we sent them through expensive processes. clearly this permit process has been very inconsistent. >> thank you, colleagues. any questions to the parties who have been part of the hearing? if not, this hearing has been conducted, and item 4 is closed.

>> thank you, and i want to bring this up to the parties of interest, and i want to thank the members of the public who live in my district and district 94 coming to speak on this -- district 9 for coming to this. at the end of the day, the question before us is whether or not there is a basis to grant the appeal and reverse the categorical exemption brought by the planning department, and having reviewed the materials,

having listened carefully to each side, including the comments and report from the planning department, i personally do not believe there is a basis to grant this repeal for the reasons outlined in the response to the appeal, i believe we should affirmed the findings of the planning department, specifically the application that is an issue. it is not final, dense -- and the permit has been determined to be exempted from further environmental review curio -- review. i would move that we table items 6 and 7 and that we

approve item five of the agenda. >> second. >> can we take roll-call votes. [: votes -- calling votes] >> there are 11 ayes. >> the motion passes. >> i asked that we can re-refer a number of us back to roll call. i understand there are a number of colleagues that wish to make

quick presentations. if you wish to be referred back to roll call. >> it says it is gone. i was not speaking in to itch. -- into it. i am making a request for a bed of the hearing. this is an issue across san francisco, anywhere from low income housing to hotels, and there are a number of outbreaks, mainly because they automatically track the infestations because of the type of and bugs involved. i do want to acknowledge the number of advocates that have

been working on this with the board, including supervisor daly and walker, who is also an active community leader, and i really look forward to working with her on this issue. >> item also calling a hearing on south of market -- i am also calling a hearing on south of market as well. >> i would like to announce the committee assignment for 2011. i want to thank you all for the conversations we have had. a native of these committees reflect the need and we have for an unprecedented collaboration during a time of transition with the challenges we are facing regarding budget deficit, local

economy, and many challenges we are facing. i think it is important we have a structure that allows us to work together as well as we karen. i have just circled a letter to our clerk. i am pleased with the following assignments. our chair will be supervisor chu. the third member will be supervisor came, and starting on march 1, the temporary members will include supervisor wiener and myself. this will be chaired by supervisor avalos, and supervisor elsbernd will be the third member of that committee. supervisor: will serve as share along with supervisor avalos -- supervisor cohen will share

along with supervisor avalos -- chair along with supervisor avalos. plan to use, supervisor cohen will serve second. at our rules committee, supervisor came will serve as a share. supervisor elsbernd will serve as vice share -- chair. these committee assignments will be effective as of thursday. next week we do not have a board meeting. the first meetings will occur the week of the 24th. my office will meet to

determine the weekly schedule so we can ensure an orderly flow of meetings during the week, and i want to thank you for this conversation. why don't we move to our adoption calendar, as items 12 through 14 are for immediate adoption. these will be enacted with a single roll call vote. >> would anyone like to sever any of these items? if we could take a roll call vote. >> [calling folks -- votes] there are 11 ayes.

are there any in memoriams for today? >> it will be adjourned on behalf of supervisor mirkarimi. on behalf of supervisor elsbernd for the late john kroll. on behalf of president chiu, for the victims from the tucson arizona shooting. >> is there any more business in front of the board to dave herman -- in front of the board thomas boar -- board? >> that includes the items.

>> we are adjourned.

>> 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]

>> about four years ago, [inaudible] look at how beautiful this was. there is our relationship to the planet. these regions are the wealthiest, the most powerful. that really has impacted the planet. it is almost impossible now to go anywhere and had it really be completely dark. there are very few locations that you can find. that means our relationship to the sky, there is a way where we dominate the sky. we cannot see anything really. we are blinding ourselves in a way.

>> you can look at the images, they are beautiful. when i started four years ago, there was a conversation about environmental issues that was very different. this is not being talked about in the way it is now. . this has just been like an amazing growth. i anticipate the project to be something that opens a dialogue to public interest in these ideas.