that five or 10 months from now, we can see a different measurable number? is there something we can put together that helps us understand whether we are making any progress in trying to reduce this problem for many of our neighborhoods? that is something i would like to see. two final points -- in terms of the options, what we have heard today is not a whole lot of options that are really viable. we heard the idea of a stand by train, but we heard also that it is expensive. we have heard of the option of a potential express line, but what is the likelihood of that being implemented, given where we are with our budget constraints? i'm looking for things that will be implemented all, things that really could work -- things that will be employmentable -- things that will be implementable,

things that really could work. supervisor avalos: just to reiterate that, mentioning an option does not make the problem go away. it is nice to say that is an option, but if you have no intention of actually implementing that option, please do not mention it. that is something that i think is important to note. supervisor chu: with regards to communication, i do appreciate the changes that the m.t.a. has made in terms of improving communications to riders. better communications is not a solution to the problem. it is something we should have been doing to begin with. letting people know where the end stock was really should have already been done -- letting people know where the end stop was. again, just with regards to the

options, communications is not a solution. it is not something that is going to really help with the problem. with that, i do want to thank you for your presentation. i know it is not easy to come before the board, especially on issues that are difficult to tackle, but i hope we can make some progress on that. i would like to continue this to the call of the chair if that is agreeable. ok, continued to the call of the chair. without objection. are there any other items before us? >> no, madam chair. supervisor chu: thank you. we are adjourned.

>> this is a dpw corporation yard. i work for the bureau of street environmental services used to be street cleaning. we are a new age. >> here we are. >> here we are. >> clean. >> these are our communications dispatchers. hi. okay, no problem.

you are welcome. bye-bye. >> all the information about the location, the nature of the complaint and we dispatch it. >> near the steps. >> by new they have started a hundred calls for dispatchers. >> once a get a request if they are not on the air i will page that unit. these are the radio channels. we have 14 channels. i will give a service request. >> there is a lot of expertise that goes into a call. i think we can have you dispatch and track. >> 448. >> 448. >> 19th at california. >> can you give us a little bit

of a view. >> we have the city broken up to different districts. we will go to zone e. we will go to iowa street. put me to work. >> okay. >> bend it over like that. we chop it. >> while you do this if you come across something that looks hazardous, material wise, >> like this paint? >> you can't take paint. >> that gets dealt with by? >> we have a patrol truck thal

pick up the paint. >> we have tv monitors and tires. you want to look for needles we don't mix needles with the garbage. >> you have to be a positive person in a way to deal with this job. you are dealing with areas you know it's been cleaned. >> basically it happens a lot where you clean up an area. you come back a couple of days later and it's back to that again. we more or less are used to it. that's -- it's our job. you have to get used to it. it's a fact. that's the way it is. >> sure. yeah. >> okay.

>> what do you think, are you ready to sign up? >> totally. i'm over dressed. >> a little warm? must be the sweat. >> part of the daily routine is george our steamer. you see the wall people urinate on the and the sidewalk. a trick. i get it up like this. somebody got to do it. the bigger they -- >> pull the trigger. >> careful, the water's really hot, too. >> i have been on a packer

truck. i painted removed graffiti. my favorite. >> what's that smell? pine. one of my favorite, a guy got his head stuck in a trash can. we had to get vasoline and rub his ears. [laughter]. what goes on here we will empty out and clear this area. >> ever find stuff like drugs or anything? do you deal with that. >> i don't know, do you find anything? >> everything's trash. >> dave, let's get a little of that. >> the way to do it easier without opening the can is push off the debris off the top and

you are topping off the can. we are not supposed to empty the can. there is a can on every corner. sometimes we get calls the majority of my work is done on eyesight if i see it i do it. downtown we fill up 3 or 4 times a day. >> daily it could change and be various different assignments that come up. we can swing by, we see some of the trucks unloading in the area. >> this is our dump site, this is where we dump the debris. we come twice a day to unload all the trucks. i need you to go on up there and he will assist you to unloading the mattress and the futons. >> okay.

okay. >> sometimes you see it popping out. you have to be very careful. pushing in and down. pull it out. >> you have been here once earlier? >> did you have as much stuff? >> more. >> oh , my god. >> did you survive your day in dpw? >> i did i learned quite a bit. the packing truck. shovelling stuff. the steamer i thought i was a candidate for an industrial accident. >> we have 340 employees. most of the people out there do

it every day. >> i'm ready to turn in my vest. >> did a good job today. >> would you pass him on probation. >> yes. see you tomorrow at 6

>> right on time. i am grateful that a number of you showed up today. i thought we had just a few people being sworn in. i kid you not. i was thinking we could do this in my office. we would have only been able to get a 10th of you in there. i am grateful that you took the time to be here. i thought this would be my last swearing in as mayor but i have two people, supervisor dufty, tomorrow that i will quietly swear in. this is the last public swearing in of my tenure as mayor. i do hear some claps on the

other side. i am glad i do not hear any on this side. somebody picked up on that. -- some of you picked up on that. [laughter] i am appreciative of department heads being here. of course, our city attorney dennis herrera, who has taken the time to be here, phil ting, bevan dufty, the ubiquitous supervisor, and so many leaders, particularly from the labor community, chief of staff, and particular, the rank and file of my favorite local, 261. [applause] truly my favorite.

they are here for you, vince. i am pleased to be swearing in six individuals and i am honored that two were recently and overwhelmingly supported by the board of supervisors as a member of their other applicants were rudely rejected for purely political purposes. but i am over that. but i needed to state that publicly. that is sometimes the way people act when they cannot make the right decisions. sometimes they make the wrong ones. in this case, they made the right ones with the two of you and supported vince courtney to the public utilities commission -- [applause]

i guess i should have appointed him four years ago. little did i know. i should have mentioned him last time. that is unfair to the other commissioners. i know jason does not even have a friend here. [laughter] he does, jason elliot, department of the environment. leona bridges. we are proud of her as well. [applause] >> how many have dealt lta sigma

theta in the house? [applause] >> our collegiate expert, supervisor dufty. we talk about behavioral health and mental health, and i say that in the context of anyone who wishes to serve on the mta board. leona clearly passed the test and i am glad she did. it is pretty remarkable with all of the warfare as it relates to public transit in our city, dealing with $220 million in state cuts over the past few years. we have been running surpluses at muni had the state not gone in and drawn down nearly a quarter billion. that became the biggest challenge in your biggest frustration in the last few

years. so we are navigating through that. that has been the struggle. we are going to be on a much firmer footing in the future. leona will be a big part of the new direction, particularly with the transit effectiveness plan. we have a real information to which we can make decisions about augmentation and changes, and that is the first time in over decades. ed harrington was a big part of that as comptroller. i really do feel more optimistic than ever about muni. that is a hard thing to say, right? but i do have faith about its future. beverly, hang on. a big round of applause. [applause]

this is a big deal. the mayor gets one appointment to the ethics commission. the ethics commission is a big deal, particularly when a lot of elections are going to take place, mayor's race, all of the public financing. we had a great meeting yesterday to talk about integrity, honesty, calling strikes, even if your friends are on the other side. you have to stand up and do the right thing. beverly was ahead of me on all these things. i gave this a lot of thought and did not make a precipitous decision in terms of this appointment. i am very grateful that beverly said yes, and i am also grateful if you would also give her a round of applause. it is her birthday. [applause] happy birthday, beverly. [applause] i have known lorna for many

years. she has been around since the old days of the school district. those were challenging days. we were on not getting along. it was challenging. lorna always stood out as someone trying to bridge those gaps, try to work for all those challenges. she has done some amazing work with an organization that only does good work, focuses on best practices, mckinsey, a great think tank. we have talked a lot about how great she would be. she has been an advocate for women's rights, advocate for girls. we thought it was appropriate to

appoint her to the commission on women. thank you for your willingness to serve. [applause] finally, i see francesca, our first department of the environment. there was an opening at the department of the environment and there wasn't a young guy that has driven a lot of us crazy because he is eager, enthusiastic, engage, and he plays above his weight, figuratively, not literally. that is jason elliott, whom i am honored to have served on the commission of the environment. he has been my policy guide. i am just going to -- at peril of being judged -- to be bragadotious. i will put up our record that we have done in the environmental

commission with any others. i am really proud of the work that has been done. i have great confidence jason will continue that work well beyond my tenure. which expires soon. [applause] the swearing in. i will ask each of you, if you could, to stand up, sit down if you must, but raise your right hand, which i insist upon. i will say i -- you will state your name, and then we will go down the road. you got it. vince, you got it? i --

do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states and the constitution of the state of california against all enemies foreign and domestic and i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion and that i will well and faithfully discharge the duties of which i am about to enter, and during such time as i hold the position as a member for the city and county of san francisco.

congratulations. [applause] >> welcome to "culture wire." i'm your host meg. for years, free jazz concerts have been providing entertainment in downtown san francisco. people pay local musicians to perform for lunchtime crowds. the goal is not just entertainth. people in plazas are trying to create neighborhoods. what began as a forum for

performers who were paid by passing the hat has become a program that provides wide exposure and more than 500 paid gigs annually for local musicians. from july through september, people in plazas produces almost 300 free performances in the lunchtime hour. the mission of people in plazas generates social congregation. and by having these events, we encourage people to make these plazas everybody's neighborhood. >> recently, the san francisco arts commission was awarded a $ 250,000 grant for the national endowment for the arts. to establish an arts district in the central market corridor between fifth and 10th street. throughout the yearing the arts commission will partner with people in plazas to activate the sidewalks along this stretch

with art installation, opening events, live music, and new arts and antique markets at u.n. plaza. >> this area has been sleighted for many years, at least the past 25 years. i think that this redevelopment project and the n.e.a. grant are very positive signs that we have political will and a lot of momentum to really make the mid market area what it could be, which is a vibrant area where everybody is welcome and it's a place to be in san francisco. >> to get a feel for the future of the central market arts and culture district, be sure to catch out an upcoming concert. for locations and times, visit peopleinplazas.org. to learn more about the central market revitalization initiative, visit sfartcommission.org. thank you for watching "culture wire."