this lawn, i look at the railings around the murals. i look at the restoration and i think, yeah, i had something to do with that. learning the lessons, thank you, landmarks meet landmarks. the current situation at pioneer park and coit tower is really based in public and private partnership. it was the citizens who came together to buy the land to keep it from being developed. it was lily hitchcock coit to give money to the city to beautify the city she loved of the park project worked to develop this south side and still that's the basis of our future project to address the north side.

captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- supervisor mirkarimi: good morning. welcome to the san francisco transportation county -- san francisco county transportation authority. i would like to welcome everyone to the last meeting of 2010. thank you to san francisco government television, mark bunch and charles cromwell, we appreciate your excellence in covering city hall and the city government. madam clerk, please read the roll call. >> [roll call]

we have a quorum. supervisor mirkarimi: very good. item number two? >> approval of the last meeting minutes. supervisor mirkarimi: any public comment on the mean it -- on the minutes? seeing no one, public comments disclosed. motion for approval is seconded. taken without objection. so moved. please read items #3 and 4. >> item #3, treasurer's report. item number four, executive directors report. supervisor mirkarimi: this is the last board meeting of the calendar year. it is fitting to point out that

we have had a very busy and productive year. amongst the authorities achievements this year, these are some of the highlights of would like to share with you, stage one city park where project under construction. phase two has been procured under senate bill 4, the first of its type in california. we completed a comprehensive update of the strategic plan the year prior to our prioritization program meaning that we have a clear sense of the road map for the proper k -- prop k program. we catalyzed the current phase of the market street program and finalize the environmental clearance for the island ramp project that will help to secure $7 million for that project. we took the lead in developing the city's position on high- speed rail and coordinating

with the california high speed rail authority. we worked closely with the metropolitan transportation commission on the sustainable strategy, bringing in the key city departments that deal with transportation and land use in san francisco. we succeeded in delivering a consistent message, that san francisco will expect a significant infusion of transportation infrastructure to grow beyond its current plan. it said ways and relates well to the conversation -- said ways and relates well to the conversation we will have later -- segues and relates well to the conversation we will have later. we completed the use of shuttle report in the city. rapid transit eir and eis is

nearly complete, the draft should be ready for release in 2011. brt is not far behind. i know that japan town is greatly waiting for this. we have a report on the low -- mobility appraising study, trailed blazing in the look at ingestion prices in california and the nation. we will have an opportunity to discuss this later in the meeting. not since the passage of proposition k has the transportation authority tried to advance another revenue generation measure that we just did in the recent ballot of proposition 8a. we received well over 55% of the vote to generate an extra $5 million per year to help us with our transit needs. last but not least we are

wrapping up the year with another clean fiscal audit. this has been another productive year. i would like to thank the committee chair for his excellent work and commissioner mar for his hard work that has made this possible. i would like to thank all of you in your help in working through difficult issues. i would like to thank the authority staff for their ongoing work that has helped to make this possible. it has been an honor and privilege to serve u.s. the chair of the authority. i must say that this is a bit of a bittersweet moment. we have colleagues amongst us that will not be here in the new year. it is fitting that we recognize there leadership and major contributions to public service in advance in the goals of the county transportation authority and transit in san francisco. before me right now i have four

certificates. one of them for commissioner dufty, maxwell, daly, and alioto-pier, who was instrumental in proposition k's implementation. i would like to disperse these and a round of applause for our outgoing commissioners. [applause] supervisor mirkarimi: that

concludes my remarks. mr. moskovitch? so sorry. commissioner mar supervisor marr? supervisor mar: thank you so much. i have been serving on the urban county conference, participating in the coastal caucus conference for the area as well. i attended on november 15, 2010. i have been participating in the transportation committee and on the healthy health and human services committee. i wanted to report that. if anyone wants information on what the counties are doing it with a regional approach and

transportation from a regional point of view, just ask. thank you. supervisor mirkarimi: thank you. supervisor campos: i wanted to thank the chair of the transportation authority for his leadership over the past year. for me it has been especially gratifying that there has been enhanced cooperation between the transportation authority and the mta and additional participation involving transportation in san francisco. this is something that we should be proud of. supervisor mirkarimi: thank you. i never miss that i failed in my remarks to outline the fact that this body, all of you, we stepped up to the plate in the contribution to the deficit to help to restore some part of the service reduction. thank you again.

seeing that there are no more comments, mr. moskovitz? >> i would ask for your patience for a second, mr. chairman, as i echo your comments to the departing board members. i offer my own personal tribute to all of you. you have taught me more than one lesson in the eight years that we have worked together. it has been a pleasure and honor to work with you. interestingly, all of you coming from different perspectives through your jobs have reinforced the same message to me, which is the importance of communication, listening to each other, cooperating and finding common ground, which you have all done admirably.

i and the end, we all share a great love for the city of san francisco and a sense of duty in fulfilling our own obligations to the common good. i would like to thank you for the lessons that you taught me and wish you the very best in offering you the assistance that we can provide. thank you very much. now, to the business at hand, several things that are included in my report on your desk but i would like to highlight -- first of all, by the sheer weight of volume the biggest news is the assignment of $624 million in federal funding to the california high-speed rail program as it benefits from the reduction from other states that have decided to cancel

their initiatives. something you would have to think the obama administration for. i am certain that we will not disappoint them. as of now the money is being directed to supplement the initial segment that the high- speed rail authority decided at its december 2 meeting as the construction of the central segment. that section would start north of fresno and include the construction of two new stations, continuing north of bakersfield. it will use about $4 billion to build not just the stations, but to acquire right of way viaducts and repairs, building rail bridges and realigned roadways

by and we let the existing -- we existing railway utilities. we are talking about a project that is starting paradoxically as something that we will look forward to the second phase of. the planning grant cycle started on march 30. it will be resources to departments interested in applying. we will talk about that offline. [unintelligible] parkway in cooperation with the authority expects to execute a commercial agreement on the second phase of the project by the 31st. a milestone for the project and california. last month on a less than great

note, the professional engineers filed a lawsuit against the california transportation commission in regards to this agreement and reaction by the city to approve it. the agency issues responsible for the lawsuit denying allegations of improper procedure, be it worth mentioning that the issues in the lawsuit were worth mentioning back in may when they were considered by the commission and still approved of in the entry of a public-private partnership processes by 8-3 in a vote. we are confident that we will resolve this issue in a timely manner. the vast majority of the unions have been very supportive of the project in the process.

they see it the way that we see it with major opportunities expanding for infrastructure in california through the introduction of capital into the area. whether it is european or any other place, the firms working on the project are american firms that have worked with us before. despite the misleading statements, this project continues to reactivate the economy. on the central subway i would like to thank the commissioners for asking the questions and navigating with us through a very complex set of meeting at the programs committee in a way to close the gap for funding in the central subway. that was achieved and we are well on our way to completing

the steps to secure a complete funding plan that will further reinforce our ability to obtain almost $1 billion in federal funds. we anticipate bringing to the board a number of swaps that will be necessary to make this plan work. we are also actively working on an advocacy strategy that the state level to secure prop 1a and 1b funds that will be needed to make this work. the other announcement worth making is the transit center has already moved into operations in the interim term a more -- terminal. demolition continues on schedule. the other good news is that the first set of contracts for the

project will come in under the engineer's estimate. specifically coming in at $187 million, under the engineer's estimate. good news in a large project. at the meeting of the plans and programs committee this month but commissioner requested an action item be brought before the committee commission conditioning authority funds conducive to the projects adequate child care with steps being taken to get their. i wanted to report that we will be addressing that at the next plans and programs committee, making progress on the plan updates with a significant out reached and discussion by and terms of jobs.

150,000 additional jobs expected within the timeframe of the plan. i want to thank the commissioner for a stellar job in leading us through the discussion on strategy, the basis of the next regional transportation plan and opportunity for the region to divvy up transit funding. san francisco can absorb more growth, but it will need a commensurate investment in transportation infrastructure to do that. we are making significant progress on the county study. and there has been an in-depth discussion to achieve consensus on the priority projects that will insure a strong transit

first share in the area. and how we will face those projects. the final resort will be expected in the spring of 2011. last but not least, i would like to mention that on december 27 to the authority will lose one employee, the project controls engineer. instrumental in establishing the information system that the authority uses to track projects and progress. going on to a very well-deserved retirement after a 35 year career. we wish him the best and we will miss them. unfortunately he is not with us today but we definitely wanted to marked his transition into retirement. mr. chairman, that concludes my report. >> thank you.

-- supervisor mirkarimi: thank you. supervisor daly: what we did not have time to make an agenda are around the item that the last meeting, in a cursory way we did discuss it. by think i empowered to speak when i say that we agree with the goals that agree with the development of the new neighborhoods. tgpsa seems willing to participate in delivering adequate child care facilities. thinking that the burden should be fit -- shared fairly.

of course, the city's child care apparatus and the mayor's office, as well as the department of human services, a potentially being in a position to talk about details in terms of parcels and delivering space if there are resources there. the conundrum over delivering requires significant subsidy, of course, mandating that we have programs before the delivery of transportation projects. i think that there is a creative solution in which burdens are shared fairly to make sure the child care is included in the new development. i know that the commissioner and

myself will not be here for the january discussion. at least not in this capacity, but there is work to be done and my office is available. supervisor mirkarimi: thank you. any more comments? seeing no one, public comment on the reports? seeing no one, public comment is close. please read the next item. >> item #5. increase the amount of the authority's professional services contract with parsons transportation group by a maximum of $1,700,000, to a total amount not to exceed $3,972,046, for environmental and preliminary engineering for the van ness avenue bus rapid transit project and authorize the executive director to negotiate the contract terms and conditions. supervisor mirkarimi: comments or questions?

any public comment? there are yellow cards here for this item in the next. any public comment? please hurry if you have one. that was not a reference tube. but thank you anyways. >> this is on the geery rapid transit project. supervisor mirkarimi: no, van ness. >> i want to make this clear. as you all know i am a member of the citizens advisory committee. i have heard this item in committee and have voiced my concerns. 1 com van ness -- one, van ness

is a state highway and you cannot mess without without causing other problems. take into consideration the hotel between post and geery has closed because the california pacific medical center is going to take that over in a few years as a medical facility. if you have a medical facility there and a bus rapid transit on the curb, it will be impossible for the ambulance to get to the facility if there are accidents other than those in the california pacific center with curbside boarding. it will be impossible for the medical people and the emergency

people to respond to any accidents. if there is a central thing, a central subway, a central boarding it will be impossible for those of us that block, as well as people with strollers. the way that the times are, you cannot really cross the street in time to make the connection. the lesson is to do your homework. think about the people. supervisor mirkarimi: thank you. next speaker, please. >> walter paulson. ♪ i hope that you fix van ness and fix the rest. by what the best from you and i

want you to fix van ness and make it the best we have seen ♪ supervisor mirkarimi: and the other public comments? seeing no one, public comment disclosed. madam clerk? >> [roll call vote] the item passes. supervisor mirkarimi: next item, please. >> item #6. increase the amount of the authority's professional services contract with jacobs engineering group by $1,054,565, to a total amount not to exceed $2,854,565, for environmental analysis for the geary bus

rapid transit project and authorize the executive director to negotiate contract terms and conditions. supervisor mirkarimi: comments or questions? seeing no one, this is open for public comment. please. >> jackie stocks, member of the cac transportation authority. i have been working on this project since january of 1986. before they had a transit task force they looked into the feasibility of having a light rail project on that street. that was put on the ballot in 1989 and grandfathered into prope k. thus rapid transit was nowhere

to be found. what about the light rail, people asked. there is a stop at union square. there is a spurt for light rail possibilities on geary. before you go forward with this project, i suggest that you all look into the background of this project to see the work that has been done over the last 20 years to try to make bus rapid transit. you'll have the same problems there that i mentioned you would have with emergency vehicles. supervisor mirkarimi: next speaker, please. >> ♪ we need good services and i

hope that you make it to the bus stop and i give it all i hope you give it all you can give and to make it to the bus stop at the top ♪ supervisor mirkarimi: thank you. further public comments? seeing no one, public comment disclosed. can we take this without objection? will call, please. >> [roll call vote]