a safe event environment for all. my business allows an unusual insight and knowledge of the entertainment industry, without any conflicts of interests or ties to current clubs, the news, or promoters. i would be able to make their decisions about business that become before the commission without any obligations to anybody. i come with clean hands. it might life and community events are vital to the san francisco -- night life and community events are vital to san francisco. i served two terms on the civil grand jury and was instrumental in writing reports about the commission. i have a very strong working knowledge of the commission's weaknesses and strengths, of which there are a lot. i support the recently introduced legislation

regulating promoters so we are aware of who is doing business in san francisco and if there are problems who is to be held accountable. i have one person and support of me today -- in support of me today. the rest of my backing are working. the weber, i think each of your offices have received a flood of emails from various people in the industry. and supervisor campos, you asked somebody earlier about the attendance of meetings. i believe i have attended more attendance -- more commission meetings than a lot of the commissioners over the last four years. it think euphoric your consideration, -- thank you for your consideration, and i think would be a great strength for the commission. thank you. supervisor avalos: thank you

very much. next, michael o'connor. thank you for waiting, mr. o'connor. >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name is michael o'connor. i'm here to request a possible appointment to the entertainment commission. i will acknowledge i have served last six years on the small business commission, where i have spearheaded the small business assistance center downstairs, which i'm very proud of. i think small businesses are the lifeline to all of our communities. i have also worked on the mayor's health care task force. i have worked on the back street business task force. one of the things i really appreciate about entertainment, night life, art, business business is the finalization these businesses bring to save

his code to allow the city -- to san francisco, to allow the city to have businesses that are centralized. my interest in the entertainment commission was sparked last year when our mayor was throwing around the possibility of adding the commission. i did not agree with that idea because i think the commission plays a valuable role, and i felt i had a voice that could serve a strong purpose on that commission. i own a couple of clubs right now. i owned my first club when i was 21, off market street. i started throwing big parties, primarily hip-hop, when i was 18, that or of the underground friday. but that was a long time ago.

i think i bring a perspective that crosses live music, dance music, and hip-hop, which i think is part of a unique perspective on this commission because we need to deal with all of those industries and they are all very different types of sectors of entertainment, with their own subsidies and nuances. i think the commission has done a lot of great work and i think it could be tightened up a little bit, but i definitely would not like to see it disappear. i could talk more about the police relationships and the roles of neighborhoods, police, and nightclubs, but i will leave it at that. i definitely have practiced and i firmly believe that all clubs play a role in our part of the neighborhood. a have to be responsible, good citizens, participate with neighborhood organizations, and

follow through on their word. i believe i have done that in my past, so i will leave it at that. i would also like to say i think there are a lot of great candidates. supervisor mar: i think there was a shooting at kokomo recently, and i think it was more rented out four and a fat -- for an event. what would you bring to the entertainment commission to deal with holding clubs accountable for violence or promoters as well, to counter the violence? >> personally, i think my perspective has been controversial because as an outside promoter as a youth, i feel that clubs do not have a right to just hand over their permitting, their liquor license to an outside promoter who is not to be held accountable.

i think outside promoters have to be held accountable. having said that, having done a lot of youth activist work in my 20's, i firmly believe this city has a right to provide a places of entertainment, locations of entertainment for youth, whether they are and whatever kind of music. but we need as a city to understand how to provide those outlets where we don't have these types of situations. when you have an outside promoters coming in and the club does not know who they are, a lot of times they say, well this will be a fund-raiser for xyz, but is really not. it is a party, therefore tonight, will not be at the place again, they don't care. i think we saw the blue mccall

on mission street, which i have had issues with. if we need to be sure that people who receive permits are going to understand all the subtleties of what it means to own a club. part of it is working with outside promoters. thank you. supervisor campos: thank you. thank you, mr. o'connor. robert levy? if there is any individual who has submitted an application for this vacancy who has not spoken, please come forward. i think that concludes the testimony from all of the applicants. now let's turn it over to public comment. if there is any member of the public would like to speak on item seven, you each have two minutes. please come forward. thank you. >> good afternoon, again.

i am president of the united humanitarian mission, and i support svetlana kaff. in my mind, is an ideal situation if all members of this commission will be one voice and the entertainment commission. we have people with nightclubs. one person killed a tourist from germany, and i think the members of the entertainment commission

not only defend their personal interests or the interests of the industry, but defend the interests of the informant, prevent crime in our city, and because i have some experience in my commission, i know in the commissions they need advisory persons. if they have this person, that is the reason i support svetlana kaff. thank you. >> thank you. the next speaker, please. >> hello, i'm here to support linda weissman's application. i am aware of her background as an event planner, but i am here

to tell you about my experience with linda serving on the civil grand jury. i was on the 2006-2007 civil grand jury with linda, and our jury issued i think it really thoughtful and insightful report entitled the entertainment commission, it work in progress. linda served on the following year's jury, and they also produced a report, how many agencies does it take for the city to throw a party. linda, during those two years of service, certainly the year i was intimately familiar with what she was doing, attended i am sure every entertainment commission meeting. she went to numerous committee meetings, spoke with staff people. she also interviewed and spoke with many of the stakeholders that were involved with the entertainment world, including

residents of the areas around the clubs, and also the police and staff members of the entertainment commission. i believe that she has a thorough understanding of all of the issues, as well as our business background. so i highly recommend her as a member of this commission. supervisor avalos: thank you very much. next speaker, please? >> good afternoon. my name is not shot at manchester. on behalf of our board, we recommend tim benetti. thank you. >> i am deborah jack mann. not only as a member of semac, but as general manager of the mezzanine i am supporting -- [

inaudible] supervisor avalos: thank you. >> my kind of entertainment commission my kind of entertainment commission and has all that commissioned jazz find a good commission home don't let it rome one commission town that will let you down good commissioner all around and downtown where all the lights are bright downtown we are going to have the entertainment commission may turn out all right all around

downtown is going to be fine thanks to you downtown and at the coat pa code but cabana -- copa cabana pick the commissioner and make it worked out at the copa ole supervisor avalos: thank you, mr. paulson. next speaker, please? >> good afternoon. i am here speaking on behalf of shell thomas. i'm also a member of the lower polk neighborhood association, and he is the liaison between the neighbors office in our neighborhood. he has been instrumental in getting a security collective

together with the local bars and the officers as our neighbor has grown and the bars have become more popular. supervisor avalos: please continue. >> i think a strong aspect of what he brings to the table as he has the ability to listen. he has the ability to listen to the residents and really thoughtfully create solutions so that both parties can thrive in the community. thank you. supervisor avalos: thank you very much. good afternoon. >> good afternoon. i am speaking today for the north beach merchants association and land in our support to shell. he has one quality which i want to emphasize. the entertainment commission has had a lot of problems in the past with conflict of interest,

potential problems in that area. we have here today somebody who is intimately knowledgeable of this industry but will not have an opportunity or need it to be overly influenced on the side of the entertainment venues. he's a very fair person. we worked with him on many projects in north beach. it to work with us on the noodle fest. he can work with children, the police, neighbors. a part of our district is broadway, and he has been great. we have members of our association hornell from broadway, coming to the table, thanks to shell. it is time to move on from these partisan people on the entertainment commission and find someone who knows their stuff but is not going to be beholden to the industry. i cannot of size that more. at this time to move on from

that time. thank you. supervisor avalos: next speaker, please? >> good afternoon. i am a member of the small business commission and i'm here to support the application of shell thomas, for several of the reasons the previous speaker outlined. i know shell. i have watched him work with people. his economic opportunities for youth are extremely important. somebody who has experience in the community, active experience, is also an important consideration as you choose between i believe several very qualified applicants. i wish our commission. i hope that all commissions have as deep a pool of qualified, active people. thank you very much. supervisor avalos: thank you.

next speaker, please? >> good afternoon, i'm just here to show support for shell thomas. supervisor avalos: thank you. next speaker? >> good afternoon. i am proud to be here to support tim benetti. thank you. supervisor avalos: thank you. next speaker? >> i have been in the entertainment industry 12 years, operated several different venues. i am here to give my support to shell thomas, partially for his work with the neighbors associations, truck tried to get the police departments and associations and us all communicating. that is all i have to say. supervisor avalos: thank you very much. next speaker.

mr. brown? >> i feel like i'm living here. only three hours until the giants go on. i am supporting mike o'connor. i have known him for a while. the class of 2000, devyn became the mayor, gonzales has his own law firm. at who do you were about of all of your colleagues? chris kayleigh. michael o'connor, you know what he did? back before chris daly was the supervisor, he was a bartender. michael o'connor taught him, and out chris daly is falling back on the skills. o'connor is fantastic. i have known him for years.

six years on small business, o'connor is a great guy. he gets along with everybody, works well with everybody. when i had to throw a bachelor party for my son in law, i looked up michael o'connor. he is known in every establishment at every level in san francisco. thank you. supervisor avalos: thank you, mr. brown. go, giants. any other member of the public would like to speak on this item. seeing none, public, disclosed. supervisor alioto-pier? supervisor alioto-pier: thank you, supervisor campos. mr. o'connor, regardless of what was set up here, it will not affect the outcome. although we are all very grateful that you help supervisor daly in that regard.

i think i have no new water problem than chris has. regina think i have known you probably longer than chris has. but me just say, this is a remarkable group of people. we always have remarkable groups of people, but very thoughtful, articulate, experienced. if the entire entertainment commission looks much like what we saw today during testimony, we would be a very lucky city in deed. i want to thank mr. o'connor for his service. the work on the small business commission has been truly significant, and i think that experience would play well in a commission like this. the testimony of mr. hahn i

thought was really -- i thought that stood alone, and so did mr. thomas and ms. weissman. the work on the civil grand jury, you have probably worked in learned on many things that most people do not know, which would benefit the commission. but i will be supporting mr. benetti today, for a number of different reasons. aside from the fact that he is truly qualified for this position, his resume is fabulous. but i think mr. benetti and i share a perspective most people do not share. when you sit at the board of supervisors and are in the middle of heated debate and one of your colleagues turns around and looks at you and says, you know, disabled people don't go to golden gate park so we don't have to worry about the issues there which is an honest to god

statement, i have to say to myself, we need more people who were about and are concerned with and understand issues of access. when it comes to places of entertainment. i think i as a person of disability and a person who uses a wheelchair, most of my obstacles are places of entertainment, restaurants that are too pact, night clubs that say you used a chair, you don't dance. how do you know? it has a lot to do with having the same access as everyone else. i think mr. benetti's point of view is very important and one that we cannot get enough of. but he said about having a place that is a little higher so that you can see over the crowd -- that is a really good idea. i go to the american music hall and there is no elevator. and nobody says anything.

to me, this is a personal choice. but i believe we need more people who are focused on access issues, involved in city government, and i was really happy to see he had put his name forward. i will be supporting his candidacy today. supervisor avalos: thank you, supervisor alioto-pier. supervisor mar? supervisor mar: this is a tough decision, but it is so great to see so many applicants. i want to thank terrance alan, for his hard work on the commission, building up the commission since its inception of the past seven years. i appreciate brit hahn's willingness to concern, but i have concerns about industry. i think for legitimacy and stability of the commission, we

need independent voices on there. i agree with some of the speakers that said it has to be somebody was outside of the ownership of clubs. i want to say michael o'connor served as a great small business commissioner and i want to see him continue, but i think the diversity he would bring to this seat is important. but i still feel that that ownership question and independents -- and independents that drives my decision, i think miss weissman and others have been giving good qualifications. mr. benetti, like mr. hahn, gives me some concern because of the connection with club ownership. i want to know more about the music and culture association, as well, or the california music and culture association, to talk about the industry, but i feel

the most independent person for me would be shell thomas. is why i think there is the broadest range of support for them. i even like the type of work he has done within the city, from the green businesses to even turning around former liquor stores to be successful businesses. there is tremendous experience, and a range of experience that i think could bring tremendous qualities to the entertainment commission and help with stability, but to them sick, and provide that legitimate voice. -- stability, legitimacy, and provide that legitimate voice. supervisor avalos: thank you. the key to all the applicants. i know they cannot all be here. thank you for missing your name. -- thank you for submitting your name. we also want to thank outgoing commissioner terrance alan for his leadership and service.

i think what i am looking for in terms of the entertainment commission is independence, but i also think it is putting that issue in context. i know there are probably some colleagues on the board of supervisors who have a difference of opinion with me on this issue. i have worked with a number of these individuals. i have seen commissioner o'connor, and i think that makes sense. but mr. thomas' presentation was impressive, as was mr. hahn. this supervisor has a different take on some of the issues around entertainment. i believe the industry has to be responsible. i believe the industry has to be held more accountable, and that has not happened to the extent that is needed.

but i also worry about the anti-entertainment center that that is coming out of local government at times, and that worries me. i think that a member of the atomic commission should not be persuaded by the industry -- of the entertainment commission should not be persuaded by the industry, but it cuts both ways. that have to be independent. not that any of these individuals would not be, but based on the presentation and experience i see, i think that tim benetti is the better choice and i will be supporting tim today. any other college questions or comments? can we have a motion? do we want a roll call? ok, we take that without objection. thank you, congratulations. madam clerk, any other business before the committee? >> no, mr. chair.

supervisor avalos: thank you. meeting adjourned.

>> welcome to the regular hearing for thursday, october 28, 2010. the planning commission does not tolerate any outbursts of any kind. please turn off any mobile devices. when speaking before the commission, please speak directly into the microphone and state your name for the record. at this time we would like to take roll. [roll call] thank you. first up, commissioners, consideration of items proposed for continuance. president miguel: prior to starting the agenda, i think the