compromise before us today. i think 55 feet, i remember having that discussion during the draft eir. a couple of commissioners met with the architect, more discussions were had wi. i do agree that what the neighbors said, there could be something done to brighten up the look. i don't know of that would be our. there is always something that can be done in there, i think. i don't think it is acceptable. for all of the reasons we heard today.

they're competing priorities in the general plan. i want to thank you for that. they had the courage to speak and talking about the experience, it was really courageous. i always thought that by my age, a lot of those expectations that people have, people are still stuck in certain expectations.

i want to admire you for having the courage to step out of these that people have for us. and for you. i think we have come to a pretty decent project. a think it is unfortunate that we could not be reaching this with a supervisor -- with supervisor farrell. we will continue to dialogue with him when, and we have not reached an agreement. we're always open to these continued the dialogues. -- continued dialogues. commissioner antonini: it seems to me that that is what we were looking at. should it be higher than that? i wanted to reiterate my support

for the projects, but i am thinking that the height is excessive for the reasons given before. i would like to ask a question about the motions. if i am reading these correctly, obviously, we will have amendments to create a special use district. there will be amendments the allow for a bonus for affordable housing to be on what is allowed by the planning code. the third thing is the zoning map amending from 40 to 55. you're amending it to allow a height above 40 feet as high as 55. is that what you're saying? >> there is x the 55 ft. height limits. that will only be afforded to

projects that have an affordable housing component. >> does it mean that the building could end up being 45 or 50 feet in height? >> anything under that height limit would be within the permissible building heights. commissioner antonini: but it would be possible for a building to be built. the supervisors could prove something that is of low or high. i am thinking of supporting 13a but not be. it allows flexibility and height. >> a lower building could be built in that height limit. >> i am supportive of the project, is the quickest way for

it to go through is with the compromise, having been on the commission for nine years. i have seen these things drag out. commissioner sugaya: i would like to lend my support to fellow commissioners for supporting the project as proposed. some of us income -- in addition to commissioner borden have met with the supervisor. i understand his compromise position. there are times i think that when district alexian's get in the way of larger city needs. i would urge the supervisor to take a look at the urgent need for this kind of project within his district.

i don't have much to add to what the other commissioners have said in terms of their supporting comments. there is one thing that i can tell you. let me tell you a little story that adds to my support of the project. sometime last year, i was in utah. i had a meeting with a colleague of mine that lives in los angeles. 92 years old. i had the pleasure of driving him for a couple of hours back to the salt lake city airport. we talked along the way about the fact that he grown up in san francisco. recovered various topics along the way. he asked where i live. one second later, he said 741

taylor. it dawned on me, i live at bush and taylor. it is the block to the south. it took me 20 seconds to figure that out, it took him one second because he had delivered fish to some establishment there that is currently the academy of art university facility. we got onto booker. i dunno if i was talking about it. i think he raised it because he had something to do with it. we never got to his exact relationship. the subject came up. the environmental impact report has been before us because they're proposing a new building. he said, they are still there? and i said, not only that, they're proposing a new development. he looked at me and his eyes got

really big and he says, that is all he needed to say for me to support this project. commissioner moore: could you please put to their record one quick clarification. and the height limit is measured midpoint on presidio avenue. >> that is correct. i think it is important to put to record because sometimes when buildings have been on the sloping side, people cannot understand what it really pertains to. it means one block on presidio is where the elevation will be measured. >> the address has nothing to do with where you take the height limit. >> it will be customary help with what ever. except for the fact that we

want him behind there, correct? >> i think it is unfortunate that there have been threats of things. if we did not respond to every threat of what ever appear, the project would be passed. this have to go by the merits of the project. >> are the separated? >> of the motion was on both. >> who made the motion? >> i did. >> approval of both with the findings. and monitoring program. including working with staff on any final details regarding the structure. >> and the building.

>> in dealing with some of those issues, that is what the neighbor mentioned. commissioner antonini: i was supportive of the first part but not the second. i don't need to go to the parliamentary maneuver. i will just vote for the package one where the other. >> on the motion for approval of both including the findings and the continued working with staff on the details. [roll call vote] it passes 5-1, commissioner antonini voting against.

[applause] commissioners, you are at general public comment. president olague: and the general public comment on an item that was not on today's calendar? the meeting is adjourned. >> welcome to "culture wire." on this episode, we explore what it means to the aged, in today's society -- what it means to be

chicana in today's society. chica chic features an array of artwork by five leading chicana artists that addresses a range of issues such as integration, sustainability, and integration. using a distinct visual approach, each of the artist's response to the shifting needs of their communities in ways that offer unique perspectives and multiple points of entry. >> the exhibition is to bring together the voices of a new generation chicana artists, all of whom reference the works of the civil-rights movement in their works, but they are also responding to a new cultural concerns and new cultural circumstances. >> the works in the show include a large canvas depicting a

woman washing the beach with her hair at the u.s./mexican border. the painting encourages the viewer to engage with the current debates over immigration and the politics of women and labor. influenced by the campaigns of the chicano civil rights movement, this oakland artist is a print maker whose work has helped and sustainability with the immigrant community as well as other current sociopolitical issues. this print-based work draws on appropriated agricultural worker manuals and high fashion labels to satirically address class issues, cultural identities, and consumerism. >> angelica -- her father was an agricultural worker, so she has drawn a lot from the materials the agricultural department sends to agricultural workers, referencing the depiction of farm workers and some of the

information about pesticide application. >> mitzi combines a variety of media, including embroidery, to create artifacts of mexican, chicano, pop culture. she greets immensely detailed drawings of celebrities on the same platform of her friends and families. her work combines elements of chicano portraiture and low writer art, rendered in upon new art style, or intricate drawings on handkerchiefs, also -- often associated with prison art. her portrait of three girls is among several of original posters by the exhibition artists, which are on view at various bart stations as part of a public campaign funded by the national endowment of the arts. from the outset, the curator felt it was important for the exhibition to have a public art components of the work could reach the widest possible

audience. more than just a promotion, the posters connect the work of these powerful artists with new audiences, including the vital chicano and latino community. images can be found in bart stations located in san for cisco and oakland. >> it is enormously exciting for me personally and for the institution. the poster with up right after new year's, and i remember very vividly -- i am a regular rider, and i went into the station and saw the first poster i had seen, it was incredibly exciting. it is satisfying to know that through the campaign, we are reaching a broader audience. >> for more information about

president mendoza: good evening, everyone. welcome to this meeting. our apoy poll jis for starting late -- our apologies for starting late. commissioner fewer: here. mauf commissioner murase: present. commissioner norton: here. commissioner wynns: here. vice president yee: here. president mendoza: here. >> here. >> here. men men if you'd like, please --

president mendoza: if you'd like, please join us for the pledge of allegiance. thank you. the approval of the board minutes. we have no approval tonight. the presentation to the board of education, the superintendent's report. >> good evening. first of all, i just want to give a big shoutout there of congratulations to the san francisco school of the arts for being named 2010-2011 california distinguished school and we really want to, you know, we're really proud of their efforts. there's only -- yeah. there's approximately 97 middle and high schools that are given this award this year and so to be in that top group, that shows that they're really work withing on closing the achievement gap.

i think it's really exciting. the other item i wanted to mention is that obviously yesterday the district was closed and i'm sorry to say because it was another one of those fur low days that we all dread and that's not dish don't see it as a good way to solve all of our problems but unfortunately last week we had a committee of the whole and we talked about the budget. it was outlined ow bleak our picture looks. we all know that we all think things are really bad right now and what's coming at us really shows that it's even going to get worse. that we're going to be moving from, you know, we're planning right now to cut $349 pursuant to and if you include health care costs and inflation costs, by next year a we're going to be looking at cutting $485 pursuant to in order to just maintain

this school district and that's not going to be an easy thing to do when you look at, you know, we just finished cutting $113 million for two years and for the next two years it's very clear that we're going to have to cut another $84 million. so -- and when you have a budget of about $500 million and you keep chopping $118 million, $117 million and then $80 million some more, pretty soon that budget's disappearing quickly. those are the realities that we're facing and i'm really sorry that we still have a lot of employees out there. i guess that's why i wore my pink shirt. all the pink slips that are out there. it's just a tragedy that we have to, you know, put that on the back of our great employees who are doing all they can do and i hope that this state gets its act together and starts addressing the issues before our young people end up having to pay the price. that's not a good situation. later on this evening, you know, we're going to be congratulating

lisa spinali and giving her accommodation. i really think that that's important because she's worked so closely with us. also this evening i'm excited the principal center collaborative, you're going to see some great students during that presentation this evening and hopefully having a good discussion. i think it's exciting to see that we're doing something about some of our students who have been in aging bungalows who are the most beat up bungalows in the school district and i want to thank them for being housed there so long. here's an opportunity to do something right for them and i welcome and am looking forward to their presentation. we have a lot of tough things ahead of us in the next year or two but i do think that the home way we're going to get through all of this is that everybody start working, especially pushing sacramento to make the right decisions because otherwise no matter what we do at a local level and we're lucky here in san francisco that we

have people who support our initiatives, to fund arts, music and all those things, but if you look across the entire state, all those things are going being just eliminated across this state of ours and i think that pretty soon we can't solve our way out of this issue by just cutting programs for children. i think it's unfair. so we have a lot of work ahead of us but we're in a city and in a place where we do have the attitude that things can be done and we hope that all san francisco ans stand up for our children because if we don't no one else will. thank you. president mendoza: thank you. and i actually just want to piggyback on your announcement about the horrible budget crisis that we're in the california teachers association and our very own local united educators will be conducting a week-long sitout in sacramento and there's a variety of different activities that will be coming up including legislative activities, staying in contact with every one of our parents,

appreciating our educators, talking more about the revenue and declaring a state of emergency for our public schools. and so stay close in touch with the california teachers association united et katers as this crisis really -- educators as this crisis really does become a reality for us. item c is recommendation of things. >> one of the good things is the fact that we do these rave reviews. we go out and recognize there's so many unsung heroes in our school district that we get a chance to celebrate with some of the great things that they do. and this evening i want to ask the principal at fairmont elementary school to come up and do our first award this evening. >> good evening. i was going to do this from memory but then i realized that these board meetings are on television.

i figured i'd prepare something in writing. good evening. my name is jeremy helinski. i believe that one of the most important responsibilities of an administrator is to identify and recognize the remarkable talent that exists within a staff and community. it's a pleasure and privilege to introduce to you our k-2 literacy specialist. so say that she goes above and beyond for our school and district would be the sincerest of understatements. in fact, i remember our first two conversations when i first accepted the position back in july of this past school year. the first conversation was an inspiring dialogue where we talked about reading assessments in which reading assessments would best support our teachers' planning targeted instructions and the second one was when she told me i better learn to load toner into the xerox machine.

now, i'm pretty good that the now thanks to monica. there's nothing that monica won't do for our school and our community. when she went on maternity leave we attempted to create a list of her job responsibilities for the substitute and after about the 30th item we decided that there was no way on earth a substitute was going to be able to do half of what we were putting on this list. she goes so far above and beyond for our community. i'm originally from upstate new york, we're huge hockey fans and the biggest commendation we can give a goalie is if we say that the goal where ay would stand on his head for his teammates. i truly believe that monica would stand on her head for our school, for our community, for our staff members. she's just that good. and from being an active member of our school council to helping our elac make sugar cane skulls, there's pretty much nothing she won't do, organizing our orientation, running incredibly engaging literacy groups for our

struggling and emerging k-2 readers, she's a reals a tote this school and it's a pleasure and dmb -- she's a real asset to this school and it's a pleasure to introduce her to you. a big round of applause for monday carks our literacy specialist -- for monica, our literacy specialist. >> i just want to dedicate this to the students because they are why i do what i do every day. and also my team members. thank you very much to the board for so few chances where teachers get kudos. we mostly get raspberries so i accept this on behalf of all the teachers out there that accept their conditions and come to school with a smile everyday and a lot of love for kids.

>> next i'd like to calm up co-director jordan smith. are there any of jordan's staff here this evening? >> do you guys know where he is? >> no. [inaudible] >> maybe we'll wait later on and if they come in we can give it to them or something. you're the ones receiving? then why don't you come on up?

>> san francisco unified wishes to honor the school for being a great group of teachers and mentors. education is a people business and we're only as strong as the people who work with our children and keep our schools open and running everyday. thank you for all you do and congratulations on receiving this well-deserved special service award. >> thank you very much and on behalf of my two co-workers and brent albert who is actually not here, we try very hard everyday and we give it our all.

president mendoza: this evening we have with an action item. i need a motion and a second, please. >> so moved. >> seconded. president mendoza: thank you. this is in commendation to lisa spinali authored by commissioner murase. commissioner murase: in accommodation to lisa spinali, for the past five years lisa spinali has led the san francisco school volunteers and the combined san francisco education fund, san francisco school volunteers as executive director, focusing work on tackling the barriers to academic achievement by partnering with people. whereas her career is dedicated to expanding community investment in public education since she graduated from the harvard business school, beginning with the position at american express where she was on loan to meche corps, the pioneering program to engage young people as teachers in

public schools nationwide. whereas in 1963 san francisco volunteers has promoted volunteerism among community members in our public schools and since 1979 san francisco education fund has created important private sector partnerships to expand resources to classrooms. drawing from the distinct strength of each organization, under the leadership of ms. spinali, the two respected organizations were merged into a single san francisco education fund. therefore be it resolved that the board of education for the san francisco unified school district commends lisa spinali for her distinguished tenure at the san francisco education fund and wishes her its best on her future endeavors. congratulations, lisa. >> thank you for that reading. president mendoza: before we present there this to you, we'd like to invite any public comment on this. so if there's any public speakers on behalf of lisa you're welcome to come up as we all