reimbursable especially when
there are lower cost services. There are a lot of people here
in san francisco who want to help who are called to our schools, who are called to work with our homeless populations, and that's really beautiful. And we're being priced out.
We can't afford to be here. And one cause is not more
important than the other. They're both important causes, and it would be wrong of me to
say don't fund the schools because they work in homelessness.
We need to find a way to fund both. Thank you. >> hi.
My name is June bug, and I'm with san francisco parent voices chapter. I'm also born and raised here in the city.
I'm also a mom with two minor
children who depend and dependent on the child care system.
I'm also a formerly homeless child myself, and all the
causes here today that we're advocating for with all good
causes -- are all good causes,
but how money gets delegated is
important to make sure it's an equitiable process. We shouldn't be pitted against each other.
We all need help, and it's all connected.
I struggled for my son to get full-time child care and result
index co-pays that I couldn't
afford, even with subsidies and scholarships.
I struggled with my daughter who is special he had that couldn't find development. There's about 3,000 children on that wait list that are waiting
for child care, and that is not okay. I'm asking that from the windfall funding that we can
put 60 million into child care,
into early childhood education.
I know it sometimes gets lumped in with child education, but we
need to be very specific on how we delegate that funding. Prop c for child care in June
was passed by the voters, and
it's an atrocity that had
hasn't been implemented back. If we're stratjiek with how we
place the money, everybody
walks out of here in a win-win situation, because homelessness
and child care are connected.
Thank you.
>> good morning, supervisors,
and I know you've been sitting there so attendtive
entative for all the comments.
I teach over at c-5 children's center over in the state building across the street, and
I'm also the proud parent of a
recent graduate from the ruth
r. Salas school of the arts. I thank you for investing in
that k-12 education.
I'm here because as early
childhood educators, we are often invisible. People don't even think about us, and yet, we build the
brains that go into your k-12 education.
When a child is born, their brain is one-quarter of the
size of an adult's, and every second, 1 million neurons are
connected when they're in our care. More than will ever happen in their lifetimes.
We know through science that this happens through a process
called epigeneral sis, it happens in response to their environment, it happens in
response to lover caregivers,
and it happens in response to a stable, consistent caregiver. So if we don't have that, those
children's brains will not be
in the top optimal form for when they go through kindergarten through 12th grade.
So I thank you.
I know we're making a clear ask for $30 million, which is like
half a slice of pie. But I thank you for your time
and attention.
Thank you.
>> sir, you can go ahead.
>> okay.
Good afternoon. my name is lieu uis castillo, and I live in the tenderloin. I'm a volunteer for the boys
and girls park, and I live in bow bodega park.
It's beautiful to see the children and have somewhere to go.
And I also think that the money should go for everything -- should be for education for the children.
But I also -- you know, I go -- I live in the tenderloin.
I also do community organizing, and I have to go onto the sidewalks on the streets, and I
see the problem of homelessness.
And they also need help, and they need real assistance because there's a lot of drug addiction. And I thank you for all your
work, and I'll keep it short and simple.
Thank you.
>> hi. I know you've been listen being to a lot of folk -- listening
to a lot of folks, and I appreciate your attention.
I am flo kelley, and I live in district nine.
This really feels like a
decision, like sophie's choice.
Please release the rainy day funds. In san francisco for 18 years,
I worked in the world of child care and early childhood education in a variety of jobs.
And then, for 15 years, I was a
special ed public schoolteacher.
And after retirement, I am now
a day-to-day sub.
And I could have worn my uesf t-shirt today, but I didn't. I know that there are unsung heros in early childhood education and in public school.
I have seen them, I have --
they're my friends.
And now, I volunteer for the coalition on homelessness because in my professional life, I saw the devastating
results of children and
families without secure housing and how it affects those
children and continues to
affect those children as teenagers and even when they become adults. I think housing first is the
basic foundation of a child's life.
Clearly, we need to expand eraf through the $52 million in
rainy day reserve funds to benefit early childhood
education, public schoolteachers, and people
experiencing homelessness.
Thank you.
>> good afternoon, supervisors.
My name is bill hirsch.
I'm the director of the aids legal referral panel in san
francisco, and I serve as a
cochair of the hiv/aids
provider network.
There is no greater issue than
people living -- issue for
people living with hiv than housing.
We are committed to getting to
zero new hiv infections and zero new hiv-related deaths. In order to advance those
goals, we have to address the
crisis of homelessness for people living with hiv and aids.
We can do more in preventing homelessness by funding housing
subsidies for seniors and adults with disabilities, and
it is clear that the mental
health system in san francisco is failing the community.
We need additional resources to
address the mental health needs of the community.
We need intensive levels of
support for people with very acute mental illness living on
the streets.
Thank you. [Speaking spanish language] >> good afternoon, supervisor.
My name is jacqueline reyes,
and I'm a mother of two, a one-year-old and a five-year-old.
I'm here because all the
children need child care, and quality child care.
I need to work.
I know that when you -- I'm right now in the waiting list, and I'm trying to go back to
work, but I'm also worrying and stressed out, and when you're worried and stressed out, you
cannot take care of your family.
Please invest the $60 million in child care and also in support of the children.
Thank you very much for listening. [
[End of translation]
>> hi, supervisors.
My name is lourdes garcia, and I'm just here to make sure that
you know the difference between
general education and early schoolhood and childhood education.
I know that everybody's here
saying let's invest in
education, youth to 18, but there is a difference. It's an opportunity for the parents to make a difference in
the lives of our children, but there's also a difference
between early child care and education.
I want to thank the supervisor ronen because she's been very
active in the community and in
opening a shelter at horace horace mann.
But I also want you to know that we are the community and we're trying to work together. So please do not support education only, but early
childhood and education. There's 3,000 children on that list. Please give them your support.
Thank you. >> hello.
My name is elia fernandez, and
I'm the grandmother of six grid grand kids, and one of my daughter, she's a stay-at-home mom because she doesn't have child care. She has to study on-line, but
she went back to school on-line. And right now she's doing good,
but she needs child care for
more time to study. They're always bothering her
when she gets home, so she can't study or nothing.
And support the $60 million in early childhood education, and also support our education in schools.
And we need all the help. Thank you.
>> good morning, supervisors.
My name is maria lustor.
I'm the organizer of parents with voices innisk san francisco. We have the opportunity to
bridge the funding and end
poverty, and educators poverty
and homelessness. [Inaudible] >> then, my parents came to visit, and offered to take the
children with them to the philippines. I had no choice but to let my children go.
I know a lot of parents who
have to send their children to
china, to have to send their children abroad because that's the only choice they have. Some families leave san francisco altogether, and we cannot let that happen.
You heard the parent say we have 3,000 on the waiting list. We are disappointing that after celebrating the baby prop c and housing prop c and prop g, that
there seems to be no relief
for -- for hundreds of
families, waiting for housing, for child care for our teachers. We don't want to be pitted together against each other. We want there to be an equitiable distribution of funding. I know we're talking about the windfall right now, but this is a rich city.
I hope that all these voter-approved propositions and funding will all be approved, and when the lawsuits are
passed or approved in our
favor, the money will get all that money back.
So please, we're asking for 60
million for child care bridge funding. Thank you. >> hi.
Good afternoon, supervisors.
I'd just like to start off by thanking you for your commitment to trying to make the city a better place.
i know there's many epidemics here.
Like, we do have our housing
crisis, we obviously have our teacher shortages. We have issues with public transportation. I just applaud you for coming into this position and trying to make a difference.
I'm here to advocate today for early childhood education, and we are asking for $30 million today. There's been a lot of talk
about teachers retention and staff shortages. I'm currently a site supervisor in hayes valley, and I'm currently a constituent in district five.
So I guess today -- I don't want to repeat what everyone
else has said, but just some
personal experiences that I've had with child care, and some experiences that I want to tie it altogether for you? I've been working with the withhold social justice as well
as in early childhood education
and I've seen one of the earliest drawbacks and helping people get back on their feet is early child care.
They're not able to find child care, they're not able to afford it.
There are a lot of wonderful councils that are willing to fund this, but we just don't have the staffing to keep the
children in the care that they
are in or just bring in more families as the need is growing greater. So I think it would be beneficial to increase the amount of money going to childhood education so we can
give our teachers livable salaries and we're not chasing them out of the city. It's important.
If all of the families are leaving with their children, who's going to be here to take care of the city once they're all gone, so it's something to
keep in mind.
We also have -- have our own stories.
One of the teachers dealt with domestic violence? She separated from the offender, and now she is -- essentially got chased out of
the city because she can't -- [Inaudible] >> hello.
My name is markie.
I work for faces S.F. As a teacher. I was a business owner for past -- I'm still a business
owner, but I left my business
to become a teacher, to follow my passion.
I'm a mother of three kids,
four, eight, and 13, and my
husband works full time, two
double shifts sometimes to -- just to help us out and --
because I get paid so little as
a teacher.
And I just want you to know
that we need support to help the children in san francisco
as well as teachers, early
childhood educators and k-12 and also the family.
So we can unite together and make a better community. Thank you.
>> Chair Fewer: thank you very much. Excuse me. I think we have a parent with a baby that is in line to speak. If you could like to come up first, please feel free. I'm sorry.
If you don't mind, people in line.
We just heard a baby crying, we said geez.
And as mothers, we said gee --
you're a father, too? Yeah, thank you, dad. Come up and let your baby's voice be here. >> thank you.
I really appreciate that, and so does she.
I was -- my name is megan, and
I'm here with a piece of the
future, my 14 week old twins, Mckenna and montgomery.
I also have a ten-year-old son named maxwell. When he was born at san francisco general, I was new to this city.
I was white knuckling recovery from a cocaine addiction, and I
didn't have any support or
resources like most families in
that situation in this city, I have found myself in an organization called the homeless prenatal program. Five years later, I joined the staff of that program.
Now it's ten years later, and I'm a member of the board of directors and also a licensed attorney.
I'm here today to urge you to
remember the plight of homeless
families in san francisco.
While homeless children and their parents are not the most visible in the homeless population, we know their thousands of childrens sleeping
in cars, on floors, in closets,
and even some on the streets. These kid does face challenges and hardships that no kid
should have to face, and they
disproportionately suffer from risks of health.
The good news is I believe we know how to help these children and their parents.
We know that by focusing on
long-term programs focused on
families, we can help save generations of kids. I challenging to think in the longer term to address the homelessness upstream by
focusing on families and homelessness.
Along with your kids and mine, homeless kids with the future
of this city.
Unless we -- thanks, dad. So along with your kids and
mine, homeless children with the future of this city. Unless we invest in prevention, we're compromising our future
and the future of all of san francisco.
Thank you.
>> Chair Fewer: and thank you, dad. >> perfect segue.
We have 600 children every day in san francisco, infant
toddlers and precoolers in san francisco.
I thank you, supervisor fewer, and President Yee, for standing
on the steps of city hall every
year to walk around the block for our children. I hope you'll walk not just
around the block but around the city to support early childhood
education.
It's a promise made, and I hope it's a promise kept. This is a windfall, but I hope it continues.
I welcome the new supervisors to get involved in the new early childhood education space. we've been fighting this for a long time, a very long time. So when it rains, it's time to
fuel the youngest population, support the teachers. My youngest student came up
here, and I'm surprised we were able to do this because we have
a staffing shortage. Thankfully, they're here on
their lunch break, and they haven't eaten yet. I'm I'm going to take them out to
lunch. I know you're going to be behind this to support all the
things that we do. Thank you. >> good afternoon, everybody.
My name is john w. Smith, and
I'm a President Of the potrero
hill tenants association.
Born -- you get all tied up here.
I'm a san francisco native, and
I hear the word windfall.
For us, it's a must. We must have it because you've got places in here where I live
that people who live with mold, infestation, bad electricity. I know you hear a lot of problems here, which is
justified, but I am offering
you a b&b, to come and spend the night if you dare, in some
of these places, and then, you can see I'm not playing. I'm serious. I've been very fortunate, and I'd like the other people to be just as fortunate as I am. And like the teachers here, if
a child is exposed to all these things. You don't have no foundation.
Cleanup the act, and these teachers will be able to teach
the children or my children's children. I thank you. You know, as san franciscans,
we like to go back in hiding.
>> hi. Good afternoon. My name is comelia johnson.
I'm a resident, and I work in sunnydale housing development.
I'm here to speak on the behalf
of the funding that's being implemented in sunnydale, and I
know, I've been a resident fosh
eight years, and the road -- for eight years, and the roads are eshl horrible, the conditions are horrible. Last month, I put in a request
for the roads on sunnydale and hahn, because there's potholes so deep, you can bust your tires, and nothing's been done.
I know if the hole causes a hazardous something, it's, like, 72 hours before it should
be fixed, but it's not. If my toilet and my sink and my
tub is plugged up, all three, I
have to wait 30 days, okay?
If my heater blows up, I have to wait 30 days. That's ridiculous.
I believe that the city -- this is way overdue. These units weren't built for families to live on.
It's going to 80 years these
units have been here, and I just implore you guys to put
your money where your mouth is, like, really do the good work, and I appreciate it, but you
have families and teachers and educators and people who have degrees that live there and should not be treated
differently because of your socioeconomic background or your demographic.
but it's saddening to say that
because it's predominantly black and brown people that
live there, they're ignored.
The structures in bernal --
play structures in bernal
heights are good, but the play structures in sunnydale -- have
you been there? They're horrible. They're disgusting.
So I commend you guys for doing
the right thing, and I thank you for this opportunity. >> good afternoon, supervisors.
I have some eye problems, so respectfully, I can't take these off. I'm here today as the President -- the very proud President Of the public housing tenant association citywide for all the family developments.
We are here to support the $9 million that is so sorely needed to bring some of the
problems that this young lady talked about and the gentleman, to get some of that repaired. There's going to be a long time for the rebuild, and in the meantime, we need to have
clean, safe, and decent
housing. Housing that's -- but with the
funding needed given out 100%
to repair, but we get 75%, it's never going to mend. So we need this while we're
waiting for R.A.D. And the
home-sf sites can be rebuilt.
I want to thank my partners.
We've been here since 8:30. I don't know how we got apart
from each other, but I'm here
to speak for us. If you need any assistance from
the public housing tenant association, don't hesitate to
call on us.
thank you.
>> good afternoon, supervisors.
This is my comrade, maurice, and I am megan johnson.
I am a san francisco native, I work at the san francisco coalition for homelessness, and
I have two children. This should not be an education versus homeless issue.
I'm here to remind the board of supervisors that growing the
pie and investing 171.4 million
of efar funding to permanently housing homeless families,
youth, and children, would be a
life changer.
For so many of the homeless
population, including myself, I
have experienced homelessness
since 17, when I was still
attending school through the
san francisco unified school district.
I am now 25.
There are over 3,000 homeless
children in schools managed by san francisco unified school district. That is one in 25 children in
our public schools without a home.
Experiencing child homelessness
impacts their learning development and health.
Moving on, 70% of the homeless
population now drills on
numbers before they became homeless.
This -- [Inaudible] >> all services being ignored
are desperately needed for homeless prevention, please, I urge you to remember how many
men, women, and children will go to sleep tonight outside, in the cold, in the elements, when
they don't have to. [Inaudible]
>> Chair Fewer: excuse me, if you wouldn't mind, there was a
lady at the end of the line. She was waiting for the end of her line, but the sheriff has asked me not to call cards, and she has to leave. Do you mind? Two minutes. At the end -- yeah, and she has to go. She's been here since 10:00. My apologies, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Thank you very much for your patience.
I really appreciate it. Thank you. Two minutes, please. >> thank you.
My name is patricia smith, and
I live in district five midtown park apartments.
I'm sure you've heard of us before.
I'm here on behalf of midtown
so much, although that is an
issue that should be brought up
constantly until it's solved. I'm here as a parent, a
grandparent, a foster parent, for 33 years, as any kind of
parent you want to say --
adoptive parent of four children, special needs.
And I, too, want to say that education is a very important thing right now.
We need to educate our children so they don't become the next homeless people. It's very important that you fund the teachers.
I have -- the with the children
that I take from the foster
care I've adopted, and --
they're all special needs. If you don't support our special need teachers, they wind up going out of the city.
then, it's going to cost san francisco a lot more to educate
them than it already has.
Somewhere from 25,000 to
100,000 or more per child. How -- how is that going to affect the teachers?
I want you to think about it.
We're trying to deal with our situation at midtown. Thank you.
>> Chair Fewer: and again, thank you so much, next speaker.
>> my name is tracey nixon, and
I'm a peer organizer for the homeless. I've been waiting here to get my point across to you guys. We need the equity in between the teachers because I deal with homeless families every single day. I'm in a family shelter, and I look at these other kids, and I
know that they're struggling. Fortunately, my daughter's not
struggling that much because I'm trying to seem as normal,
seem as comfortable for her. There's not enough being done
to keep people housed, and
then, once we do get subsidies and everything, we get pushed
out of san francisco. I'm a san francisco native. I'm born and raised. I'm trying to raise my child in the same district that I grew up in, district five. Unfortunately, it doesn't look
like that's going to happen.
What needs to happen is there
needs to be equity because all these teachers and the homeless families that are on the street. It's hard to be able to tell my daughter, I don't know where
we're going to go in 30 days because we're going to be out of a shelter.
Thank you for your time, and
I'm glad I was able to get that off my chest. Thank you. >> hello.
My name is sophia thibideaux.
I am a volunteer at the
coalition, and I work as a
shelter monitor. Let's just grow the pie. There's enough to do both. I'm currently a homeless parent of two teenagers.
I also suffer with my own mental issues.
I don't understand why there is an issue with the funding of the unhoused people like me. I don't say the word homeless
because that's not cool.
>> let's just do it, like nike,
we need stablity, we need to grow the pie. Why are the other groups
getting fully funded, and we
all have to stick with just 45 million?
That doesn't make sense if we
want to change the problem -- fix the problem. Basically just we need it done.
We need this rainy day fund so
we can have a day of sunshine. That's it. >> good afternoon.
My name is olivia glowacki.
I'm a member of district one, a member of district on
homelessness, and I'm here to
support our city coalition. It's deck pickable that
families are force --
despicable that families are forced to live in their car and that there are over 3,000 homeless children in our school system, but what is even worse than these situations occurring in the first place is we have the ability to remedy these
situations, and we don't.
It is clear none of us want to
be pitted against each other, but it seems we're vying for a
slice of this $15 million --
$50 million pie. [Please stand by]. >> given that the problem c dollars are on hold
indefinitely, the eraf funds with the perfect fusion of
community resources to provide desperately needed access to those needed it most.
We urge you to direct at least
25% of funds to address our cities growing mental health
and addiction crisis.
-- it's unrealistic to expect someone to maintain treatment gains or stay connected to
ongoing services when discharged back to the streets. Spending the eraf dollars under
the plan will allow us to stop churning people through the
system as their mental health
conditions worsen. Intensive care can be offered
wherever anyone needs it, be it
drop in facilities, tent
encampments, or medical facilities. Our system must offer predictable access to health
care including addiction and behavioral health systems to
improve the efficacy of care,
otherwise, our work is done in vain. Thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors.
My name is malia chavez, and I'm the deputy director at the
homeless prenatal program, and
I'm also the cochair of hespa,
which is the homeless providers
emergency association.
i really wanted to just talk
about advocating more for
homelessness families and children.
Families with dealing with housing insecurity issues and needing more support. As someone who experienced housing insecurity as a child
here in san francisco, I'm disheartened to see that families are still experiencing homelessness and that this is the reality for over 2,000
students, according to the san francisco unified school district. Resources for homeless youth, families, and children are needed and should not be
forgeten when allocating the -- forgotten when allocating the eraf funding and allocation of rainy day funds. I respectfully ask that you all grow the pot and support both teachers and housing
development because it's needed. Thank you. >> good morning. My name is denise garcia. I live in san francisco, and I
work at the homeless prenatal program.
Like malia mentioned, of the 4,000 families who walk-through
our doors last year, 3,016
clients identified as homeless.
Of these clients, 1,480 identified as living in the
streets, cars, and other places not meant for habitation. Because of city funding and
other sources of funding, we have been able to how's 314
families. That's 563 children, 436
adults, for a total of 999
individuals, but that's only one-third of our client population who are homeless. We're asking -- we're asking
you to use -- to expand -- to
expand funding so that we're able to how's the
use the remaining 70% of our clients or who are
housing insecure. That's 2,000-plus individuals and more than 800 children if you expand -- if you expand -- if you expand this funding.
It's incredibly difficult for
children in unstable housing to focus on school. If you don't know whether you
can stay at the -- yes, at the
shelter, you can't focus on school. So on behalf of the people who
serve, I'm asking you to allocate funding for homelessness and teachers. We can do both. Supporting teachers is successful for a critical education system. Children need stable housing to learn and thrive in school. When you support homeless families, you also support teachers so that they can focus on teaching and teaching well instead of just -- instead
of -- instead of being teachers
and case managers. >> good afternoon, supervisors, and thank you for listening to all of us.
I'm here representing homeless prenatal but also all the
families that we see every day.
It's really, really hard to go
home and know that I have not
been able to place someone in a house, and we see that every day at homeless prenatal.
We see families with their children that are really struggling every day.
I believe we have a big path -- and to really have higher education so they can do better
in their life.
Thank you so much.
>> hello, supervisors.
Basin basing with the q -- brian basing with the q foundation. We are here standing in
solidarity with not only the our city, our home coalition but all of our community needs. We just need more pie, and leadership grows the pie. I'm starting to see a disturbing pattern in recent
years trying to pit kids against housing and homelessness, and it's cynical, and now, it's happened twice. Do it again, and it's just boring, which is the biggest sin of all.
30% of the homeless population
are lgbt, and what you all are
going to soon see is that there appears to be structural barriers for accessing services
to lgbt peoples and some
studies suggest we have the lowest rate of access of any groups in this city. That's not an accident.
Given the realities and this
knowledge, we also need to start looking into targeted services for lgbt people
because the data is showing we're not getting access to -- in mainstream services, so I
ask all of you all when you're making budget decisions, to
keep that in mind, especially because lgbt has the highest rate of homelessness in san francisco.
20% of the population is homeless.
this -- 25% of the population is homeless. This idea that our communities
is going to be taken care of by the May I approach stream funding is not supported by the data. I hope that you drill down and
look at this importantly.
And then also, in these
proposals, we notice that rent subsidies are not provided for.
Mayor was quoted in the press as highlighting the
effectiveness of the senior and disabled subsidy programs, and so I just want to highlight
that it's all part of this discussion. >> hello, supervisors.
My name is emil miracle, and three years ago, when I was on
the verge of being evicted,
when I had nowhere to turn, q
foundation helped me with subsidy. I don't know withhold ho else to talk
to or who could have helped me.
So I just want to thank q
foundation and brian and rent subsidy. I really appreciate it.
It was life saving.
Thank you so much.
>> supervisors, thank you for listening. My name is credit
alder lorenz.
I work at St. Anthony's dining room.
While we do not take city,
state, or federal funding, we understand the importance of funding for homeless and housing services.
As you know in November, san franciscans made a bold and compassionate statement with
prop c, St. Anthony's is a
member of our city, our home
coalition, a diverse collection
of organizations supporting populations experiencing homelessness in san francisco. Collectively, we ask the board of supervisors especially those on the san francisco budget and finance committee to use some
of the $185 million eraf
funding for housing and
homelessness until prop c is decided. We believe that the solution to homelessness is simple: housing.
Rapid rehousing is an intervention designed to quickly connect people to housing and services, and we believe that funding these solutions is in all of our interests.
To be clear, we understand the
need for and support funding for education and teachers.
We have spoken to retired
teachers who volunteer in our
programs and encourage our
teachers to allocate eraf
funding for homelessness and education. Personally, my mom was a teacher and my father was a
social worker, so I embrace the
solidarity in this room, and I hope you all will, as well. Thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors. Thank you very much for being
here and hearing us today. My name is mary kate buckelew.
I work at larkin street youth
services where I'm director of
funding as well as hespa.
I'm here today in solidarity
with the people who are advocating for san francisco's
most vulnerable, the young people. i'm here to ask you for your
leadership and your voice in supportive youth today, to
prioritize youth today for the homelessness allocation, the funding interventions in
housing and homeless and health
and to allocate 20% of that for youth, realizing that chronic
homelessness is not an
acceptable few
acceptable future for our young people. Thank you very much.
>> my name is krista, and I'm
with larkin street youth services. Unfortunately, the young
leaders that I brought with us today, as they are the experts of their own experience were not able to get in. They did wait for two hours,
and I did offer and my staff
offered to replace myself with them, so just a point of process, I don't think that's too cool.
They can tell you a lot better than I can about their issues
of homelessness? However, when we see from them every day in our programs is that youth are not able to get their lives together fully until we have housing. They are -- they have housing.
They're not able to take care
of their mental health needs, their education and employment goals until they're off the streets.
We know that housing first works. We know from the experts and hearing and seeing them every day that this is very important
also because we know that 50%
of homeless adults encountered and began experiencing homelessness under the age of 25. We see and feel directly the
extreme and vital impact of mental health support services to help our young people get
off the street and stay off the street.
I think that you all probably understand these things
already, and you're doing your best. Thank you for meeting with us when we come to meet with you, for hearing the young people and for having us to have a
better city in the future by bringing our young citizens up
as they need to be brought up. Thank you. >> good afternoon.
My name is mary lavalle, and I want to thank you for all being
here and listening to us. I am a proud parent in this
city representing 1600 of us. I'm a san francisco native born, raised, and now pushed out of this city.
And what's the most hurtful I
think is that I'm here alone
because my children, who are grown and have children couldn't afford to stay here.
So I can't even see my children, and they want to be in this city, but they're not here. So I want to go onto just say
that homelessness and education are hand in hand.
Half of our kids are coming out
of either being homeless or abusive situations. Their living situations are
horrible, so we can't pit us
against each other because we
are one and the same.
Parents are one paycheck away
from being homeless ourselves.
during the summer, we don't get unemployment.
We don't get paid year-round. I know there are other paras
who have to go into their retirement. My retirement has dwindled because I don't have any money coming in during the summer.
I'm looking out here and I'm seeing people that have been in the fight a long time for education.
You either have children in the district or you have grandchildren now or you do
have children now. What do you want for your children?
Think about that when you think about what we need for these children because all children are our children.
They're your children, too.
Thank you.
>> hi.
My name is ina, and I'm from chinatown.
And I've worked in --
>> Chair Fewer: excuse me.
Could you please speak into the microphone? Thank you.
>> I've worked in the field of education for over 30 years,
and I've always found that educators have been underpaid
and that it's very hard to keep them in the field. In order to keep them -- to keep them in the field and provide quality care for our
young children, and we ask 30 million to incompetent crease
their compensation. Thanks.
>> hello, supervisors.
My name is tim huang, and I work with delores street community services. i'm here today in support with everyone here.
I agree that we shouldn't be definitely have more of the
pie, and it's not fair that we
have to be here because certain
special interest groups are
challenging whether we can use the money in court.
I'm going to speak on what I know and what I experienced throughout my work on the grounds in the S.R.O.S.
So families who live in S.R.O.S are technically considered homeless.
And I want to speak to one in particular, on 1941 mission
street, which I call the grand southern hotel, they haven't had hot water for three weeks.
I would challenge you to go home and shower without hot
water and see how that feels. It's being sent to directors
here through D.B.I., but in the meantime, there are families living in a that hoe -- in that hotel who don't have hot water.
I think S.R.O. Acquisition and many that could go into
prevention homeless would be great in not only preventing
the people who are -- or
helping people who are visibly homeless but also those who are
on the cusp of being homeless.
Happy new year, lunar new year, and all I want for new year is red envelopes with the money
for these issues, so thank you.
>> good afternoon.
I'm reginald meadows. Want a share of the pie.
I'm from the tenderloin
representing district six, and
the eviction community and
glide for many men, women, boys and I recall girls. The displacement has led to this problem along with the
high cost of living here today. Homes for homeless people are
needed, but -- but very decent shelters in place also so they can develop a better way of life for themselves.
Next, we need very decent
income for our teachers who are
teaching the children. I sigh decent, as many of you are living well on very decent salaries. And also, we have to think
about the schools and their children.
The children need good teachers, and all the people in town because you guys are too
weird about the money whereas
they cannot survive properly as
human beings, and the rent
should be flapped across the city so thoent who left, they can feel they can come back
here and live because indeed, these were their homes. We have the pie, and it is already baking. Let's do the right thing and
finish baking it and then serve it out.
The money is not for you guys
to sit down and see how well
you are, it's for the benefit
of all of us.
We have to do the right thing, people. Politics kill it.
Do what's right, help people.
We have boys, girls, mothers,
and fathers on the street -- [Inaudible]
>> clerk: thank you. Next speaker, please. Everyone has to have the same amount of time.
Your two minutes are expired. [Inaudible] >> good afternoon.
My name is rudy gonzales of the san francisco labor council.
I just wanted to 'em if a ice
we can't have -- 'em if a ice we can't have a conversation
with the services before we have a conversation about the structure of services, whether
you're going to curry or, you
know, any number of senior or
health centers, those are staffed by workers that you
employ, and those workers are
suffering disproportionately, and we have to think about the people who deliver services. And that extends to our allies
in the community withenor senior action disability network. [Please stand by]
>> next speaker, please. >> hello supervisors.
My name is toy page.
I'm here with glide.
Also, I want to let you know I
am also actively homeless right now. The reason why I come today is
to talk about the needs of the
people who are homeless with
disabilities and with people who
are sick and people who suffer from mental illness and
substance abuse. We need to expand services for
serving people who are homeless
as far as more shelters.
As far as branching out and our
mental health system. Creating more services for
people with substance abuse problems.
Because the huge issues because we have a lot of people dying out there right now.
Last year over 200 people died.
I attended the vigil last year. died on the street because
someone didn't have a place to
go.
I'm asking to you remember those
who are sick out there.
Thank you. >> thank you, supervisors and
thank you to everyone who spoke.
I am ben and I also work at the glide foundation.
I'm here in solidarity with all the people who come here to
speak about the pressing issues and I'm here to talk about urgency.
The urgency that our friend was just mentioning.
Which is that people without
housing die.
The time we have until a proxy
funding comes through is crucial. The difference between $45 million and the $171 million is the difference between dozens of people being able to stay with us. I know that some of us came to
the memorial that tony was talking about.
These are the banners that we had. They're over 200 of them. They had people's names written on them and they were all people we knew and loved. I don't want to be dramatic, I just want to be real. This is an opportunity that we have and we can't waste it.
So if we expand the pot and use all the rainy day funding and if
we make agreements about future funding, then we can expand it
enough to fund all of the ground
ready to produce shelters, homelessness, supportive housing and mental health services we really need.
Thank you so much for your time. >> good afternoon.
My name is donny fowler and I live for 18 years in the neighborhood between the castro and the mission. I have two young daughters. One of whom goes to harvey milk
and the other will go to harvey milk. My wife and I are committed to san francisco public schools.
We only ask that you, as board members, provide an equal commitment to our public schools.
We need at least $60 million of
the eraf funding to provide predictability our teachers need
to make plans for their future.
After all eraf means education.
The money should be dedicated to that purpose.
For supervisors fewer, yee and peskin, you are known as problem
solvers and you have the expertise and knowledge to provide this stability for our teachers and to show you have their backs.
For supervisors brown,
mandelman, stefani please include public schools on your
list as you make decisions.
For supervisors mar, walton, haney and ronen, keep up the support.
E means education.
Thank you.
>> I am here as the mother of a first grader.
As a family doctor at southeast
center I'm here to speak on
behalf of the students at flynn
elementary school which is
particularly identified as a pitch school. Also, I'm probably more
importantly for my patients at
bay view and they deserve high-quality schools and
teachers who will stay to from
the mother of linda antwan who has been fighting for years in
san francisco better.
I talked to teachers of my students on a regular basis because they're not only teaching our students, they're
taking and carrying for them. Their physical, emotional,
social needs everyday. They're working overtime to do it. Our children need stable housing
and they need stable schools. Please fund our schools to the
level requested by
superintendent malt use.
>> good afternoon, my name is beverly.
I am the director of located across the street one on the city building and one in the state building.
I'm here in support of funding
$3 million of the money that is available for early care and education because our children
cannot wait. We're not in opposition to the
other requests that are coming
fourth from sfusd and also homeless programs.
We have to start with the youngest children if we want to
make this equation work.
I believe that together, all of us but you all providing the leadership, can figure these things out in terms of
innovation and what will really
speak to the future of our city.
Thank you. >> my name is matt and I'm here
as a representative for district 4. I'm also here representing as a parent of public schools, as a
former k-12 student in sfusd and as an after school provider
within the city. I've heard a lot today and I have to agree with most of all of it.
It feels very much like we're functioning in austerity times despite we're the wealthiest
city in the wealthiest state in
the wealthiest country that's ever existed.
>> it isn't ok to put homelessness against children. I know the city can step up to
that so the ask from cpac is again a mere $30 million for
early care and education so that the earliest time we have to
educate students is used well so
they can enter k-12 prepared and ready to go. But, we have been fighting for
years for parity with uesf and sfusd teachers and they're the lowest paid educators in the bay area. If they are also needing $60 million just to make their lives work and make it happen, we need that too.
This will also help prevent teachers, our staff and early
care education and our staff in after school from being added to the homeless population as well as their students. They do not get their education back. This is the one time they have
to have it happen.
Please, support all of these efforts. Please help prevent homelessness in the city.
Build more housing. Please pay our teachers a decent
living wage.
Thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors. My name is margaret baron and
I'm a member of the dignity fund
coalition and I am here not to
ask for particular money for a particular group. I'm here today just to speak on behalf of seniors and people
with disabilities which includes
our vets, lgbt, H.I.V., aids sur vice vivers
survivors.
We want to make sure that the
money that goes for homelessness, housing, behavior health, et cetera, that our
populations are included as to
be served by those services and
the money that will be going to them.
At this point in time, seniors and people with disabilities in
san francisco are between 25 and
30% of the population.
They are 20% of the homeless
population with the 85 and older group, which is growing the most
fast in terms of the homeless
population we were told. We with appreciate to make sure that as the funds are used for
this, that these populations are
really included in benefiting
from it.
Thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors.
My name is sandy maury and I'm here representing the dignity
fund coalition which is a coalition with 40 non-profit C.B.O.S in the communities providing services to seniors and adults with disabilities. My only point to you is as you
look at the issues of affordable
housing, the behavior health and homelessness, you include seniors and adults with disabilities in all these areas.
We have many people who are veterans, who are people with H.I.V.-aids and who are homeless
and in low income minority communities. Thank you very much. I know it's been a long hearing for you but we appreciate the fact that you are here listening
to everything.
Thank you.
>> hi, I'm here with care 3 touch institute which is an organization that does holistic services for people isolated by
age, income or illness. I'm here to stand in solidarity with all the other agencies that are here representing the need for more fund to go go into homelessness and housing.
As a bay area native, I have seen things go to a place that I
never thought I would see them go to. It's disheartening.
The other day I helped with the homeless count and one of the things that was the biggest takeaway was how many people are
living out of their cars. We see a lot of people on the streets.
I work in the tenderloin and I
walk by everyday and see a situation that seems to be getting worse not better.
Also, having this realization of the fact that I counted more people in cars than I did on the streets during that night was a big wake-up call to the fact
that the numbers that we're actually calculating are probably much lower than the
reality of what is occurring.
So, I stand in solidarity with teachers as well knowing many of
my friends are teachers and also struggling. I think it's important to give teachers a raise and at the same time if there's funds leftover, I do ask that we all work together to try to find some
solutions to this crisis that is
really hard to be around. Thank you for listening and thank you for taking this time
with us all. >> good afternoon, supervisors. My name is kevin carole I'm the President Of the hotel council of san francisco.
I also serve on the board of sf travel and the chamber of commerce.
I know as you look at the issues today, both education and homelessness in the services for that, obviously those are all
very, very important.
I'm a resident of district 7. I work downtown.
I'm the son of a schoolteacher as well. As you work on the priorities
and as you work through this, I'm here to advocate and ensure
the funding for homelessness,
for housing, the funding that
will help with those that are mentally ill that that is prioritizes as you look at the
funding that's within these proposals that are before you. I thank you for your time and I thank you for your efforts and making this happen.
I appreciate it.
>> hello, david smith a district 5 resident.
I work in district 5 at a high school. A continuation high school that serves the needs of students who
are not making it in the regular high schools. There's a lot of teachers all over the district who are working hard to make sure our
students are doing good.
When a raise came in because of
prop g at the beginning of the year, there was an energy shift amongst a lot of teachers. Amongst some of the young teachers who are just arriving
and some of the older teachers
and they're feeling ok, we're now starting to make a living
and being able to afford to live in san francisco.
People were -- there really was
a certain happiness and people were feeling like we were being taken care of.
Now with this possibility of us
losing it, particularly the new teachers, some of them are just
devastated with the thought that
they might have to take a cut
and the new teachers are barely
making it at this raise we got
at this time.
So, I ask you put money towards education and of course we are
also supporting all the services for homeless as well.
A lot of our students are
unfortunately come from homeless families.
Thank you, very much. >> good afternoon, supervisors,
my name andy stone and I'm a
proud resident of district 9 and I'm here with the san francisco aids foundation.
I'd love to share with you why you think fund to go address the urgency of the homeless crisis. It's so crucial to our efforts
to ending the H.I.V. Epidemic.
San francisco is committed to an
ambitious plan of getting to zero H.I.V. Transmissions from
aids and stigma.
None of these ambitious goals is possible without permanent
support of housing and services for the most vulnerable people living with H.I.V. And those at risk of transmission. Homelessness and H.I.V. Are tightly linked. People who are homeless experience higher rates of H.I.V. Transmission, have a more difficult time staying in H.I.V.
Care and adhering to their medications and experience worse health
worseoutcomes.
With 7500 homeless people in san
francisco and 3800 people who are unsheltered, the impact of
H.I.V. On our city's homeless population is evident a year after year. New H.I.V. Trance commissions in the city are among people who are homeless.
In 2017, over 14% of new H.I.V. Diagnosises in the city were among people experiencing homelessness. Similarly, we know that the health outcomes for people living with H.I.V. Are tied to housing status. Increasing viral suppression rates improves the health of the
people living with H.I.V. And prevents onward transmission.
32 people are suppressed with 85
people and virally suppressed.
Homelessness is a contributing
factor leading to death with
people living with H.I.V. Rental subsidiaries to prevent
displacement for long-term
survivors are substance use and
mental health services with harm
reduction philosophies are
similarly crucial.
>> I have a grass -- every two
years the city controller --
would you stop your time to get sf gov. >> you have a presentation on the presentation deck, please.
>> it's just one picture. Sorry guys.
I didn't know it would take like this.
I can just sort of -- so the
city controller does a survey
every two years of residents of san francisco and asks them how
they think different parts of the different departments are doing. Whether they're doing well or not.
There is also a free response question asking what is the number one issue? It's free response many of this
is not a list of things, please rank. People write in.
The results are so stunning t is what I'm trying to show,
there's a bar graph.
The number one issue is -- here we go.
You can kind of see it. Great.
So the number one issue is homelessness, 33%, the second
issue 31% housing, the third
issue cost of living and displacement 15%.
Those three are the same issue.
So the top three issues are the same thing, which is housing,
cost of housing, feeling like you are going to be displaced.
The need for affordable housing and the need for housing security.
33 plus 31 plus 15 is 78%.
Which is stunning, right. I think from your point of view, it seems like san franciscans
are divided becauseou get advocates coming to you and
people are telling all different things. San franciscans are actually stunningly united.
78% of san franciscans say that housing, cost of housing, homelessness and related issues are their number one issue.
So, I support the mayor's
priorities for how to spend the eraf funding, all of it on housing and shelter and homelessness prevention but at
least 78% of it should go to the issues that 78% of san
franciscans all agree are number one.
Thank you. >> good afternoon, board of supervisors.
My name is kimberley hill brown.
I am the secretary of the san francisco public housing
tentative association.
I represent all family development under public housing through out the city.
I was born and raised in san francisco.
Mostly living in district 10, 5 and 9.
We represent. Our board has been to the town
hall meetings of district 6.
We support all of our residents throughout this city.
I say that to say that equity will not suffer wrong to be without a remedy.
If hud only funds public housing, at 70% of the budget.
We need to step in and make sure our portrayal in sunnyvale gets
some of this pie that everybody is talking about.
Let's all sit down as flesh and
blood, human beings, who have a
legacy to leave in this city of saint francis.
We are all people. Let's eat together.
Let's make sure that we clean up our streets.
If I was the 18-year-old kimberley, I would be standing
here fighting for our teachers. For education. fighting for our young people in
public housing. Because those public housing
students go to the san francisco union fight school district.
We need to sit down and eat together.
Let's figure this thing out as
adults for the future generations.
Thank you.
>> good afternoon, supervisors.
I'm the treasurer for the public
housing tenant association. This organization advocates for the residents of public housing
and all of san francisco.
If anyone calls on us for help. We amp la fie the power of our residents and provide safe and
decent housing for low income households. We encourage community facility
and advancing racial economic
inclusion in equity.
I support mayor london breed on
the funding, as she is so willing to invest. This will make a difference in
the lives of hundreds of families thriving those developments.
Thank you, mayor brown, mayor
breed, for allowing sunny dale to be part of the 181 million-dollar funding.
This gives the community hope.
This is a responsible investment. We'll make an impact in helping
our public housing population.
I hope all of you supervisors,
along with mayor breed, and
supervisor walton, support this.
Thank you.
>> good afternoon, everyone.
My name is alita fisher.
I'm a parent of four students within sfusd. One is a graduate of mission high school. We're in our 13th year in the school district. I'm also the chair of the community advisory committee for
special education and I sit on the task force.
And I'm here to talk to you today about the power of our
schools as intervention. The foundation released a study
a few years.
It's called early warning. Students not reading at grade level bit end of third grade are four times less likely to graduate from high school. For students from low income families, not reading at grade
level by the end of third grade increases the rate to six times
less likely to graduate.
My personal story, I'd love to share with you all. My husband and I are former foster parents, we're adoptive parents and that recent high school graduate I talked about,
she started measure a loma elementary school in first grade
as a foster kid who was through multiple foster homes and a lot
of trauma and had attachment disorder.
Where we got our support was actually through our school. Our school social worker was the one who connected my daughter
with the girl scout troop that
helped her bond with her fellow students.
And make lifelong friends. Ms. Pandolfy did the check in and check out to help her integrate into her day.
I mentioned that graduate is a freshmen in college. Studying political science. So hopefully we'll see her here
in a few years. it doesn't have to be either or.
Our schools are really part of
the solution in preventing homelessness so please fund them
as such.
Thank you.
>> hi, my name is margareeta.
>> I am allocating for older families to handle the services
they need but also stable housing.
She is a mom and she really
wants all the children to do
better. >> she's doing volunteer work at
the homeless coalition and she's
really asking for us to have
services for families for kids
to have their own space where
they can play. >> we're asking for your support just like we support you.
We're asking you to support us
so you can build more housing.
Thank you.
>> good afternoon, my name is
jason agar and I'm a resident of
the district 11.
I'm also the parent of two young sfusd students. I have traveled, in my work, doing presentations in
classrooms all over the city. I've seen teachers working very,
very hard in every school that
I've been at. My wife would likely be here as
well, however, she is a public schoolteacher and this is her
21st year teaching second grade.
I see how hard she works as well.
The impact that teachers have is
tremendous for children and
allowing them to be successful in the world to fill in the gaps where maybe their parents or their family or community are
not able to. They're essential.
i don't envy you.
However, I am proud that you are
here to solve the current
problem that we are facing with funding. Because these issues are connected.
Of course I want to advocate for 60 million for funding to educators, however, I want to recognize that if you are hungry
or you don't have a place to
sleep, it can be very hard to learn.
It's a whole package deal. I hope that you can craft the best solution possible for us.
I'm sure that you will do your best.
Thank you.
>> hello, my name is jackie fielder.
I'm a d4 resident.
I teach in the college of ethic
studies at sf state.
I get really infuriated when coming into here seeing how many
dozens of people are here for those great causes.
At least a thousand hours as gone into just preparing for this hearing and just throwing
people out and giving people information.
It's really sad to see in the richest, one of the richest cities in the country, people
having to fight for scraps when
we have 43 billionaires in this city.
It's just unacceptable.
It's on all you all to make sure that the pie isn't so constrained where we are having
to talk in the same room and
take days off of work and it's
just -- I see a lot of my classmates skipping around.
I went to stanford and skipping around on scooters like everything is fine and you have
dozens of people in city hall
packing and trying to tell their life stories and talking about
death and it's just really infuriating to see that this pie
and this pot is so small. So what seems obvious to me is you just grow the pie. I don't know what it will take
to tap into the rainy day fund
but it's like raining and pouring. Right now the budget doesn't include anything for community-based mental health
interventions so support the
proposition that instead of the
beds we fund to help. Its up to you to tax the rich and make sure those 43 billionaires are contributing their fair share so this pie is not as
as small. Hi, my name is sasha. I live in district 10.
I'm here to support the our city and our home propose a I urge
you to spend $171 million as our city our home bridge funding and
grow the pot using our rainy day
funds so we can also pledge
$60 million for sfusd salaries.
As the sf chronicle in 2016 reported san francisco's teacher
pay is 500th in the state
despite our highest cost of living. Spending $171 million not just
on housing and homeless services
but as funding our city and our
home specifically is critical.
Prop c was approved by voters
and includes critical funding for mental health services while other proposals do not.
It will be reimbursed to the city when our city, our home
passes through the court. please don't let business who don't want to pay their fair
share of taxes, who make over $500 million a year in revenue, hold up the will of the voters by delaying the implementation of our city our home.
The people dying on our streets today can't wait and neither can our teachers.
This bridge funding is critical.
Thank you.
>> joe wilson. Hospitality house.
Just want to urge us to remind ourselves that they don't have
to be any winners or losers in this discussion only champions.
That's why we're here today.
I'm actually thrilled to see so many compelling voices coming
out and speaking on issues that
are important to the community. As a point of a historical
reference, the reason there is
not eraf fund to begin with is that it's properly tax money
that was stolen from the countries 25 years ago and
resulted in billions of cuts to community service and human services.
We're trying to set some of that
right today.
We can do that in advance to
avoid pitting one class of people against another.
Poor people against dispute people against homeless people and our public schoolteachers.
We do not need to do that.
The question is simple. You're leaders. Act like it. This is a opportunity to lift up
the city and as previous
speakers have noted, to throw down the gauntlet to the business community. This is how we're going to do business in this town.
If you want to reap the
benefits, you have to pay for them. Because other people who don't have the opportunity to be billionaires, are paying with their lives as a previous
speaker outlined, are dying on the streets. We don't need to have that in the city and county of san francisco.
We're asking you to show us leadership. >> hello supervisors, debbie from the san francisco human services network.
We have a momentous opportunity ahead of us today.
I'm here to urge you to
prioritize housing, homelessness and behavioral health in your
decision surrounding the eraf funding. Over 60% of voters approve prop
c in November and it's striking the mayor, the board, the business community and the other
members of our community agreed we need to act now to address
the needs of people who are
under housed and who are on our streets. The human services network
believes that we need to start implementing prop c solutions immediately and these funds will be important to bridge the gap so that everything is in place
and ready to go when the legal
challenges are resolved.
The expenditures that are consistent with prop c will be reimbursable to the general fund
should the city be successful in its lawsuits. This will create a second
windfall for the general fund in the future.
we urge you, along with other speakers, to grow the pot.
For example, by allocating the windfall one-time reserves. So that we can address the many other worthy and important goals
that you have heard about today.
It is not either-or, it is an and.
But this is a rare and exceptional opportunity to address the crisis on our streets.
And we ask you today, to prioritize housing,
homelessness, health services.
Thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors,
my name is kevin bogus.
I work at col man advocates for children youth as a political directorment I'm here to talk about the needs in education right now.
Our schools are in crisis. In these funds can help to alleviate some of that. So I hope that you are going to do the right thing and make sure
that money gets to the school district so they are able to make sure children in our city are educated. I want to call on you to find ways to bring more revenue into
the city to make the pot bigger. Our schools are in crisis and the amount of money beer talking about potentially giving to the school district is a drop in the bucket of what is really needed to make sure all children and families have faith that their schools and their neighborhoods and communities that you
represent are really preparing them to be the next generation
of leaders and businessmen and civil servants in the city of san francisco.
so I'm here to ask you to do the right thing. To be champions for the people and find more money in dollars
to bring into help address these
structural issues that we have.
Thank you. >> thank you, supervisors for
being here today. I trust that you are listening to the clients in the room and open minded about the conclusion
of today's hearing.
I work at the coal collision on homelessness and I'm asking you
please fully fund the $171.4 million that the city home committee is asking for you and ensure this bridge funding there is the structure of the
measure we passed in November.
Please fund our educators. These two groups are two sides of the same coin that we know
our city can afford to allocate in full. We're all struggling.
It is heartbreaking. Please let's bake a bigger pie
that NOURISHs the people and ensure that they have a future
in this city that we all call home. You are our star bakers and we
are counting on you to bake this
big, delicious equitable pie.
Thank you.
>> hi, I'm diana martinez, the
program manager of the mission S.R.O. Collaborative.
I ask you you use eraf to fund our city our homes program so we
can include S.R.O. Acquisition and prioritizing to live in affordable housing units. It's important because the rents are skyrocketing. Giving incentive for landlords
to let the building disintegrate
to tenants self-evict. i will use the utah hotel as an example. For years, the building has been
infessed with pests. The manager harasses the tenants. The building is neglected and falling apart.
A family in the utah reported
leaks from the ceiling and the conduit unit in her room. This is a ghost ship fire situation about to erupt. The continues are so bad,
tenants are forced to self-evict
and units have been kept vacant even though there's a housing crisis.
The utah is purposely not finding new tenants and stayed they're doing illegal construction to prep the building for affluent renters.
The room vacancies in construction prove that they're
putting tenants through hell so they leave and they can fix up
the units to rent at a higher rate.
Families are living in this condition. They're living in these buildings. And imagine the psychological impact it has on those children. Which is why we also need to use
the eraf funding to prioritize getting sro families no
appropriate low income housing asap. This is not just happening at the utah hotel, it's happening all over san francisco and you
have the power to put an end to this.
Use it to buy SROs and prioritize families to live in
safer places. Show us this is hope and you won't condemn immigrant children to live in scal
squalor in this sanctuary city. >> hello, my name is sam and I work at the coalition on homelessness and I'm born and
raised in san francisco in the richmond district. I know it's been a long day so I
want to say three main things.
One, grow the pot and expand the eraf funding like so many people
have said before me. Marginalize communities do not have to be pitted against each a we stand in solidarity and a
budget is a moral document.
In our office, we have people coming in soaked from the rain
and are freezing to death.
Is this not enough to constitute an emergency and activate rainy day funds?
I think that the answer is yes. Two, asking to prioritize
families and children currently
in none of the budget proposals, even this one or the mayor's budget proposal includes funding
for housing for homeless
families, youth and children.
We're asking that 20% go to
youth and 25% go to families.
Currently it's only four single adults. The third ask is really to prioritize community-based
mental health interventions.
Right now, there's a big focus on hospitalization and we ask that community mental healthcare is also included in the proposal. It's the most humane and cost effective way to address mental
health conditions for homeless populations.
And there should be a balance in funding for hospital as well as community services. so we're proposing to keep the san francisco general hospital
proposal and replace the saint mary's beds with community
mental health services.
The saint mary's buzz, which are
locked hospital beds are not eligible for prop c funding and
are non reimbursable.
Instead, we can fund more mental
health solutions.
>> hi, jennifer coalition on homelessness. You know, I think we all know it's really cold out there. It's been wet. We know it's a coalition of two people that passed just on the last few nights.
During that really precious transition that should be made
as comfortable as possible for
people, they experienced bone,
wet, cold in their last moments. We're calling for full funding
for the our city our homes proposal. We're not interested at all in
being pitted against each other.
Our city our hope has not been funded in full.
This is really a life and death issue. Let me break it down. We started with the proposal from the mayor's office, which frankly was great.
But it didn't have funding for prevention, it didn't have funding for families, it didn't have funding for youth, it didn't have funding for community behavioral health. But that pie did not grow. Instead it shrunk. And not one of the community
proposals got added back in. We have tremendous opportunities we're passing up in these current proposals in front of you.
We have an opportunity to prevent thousand of households
from becoming homeless. The word is let them go.
We have an opportunity to house 200 vets at treasure island that we can break ground immediately.
We have an opportunity to expand
community behavioral health. Instead, we're funding something
that cost 140k per bed per year, it's nothing more than a jail mass
masqueraded as a hospital bed. We have an opportunity to get
youth and families off the streets. We know teachers want full funding. We also want to fund the homeless proposals in full. We can do this.
We have to do this because every
lost opportunity equals a human life.
A life destroyed. A life lost, another person out
there dying in their last moments.
Thank you.
>> any other public speakers? Ok. Really? Seeing none.
Public comment is closed. Just going to put that gavel
down so that makes it official.
I see on the roster President Yee. >> thank you chair fewer. First of all, I want to thank
the public for coming out and
I've heard so many of you understanding all the different needs we have and expressing
support all the way across.
Maybe there are a few people who
advocate more for one thing than the other.
no one I heard today saying there's no need for addressing the homelessness.
There's no need to address the
salaries, the salaries of our teachers whether they're in public schools or early education.
I thank you for that.
I think we heard it. Certainly it's something that
all of us in this chamber as supervisors want to address.
I want to thank the budget
committee for working out a proposal that we're going to be
talking about.
I believe that the proposal presented today is a very fair
and balanced proposal to try to address as much of these issues
as possible.
Thank you supervisor fewer for that.
When we look at the windfall for the general funds at this point, which is really what we're
talking about, and beyond that also.
So, what we do have is sort of a
balance approach.
So, the main thing and issues
that we have to deal with is whether or not or how, it's not
whether or not, how do we
support a third year of this
funding to go to things that are in deed a third year of funding
that would include not only the
early educator salaries but also the school district, public
school district salaries and
some of the issues in homelessness and behavioral types of services that we need
that are on going costs. That is what we're really talking about at the end of the
day is how we continue our services. i think the proposal that we're
going to move forward talks
about this somewhat. I certainly will be one that
will support any notion to provide funding for a third year
for all these services.
Now, is the pot growing? Darn straight it's growing.
I have no doubt the pot -- it's
a pie, right.
The pie is growing. The pie is growing.
Whether it's going to be the
typical baseline increases in
our programs, or whether there's
another year of windfall, or whether the school district, for
instance, can identify some funding that they have not identified yet.
I believe they have that and sitting down with the administration not long ago, I
helped them identify another $6 million.
It could be used towards our objectives today.
I believe, also, that whether
it's the governor providing more
service or more dollars to early education feel that will
increase the pie or grow the pie. Whether the governor is going to
make good with his word that we're going to have full-day kind are
kindergarten, which we're already paying for it in our school district.
Any reimbursement to addition to what we're getting now is extra
money that will grow the pie. I believe we'll hit all our
goals and objectives.
So, whatever language we put in
there, chair fewer and the other committee members, I want to
have language in there that reflects that we will fight for
all these priorities whether
it's the public schools,
salaries, peace, early education salary, and some of the homeless
pieces that need to have on
going costs.
[Please stand by]
>> I would like to frame our thinking around this funding.
We realized that we are held in
host stadge of a court case that actually is against the will of the voters.
The voters of san francisco overwhelmingly said that ab prop c to take people off the child
care wait list to give a raise
to our early child care educators was so necessary and
that passed in June.
We had prop g, educator money salary for the san francisco
unified school district educators.
That was also passed by the
public. They believe we had
-- then we had the big clarks,
c these moneys from
homelessness and housing was so important. San franciscans agreed that this is a huge issue.
They also voted for that.
Unfortunately, none of these
initiatives got a two thirds threshold.
Then the powers that be are now in court battle all three cases
in a court battle and we don't
know when that will be resolved.
With this windfall of money, I I want to emphasize, this is a good thing to have.
It is a good thing to have $185 million.
Our thinking was that we would separate some.
you want to say that 185 will
give us what we immediately can fund and need.
It's not everything that we want. More funding is coming.
Ed to say that we wanted to make
sure that the salaries for the
raises, for the early childhood
educators was in tact that the
salaries for sfusd educators were in tact.
Then also, that our housing and homeless projects that are in the pipeline could be
immediately funded.
The mayor introduced a budget
that had 185ing this thousand $185 million this was
requested for homeless and
housing.
We had a budget that also included salaries.
There are only two pieces of legislation ordinances today you
will see item 4, item 5, one
includes teacher salaries.
One does not.
It was a balancing act quite frankly. We looked at -- we had many
conversations with the school
district. Supervisor yee was in contact with cpac. We talked to homeless coalition
folks and we decided on a proposed budget that we are
going to introduce today that
actually includes raises for teachers, raises for early ed
and housing and homeless services.
Is it a perfect budget?
I would say, we are about
$4 billion away from a perfect
budget. Do lot of thought and consideration has gone in this budget.
I have also worked with
supervisor moore to grow the pot a little.
He has some amendments actually
that he would like also to introduce.
I want to also say that we know
that lot of our homeless funding, we neild increase
funding and focus on our people
and families in particular -- in
my district, our seniors and
people with disabilities.
Colleagues, even though I have
amendments today, supervisor mar
have some amendments.
I suggest we hear from
supervisor first to get a full picture. Colleagues, I believe all of you
have a copy of the recent
amendment that put forth.
Supervisor moore, the floor is yours.
>> I wanted to start by thanking
all the diverse community
members that took time to come
to city hall to speak out about the needs that should be
addressed through the eraf funds especially child care, homelessness and housing.
Also the interconnectedness of the issues. I thanks those who spoke to the
need to expand the pie and per
pursue new revenue and address
these pressing communities needs.
I want to assure I'm listening
and as all my colleagues as we struggle individually and collectively over this challenging and important
decision on allocation of this
first pot of eraf funds. Colleagues, announced yesterday that I authored an amendment to
the eraf ordinance introduced by interview peskin.
That's item 5 on the agenda. the intent of the amendment is
to fully fund the gap in
educator wage increases for both sfusd and earl educators.
I want to thank supervisor if supervisor fewer
and ronen for working with me on
this amendment. $52 million from the
unanticipated eraf onetime reserve will be ilindicated
be allocated to this
fund it will be allocated to sfusd for teacher salary
increases for fiscal year 2020 to 2021.
Before I go into further detail,
I have a statement of feedback from my constituent. I held a townhall in my district
on eraf based on a single question.
How should we invest $185 million.
The excess eraf funds gave us an opportunity to have conversations about city's priorities and the opportunity
to seriously deliver on those priorities.
Through conversations, emails
and townhall that drew over 100 diverse constituents, there are many priorities worth funding and any proposal should seek to
reconcile that and offer balance
for the diverse needs of our communities and city. Adding this amendment will result in legislation that funds priorities of my constituents
and many of your constituents. Housing and homelessness,
teacher salary, and early childhood education for at least
two years through fiscal year 2020
2020 to 2021 using current eraf funds. Without this amendment educators will be left without community, our children and our future. Loudly and clearly, I've heard from teachers and parents and students if the sunset and here at city hall. We need to ensure our teachers are paid fairly. A parent in my district wrote to me saying, at the end of the
last school year almost all of the upper grade teachers left my son's school. Only one veteran teacher remained while all the other teachers left for other school districts can paid more.
This was disheartening for the teachers who left.
The remaining teachers and most importantly for the students.
How is this revolving door of
teachers fair for our students particularly my oldest son who has special needs.
Our students deserve better.
We need to plan for whole communities alongside investing in housing and solving homelessness.
We also need to invest in our schools.
By designated dollars, we have
now to educators, we can assure
them that they are valued.
With the teacher and early childhood educator riviera
reserve fund the board of supervisorsly
sustain wagers and sfusd teacher and staff.
If other city or sfusd revenue or legally available reserves
are not sufficient to do so.
This will close any funding gap
for educator salary, estimated at $40 million to sfusd and $10 million to the office of early care and education.
The purpose of the fund is to provide an advance, bridge the
gap caused by legal battles with
propositions g and c which lead funds educator salaries unavailable.
When the legal issues for prop g
and propc are resolved the funds spent shall be repaid. This is similar to eraf funding
to homelessness it bridge the
gap from November proposition c.
To ensure that other priorities continue to be met, the fund
will expire in June 2021 or earlier.
If the funds purpose is served through other sources such as
future eraf allocation. Funds from the same amount will
be returned to one-time reserve.
Upon the funds expiration,
unused money will also be returned to one-time reserve. Our amendment serves to strike a balance between competing
priorities in a fair manner
providing bridge funding for housing and homelessness,
teacher salaries and early childhood educator salary for at least two years.
Because we are funding advances that would rare future board
approval, the fund is just a
viable as fiscally responsible way to one reserve work for the people.
Members of the budge and finance committee, I kindly request in
you address my amendment so we can protect our educators and give them the stability that they deserve. Thank you. >> thank you very much. I'm in support of your amendment. I'm happy to introduce them.
In addition, we have some
amendments to item number 5 and
I would to call on the
comptroller to read out the
amendments. >> good afternoon supervisors.
Ben rosenfeld the comptroller.
>> these are the amendments for
item 5, which is --
>> got it. Sorry.
Would you like me summarize the amendment? >> please.
>> you have before you, they
incorporate the amendment that
supervisor mar suggested as well well. I can run them by page if helpful.
I can hit the high point. S. On page 33, these are the allocations of the library
baseline funds been .
The amendments include $4.5 million for energy
efficiency improvements at
library facilities.
National $4.98 million for other library facility improvements.
On pages 4 and 5, there are more modest changes to the
allocations of children's baseline between workforce development, which you see on
page 4 and early childhood educator wages and capital
projects on page 5.
Flipping to page 13 is really
the next significant amendment.
On page 13, the estimated cost
and the appropriation for the utility acquisition assessment
that the proposed has been
reduced to $4.5 million. The $10 million you see at the
bottom for eastern part of the
substation is now funded in the revised ordinance with proposition a revenue bond that
were authorized by the voters last year.
Lastly, on page 14, you see the reserve that supervisor mar
spoke to. $52 million would be placed into
this reserve in this proposal. The language that governs that
reserve is described on page 16
and supervisor mar did thorough job with it section.
Below it, you see section 5,
which is an additional intent that the board will be adopting
if you adopt this ordinance to
fund various ongoing homeless
services that are not covered in
the reserve above in both fiscal
years 20, 21 and 22.
Using eraf allocation through the city. Those are the highlights Madam Chair of the amendment.
I'll be happy answer questions.
>> Supervisor Fewer: I would like to add additional amendments. I believe the clerk just passed them out.
Page 16, line 5, add the
sentence, before the controller
should transfer, such appropriations should be departmented
adopted.
Page 16 line 14, add, behavioral
health in between homeless and services.
Colleagues do we have any
questions for Mr. Rose
rosenfeld?
Let's go on to comments from colleagues.
Supervisor ronen.
>> Supervisor Ronen: thank you, I want to thank the public for coming out. Trying to divide up any amount
of money is insufficient to
address the needs of those young people who deserve early child care, the educators who deserve a living wage and a living wage
in the context of the cost of living in san francisco which is
a whole lot more money that's
needed in order to survive.
Of course, the tragedy that
we're seeing everyday on our streets with homelessness and
the multiple interventions that
need to happen in order to fix it system.
Unfortunately, as much as we try
in san francisco to fill the gap
and the failure of our federal
government to provide sufficient
funding for these basic human needs, we're never going to have
enough money if our budgets to
fill that gap.
With such an incredible past few
elections when the voters of san
francisco said yes, we're going
to step up and fill that gap as
much as we can with baby c and
big c and prop g. We're net going to stand what
we're seeing in our streets and schools. Now we're unfortunately, caught
up in courts and doing our best
with it eraf money to fill those gaps.
I wanted to speak little bit
more to sort of what happened during this process. As usual, lots of the stuff
happens behind closed doors and
I think it's important that we understand what happened.
For the most part, I think that this board of supervisors
agreed. It's kind of miraculous and due
in great part to the great work of our budget chair.
The kind of nuts and bolts of this incredible appropriation
that we agreed to. One area that we went back and
forth on for quite a long time
was the amount to appropriate
and in this appropriation
ordinance to cover fiscal salary
salaries in '20 and '21. There was disagreement.
This entire board I have no
doubt ta this board cares deeply about the public education system. Wanted to promise to make that
appropriation in the future.
Both the united educators, union, school district and some
of the supervisors including
myself, was little nervous about doing that.
That nervousness come from past experience. I've been legislative aid or supervisor on this board for eight years.
We've only ever promised to
appropriate money in the future
one time before, it was around
giving a nonprofit cola in the
future, in the range of about $6 million. We all made that promise. When the time came to fulfill that promise, we didn't stick with it.
Again, it's never because of bad intentions, it's never because the board doesn't want to give the raises.
What inevitably happens often times when promise is made and when we're supposed to make that
promise, a million other crises
come up that pull on our
conscious and our heart strings.
It really is a choice all the
time when we make this budget promise.
I was looking for something with
little bit more teeth to make sure that we were able to keep
that promise if the future.
The reason for that is because
we have been record vacancy ies in critical school district positions every single year for
the past three years.
In 2016, there were 190
vacancies at the beginning of
the school year for teachers,
nurses, social workers and library and speech therapists.
109 vacancies on that first day of school.
By November of that year, almost
half way through the school
year, there was still atmosphere
83 vacancies.
By November was up -- it
continued to have 99 vacancies.
In August of 2018, last year, we had 179 vacancies at the beginning of the year.
By November it was at 111. More vacancies in November than
we had in the prior two years.
This is a major crises.
Why are we having so many vacancies? We have w. The lowest salaries in the surrounding counties.
With the high cost of living,
plus the low salaries, our educators are leaving to
surrounding counties.
When my daughter's teacher and
her teacher was here on tuesday, chancing and interrupting our board meeting, I cannot just give a promise that I'm not sure
we're going to be able to keep.
Have to fight to continue to put teeth in the that promise to know that we could make it. So that the school district and
the teachers could plan for next year, could know and feel confident and be able to make
plans to keep those raises that are working.
We hear it and we see it all the time. Educators that planning on leaving the district are able
now to stay because of this raise.
I wanted to give some context to the small disagreement that we
were having a I could not be
happier that we resolved.
I want to thank supervisor gordon for working with chair
fewer on this elegant solution. I think it's brilliant.
I want to commend you and just
really give you my sincere gratitude.
I want to thank the legislative
aids and edward wright who
worked in supervisor mar's office who's been struggling
over this language nonstop.
They're incredible, they are extraordinary. I want to say that it's not
everything that we all wanted. While I think that this is an
incredible show of unity and an
incredible result that we came
to -- that we can proud of. I would ask the chair and the
clerk to add me as a cosponsor
to the appropriation today with
the amendments and thanks again.
I will end by saying this, all
these human needs that we have,
healthcare, food, housing,
energy, education, there's only one in this country that we have a right to.
We only have a right to education k through 12. We have to constantly protect that right.
It is constantly under attack.
At the same time, we've got to
fight hard to create a right to the other basic human needs that we have.
A right to housing, right to food, right to healthcare, a
right to energy and heat in our
homes so we don't die of
freezing cold weather.
Let's not forget that the
charter school movement, with
the defunding of public union, there is an effort in this country to undermine the one
right that we have as americans to public education.
We cannot for one minute let
down our guard and close our eyes to making sure that that
remains a right in this country
for decades and centuries to come.
Thank you. >> thank you chair fewer and thank you for allowing us all to be here.
We can see how important this conversation is we're having all
of the supervisors here other
than I know supervisor peskin who's at another meeting.
I want to echo the comments that
-- I'm happy to see where we ended up.
I want to thank you chair fewer
and supervisor mar for developing this compromise. It's something that really takes
care of lot of the questions and the concerns in the priorities
that all of us have as a board. What I saw today and what I seen
over the last few weeks we've had this conversation is one of
the more impressing displays of solidarity that I've seen in my
entire career in public service and advocacy.
We had had all of the folks with our city and home coalition, we
had public housing tenants. Early educators, public school
family and public school
teachers coming in and saying we stand together.
We see the connections between
what we fight for everyday.
We don't want just what we do, we don't just for our organization. Weapon want to make sure that everybody needs here are taken care of. We want it see people in housing, we want to see people with education we want to see homeless families and children taken care of.
I can say this, I represent the district where we have the largest number of people who are
living on the streets. I'm also former school board member.
I know that we have over 2000 homeless children in san
francisco public schools. What I saw when people came in
and said, we need it take care of both of these neds.
Ewe need to fight and stand together. Thank you for taking that approach and for making it clear that we don't have to choose one or the other.
Yes, we have $185 million in this particular discretionary
fund from the eraf, we have an $11 billion budget. We have more money as we've learned in our rainy day fund that we can draw on. We can fight for if we need to go back to the ballot on some of
these things. If we can prove and show it we
can stand together and understand how they are connected, I think there's so much more that we can do together.
I also a townhall and we about the same number of people there and four languages.
I heard the same thing what supervisor mar said.
Which is that, homelessness is the most urgent crises people are literally dying.
We need to invest in that crises and make sure that we get people
immediately into shelter and housing. Mental health was very high on the list. Also understanding that we need to fund our schools and our teachers and our families.
I'm very happy that we found a solution that loud us to grow the pie.
I'm most frustrated and angry at
the people who are suing to
prevent us from accessing the
resources no prop g, c. Shame on those people.
What we heard today and those interests it's not just individuals, it's organized interests doing that. Because of what they've done, we
are prevented from spending the degree we need on these priorities.
Two other things I want to say, one is, in addition to understanding of the urgent need
that our teachers have that our families have in public schools, it was also important for me since the beginning to understand what the source of these funds are.
We keep saying, eraf, everybody understand that.
The first word in that acronym is educational. These funds came back to the
city because of a fundamental
inequity in how our schools are funded.
It has its source in prop 13.
Has its course in arbitrary
silly formula that decide what share will go to the school district.
It has its root in the wrong
determination by the state that our public schools have enough money here in san francisco.
We know that is completely ridiculous.
Our schools are underfund. Our families are undersupported.
We need to also as we thank the people and businesses of san francisco for these property
taxes and for the state for returning them, understand that they have their source and something that not okay and we
need to continue to fight which
is prop 13 and under funding of schools. We hope understand that as we
continue to receive eraf funds
that our schools do deserve, special consideration from these
funds and also that we reject this notion that our schools are fully funded by the state.
They are not.
Last thing, I agree with pulling
from the one day rainy day fund
is definitely raining as people
said here in their comments. When you have three propositions
that have been voted on by the
people of san francisco that are
on hold that urgently require priority, we should be pulling
from our one-time rainy day fund.
These are freight from the -- these are separate from the rainy day fund that protect us from a recession. Over $50 million is going to be put into this fund just because
of this $450 million eraf that's coming to the city.
It's full eraf that I need to be looking at and considering. This is part of. I want to thank you for putting that forward.
As we move forward, I also would
say, there's still $50 million
in that one-time rainy day fund. That some of the things we heard about how we can urgently get
people off the street that we
should look moving forward at those funds and how we can
prioritize those for that purpose. We have a need around homelessness mental health and
housing and this conversation about how prop c is bridged
while we fight this lawsuit, we'll continue to be something that this board deals with with
the future eraf funding and larger budget conversation that's beginning soon.
Again, I'm in support of this compromise.
Would like also add my name as cosponsor.
Thank you chair fewer,
supervisor pest kin and
mandelman and yee. It does allow us to grow the
pot, to address these critical needs, to recognize the source
of these funds as being eraf and
understand that we have lot more
work to do.
>> Supervisor Fewer: thank you,
supervisor mandelman.
>> Supervisor Mandelman: I want to beginning by thanking you and your office.
I think where we have landed is very good.
It's a place that I think we as a board can get get behind. I think the broader community can get behind.
I know it has not been for lack of pain and hearth ache and many
conversations and lots of balancing. I also just -- this is my first
go around on dealing with budget
stuff with our city staff.
I want to thank the mayor and
her administration for -- even when they were not happy with
the direction things were going
in, their professionalism, they're willingness to engage with us. I want to tend extend that thanks in that direction.
We are just so lucky in our controller.
Our deputy city attorney and our
comptroller has been extraordinarily helpful. Lot thanks all around. I know we're not done yet. I've been very impressed to see this process play out over the
last few weeks.
I want to thank of course, the
parents and teachers and early childhood educators and homeless
service providers and homeless
folks themselves and labor folks
and folks just who May have come
in who care about our city. All of whom want to see us do the right thing.
Thank you for holding us accountable and making your
voices heard. We had some fierce parents that
I heard from, parents from many
other schools in my district.
I want to thank all of them for
engaging with me and exchanging emails. I do think we're getting to relatively good place.
With all that good will and
happiness, I have a couple of
comments or thoughts.
It was many folks said, there seem to be great deal of agreement from the audience. This is easy.
It's just the folks up here who can't figure this out.
we can grow the pie, there's enough for both.
I heard lot of that. I don't actually think it's easy.
The problem is, there's even if
we allocated the full
$185 million to any of these priorities, we would be so far
short what is needed for our
public school or early childhood educators or folks getting evicted from san francisco and
need help from the city getting permanent affordable housing. It's hard to grow this pie.
I want to thank coalition and
the mayor and her state of the union for acknowledging when we take a dollar away from the mayor's proposal, we are
reducing a thing that we can do
for homeless folks now. I know many of my colleagues
want to speak.
I think before we vote, after we serve round of comments I like
to hear what the money in this $185 million is going for? One of the things I heard from
many of these parents was a real -- the numbers that are presented in the report, even 73
this look at them, are in broad categories.
I know they are questions about the st. Mary and whether that makes sense. I like it drill down before we vote on some of the things and
get more clarity around that. Another thing that parent said that made me sad, they questioned or doubted san
francisco's commitment to public schools.
I want every single parent, every teacher and person who
works in our schools to know
that this city really does care.
i think that's demonstrated in $100 million a year in general
fund money that flows if our county over to the district. That's a commitment that no other county in california
makeses to my knowledge.
The state of california
tremendously under fund their schools. We try.
All of us supported prop c and
campaigned for it, baby c in June.
We are what this creation of
this special reserve that is specifically for early childhood salary and teacher salaries,
what that demonstrates is our ongoing commitment for being
with you.
This is a first. That's remarkable. I want our families to know that
we to care about our public schools.
I hope this compromise shows that.
Today as I was running taking my
morning run, I went along a path
and the path was blocked. Last night it was getting down to 40 .
Under 40
. We have out of control real estate market that is crushing huge numbers of people in our city. As much as we can do for those kids, homeless kids when they
are in school, what they need in addition to civil service and
support, those kids need a home.
Lastly, I want to put in little bit about concern of spending
reserve is a real one. When the recession hits
s in the next few the conversation will
be about spending additional money but which vulnerable population to leave behind. Our ability to avoid that conversation and to continue to support those vulnerable
populations in the future is dependent on having reserves we
can tap into. I think the priorities that have
been identified by the coalition are extremely important. I think that's all I have to say. I will have more questions when
we drill down little bit more on
the actual proposal. Thank you.
>> Supervisor Fewer: thank you
very much.
Supervisor stefani.
>> Supervisor Stefani: thank you, I want to thank everybody for coming out.
City here is listening to everybody.
Supervisor mandelman said it's really difficult because we want to please all of you.
We want to fix all your
problems. That's really tough. It's hard responsibility for us. As you're sitting out there, I
got to thinking about me. I've been out there on the other
side in red shirt with something
I care deeply about.
I thought about times where the subject matter who I cared about
didn't even matter to people.
After sandy hook, when April of
2015 congress said, we don't need universal background check on gun sales.
That was devastating to our gun violence movement.
Today, because speaker pelosi whipped everyone in shape and we took back the house, they're
having a hearing on universal background check. It takes that work.
Why I'm saying that is because
it made me realize that here in
san francisco, we care about every single thing that you talked about today. It's not an issue of subject matter. It's not an issue of go away
we're not going to listen to you
because we believe in the second
amendment and wanting background checks is crazy. Everything you said meant something to all of us.
Every single person on it board
of supervisors cares about kids.
We know that if we don't invest
in 0 to 5, they'll have trouble in the future.
We know that those teaching 0 to
5 need raises and they need affordable housing. If we don't have them, they can't teach. We know people need to get off the child care list so parents can work. We know all that.
We know 3000 children, homeless
children in our school system is devastating.
People from homeless prenatal
program were talking and talking
about how kids are homeless in
shelters, it's devastating to hear that. We all care about that.
We want to fix that. Also, that our teachers do not
get paid enough.
I voted for prop g.
Our teachers do not get paid inform.
We want them to stay in san francisco.
We care about that. and dealing with addiction and
which is a beast of disease. We all agree on all of these issues.
I'm trying to get something
positive about this. We don't always agree how to get there.
Some of us want to go up the
middle, some of want to do inside path.
We have different ways to get there.
At the very foundation of who we are san franciscans, every person on this board care about what you brought to us today. It's not an easy task.
We want it make all you happy.
With that said, I also held a community meeting in district two to talk about this.
The same issues came up.
Some people they have to go to homelessness.
Some people said, just put it in
reserves. I want to guarantee you that we
are trying to come up with way we think is best.
Voters are clear, prop g, themed
-- they want teachers to get salary increase. Baby prop c, they want people to
have opportunities for child care. November prop c, we needed to deal with our homeless issue.
We need invest in our resources
that deals with good outcomes.
I just want everybody to know
that as these are altitude up in
litigation, we get this windfall money, we're trying to really
figure out how we can save
lives, how we can keep teachers
in the city. It's not an easy thing. There are issues to consider in terms of reserves and the recession coming and making sure
a when we get windfall, we're
not always investing in ongoing costs because we might not have
that money coming in the future. I want to acknowledge that this is not an easy process. We care deeply about all the issues that you brought to us.
It's not question of your issues don't matter.
We heard you and every single
usually you brought to us is so extremely important and I'm just going to commit to everybody I
will try my hardest to come up with a solution not just today but on the budgets and finance
committee as we go forward.
It's just -- lastly, I want to thank my colleagues too. Supervisor fewer and everybody
for putting forward something that I think we are all
beginning it get behind.
We are all on the same team.
We might have different ways.
We're going to do this together and thank my colleagues for
their work on this.
>> Supervisor Fewer: thank you
very much.
Wall >> I want to thank everyone for coming out today. It's been a long day.
We've heard lot of testimony.
As we look at educators who came
up, as we look our folks who
have been fighting our city, our home coalition.
We've been fighting to eradicate
and get rid of homelessness.
I want to thank all of you for coming. What I really think we heard
from all the groups that that spoke today is that, they want
to see resources go to executing
carry out the will of the voters
in terms all the propositions that have passed. Like chair fewer said, we've
been put in an ignorant predicament to be challenged. We all want to decide to do in
our own city with our own resources.
It has been a blessing for us to
have someone else
-- $185 million. That has made that something
that makes me even more excited about living in san francisco and administer excited
-- more excited about the opportunities. I want to thank my colleges.
This has not been an easy week coming to this splice
place.
One thing I wanted to say,
because I want everyone to be
clear, at least from my
standpoint, every child in this city belongs to all of us. These are our children. There's no school district children, there's no city and down of san francisco children,
these are all our children and
all of our responsibility.
I'm always going to fight for that lens. We're in city with the least amount of children with the smallest child population
particularly for urban cities in
this country.
It is our responsibility. We don't take that lightly. We'll continue to fight and
focus on that.
This is not the end.
We have bigger budget as a city
and county of san francisco. There are more resources that are available for us to fight for the things that we need and the things we need to get done here in this city. We're going to continue to do that through the budget process.
I know we're all committed to that. I'm not going to take up much more time. I know you've been here all day. I want to thank my colleagues.
I want to thank the chair for
her leadership on this and for
corralling all of us and making
sure that we push hard to come
to a place where we can all be willing to move forward.
I too would love to be added as a cosponsor with the amendments
that have been presented today. I want to thank everyone for fight sog far for the priorities
we have here in the city.
>> Supervisor Fewer: thank you,
now supervisor brown. >> I want to thank everybody who has come together.
I know you're probably hungry
and bathroom breaks like me. But you're here. That's what's really important.
All of my parents and constituents have reach out to me.
I gotten hundreds of emails
about our homeless crises and
about our school district.
If I haven't responded, we're
still working on it.
Thank you for caring like you do. That's really impressive.
As a community activist for years, I know how hard that is.
I know how hard it is to take a
day off away from your job, away
from your family and come and sit here.
To make sure that we hear your voice.
I want to thank my colleagues.
Lot of times we don't agree on lot of things. When we do agree, we're usually
-- we come together and we're a strong force.
I think this is one of those times.
We all agree. Couple of points.
With the homeless crises, call
it a crises, I can't walk in my district where I don't see
someone in need.
I'm always rattling the chain,
saying we need more homeless shelters. We immediate more
-- we need more housing.
We need services to help people
that are struggling with the
homeless situation.
We also need to make sure our
education and our teachers are strong.
Coming up, I grew up with housing instability where we
were moving constantly.
New friends, new teachers.
It was really hard.
One of the things I struggled in
school, because nothing was ever consistent. I'll be pulling out one school and go to another. It was really a struggle.
The teachers a I had realized that and really grabbed on to me
and said, I got to make sure
that you're secure and you're educated. I owe them everything.
I owe them why I'm sitting here
is because of them.
When I was a community activist,
I actually was protesting when
we were looking at closing schools. They closed john sweat.
Lot of you remember that.
We protested and they wanted wanted to john muir.
That was in my neighborhood.
We protested, kept it open.
I was one of the neighbors that
started the first pta they had.
They haven't had a pta in 50 years. We felt was so important
because, hundred years ago, even
earlier than that, schools were
community centres. I remember speaker said, you have a strong school, you have a strong neighborhood.
I really believe in that.
As we're looking, I know that we
need to really support community school initiative also and I
hope that the district really
feels that's important because I
didn't have a child in john muir. It was a school, three blocks away from me.
I thought that was really important. We fundraised. I volunteered teaching art.
It was really important a the school was successful.
As an aid, I fought to get the community beacon in there. Because it was so important for those kids to have after school program.
There was nowhere for them to go.
I completely understand that.
I thank every teacher and educator here and early child care teacher and educators so important.
We all know that.
I also was legislative aid when had the downturn.
Few of us were here.
Supervisors stefani and supervisor ronen was here legislative aid.
It was excruciating. we were making choices that I
think lot of us went home crying
and exhausted. We have to make sure we're in position with this city that win
we have a downturn, everyone going to be okay. We do need reserves.
I want to say, thank you, supervisor fewer. Thank you very much. I think I need it take you for
dinner, drinks, everything to
say thank you.
She has been an amazing power
broker in this whole situation.
I can't tell you how much easier
that makes it for us to come together.
I want to make sure that my name
is on this as cosponsor as we
move forward.
Thank you.
>> Supervisor Fewer: now safai.
>> Supervisor Safai: thank you
supervisor fewer. Truth is, --
I want to associate my comments with supervisor mandelman.
I also received a single volume of smalls
-- emails from the parents
and teachers and educators in my
district along with the leaders
from S.F. Community school.
My district has -- I fight quite often with supervisor walton about who has the most children
under the age of 18 18 in the entire city. Depends on who's making the count and where the lane is drawn.
If families want to be able to
survive and live and feel comfortable and welcome in san francisco, they're surviving in our districts.
Mine and supervisor walton. That doesn't exclude any other districtses that have children and families.
We have the highest concentration. I hear from them every single day about what it means to be a
working family and living if the city.
We were presented with three really strong messages from the
voters of san francisco.
Focus on educators and ensuring they have an ability to continue to grow and thrive.
Focus on early childhood educators.
I want to point out, we last friday, President Yee and some
of us others went and sat on a panel.
There were about 150 early
childhood educators in the room.
We have money to fill classrooms now.
We don't have early childhood
educators to fill the classrooms and leave them.
They can't survive on minimum wage. Minimum wage is not a salary to be in that industry.
They can't attract them.
Thank you to President Yee for his forth right and leadership
on ensuring that we're inserting
that conversation in as well as
voters of san francisco.
Last one is proposition c,
$300 million would have made a significant difference in this conversation. $50 million on parcel tax would
have made a significant contribution in this conversation.
As well as $150 million for the
early childhood educators and a industry.
If you add that up, that's over $500 million.
we don't even have enough in
this surplus to meet that. We're trying. I think every single w. Of us on this board thinks and believes
that all three of those is a
strong statement for working
families, families in san francisco, individuals that are
living on the streets that are unhoused and need additional services. We are making some really strong
commitments if this -- in that manner. I believe it the board made a
really strong move in the right direction.
I want to thank supervisor mar,
thank supervisor fewer and
mandelman and peskin for the
hard work they've done.
Let's be clear, I want to be clear about this.
I know President Yee said this,
there are additional funds
coming in. We're fortunate to have abundance of riches if san francisco. We don't need to be faced with the fool's choice. This is not about choosing between homeless services and early child care and support for educators.
We can make a strong commitment.
At the end of the day, we are
doing year two, the mayor made a
strong commitment in prop c and
other services that lot of folks spoke about today.
We're trying to balance all of that. I think when you look the percentages what the voters ask
for and what we put forward in
the surplus, each one of them
its
>> -- is getting strong percentage what the voters said.
I wanted to call that out.
Also to end with saying, as
supervisor mandelman said, which
was a wonderful point, we do care. We care about our teachers.
I have two children that are if
first and third grade.
The school year began with seven educators turning over.
It is not uncommon occurrence. As a supervisor district 11, I
have had it deal with situations at S.F. Community school working with the superintendent, same thing with monroe. Three months in the school year,
there was not a teacher in one of the classrooms at monroe elementary.
That caused significant upheaval and disruption.
I understand firsthand.
I emphasize and I want it make sure that loud message is sent. Every single member on this
board cares and deeply cares about educators, early childhood educators and ensuring we have
the right commitment for those living on our streets and affordable housing.
Without the commitment for affordable housing, also many of
the teachers, we heard that last fall. Of them will be forced out of
san francisco as well. I want to thank everyone. Thank you for giving me the
opportunity to say few words.
I also like to add my name as cosponsor. We have a really strong commitment to ensure that we
have a pathway for success. Thank you.
>> Supervisor Fewer: thank you. I think we have 11.
i have to say, this is quite a feat. I'm new to being budget chair.
I think I got very quick lesson these last couple of weeks.
Lot of beating up. Here we are, 11 of us agreeing that this windfall is not enough.
We have great need in the city
but that these appropriations recommend reflect the will the voters.
Representing prop c, prop g and also prop c.
I want to say little bit about
-- I don't know if lot of you
know about myself. I'm fourth generations chinese-american, four
generations of my family have been educated draw the san
francisco public schools. My grandfather was educate in
the the oriental public schools.
My mother and father were
educated here. Then I got on to the school
board in 2009, quit my job for
the last eight years from 2019
to 2016, I made $461.75 a month
serving on the san francisco board of education. Was humbling. I was an advocate on the other side of the podium yelling at
the school district all the time. When I was there, I learned a lot.
I was very humble how hard
people worked educating their students.
I want to say that because I was
there and raising three children, being stay at home mom and taking care of young children for a very long period
of time, is very taxing.
I know how hard our early childhood educators work.
I know how hard our sfusd
educators work too.
I think that when I I think
about homelessness, I want to grad school.
No one expected I would go or go
to college when I did earning I
remember one thing from grad school.
That was maslow hierarchy of need.
If you're hungry or sheltered,
you can't learn and meet your full potential.
I think what this budget really shows is that, although, a
majority of the money was put
toward a lot of homeless and
housing initiatives, I think we
carved out enough money for san francisco educators. I meanwhile sfusd, in my book,
there's not at hierarchy.
I don't think the work of childhood educators is less
valuable than the words who
teach k to 12.
If we want to talk about
educational outcomes, must look
at 0 to 5 and those years. Especially for those wonderful
communities we are trying to close achievement gap.
While I was on the school board,
I wrote the resolution for
ethnic study for restorative
practices looking at the systemic racism in the system.
What we're seeing here is a compromise.
It is a compromise of great realizing what the voters wanted
but also that there's great need. What I have been disappointed
it, take money from affordable housing acquisition, take them
from substance abuse, give -- earmark more money. it's not about. It's about that all of these things are really super important.
All of these things are part of raising the village and supplying the village that our
children need in san francisco. I'm thrilled that we are all together on this. Knowing this isn't the last money. There's more money coming.
I also want to echo what supervisor mandelman said.
I was on the school board when
we sent out 506 pink notices. The thing that saved us was rainy day fund. I was at table when we passed
the charter amendment to have
the public education enrichment
fund.
City and -- there was nowellness centres. All these things our children
need city and county of san
franciscos puts in un$1 million every year into the fund.
It pays for these things. They are essential support for
our students and also for our teachers.
I want to the say, this has been
learning experience for me. I'm glad and proud of my
colleagues that we have all come
together and this is only the first $185 million.
I'm hearing there's more down the pipe.
I'm hoping we can have an open conversation about how this money should be spent.
I will say, that needs of the
homeless folks that are living on our streets, I think if you have a child in public schools,
if you work in public schools, if you're an early ed teacher, if you are a senior, if you are
a people like us who are parents
or part of the community, we
know we have a homeless crises.
We know that there are people in need. We know that children are homeless too.
This resolution also includes an intent to make the homeless request and housing request that
the mayor has pick for us that we are actually taking from.
It makes it whole too.
Is it everything that we need?
Absolutely not.
I'm a fourth generation chinese-american.
I'm glad that we have come together. I heard from colleagues that's request for the city departments to actually outline exactly what
is being funded. I will open again for questions
and comments of the city department. Mr. Comptroller.
>> Madam Chair, I was going to briefly suggest, you have number of department heads here today
that I'm sure will be open and
welcome discuss with the board.
>> good afternoon supervisors department of homelessness and supportive housing.
Very briefly, the current
proposal would fund 300 units of
lisaed housing for chronically homeless adults.
It funds the expansion of
existing navigation centres centre as
well as safe centre. We believe once cuir given the go ahead, we'll be able to put
most of this online within six months.
Thank you very much. >> good afternoon supervisors,
greg wagner, acting director of
department of public health.
To express grated for
gratitude. We've been in the process of
doing evaluation of key gaps in our system of behavioral
healthcare services.
Focused on the epidemic of homelessness and homeless
individuals on the street.
Proposed funding in this
legislation addressed two key areas of need.
The first will be to purchase
additional 14 beds at the st. Mary'
s healing centre. This program has been --
facility was open in 2017.
At that time we purchased 40 of
the 54 beds available.
It will allow us to purchase the
remaining 14 beds that's needed.
The second component, which is
also very optimistic it would
allow us to add 72 residential
step-down beds.
This is a newer model of program.
After people go through residential treatment program
for substance use, often, that's
a productive program.
As they're coming out, there's a need for additional period of
time for them to stabilize anybody who knows people struggled through addiction and
recovery from addiction.
This would allow for level of
care to live in environment with
other people recovering from
addiction.
>> good afternoon supervisors.
The budget as proposed would do several things.
It would provide $40 million for
our small site acquisition and loan program. This is very important program
that keeps valued member of our community here in san francisco.
Secondly, it would provide $42,000,000.456 for new
$42,000,000.456 -- $420,456.
Severely mentally ill individuals as well as homeless seniors.
It will be the new home to the urgent care clinic.
The street outreach team and homeless outreach team.
Those services are provided in seismically compromised building. We're very much looking forward
to relocating those services. We would have $6 million that will jump start the development
on three new affordable housing
development across the city.
We have $14 million for site acquisition. This money will leverage
$5 million in grant money we got from the metropolitan transportation commission for an
acquisition and the transit
orient development neighborhood. We are looking forward to buying
a site and putting a stake in
the ground.
Colleagues any questions at all?
Supervisor mandelman.
>> Supervisor Mandelman: I want
to thank three department it is working on these proposals. Number of them were anticipated
in prop c.
I want to drill down more on the st. Mary' s bed.
I'm one of the people who
insisted these remain in.
My understand -- I want to address the issue.
I heard not all the st. Mary bed are used for san franciscans.
some of them are being used for sonoma county or other counties.
Can you address that? >> yes, I can.
Thank you supervisor.
When the facility was open, 54-bed capacity facility.
That the due to budget constraints, san francisco
department of public health san
francisco it funds for 40 of
those beds.
In the interim as we purchased
40 and there were 14 remaining,
the program has been working
with marin county and with kaiser and has contracted on
kind of as needed basis to make those beds available to those two entity
ies.
>> Supervisor Mandelman: those are the 14? >> exactly. The funds that will be included
in the supplemental, will allow
us to use additional 14 beds for
san francisco residents to
prioritize those beds for individuals that are priority
clients for our public health
system.
>> Supervisor Mandelman: my understanding is that when
people are taking to psychiatric emergency services, there's a challenge for our system.
We have a pretty impacted psych
unit at S.F. General.
Doctors in P.E.S. Are struggling.
There isn't always a place upstairs, bed available now for
the people who are being brought into P.E.S.
That's a challenge for our system.
One solution that might be
create bunch more psychiatric
acute beds through S.F. General, but really what I heard from doctors, they're not sure they
need more of those acute psych beds.
They have people stuck in the acute psych beds who could be
lower level of care. Also, when we don't have those beds in san francisco, we have
to contract out of county and
send san franciscans to other
places for those placements.
This sort addresses that. It May not be enough.
It moves if the direction of
addressing that real shortage of
subacute psych beds for people
who are coming out of hospital hospitalization. >> our goal is to have our
clients a the lowest level of
care that's appropriate.
This is one of the options that
allow us not to have people in
patient psych beds, cost of inpatient psych bed is five
times the cost of community-based bed.
You're not receiving the most appropriate level of care if
you're unnecessarily inpatient.
>> Supervisor Mandelman: in
terms of the substance used
beds, my understanding it, we
can basically get drug treatment
for most folks just right to access treatment.
We can get them into a 90-day
program.
We frequently have nowhere for them to go after 90 days is up.
They go for very short drug treatment program to the streets
and back to an S.R.O. Community. Narrow
they're not able to continue to
receive care.
There's a chance that not on cycle of treatment where they
can succeed, using again, back to treatment. Around and around.
That's the point of the 72 beds. >> that's exactly right.
It's level of care that allows
next step coming out of
substance use, residential treatment. There's quite bit of evidence
having that next step allows
people to continue the process
of recovering and getting
healthy.
In addition we'll have pipeline availability into the residential programs.
We're hoping you get better
results and increase that
capacity in treatment.
>> Supervisor Mandelman: thank you. We have upwards thousand people
on the shelter waiting list.
The mayor identified goal
creating a thousand shelter beds.
That May not eliminate that.
How close does it get us to the
mayor 1000 shelter bed goal?
>> this adds approximately 300 beds.
We are working on a plan to add
thousand beds some time in 2020
locating sites and doing good design work does take time. We're hopeful we'll be able to
find the resources to achieve
that goal.
>> Supervisor Mandelman: thank
you. Ms. Hartley.
Mainly about small sites.
My experience small sites has
been the short time I have been in always.
I a number of proposed small
site acquisitions.
>> we started off slow in 2014.
We then got a big allocation of funds.
we take 10% of inclusionary fees. We bid small site development. There's some constraints on the small site program I know that
the supervisors very aware of. It's difficult.
Especially when you're trying to keep residents that we really value housed.
Those are costs and developed for capacity.
We did then, however, we did
have a very prolific small site acquisition period.
We've got about 200 units that have been preserved.
They mostly been in district 9,
some if district 6. They've been spread around. They've been continued if d9 because there's been a very
active developer there.
>> Supervisor Mandelman: supervisor and fewer and I believe
there's a need in our districts. >> we also would very much like
to expand our small site program.
Not just with the funding but in the application.
It money will go long way towards that.
I like to work with you both supervisor few and mandelman and
all the interviews
supervisors to talk about ways to do capacity
building to bring more
nonprofits on board.
>> Supervisor Mandelman: is there a cap?
>> the planning code cap small
sites program at 25 units.
We put small site funding into
the proposition a at general bond, 25 bandage.
25 -- $25 billion.
We have been able to do larger buildings and that would be my goal as well.
we can really -- if a 50-unit
building comes online --
>> Supervisor Mandelman: seem
like there's more bang for your buck. >> I agree. We have total agreement and
desire to expand into under
served districts to build out capacity and get economies of
scale with buying bigger buildings.
>> Supervisor Mandelman: thank you.
>> Supervisor Fewer: supervisor ronen.
>> Supervisor Ronen: could you
explain how you're calling it a
safe shelter site. It's different from a regular shelter?
>> yeah, it's in between. Lot of things that we learned in
the sites around the low barrier entry more flexible rules. People able to eat when they want to rather than set times.
It is a model that we're going
to continue to pursue.
It's really kind of best of both words approach to providing
people with temporary shelter.
>> Supervisor Ronen: do you have
a location determined.
My concern all throughout the
2018-2019 fiscal year there was
funding available for navigation and it hasn't been touched.
If we appropriate this money for this purpose and therefore not another purpose, will it
actually be used this year for
this purpose? >> yes.
We are very close to having site for the navigation centre.
That one is more challenging
because the population are concentrated if specific neighborhood. we've been very specific about
where we want to place that site
which makes it little bit
harder.
With safe centre, opening quite few navigation centres, we're
going to start with the basic
structure and then do bring in
the utilities afterwards.
For example, division circle, it took us quite a lot of time to bring the utilities in.
It was the hardest part of the job.
We'll get the structure set up
and bring in generator and
temporary water and seasonnation --
sanitation facilities.
Should allow us to open up the sites.
>> Supervisor Ronen: is that
because of the pg&e see
shenanigans. >> the issue with the centre is
trying to find a location. We are looking at one specific site now.
Because we're looking specific neighborhoods, it's harder to find an appropriate location for that facility.
>> Supervisor Ronen: the safe centre, you're feeling confident of the various locations you're
looking, you'll be able to lisa
or buy one quickly and get it up
and running? >> yes.
>> Supervisor Ronen: now we're
going upwards 300 additional beds coming online, hopefully very soon, does that mean that you'll be able to -- is there going to be a time limit on the
amount of time people can stay
in those beds?
That's been one of the major problems. People get in.
They might get some stability
and they are released back.
In many cases on to the streets.
They feel like they lose your
community, their belongings
their sense of regularity and then only to be turned back to
the street.
>> there's three types of navigation centre beds.
About 50% is could pathways for housing bads.
Those are for high priority
clients.
We also have seven-day beds.
We have only 15 but we have seven day beds that are used for
emergency situations. The remaining beds about 45% of
them are what we call time limited beds. They are 30-day plus.
You can stay for 30 days, as long as you're accessing
services and moving forward towards addressing -- could be you're waiting to get in
permanent shelter or looking for
another housing option, we'll
continue to extend. I should point since navigation
centres opened, only 15% exited. There's a fair amount of discussion about this issue.
I are say it's the vast majority
of people who go into navigation centres do not exit because they
are forced out.
>> Supervisor Ronen: I know that
supervisor stefani and mandelman
have a hearing coming up on homelessness.
We can talk about it more in
in-depth there.
Thank you.
>> I have a few questions for
the comptroller regarding the mechanics of the reserves and
how that's going to work. Understanding that the reserves
that go into this fund are for one purposes and they are going to salaries.
I want to make sure we're lining the charter and the voter
approved requirements.
>> the rainy day one time reserve not ending up in this reserve. What's happening if the
proposal, the rainy day reserve
is used as the charter said it should.
For one-time purposes only.
It frees up like amount of discretionary general fund money
that can be placed into the reserve.
General fund money, excess eraf
and property tax money end up in
this reserve.
>> thank you for that clarification.
Aredly -- are there any
requirements to access the funds? >> the language that governs the
fund is on page 16 of the amendment.
You have that in front of you.
This is unappropriated reserve
we are creating in the amendment.
It draws from it and it would require appropriation action by the board of supervisors to pull money out for these purposes.
The two specific purposes
outlined are for staff and teachers of the sfusd wage
increases and then secondly for
early care educator wage increases that authorize earlier
in the ordinance. Basically, the way the language
works here, it says that this is to be last resort. The goal of the reserve is to
meet the funding gap on this
programs and begin in fiscal year 2021.
to the extent a other city revenues not available prior to that date, or other school
district revenues or legally available reserves are not
available to meet that need.
This would be a source you can
draw upon.
It's the way the language works. Frankly we will expect to see new developments in each of those areas. We've talked about some of them here today.
Such as should the city receive
excess eraf funds. For '19 and '20.
The ongoing eraf benefit we have will continue to trigger
increases in other baselines.
It's outlined in the safety net
but last safety net.
>> one more question around that, supervisor mandelman touched on it. There's lot of trepidation
around dipping in the reserves. Has this anything like this been done before? It's very creative. I compliment my colleagues for
coming up with this. I'm wondering if it sets precedence or do you have
worries around it? >> these are just my opinions on this.
These are choices for the mayor and board. One distinction to draw early is this concept that we're drawing out of reserve to do it. We're not.
What's happening here, excess
eraf funds became available if the current year that weren't
anticipated in the city's budget. That triggered deposits that
unknown to us to number of different places. Including the baseline and rainy day reserve.
We're not reaching -- the proposal here is not reaching
the rainy day reserve.
Rather taking that new news that
would have flowed to the rainy
one-time reserves and
effectively making contribution
to a different reserve.
Financially speaking, the best
of all worlds looking ahead to the next recession, would be to
not have touched the rageny day
-- rainy day to continue to happen to groh
grow thatgbalance. It's important to remember,
there's a significant rainy day
proper reserve contribution that continues to happen.
So the size of the rainy day reserve approximately doubling
as a result of the contributions
of rainy day that continues to
occur here.
>> thank you very much.
>> I want to thank Mr. Rosenfeld
for helping think that reserve through. From the supervisor perspective,
it is my strong hope we'll be
able reserve this new reserve that we are creating.
I think that we will.
I hope we get additional eraf windfall.
My hope we'll have stronger
revenues for 1/9/20.
'19, '20.
We are going to take care of
them. We will reserve
preserve this and use it
in downturn cuts a has to
happen. We talked about the unprecedented contributions that
the county makes.
>> Supervisor Fewer: absolutely. When I was on the school board,
we had to send out layoff notices.
The rainy day fund bailed us out.
We have a recommendation from the budget analyst for the
departments to come back and report.
I like to take the
recommendation and approve the
recommendation from the B.L.A.
I would like to make a motion to continue item 4 to the call of the chair.
Can we take that without objection? Thank you very much.
On item 5, I would like to make
an motion to accept the amendment. You can taken that without objection.
Then, to continue this item to
monday February 11th.
Thank you very much.
I think those items 4 and 5 are done. Is that correct?
Thank you.
Also, I would like it say thank
you to our wonderful comptroller
and rosenfeld and to the mayor's budget department. Thank you very much.
Thank you to mayor breed. The priorities, everything that
she suggest we fund, they are
good things and things that are needed. I want to thank the mayor for
her wisdom and also for these recommendations that we were able to approve. Thank you very much.
Let's go on to item 6.
Madam Clerk read item 6.
Thank you very much.
i believe Mr. Livingston is here
to present. >> I'm deputy director for finance and information
technology of the san francisco transportation agency. Thank you chair fewer and committee members.
I'll be very brief.
We have an amendment to offer. The original legislation, the
first proposal was to devote the
full $38 million of the M.A.T. Baseline FUNDst that resulted
from the eraf fund to improve customer experience at the M.T.A.
Which is to accelerate
replacement of 151 height rail
right -- vehicles.
After further conversations, an
arrangement was struck for other
high priority projects a were identified.
In conversations with mayor and
members of the board.
Amendment we're offering today
includes $19.2 million for the
light rail vehicle replacement for the acceleration of light
rail vehicle replacement. $13.8 million for energy audit and conservation projects at
M.T.A. Facilities and $5 million
to expand our efforts in small business impact mitigation on our capital program. I'm happy to answer any
questions about these proposals.
>> Supervisor Mandelman: I want
to thank you.
I represent a district that's
served by the late rail vehicles. I'm hearing about the constituents about the under performance of the trains.
I need it see the M.T.A. Acquire those and move forward as quickly as possible. i would be more alarmed by this
change if I did not have a
strong belief that there will be a second installment of eraf. We'll be able to get the
remainder of that out of that
second part that will come in.
Thank you for your efforts to
replace the current fleet.
>> Supervisor Stefani: thank you chair fewer.
I have a question around the $5 million that will be
allocated to a small business impact mitigation fund. Thank you for listening to the board of supervisors.
I think we all expressed our
desire to look into a after what's been happening. I'm wondering what are the mechanics of that fund?
How a will be accessed? How will businesses tap into
that? >> sure, we have been -- we have
been working closely with the mayor's office with the workforce economic development on these kinds of measures on
our projects. These funds supplement those efforts and we'll continue the way we have been.
It's really a project by project implementation as to the specific needs of the businesses with the type of project that
we're conducting.
I think we have report from the
B.L.A.
>> I wanted to note the odd
procedure nature of this M.T.A. Supplemental. Board of supervisors has limited authority over the M.T.A. Budget.
They bring you a proposal for
two-year budget and for supplemental appropriations
during that period.
The board can let the M.T.A.
Budget can go into effect by not acting.
Or the board can reject the M.T.A. Budget proposal within hitler
30days.
Today M.T.A. Is proposing this appropriation.
You should amend ordinance to
match up what he describe ed and
beyond a, ultimately the board
can vote to approve it within 30
days or vote to reject it by
7-11 votes by 30 day
>> Supervisor Fewer: I believe
the B.L.A. Has a report for us? >> our report is the promotion
of the $38.1 million baseline
allocation excess eraf fund.
Board has approved the contract.
It includes expansion vehicles
mostly for the subway.
To date the M.T.A. Has 46 of
those vehicles.
We've had some differences of opinion hear.
In terms of responses what
supervisor mandelman was talking
about, on page 29 tables 2 and 3 we look at total funding sources for the light rail vehicle.
In terms of committed funds, it's assuming out the entire
budget it the $38 million will be applied to that.
Now if it's $19 million, that
means they'll be about $19 million short of what they
have with their total budget which have to be made up.
I want to point out if table 3,
there's already $18 million
shortfall in the total funding that's needed for the light rail vehicle.
Otherwise, we to recommend
approval.
>> Supervisor Fewer: colleagues
any questions?
Mr. Rosenfeld? Do you have some prepared
amendments for us to consider? >> yes.
>> Supervisor Safai: as
communicated by S.F. M.T.A. >> amendment that he walked through in front of you.
The clerk has signed original copy. Only action is for the board to move that amendment and continue this item to the special meeting on monday.
>> Supervisor Safai: thank you very much. Colleagues any more comments or
questions on this item? Seeing none.
I would like to make a motion to
approve these amendments and continue this item to the budget
and finance committee meeting of
monday February 11th.
>> as amended.
>> Supervisor Fewer: thank you.
Madam Clerk can you please read
item number 7 please.
I think we have the clerk here
to present to us.
>> chair fewer, I ask your
indulgence for three more
minutes I'm here today for the departments administrative deputy who organize this information for this hearing today. I'm here with other leadership
in the clerk's office.
We thank you for your past year's budget allowance protecting the public right it know what the businesses that comes before the board and further the budget allowance
that you provided to us for the fulltime employees in this
department over the last 22 years.
We are very much appreciative of.
We thank our unique and remarkable employees, your staff
and mine for their commitment
for their their ethics.
It's an honor to present to you
proposed budget for the
legislative branch, board of supervisors, for fiscal year
2019 through 2021 in December we
presented a snapshot of the department current budgets and
ask the committee for their budget instructions in crafting the proposed budget that is before you today. Once you're ready to approve the
proposed budget, I are submit it more the next phase of the budge
review to the mayor by February 21st. In June, we'll report any changes to the committee that May have occurred between your approval today and your final approval in June.
We have three slides. This particular slide comprises our presentation.
The proposed major changes presented in December are here
