districts, we need to look at some things if they make sense. a lot of the staff recommendation is related to amendments to parking, signage in the waterfront, i think make sense. i was confused that we put the parking rate structure in the code. it seems to me, bizarre. i understand this is the practice. it would seem to me it would the ball frequently enough that you would not want to put it in the code. i do not know if there is an easy way to write it so that it is not a fixed number, but percentages. i do not know. i have not looked at that closely enough. looking at the lccu, it sounds like the existing code makes lot more sense. based on the distance issues that people talked about, the

waterfront advisory committee seems like the suitable committee to look at those issues. i support those changes as well. do not know enough about wholesale establishments. i would imagine, in jackson square, there are a lot of those establishments. i need to understand exactly what kind of businesses that covers to understand whether or not that would even make sense, but i would support the department's recommendations in that phase. i want to thank the supervisors for continuing this. it is a large piece of legislation, and the next time we have a presentation -- i think you did a great job trying to bring out the new recommendations -- but going for each aspect -- we did not talk about awnings today, even though it has come up from members of the public. we did not talk as not talksignage, other than the

waterfront. maybe the supervisor wants to look at how we can better partition portions of this legislation that are related to reach out to workshops in the community. i think you will have to take each section apart, maybe have independent meetings. there are different parties. as you could hear, there are lots of people invested in different aspects of legislation, and not necessarily all of them. i think the best way to do it would be to take it apart and have workshops on specific areas that are related. i hope you get a chance to do that and reach out to all the stakeholders in those disparate areas. thank you for bringing this forward. it moves a long way in a lot of complicated code issues we have been grappling with. obviously, it takes time when you are trying to cover so much, to bring it all together.

commissioner olague: commissioner antonini? commissioner antonini: i want to thank the public for their comments. while staff did a great job of the then apply the legislation and working with modifications to make it better legislation, the public brought up a few things that were not covered in the staff report. particularly, the issue that was alluded to by commissioner borden about this instance of trying to set up legislation that would try to keep private operators, parking op going to e their product. i understand there was an illusion that this was in the early legislation that is now in place, but i am wondering how dispensable this is. first of all, on whether it makes sense. some of these things, such as early bird, incurred people to come in earlier, which helps us from having a rush of traffic.

i would hope that staff is able to work with a presidentchi chi to eliminate or modify this provision to keep with what would be good public policy, but it does work with the existing plan, clarifies. thank you very much for what you have done and also looking into all these different areas of this very long and somewhat complicated legislation. commissioner olague: supervisor chiu's office. >> thank you, president. i will be brief. i want to thank the commission members, planning staff, members of the public for the incredibly robust discussion today, more than i expected, given how busy today is ahead of you. we appreciate the engagement on these wide range of issues.

i wanted to take a moment to respond to the broadest issue, or around the size of the legislation, inclusiveness of it. at the most basic level, it is all in the planning code. most of it is related to district 3. when i started working with the city attorney at the drafting stage, we were looking at furthering principles that are already in either the general plan for specific area plan that have come through this body. one broad point i want to make, you have already dealt with many, if not all, of the policy issues that we believe this legislation is designed to implement in recent years. if you have not dealt with them -- for example, the parking rate issue. those are issues that have been debated and discussed for a long time. that does not mean that we think we're at an and the point.

we want to continue discussing some of tho chinatown. the overall goal of the legislation was to clarify, simplify, and amendment planning code, as it applies, not only to district 3, but in ways that further underline principles such as affordable housing, alternative transportation, the livability of our community, in ways that we all agree on. on the average, to make clear for the record, we introduced this legislation in may. i have had a number of formal meetings in the summer. as recently as last friday, president chiu and i met with bcdc. we have also worked with stakeholders, and we hope those conversations continue, but we will formally set down peter cohen later in the year to

continue those discussions. we do not believe that is the end of stickle broader reach. we see this as the midpoint where we are. after we are past the commission level, we will have a robust conversation with supervisors at the land use committee and full board potentially. we will consider pulling out particular pieces of the legislation. i will report back specifically to the commission would make a comeback in february about those considerations. i could go through each issue, but that would not be the most peaceful way to spend your time. so again, thank you and the public, and we look forward to seeing you later today perhaps for the other items on the agenda. commissioner olague: i only have two questions. the technical committee advising on a inclusionary housing, who has been appointed to that, how

representative his that of the diversity of the city? the only issues that are outstanding to me have to do with process, and those are the ones raised by the chinatown community development committee. i know that the name was changed. as it relates to making sure those voices are respected, as it relates to the issues that have to do with the integrity of that neighborhood. commissioner fong already raised -- others have raised the issue when it comes to the affordable housing, f.a.r.'s, all of that, maybe it is ultimately beneficial. maybe a deep conversation needs to occur where we are fully vetted about those issues. i want to thank the supervisor's office for working with us and

agreed to continue with this conversation. thank you. >> if i could request a date, february 9? commissioner olague: i think that is the year earliest available date. do we need a motion for that? commissioner antonini: move to continue the item to february 9. >> thank you, commissioners. on the motion to continue the items to february 9, -- [roll call] thank you. this item will be continued to february 9. the public hearing will remain open. commissioner olague: again, i want to reassure the public that we want to -- if we do calendar it as an action item, it is with the understanding that it can be

continued further out, depending on briard with the discussion. again, thanks to everyone for their input. >> commissioners, with the and turning of this meeting, your next meeting does not begin until 1:00 p.m. commissioner olague: the america's cup item -- this cannot be before 5:00. ok. meeting is adjourned.

>> good evening, everyone. my name is filled in the third, the director of your parks department. my job can be challenging at times, but on and that light tonight, i feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be here, to support families in the event like this is truly fantastic. this is the greatest city in the world, the greatest parks department. thank you for joining us. 82 years ago, uncle john mclaren, our first park superintendent started the tradition of minding a mile-

long of live trees at, to where he lived at the time. behind you is the official entry of san francisco, and it is called uncle john's tree. it is a monterey cypress that is 131 years old. it is over 100 feet tall. it has over 700 lights. it took 8 rec and park tree toppers to light this up. let's give a big round of applause honoring john mclaren, who would be 160 today. 82 years later, our staff has continued the tradition, and i

want to thank all of the park staff, recreation staff, tree toppers, electricians, structural maintenance crew. everyone had a plan in -- hand in planning this tonight. i want to make sure that everyone is applauded for the great job that they had done. [applause] i also want to thank the city family who is here tonight. mayor ed lee. we will hear from him in a second. members of the board of supervisors, including supervisor farrell, supervisor elsbernd, supervisor wiener, i think supervisor mar is trying to park. supervisor mirkarimi is supposed to be here. i want to thank our fire chief joanne hayes white for being here today. i want to thank our police chief.

our treasurer, jose cisneros our rec and park commissioners. [applause] ana and reid, fiona ma. i also want to thank quickly our entertainers for the evening. we have had some incredible entertainment. the golden gate band. the hoover middle school jazz band. the birchen high-school drum corps. the young people music theater company. the george washington high school marching band.

the brunos. press, circus -- presscot circus. i also want to thank our co-host for the evening, the newly formed parks alliance. the parks department cannot do it alone. the alliance has really become our best friend. i want to recognize their board chair. our executive director matt o'grady will come up to say a few words. >> thank you so much. the parks alliance is the new kid on the block. a brand-new organization, and yet, a very familiar organization, because we come

from the san francisco parks trust and from the neighborhood council. these two organizations got together and realize they can do so much more by combining forces to make this park system the best open space system in the world for san francisco. i wanted to give you a couple of samples of some of the great partnerships we have built to make these parks so fabulous and gray in san francisco. the first partnership is with none other than the parks and recreation department. it is called the gear up program, where we have been tried to buy resources for our part centers citywide. that program has raised, from your generosity, more than $300,000 or reparations centers across the city. bravo and thank you for your generosity. i want to mention another

partnership we have had running through the san francisco parks alliance. take another look at this enormous, beautiful tree. trees like this do not get that way on their own. it started from a tiny seed, and it grew to this beautiful majesty because of the love, care, and feeding and care that was provided to victory over the last 130 years by our gardeners and arborists. every tree in every part in san francisco, every plant, the landscaping that makes our parks so beautiful, they are that beautiful because of the gardeners, landscape architects, and other professionals of the park staff that care for them every day and night, 365 days a year.

where do our gardeners come from? i see a lot of young people here. some of you might be interested in learning how we can nurture them to make them so beautiful for us. we have a partnership with union local 261, who developed an apprenticeship program to teach young people how to be the best gardeners in the world so they could join the staff of the recreation and parks department and provide a future for parks and gardeners here in the city. thank you to you, 261, and the other partners that have been so great with us. i want to form another new partnership here with all of you. you may not know this, but today is a very special person's birthday today. some of you may not know this, but i got my start as a

musician, as a conductor. i have not done it in quite awhile, but i will conduct all of you to sing happy birthday to none other than our own phil ginsburg, who is 45 today. please join me. >> ♪ happy birthday to you have a birthday to you happy birthday, dear phil happy birthday to you ♪ [applause] >> thank you. all i want for my birthday is 50 more gardeners. all right. let's bring up our parks champion. he is everywhere in the parks system. he is playing ping pong in the

square, playing ball, in golden gate park, he is everywhere. ladies and gentlemen, our mayor, ed lee. >> thank you. i thought all you want it was her two front teeth? thank you very much for coming. it is wonderful to see so many families here together. this is the season where we celebrate with our family and kids. i cannot think of any place more wonderful to be than this 130- year cyprus to share with you the lighting of this wonderful tree. i want to thank our department representatives, city official family, elected officials. i also want to let you know, i came here last year. we saw painted on the side of this train, the world series

chickenshit emblem. this year, we have our san francisco fire engine. -- championship emblem. a wonderful tribute to our fire department. i want to thank the chief for coming here tonight, for helping us with the toy drive, and for bringing a special guest. santa is here tonight, a special guest from our fire department. he is coming. i also want to let you know, in addition to tonight, on the weekend of december 17, 18, rec and park, city hall, all of our city officials, want to welcome

you to the civic center. we are going to have a snow village, snow for all of you to play in. come in on saturday and sunday, the 17th and 18th. then on the 18th, we will open city hall, and you can take pictures with your family. city hall will be open from 11:00 until 4:00 p.m. that afternoon. please come in to join us for the holiday season. thank you. with that, are we ready? everybody stand up. how about a countdown beginning with 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3,

2, 1. [applause] happy holidays, everybody. >> if you listen very carefully, you are going to hear coming down the streets -- i think santa is coming, mr. mayor. i think he is coming. there is a lot of traffic out there, but he is on the way.

>> the next time you take a muni bus or train, there could be new technology that could make it easier to get to your destination. many are taking a position of next bus technology now in use around the city. updated at regular intervals from the comfort of their home or workplace. next bus uses satellite technology and advanced computer

modeling to track buses and trains, estimating are bought stocks with a high degree of accuracy. the bus and train our arrival information can be accessed from your computer and even on your cellular phone or personal digital assistant. knowing their arrival time of the bus allows riders the choice of waiting for it or perhaps doing some shopping locally or getting a cup of coffee. it also gives a greater sense that they can count on you to get to their destination on time. the next bus our arrival information is also transmitted to bus shelters around the city equipped with the next bus sign. riders are updated strictly about arrival times. to make this information available, muni has tested push to talk buttons at trial shelters. rider when pushes the button, the text is displayed -- when a rider pushes

the button. >> the success of these tests led to the expansion of the program to all stations on the light rail and is part of the new shelter contract, push to talk will be installed. check out the new technology making your right easier every day

[applause] >> good evening. welcome to the meeting of the commonwealth club and forum, connect your intellect. you can find us online. you can follow the best of our conversations on twitter. i am the author of the "this is your brain on music. " i am a professor of psychology and behavioral neuroscience. i am delighted to introduce you to my friend, one of my famous -- favorite guitarists and

musicians. he discovered the guitar at a young age. he has played at notable vilnius such as the -- notable venues such as montrose and carnegie hall. >> i would like to start by saying that in the last 15 or 20 years of my research, one thing i found most surprising as a musician myself in exploring music and the brain is how -- discovering where it is that music is. i always imagined as a player that the music was in my fingers. now i know is in the brain. it is a neuro-representation of the figures. music is in every part of the brain that we have mapped.