the canine unit. we have, from different surveys, pet camp on sacramento street is in favor of it. cheers community center is in favor of the project. we have a letter of support from dave burnett who is the owner of molly stone's market. molly stone's market is probably going to be pet food express' biggest competitor. it is the closest and largest grocery market to this particular location. and we also have letter of support from a mr. barry leonard who was one of pet food express' original competitors who started a business called critters, fritters, pet food and supplies. his letter is very interesting. i liked the comment about, you know, about competition that was made here. and it's the exact same argument that mr. leonard makes, is that you might not always like the competition that you're forced to compete with, but it's always good. and competition will lower

prices and competition will bring more supplies to any designated area and i do believe that in our communities this is a need that they have for the other types of animals, more specifically, other than specifically cats and dogs. and so i honestly have -- i will be supporting this project. as the district 2 supervisor, frankly, i think it is the responsible and the right thing to do because the neighborhood has -- has come out so much in favor. i should also say that they also have the direct support and i spoke to the president of san, the persidio heights neighborhood association, so not only do they have the support or the project has the support of the surrounding merchant groups, but it also has the support of the surrounding neighborhood groups and i do think as a lot of us know as supervisors, sometimes there's not always that nexus, sometimes our merchant occasions and groups

don't always agree with the neighbors who live in the surrounding community in this particular instance, they do. and so for those reasons i will be supporting pet food express. i will be making a motion, i'd like to make the motion to approve 38 and table 39 and 40 and colleagues, i would like you to take the surrounding community into mind when you're making your decision and your vote. and i would like to remind you that the decision that we're making here is based on necessity and desirability and without question both of those two qualifications, i think, are met to a very high threshold on this particular project. president chiu: supervisor alioto-pier, it appears, made a motion to affirm the issuance of the conditional use with the approval of items 38 and tabling of items 39 and 40. is there a second or a motion? seconded by supervisor elsbernd. any discussion?

supervisor. supervisor campos: campos thank you, mr. president. i thank all the members of the public and interested parties who have spoken and to the planning department for their presentation. i think this is a unique appeal and i think in a regular appeal for me, hearing directly from the impacted neighborhood has a great impact and is in many respects it determines the outcome. i think, though, that there is a different analysis that is involved here because we're talking about the impact that this business would have not only in the very small geographic neighborhood area, but i think in the larger vicinity and larger city. and i think that that analysis necessarily requires that we look at what other people outside the neighborhood, outside the specific geographic area that's impacted directly,

what they're saying and while i appreciate the many people in this neighborhood have come out in support of this project, i think that a number of very legitimate concerns have been raised. let me say that this is not to take anything away from pet food express. the fact that they're a company that started in san francisco, that has gone on to be very successful is something that we should be proud of, but this is not about that issue. this is about whether or not this makes sense in light of the concerns that have been identified. i also think that, while we commend and should commend what pet food express is doing in terms of its philanthropy throughout the community, that that itself does not or should not decide how this -- this issue is resolved. as much as pet food express has done in terms of its giving back

to the community, i think that the same thing can be said and would be said about a -- about many of the small pet shop owners who are here in this room, and, in fact, if you look at what they give back in terms of percentage of revenue and of the amount of money that they take in, my sense would be that places like bernal beast in laurel heights and others, best in show in the castro, that they would be up there in terms of the commitment to the community. to me, the issue of how committed a business is something that cuts in a love different ways on this issue -- a lot of different ways on this issue. i believe that the analysis that planning department engaged in is analysis that in many respects makes sense but it's one that has too narrow a perspective on the impacts of this project. it is for that reason that i

will respectfully be voting against supervisor alioto-pier's motion. i don't think that it's the right move for san francisco, and i think that it opens a door not only respect to other pet stores, but with respect to formula retail in other ways that i don't think it's where we want to go. and the last thing they would say, and, you know, i'm very -- i recognize theaverg pet food express has done, but as an attorney, i would say that there was a little bit of overreaching in the presentation. i think it's one thing to come here and say that there is no negative impact on small pet shop owners. i can understand that, i can understand that argument, but i think it really goes too far when you actually come here and say that these small shops are actually going to benefit. i just don't think that the

record shows that. i think there was a little bit of overreaching in that comment. i think that people can disagree on whether or not there's a negative impact and i will respectfully submit that there is, but i think that that statement went a little bit too far for me. thank you. president chiu: colleagues, any additional discussion before a vote? supervisor dufty. supervisor dufty: i just want to say that this has been a complicated appeal because i do feel that the preponderance of neighborhood testimony is in support. i am also concerned about the saturation of pet food express and how many more this city can absorb and i don't feel that right now that there are the tools to look and understand those issues, and i do think, going forward, it's something that we need to understand, not just what a neighborhood is comfortable with, but also what are the implications for the diversity of small businesses. so i am wrestling a bit with

this one, but i do recognize that from the testimony and the letters, i do feel that there is neighborhood support for this applicant. president chiu: supervisor. supervisor carmen chu: . supervisor carmen chu: supervisor carmen chu: thank you, president chiu. i want to say, thank you to the many individuals who did come out today, in particular, a lot of the small businesses who i do know it is difficult to take the time to do that and also for meeting with me in advance. in looking at this one, it was interesting and i think that what really swayed me at the end of the day was a couple of things about whether or not there would be a benefit, a public benefit, of having a pet food express open up at this particular site. one of the issues that was compelling to me was the fact that we did have an empty store front that poses a problem for many neighborhoods. in my neighborhood, i know we have a number of different store fronts that are empty and have been for a very long time. the second, as supervisor alioto-pier had mentioned, simply the ability for residents

of the neighborhood to be able to frequent a location that they would be able to purchase a variety of products from, not just dog food or cat food, but for a number of different types of pets. i think that's an important consideration. and finally, understanding the level of charity work that pet food express has provided to our local charities in san francisco, i think, is also an important factor in considering what is necessary, what is desirable in san francisco. so i will be supporting supervisor alioto-pier's motion. president chiu: colleagues, any additional discussion? if we could take a roll call vote on supervisor alioto-pier's motion to affirm this cu. supervisor alioto-pier: aye president chiu? president chiu: no. supervisor daly,. supervisor daly: daly, no.

supervisor dufty? duftyy aye, ebles, aye, mar, no, maxwell, maxwell aye, mirkarimi, mirkarimi no. there are five aye's and six nos. president chiu: so that motion failed. colleagues, are there any other motion. my understanding is if someone wants to make a motion to reverse that we take a vote on that and if that fails, the cu is affirmed. so, is there a motion to reverse the certification? supervisor elsbernd. supervisor elsbernd: i make a motion to table items 38, 39 and 40. president chiu: supervisor elsbernd has made a motion to table all these items. seconded by supervisor alioto-pier. colleagues, any discussion? do we need to take a roll call vote on that? do that without objection?

okay. so if we could, we will be tabling this -- all three of these items. and being again, for members of the public, that means that by default the conditional use will stand. with that, why don't we proceed to the other items that we have today. i'd like to go to our 3:30 commendations. i understand we have a centenarian in our midsts that supervisor alioto-pier would like to recognize. supervisor alioto-pier.

if i could ask members of the public if you could please quietly exit the chamber, because we still do have a lot of items today. and supervisor alioto-pier, if you want to make your suspension. supervisor alioto-pier: thank you, supervisor chiu. colleagues, today i am glad to be joined by caesar kiazi, who, on september 19, will be celebrating his 100th birthday. happy birthday. [applause]

supervisor alioto-pier: mr. kiazi was born on september 19, 1910, in italy. and he and his family immigrated to brooklyn, new york, when he was 12. he and his family thereafter moved to san francisco where they operated the san francisco opera company. at the age of 32, he was drafted into the u.s. army where he served as an infantryman and was awarded the bronze star with v, with v for valor. he worked at the san francisco opera company and retired in 1969 as the costume director. mr. kiazi has lived in north beach, russian hill, the marina and continues to live in pacific heights. i'd like to take this opportunity to commend mr. kiazi for reaching the milestone of 100 years and wishing you a very happy birthday.

[applause] >> i wish to thank all of you that are here this afternoon. i certainly am honored. and i really have no words at this time. i wish to thank all of you for being here. thank you, again. [applause]

president chiu: our next special commendation will be presented by supervisor mar. supervisor mar: supervisor mirkarimi is my cohort on this one. a little later i'll ask for your support in proclaiming today, on

behalf of this incredible journalist. i wanted to first say that reese ehrlich is one of the rare progressive journalists in the city, in the bay area. he's an award-winning journalist whose books like "the iran agenda," "dateline havana," and a recent one released today, "conversations with terrorists," which are coming out today, are incredible books. about 25 years ago i was the editor of my student newspaper at uc davis, one of the student activist papers and i always looked up to reese and other activist journalists for their commitment to the first amendment but also making our communities better, as well. and reese was one of my teachers as well as a journalist. and as a radio journalist at kpo and kpfa in san francisco and the bay area, i was appreciative

of his efforts to reach out beyond the print medium to radio and even tv documentary on prison labor, as well. that was know an award-winning piece that me did. so reese ehrlich began his career as a reporter. he's not 100 years old, but he's been a journalist for 42 years or more and back in 1968, he was a staff writer with "ramparts" magazine and now works full-time as a freelance journalist and contributes articles to not just the "san francisco chronicle" but 15 other newspapers including the "new york times" and "chicago tribune." i love his jazz radio casts, as well. he's won numerous journalism awards including sharing a peabody award for documenting the history of asian americans.

and also he's been honored twice by sonoma state project, for writing two of the most censored stories. i whispered that reese was one of the organizers of ban the draft week. >> stop the draft week. supervisor mar: stop the draft week in 1957 and a notorious member of the oakland seven in their effort to fight the against the war. he's filed investigative reports that expose the reality of the u.s. policy in the middle east. reese exhibits the finest qualities of suchi will let supi

make some remarks before we proclaim september 14 reese urlich day in san francisco. supervisor mirkarimi: think you supervisor mar -- thank you, supervisor mar. supervisor mar has said it quite thoroughly. he is a local hero with an international impact. his analysis really pushes back what i think is the trend of dumbing down political review and deception which seems to be the case with fox news and other mainstream news. i suggest everybody read his book. he is not just an analyst, he travels to locations where he

speaks to experts in the returns to the locations a number of times. the upheavals that continue throughout the middle east, we collaborated on an op-ed about the suppression of dissent because people were certainly tortured by the notion of a presidential election gone awry. he has an inside line that frankly was not shared or weld told in the united states which is why the three of us got together to write this. he looks much younger than his years, and we know that for the talent and skill that he has shared with us, we don't have enough of him. i'm happy to join in this

recognition. supervisor mar: we would love to hear from you. >> i want to think supervisors mar and mirkarimi. in lieu of budget cuts, i think it will have to be called reese urlich half-day. i spend a lot of time travelling to places like iraq and afghanistan. i did a lot of stories about the fraud in civilian and military aid. in the case of afghanistan, a story i did for the san francisco chronicle, of the money that is allocated for civilian assistance, the money allocated in washington about 20% or 10% actually reach the people of afghanistan. it is not covered or

investigated by congress. when cities like san francisco are faced with magic -- massive budget cutbacks, what we are spending on the war is a direct correlation between that and a lack of money in the city. the next time someone says that the board of supervisors shouldn't be making its own foreign policy, there is a direct connection between the wars and the fact that we don't have enough money for health care and other services like child care here in san francisco. and the board of supervisors, i learn more about pet food stores today that i probably ever would have thought i would learn. [laughter] [applause]

[applause] >> understand we are a few minutes away from being able to start with the appeal. i like to continue with the rest of our business today and proceed with a roll call. >> supervisor alioto-pier. supervisor chu. roll call for introductions.

supervisor daly. supervisor daly: i have no items today, madame clerk. >> thank you. supervisor dufty. supervisor maxwell. supervisor maxwell: along with a supervisor chu, i am introducing legislation to give san francisco an idea of their plans on the state's past, to look at the lines around our city. we're asking them to give us a time and a plan, how they plan to go about doing this. the large lines converge according to the maps, basically, in district 10 either near or on the hill.

it is very important that we looked at this. i want to ask them to give as a time line and come back within 45 days of what we can expect and the when we can expect them to get the information that the city needs and asks for. carmen will give the that. >> supervisor mirkarimi. supervisor mirkarimi: i would like to join with supervisor maxwell and other colleagues to express our very strong concern about what has happened most recently in san bruno. the culture has manifested itself repeatedly in san francisco accidents in recent

years. the outages at the substation as well as the bizarre string of manhole explosions including a transformer explosion that occurred last month, these are well documented business disruptions, personal injury, and property damage. it is especially troublesome in light of the frequent about that safety is the company's top priority. the emerging profile has been a concern to san francisco. it has high population and building density, not to mention the drain on police and fire resources. clearly, some public assurance is necessary. we know that there are a number of substantial pipelines that you cannot revealed for security reasons. last friday, the mayor tried to

extract those locations at the san francisco city and county disaster council meeting. their answers were extremely thin in this time that we see substance back by those particular questions. i am requesting a hearing, and it sounds like we are of like mind to review the current state of maintenance and repair of the pipeline and transmission structure in san francisco and received an update of actions to be taken to mitigate safety risk and economic impact including the plans to install modern safety features such as automatic shutoff valves and leak detection systems and monitoring of underground electrical volts. we have asked for a list of instances so that helps

illustrate the trend of accidents that people should not take for granted. >> president chiu:. president chiu: i have anumber of in-memoriams. i asked that we adjourn today's meeting in honor of all those victims at that terrible event. i would like to ask for us to do that on behalf of the entire board, so without objection, that will be the case. because the the length of the recess, the first is for john barnes, a longtime resident and someone who was well known in the neighborhood for many reasons, not the least of which

was that he was often seen in registering democratic voters throughout san francisco. we had the former chair, she served in the military, served as a media personality, and was very active in the local church. she was recently remembered at a wonderful memorial service in my district. someone who i think many of you know, he passed away after our last board meeting, the host and presiding genius behind the best known restaurants. he worked in north beach for many years. someone that is well done by mayors,