into 11 and continue the rest to the call of the chair. >> i think that is excellent, and mr. varni, who are now well, he is someone with a citywide constituency, frankly more appropriate for the mayor to a point, and i would not want to let mr. ramirez become a mayoral appointee. i want him to be a board appointee. i'm very impressed novel -- very impressed with your presentation today, and i know that the mayor probably will appoint mr. varni before we even ratify the is. i am not too worried about any disruption at the commission, and i think mr. ramirez would be a great addition. supervisor kim: thank you. in addition, i also wanted to support mr. ramirez after hearing your presentation today. it is also great to get more members that are from san

francisco. i am not one of them on this committee, but i sit next to two supervisors were born and raised here, and being a former board of education commissioner, i appreciate mission high school representing, and also that you have a son who is serving as well. i want to thank incumbents that came today, both for your service in our country and your service on the veterans affairs commission and your willingness to continue your service. i have not had the pleasure of meeting mr. varni, but i trust my colleague, supervisor elsbernd, that he is a great person, and i support my colleagues in asking the mayor to appoint him as well. i believe we have a motion asking to move forward those five candidates for the seeds, and supervisor farrell has made a positive recommendation to the full board. without objection. -- five candidates for the seats. thank you.

>> madam clerk, will you please call item 8? >> item 8, a hearing to consider appointing six members, terms ending november 23, 2013, to the shelter monitoring committee. supervisor kim: thank you. members of the public to take your conversation outside so we can continue our meeting, that would be appreciated. we also have many members applying for the shelter monitoring committee today. could members of the public please take your discussions outside? thank you. i'm sorry, we are not getting started yet. for clarification, we have six seats and 10 applicants for those seats. i believe linda pettye, reginald of shock, and elizabeth ancker

have been appointed to other seats and therefore are not eligible -- reginald upshaw. we have 10 applicants and 6 seats. is that correct? >> yes, and i would like to point out will daley is also pointed for seat 5, even though it is not listed on the agenda. supervisor kim: did he applied for seat 5? >> actually, i am not eligible [inaudible] supervisor kim: ok. you can let us know that when you come forward. were there any other applicants that had more eligibility? i heard that maxine calls it is not eligible for 5 and 6. is that correct? >> i have not heard that one. >> i'm going to -- supervisor

kim: i'm going to call you on the order you are listed in the agenda. i know several of you have already spoken to the committee already. if you spoke to us at the last rules committee, i asked you either to limit your comments for, you know, we are ok if you do not present again because we have heard you. first of -- oh, i'm sorry. yes, let's hear from staff first then. good at -- >> good afternoon, supervisors. we are the staff for the shelter monitoring committee. several people had written letters of recommendation for some of your applicants and had to leave, so there are copies of those. one of those is a letter regarding maxine's pauson's status and the difference seat she is eligible for. in addition, i am giving to the clerk a memo that outlines the

responsibilities of committee members. i just want to spend some time highlighting some important things that you can consider when you are listening to people apply for the positions. in the last three quarters, the committee has failed to meet the minimum required size, so a crucial part of the committee is conducting site inspections at the city shelters and drop in residences. it portion of committee members have failed to do that work, so it needs to be really clear to people who are interested that this position requires at minimum 10 hours, and some of the more active committee members will tell you it is actually more like 20 or 30 hours a month of worked. it is really important that committee members can be respectful to staff at sites, even when there is a disagreement, and that they

carry that respect to the clients. it is important that any person interested in serving on committee has a clear understanding of what the committee's legislative function it is and works within those parameters. the biggest problem that we come across, i say, is the same as the site visits, and mark will speak a little bit to death. for the last two years, we have had inconsistent spanish- speaking committee members, so that put a burden on committee staff, but it also denied language access to people who utilize the shelter system. >> so, we are lacking language capacity with the latino community. basically, we have not had somebody assigned that can speak

both languages. that affects us in a way because we do have shelters that are only spanish-speaking, and by not having a committee member that can speak the language, then that is one of the reasons we are now up to the numbers. so we do want somebody that is committed, that is spanish- speaking as a member. right now, we have done a lot of outreach, but unfortunately, we are getting nowhere. >> when people come up and speak, if you could just ask them if there is not a language capacity, if there is a cultural capacity about dealing with people where english is not their first language. supervisor kim: could you remind

me again how many seats there are on this committee? >> there are 13. three are appointed by the mayor. two our city employees. there are four seats appointed by the local homeless coordinating board, and this body of wants six seats. supervisor kim: thank you. ok, at this time, we are going to call forward applicants in the order that you are listed on the agenda. sabanur amatillah ali bey. if i call your name, please come up. g.d. kerns -- judy kerns.

i misheard you when you were giving public comment. >> my given name is patricia l.. -- patricia farrell. i spoke last time, but i wanted to add that now, i am living in the streets, and it is a perfect example of how the city has failed. i have, as i said before, ideas. i'm not going to share them openly, but one is $3.1 million that could be added to the city's budget almost by the swipe of it 10. i have imbedded myself within the system when i returned to san francisco last year, and since that time, i have developed high cholesterol that has went from 20 milligrams up to 80. i take nitroglycerine now for

panic attacks. i have been in the hospital several times with those conditions. i have had -- i have two denial of services. i do not know whether to be proud of that or not, but it is kind of alarming, given that i've put in so many volunteer hours doing data entry for their sro system that no one on an upper level really came to my defense when i was being attacked by the different people, including judy kerns >> greater than [inaudible] -- kerns. >> [inaudible] supervisor kim: you will have your own time to speak. >> when i got the 90-day

referral, they found their own way to dos me. it's alarming that you would have a person staying at a shelter, and doing the care not cash, using a different address and collecting the full amount of welfare. it is alarming you have drugs being transferred in and out of the bayview. it is alarming that you would have a crack cocaine be sold and used within the next or shelter. there is a lot of these things that i bear witness. i have their witness to one act of violence that put me in a position where i had to write up what i observed in order for the woman who was supposedly the perpetrator to be removed so that she could be protected. you really have a lot of kind of gangland violence going on at shelters, and it appears that if you are not a dope addict,

alcoholic, transgendered, anything that would be negative -- if you are just kind of normal, everyday person who needs that helping hand, there is something wrong with you. and again, i am 60 years born and raised in the bay area. when i came back from georgia, and i am merely alarmed at how easy it is for all these people all over the united states to come into san francisco, francisco,ssi -- legally get ssi and lay up next door. i'm going to leave it at that because it is tmi, but you saw me come in with the big backpack and everything else. i have basically taken to the woods. i personally deal with the shelter issue on a federal level because of my situation for

three years. so even if i am not nominated for seat two, i will always have an interest in improving the shelter system, and myself, i find that i can do more good on the federal level and the city level, but that opportunity came about, and i really feel that i could contribute some neutral and positive ideas. thank you. supervisor kim: thank you. next we have judy kerns. >> thank you very much, and good afternoon, supervisors. i would very much be honored and appreciative should you appoint me to seek -- seat two on the shelter monitoring committee. a little bit of background. i will try to keep this concise. i have a bachelor's degree with over 20 years of business experience in the corporate

world, primarily in sales, customer service, and recruitment. i became homeless after two years of being out of work. very common problem today with the economic times. you can only stay at a friend's for so long without jeopardize in the friendship -- jeopardize a friendship. i became homeless and entered the shelter system last may. since then, i had been a shelter resident for a total of five months, a two different stints. because i could not secure employment, i then use that time in the shelters to start my own consulting business. i serve -- i service executive recruiters with my talents. and it is going fairly well, thank god.

i have lived in all three shelters here in san francisco, and they all have their own individual problems or issues that should be addressed. i was and have been very vocal with the current procedure -- complaint procedure in addressing health and safety issues, and would bring those forward to the supervisors at the shelter is when i felt it was necessary, and i believe they actually respected me for that because many of the women do not voice their opinions. i have served many times as the voice for many of the women on certain issues. i feel i also have commanded respect from the shelter residents because of my willingness and ability to be

vocal and bring important issues to management's attention. i learned really quickly what it is to be homeless, especially here in san francisco. there are many resources, and i'm very thankful for that. i learned a lot about people in general, and in sharing or learning of personal stories of other women and how they came to the shelters, why they were there, what their plans are for leaving, if any, and why they would even come back. there is a definite problem there, and a big part of it is due to illness is that they are either in the nile of, they did not seek treatment for, or they do not take their medications. that seems to be a real core

issue. many of the disturbances typical of what takes place in the shelters. >> [inaudible] >> ok, yes, i'm sorry. in summary, i feel i am well qualified to serve on the shelter monitoring committee, based on my business experience, my leadership skills, my ability to be a good listener. i have always been very passionate and caring about others, and i feel i can contribute a lot, make a difference for those still living in the shelters and support their needs. on the issue of the site visits, because i do have my own business, i have a lot of flexibility in my schedule, and i do have a limited knowledge of the spanish language. supervisor kim: thank you very much. thank you for addressing those

questions. next we have maxine pauson. is maxine here? >> hello. i'm maxine pauson. do you want me to just say -- i spoke before. i do not know. i did get a new letter from the coalition on homelessness which makes me eligible for possibly not three, but possibly four, five, and six. if the requirement for one is waived, living with a homeless child under age 18, i could be a candidate for the foot -- for one. >> [inaudible] >> yes.

supervisor kim: thank you. charles pitts, who i know has also spoken. if you could just be brief as well. then, we have never -- deborah muise. >> just a quick question -- did you receive all five letters of recommendation? supervisor kim: we have several, yes. >> just wanted to make sure you got all five. i just wanted to say that i have attended lots of meetings regarding homelessness. i have been attending the shelter monitoring committee possibly for the past three years. i also have brought up several issues regarding have the ability issues, and i have spoken about some of these things continuously, so some of those things have changed. i am going to throw something else on top.

when congressman build a library in the next or shelter, and as soon as he got this building it, they closed it, so i started to speak about that. and then it eventually got open. i have also been speaking about a lot of policy and procedure. i think between that and some of the sunshine ordinance task force complaints that i have filed, a lot of the policy and procedure has started to slowly change. i think the other thing -- i'm just going to try to keep it quick, but i have a dream, like a vision where people can come into the shelter systems, repair their lives, and then move on. just to rebuild their lives. i have attended several different meetings. so just try to put it all

together, like a stream from possibly employment to the sro task force and other things. >> [inaudible] supervisor kim: thank you very much. next, we have deborah muise. i believe you spoke with us last -- >> i will be very brief. since i last spoke, i have continued with the homelessness on six, and going through church street, trying to feed the homeless. i still continue with my work in the community. handing out clothing to the homeless as well. it is pretty much the same, i just wanted to say hello. supervisor kim: thank you so much for being here today. we appreciate it.

kathy, we know you were here last week as well. >> i manage the next door shelter with 334 beds. sanctuary shelter with 200 beds, and an additional 60 to 100 beds. the two main points i would like to make an reiterate is that my view for the shelter monitoring committee is not only to police and to monitor the shelters, but also to increase communication, problem solving, and collaboration. secondly, what i would challenge the committee if i were to become part of it, would be to look for new resources. we already are facing budget problems, and i would challenge the committed to work for collaborative grants and other resources that could be shared. supervisor kim: i have a question. by the way, thank you. now that we have met a few times, i am familiar with the work you do.

do you see it as a conflict to be on this committee since you do work for jim of the will of our major shelters? to be on the monitoring committee? >> i do not see it as a conflict. i know that some folks on the committee do. from the time that i have been director since july 6, i have been working with the committee to improve our standards in both shelters. as far as being able to do the site visits, we are the big two. the third is msa self. that is 500-some of them is that i would be able to do site visits with. i do not view it as a conflict. -- 500-some-odd beds. supervisor kim: when there are complaints at the shelters you work with, how do you engage the committee? >> i have with me supervisors and site visitors, and there are times when i will go in and respond to the complaint also. i do some of the riding --

writing, i would say 50% or 60%, depending on how busy we are. supervisor kim: thank you so much for coming in. amanda e-mail us to let us know she could no longer make it. she was here last time, exactly. >> thank you. just to clarify, i believe i am eligible for three, four, and six, and i did speak before you before. i just wanted to speak to what supervisor farrell said. i was telling a co-worker the other day that three years into the work, i feel more passionate about it now than i ever have. to be on this committee -- i have not worked this out with my employer, but i'm actually lose money by being on the committee, and it is something i feel strongly that i want to do. thank you for your time.

supervisor kim: thank you. and i'm pretty sure she is not here, but i will call rev. megan rohrer. ok, she is not here. is there any public comment on this item? i know that there are many members of the public that our meeting has gone longer than they had expected. >> good afternoon, supervisors. former member of the shelter monitoring committee. i just want to quickly reiterate my strong support for maxine and charles. both of them worked at the inception of the standards of care workshop that created the legislation that was approved by you. let me just say that i am disappointed that there are no spanish-speaking applicants in

front of you today. i think that is a failure by the nonprofits that he delegated the responsibility and having four of the six seats, so either the nonprofits need to do a better job in our reach -- outreach to spanish-speaking homeless people, or you need to amend your legislation and not rely on nonprofits for a spanish- speaking member. finally, let me say again that i am in opposition to ms. treggia ri as a member of this committee. she, again, will not be able to do inspections of two of the three largest homeless shelters in the system. moreover, she is a non-resident of the city of san francisco. she lives in hayward.

and you have more than enough qualified applicants that reside in this city. so a residency waiver is not appropriate. thank you. supervisor kim: thank you. >> hello, supervisors. i am a member of the local homeless coordinating board for the city. one of the letters that mr. hits -- mr. pitts would have been written -- referred to would have been written by myself and my colleagues in support of his application. it is always a bit disappointing when one of the really important committees like the shelter monitoring committee, is not fulfilling all of its responsibilities. we heard that the committee has fallen short on a number of occasions in fulfilling its monitoring obligations, so the local homeless for relies on

committees to report the condition of shelters in our role as both an advocate of the shelter as well as a monitor of that kind of activity. it really helps us to get accurate and consistent input, and when that does not happen, we are not able to fully exercise our responsibilities. mr. pitts has been absolutely consistent in his attendance both at the local homeless coordinating board and the shelter monitoring committee. he has provided passionate and insightful and put into the services there. as someone who is absolutely available and has experienced many of those services for himself. his motive, from our experience with him, has been right on point in wanting to make the system better for those who utilize it and for those who utilize all homeless services in the city, so we strongly endorse his application, and we

would appreciate consideration. supervisor kim: thank you. any other public comments? >> i spoke last time in favor of charles pitts as well. a caricature was provided on the front page of the "wall street journal, as far as his participation in a story that they did. charles mentioned last time -- he did not mention it today, but he said that he is a volunteer at a soup kitchen, and i found that to be very humble because the soup kitchen that he is volunteering at is a very famous soup kitchen. so famous that when the dollar llama -- the dollar lama visited san francisco -- the dailai lama visited san francisco, he went there to hand of food, and decided to handle lunch