the ortega family enterprises, for example, there has been 30% to 40% growth in revenue, gross revenue at the site, and we would anticipate that the ultimate growth in revenue to the department would be the subject of negotiation upon approval of this selection panel -- or of the commission, the selection panel finding. >> in the package before us, we do not see any description in terms of financial terms, of what are the financial benefits, aside from capital investment. you have clearly laid out the capital investment, but in terms of the growth, can you put a number on it? what are we expecting to see from each of the bidders? and with that factored into your selection -- >> you are right that it was a component of the rfq and people were requested to submit that, but that was not a primary

evaluation criteria for the selection panel, so respondents that submitted proposed rents to the department, the selection panel was unable to consider those, the thinking being that, again, that we are prioritizing the capital improvements to the building and that any rent structure would be brought back to the commission for your approval upon successful negotiation of a lease with any selection-granted, commission- approved respondent. >> i do recall when this came up in december last year, the capital. as i look at the rfq, it does stress the need for capital improvement, but i recall that the rent was also an important factor in this in a decision. so, as i look at it, it seems

like we are only getting half a picture. >> i think you are right if you are referring to the 2009 rfp -- >> rfq. >> no, rfp. the commission rejected all responses from a previous process and also authorized staff to issue the current rfq after meeting certain obligations. the previous rfp did have financial terms in it, and that was a primary evaluation criteria, and in this instance, while there was language that people responded to submit financial projections, it was not a primary evaluation criteria for the selection panel to consider. that has been legally binding to only evaluate proposals on the proposed evaluation criteria

other than if someone were to propose something unforeseen, the selection panel would not be able to say that we like that. we did not include criteria to consider that, but we like it anyway, so that all the bidders know what game they are playing, know what the rules of the game are, so we are actually fairly legally binding to only consider the proposals on those strict terms set forth in the rfq. >> we can go to public comment. >> [reading names] we can start with those please. >> good afternoon, commissioners. i'm here today to read a letter on behalf of the program manager of audubon international, and i

would like to submit it to the official record. "i recently learned of ortega family enterprises in procuring the concessions at still lake and golden gate park. i would like to take a moment to provide some insight regarding the environmental irresponsible management practices this organization has implemented through their commitment and involvement in the audubon as cooperative program. as both a formal and national park ranger, i have been impressed by the type of dedication to environmental stewardship shown by ortega family enterprises in the opposition of the band earlier trading company and bandoleer national monument in new mexico. as i stressed national and by mid being instilled in services at golden gate park. ortega family enterprises has undertaken a wide variety of environmentally friendly management practices that have helped conserve energy and national resources while providing an exceptional model

for kitchens and guests -- patrons and guests to follow in their lives. a strong focus on recycling and waste reduction has resulted in the designation of the ban earlier trading company as the first of on-cooperative sanctuary in the -- in new mexico. 95% recycled office products and 100% use of recycle food service material, water use reduction efforts and decreased energy consumption all speak to the conservation of resourcess. i would be happy to discuss the impressive track record at any time. it is also worth mentioning that our audubon-cooperative sanctuary program has been adopted by a variety of state and municipal park departments ranging from fort collins to los angeles county parks to south carolina and tennessee. i would also be happy to discuss these programs and opportunities within the city of san francisco

recreation and parks department at your convenience. thank you very much for your time. i sincerely feel ortega family enterprises would be a good fit at golden gate park." >> thank you. >> this is a letter i wrote to mr. buell. i'm a member of the stowe lake boat coalition. i was born and grew up in san francisco and and a current resident, and i'm here to express opposition to the commission's plan to offer the contract to operate the boat house to a new mexico company. with the disaster changes the plan entails. by that, i mean turning this

place into a corporate tourist trap and providing food from somewhere like how grow creamery, which is wonderful, but it also stilled the ferry building. stowe lake as it stands is one of the city's last remaining peaceful places, one that neighbors have treasured for years. it draws neighbors from all ethnic and socioeconomic groups from throughout the world. why destroy that serenity? the area not far already attracts tourists to its restaurant and sculpture garden. another site to see in proximity to the museum would be a disaster for the thousands who visit the lake annually for a touch of quiet beauty, let alone for the already mobbed park. and what about parking? where will you put the cars for the people your new plan is supposed to attract?

as you probably already know, parking in the park is impossible already. you can barely parked there as it is, which has never happened in my lifetime. why hire an out-of-state company when a local company has operated it more than 60 years, wants to continue, and has established relationships with the visitors? local jobs are being treated for yet another tourist trap. and what about the community of locals who knew this place before it was turned into a combination disneyland/north corporate playground? i have lived in other cities and countries and i know that san francisco does not need another trendy cafe attraction. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. i'm going to ask everybody -- i appreciate that some of you will support various statements, but i would appreciate if you would keep it to yourself. thank you. >> [reading names]

>> good afternoon, commissioners. i have been the manager at stwoe lake -- stowe lake for 15 years, and we take it real serious. safety is our number one objective. we take the serenity as our objective as well. we like to keep a peaceful place where people can retreat, and we are very proud of that. we're very proud of what we do out there. we cannot understand why someone would want to turn a boat house that is billed as a boat house into a cafe where we have hundreds of cafes within a two- mile radius, probably. the shop itself is something where i find -- something as a father, when little kids come and see boats being worked on

right there. there is nothing that can explain the feeling to see that in a child's eye because it is all about boats. and also, too, having the bookshop right there at the lake is one of the best things about keeping safety primary objective -- having the boat shop. if you run out of supplies like we did yesterday when is a beautiful day, the first in two months, we ran out of life jackets, so we had to go right in and grab some life jackets and rush right back out because there were people waiting. to have that gap where you have to walk behind the building to get something and lose your eyes from the dock is a great concern. i do not think anybody realizes this. it is a recreational place, not a restaurant, not a cafe.

a lot of people are thankful when they come up here that it is so approachable on all levels. not just upper-middle-class folks, but just plain folks. i hoped maybe you can revise this plan and look at it again. >> i have to say, i was there last week with my daughter, and i got stung by a bee, and you will very wonderful to me -- you were very wonderful to me. >> i did not know that was you. >> it was me. you were great. thank you. thanks a lot. >> [reading names} >> good afternoon. stoe lake is a special part of golden gate park, and for many years, the family has provided recreation, and we thank them

for that. we hope the commission keeps these factors in mind when you make this decision. respect for the boating tradition, preservation for the park structures, provision of health the staff, and a selection process that values community input. we think that does encourage a good visitor experience. some of the comments we have heard from the public indicate that this decision has been rushed and we must respectfully disagree with that. there was community outreach in january about the rfq process. i actually attended the evening session. the concerns i heard expressed or that the facility must be reasonably priced and not a fancy restaurant and should be open to the public without having to buy something. then then designed the rfq to incorporate community requests. pink popcorn is personally lost on me, but if people want it, i think that is great.

they also stipulate that the boat house is a landmark and a assisting footprint would not be offered. all these have been part of the rfq. the decision is to proceed to negotiating contracts. that still gives an opportunity to incorporate additional feedback as details are finalized. sfbt has great confidence in the panel. as a community representative, i know her be thoughtful, there, and practical. we have gone to work with jim wheeler on the safety concerns of hamilton. i think highly of him. i think he is an excellent person to help you make this decision. based on the detailed proposals, they have the necessary information to analyze this on a qualitative and quantitative basis. >> thank you very much. >> [reading names] >> my company is we'll on

bundles, and we operate the bike rentals there at stowe lake -- wheel fund rentals. it seems like the focus seems to be all about a new cafe and gift shop, without taking notice of the fact stowe lake stowe is about recreation, and it is one of the tools in the u.s. -- one of the jewels in the u.s. stowe lake should remain very special, and the way it is run currently keeps that all in focus. i do not think it should be a gift shop and a cafe. there is plenty of those around in the area. the reduction of the boat fleet and the service area will only increase lines and frustration for the families trying to enjoy

a nice day at the stowe lake location. it is not something that everyone needs. when you have a reduction in fleets and still have the same demand, you need to facilitate the man, so you really need to have more votes. the current operator has tried for over four years to improve the building. as you know, they are a month- to-month tenant. it is difficult to make the improvements that have been suggested when you do not have a contract long term. they have tried for four years, responding to all of the rfp's and to my knowledge have been quite competitive during that process. for unknown reasons, the recreation and park has not delivered a leased to them during that term. i think that's if the rec and park had negotiated with stowe lake at some point, i think the

planning -- >> thank you. >> first of all, we were never informed about stowe lake adn teh rfq, and i think a lot of people were not -- and the rfq, and i think a lot of people were not. i agree with what bryan said. that is where i hide when i do not want to talk to anyone. i think to keep the food normal, when i hear of a branch that has what they are presented to the public is not the public, a kind of disturbs me. we have some very good purveyors made in the city, but i think we should look at san

francisco products as much as we possibly can. 3, a gift shop -- i do not much need it. i think we should go into the recreation hangout, have a good time. something needs to be done with this building, and i think with the process, we could probably come up with some better compromises than what is here as far as the facility itself. i would like to ask the department to include all the groups because we are not always -, even though we have that reputation. we do compromises, and i think there is something that is desperately needed for this facility, but with the wonderful part of it is is that everyone in san francisco that i know says this is a great place to hang out. i don't have to do anything but just have a good time.

the marina green is the same way. i have actually a movie on that. people go over there just to hang out, so things like this [inaudible] thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. i am one of those ordinary citizens who lives in the richmond -- my family has lived in richmond for 15 years. we have raised two small kids there. one of my kids is still 10, and i would guess over the course of the years, i have already written to hawaii and back on stowe lake -- ridden to hawaii and back. i'm here to urge the commission to vote in support of the committee's recommendations. the families that use the park and lake believe that we want

and deserve an operated facility. everyone i have looked at as far as the proposed facility seems to be an improvement, not only to the boats -- they are going to be new. the facility is going to be new. it is going to be a nicer place to hang out. i think the families of san francisco want and deserve that. it also seems to me the plan preserves the integrity of the current building. it does not seem to be a radical change. it looks nice. the current facility is pretty dilapidated. i would urge the commission not to be blinded by rose colored glasses of some misplaced nostalgic and not see that the facility is run down. thank you very much. >> thank you.

i often spend time in golden gate park, particularly on stowe lake, as well as used to in the arboretum until my friends have been excluded who come from out of town by the $7 fees. i was not planning to come here and get involved, but i got a phone call five days ago from someone who said they really needed me as a citizen to come in here. they need levelheaded people to come and express their opinions. this person, very nice young lady said that the income from this, new concession, is going to be 30% to 40% more, and parks department really needs the money, so i asked who she represented, and she said the ortega family, and it turned out she was the public relations company on grounds for public affairs. i was interested in what she was

telling me. the 30% 40% income was not going to go to the park. it was going to go to the concessionaire. and then, what was described, the park gets the buildings that are renovated. however, a 10-year contract, questions about the rent to be decided after everything is fine, negotiated after you have everything sealed, and there's an awful lot of finance questions beside the fact that i think is highly unfortunate that with lots of concessions coming in -- like, for example, at the botanical gardens and other places, which is fine, that we have to have this operated possibly at the expense of one of the quietest place is to just enjoy nature. where you can still go without showing your id >> thank you.

>> commissioners, i feel as if i should be standing here saying my name is tevia from "fiddler on the roof." i take great exception to this article being attached to today's program. i think it is demeaning and deeply derisive of those of us who have been part of trying to preserve the still late motels. -- stowe lake motels. it says the forces of this delta that have gripped the quarters -- the seemingly object to a series of improvements that will transform the boat house and are clinging to a concept of the past, and then, he cites the forces that were opposed to the

academy of science. as a regular walker are around stowe lake, i can tell you that i regularly take tourists who are looking for the deyoung down to it and express my cry -- pride in that explicit building, and i take them also to the academy of science and express my pride in that. they were earthquake damage and had to be taken down. there is no earthquake damage that has been associated with a still lake that i'm aware of with the boat house. it appears that we are into a very definite money situation here, obviously, and i'm wondering if the ortega family

with the effort to make this happen -- it has been said that is a beautiful park, a beautiful lake, and i concur absolutely that there will be huge problems with parking and the additional traffic that is brought in. and we have had a number of people, and apparently they lip service -- apparently pay lip service to our concerns, but i do not feel we have been listened to. commissioner, i hope that you would do the right thing because your wife is going to be after you. commissioner buell: she is always after me. thank you. >> before we have our next speaker, i need to ask everyone to take exceeded your name has not been called. if your name has not been called, please take a seat. okay, next speaker please.

>> commissioners, my wife and i oppose the or take a proposal for the stowe lake but has concession -- the ortega proposal. we observe many groups of children, seniors, joggers, and we often stop by for a snack like a coffee and hot dog. we visited the ortega a concession, and we were surprised to find that 3/4 of the space was devoted to souvenirs. 1/4 of the space was a cafe that had a counter and four small tables. the menu consisted of $8 sale which is in salads and $2 coffee. the park is a large tourist

attraction and it brings people in cars and buses. the ortega family's primary business is indian artifacts and jewelry, as in their original store in santa fe. they enlarged to include other souvenirs, and later, sarah wilson joined them to operate a cafe. wilson saw the work with the national park service, so wilson and ortega were able to get concessions in the national monuments. the ortega's main business is souvenirs' with small cafe, and they have never run in full concession. stowe lake now serves mostly local people. we do not need a large souvenir concession that they would need to recoup their $250,000 concession. the small lake and limited parking is too small.

if they gain the concession, the character still lake would change to concession. they would discourage voters, walkers, and joggers. they would replace the quiet beauty and nature. commissioner buell: thank you. >> [reading names] >> i am in san francisco resident, and i'm here today to support the upgrade act stowe lake. -- upgrade at stowe lake. i represent a four-year-old and two-year-old. just food and the environment in general, and i am also representing ron lang, who will

not be speaking in front of you because the giants are playing in 20 minutes. he, too, would like to see the upgrade in the park. thank you very much. >> thank you, commissioners. my wife and i move from michigan a few years ago with a 1-year- old, and we had our son when we moved here. r i rode -- i have not rode to hawaii, but i have written quite a few times. we have eaten the pink popcorn. what struck me stowe lake stowe lake is beautiful -- what struck me was that stowe lake was beautiful, but what struck me was that the boat house seemed dark and avoid of energy.

a man who works here who testified previously spoke about how we need to see the kids -- it would be neat to watch the kids see the boat getting fixed, but i was never under the impression that that was an activity my kids could see. i am from detroit, and there is a fine line between installed and being number. this is an amazing place that could use a lot of love and attention -- there is a fine line between nostalgia and being dumpy. if a similar provision comes up about fixing the cavan's it can mazer, i will be back. thank you very much. -- fixing the cabins at camp mazer. >> commissioners, back again. before i let my friends speak here, i just have one question -- finally, after the sunshine ordinance being served, they