everything works. provide engineering support to the design team for the terminal, and continue whatever is needed in the way of cost estimating, risk-management, help with property acquisition to get the engineering solutions and the cost of these solutions. we also need to work with muni because we will have a crossing of the new central subway, and we need to come up with a decent engineering solutions so both projects work smoothly. we also will be completing a dual mode alternative solution just in case we need to operate without full electrification on the peninsula. i hope this does not happen, but we need to have all contingencies available. that is the good thing about having a big corporation like prices. they have divisions that understand how to work with the fra and with the railroad systems. if there are any questions, i

would be happy to take them. >> on the response to the california rail high-speed eir document, we are doing that because we were noticed, and it is sort of a formality, or do we have substantive issues that we want to bring forward? >> yes, over the years, there have been a lot of substantive issues. when they come up with alternatives -- like one station that was not in the same location at all, the beale street alignment. obviously, we did a lot of engineering to show that that was not a practical solution, and high-speed rail accepted that. we are in a good position now where the engineers all know what we're doing, and the confidence level -- they are totally different companies.

progress has been very good in the last year. >> that is good to hear. years ago, they were -- they made specifications that everybody would scratch their heads at an ask what a country that high-speed rail runs in. >> that is why we have been doing that. some of the specifications were unnecessary, and we have been reaching agreements. sometimes, they are only arguing over 20 seconds difference in travel time, depending on the link of your buffer at the end of the platform for the radius you approach on, and i think common sense is now coming to the forefront. >> i also sit on the alameda county transportation commission, and every once in awhile, over my objections, up comes the ultimate pass variation and things like that. kind of tried to play that down

and say that it really is not productive and we really should not be getting involved, but it is alameda county, so i do not prevail in that. but there are issues that come up here where the alternative really needs to be addressed in some sort of -- i am just thinking that it just needs to die, but at some point, it looks like that is getting threatening, i would like to know. i know that it does not work in alameda county. it just seems to have a life of its own, i'm afraid. >> we will keep you posted. the tjpa has not taken a position. director harper: and i do not know what if it needs to. >> our main discussion has been what happens at the county line. i attend all the meetings.

parsons assist me in writing background information, cost estimates, and layouts.

motion? -- all in favor? >> item 12 is approved. we move to item 13, approving the recommend applicants to the transbay joint powers authority citizens' advisory committee. >> i just wanted to say that at the last board meeting, ortiz vice, and director -- vice chair ortiz and director kim asked that we do a little more outreach, and we did. with the further out -- it, we have some new members to recommend to the board, and bob will give more information on

that -- with the further out reach we did. >> we do have eight positions on our cac up for appointment or reappointment. we have 15 total members of our citizens advisory committee. as maria mentioned, after bringing an initial slate for recommendation to the board, we did go back and do additional outreach , including advertising to a number of different publications, and re- circulation to our partners. the solicitation resulted in an additional six applications. after reviewing all of the applications, the various constituencies that they represented, we have incorporated three of those additional applications in the group that is being brought

forward for recommendation, so with the current recommendations, we have five new members coming to the cac and three members of for reappointment. i can answer any questions you have on applications for the process. director harper: thank you. director kim: could you go over the increased diversity of these applicants? >> yes, the three additional applicants being brought forward for recommendation -- one of them is african-american. one is korean-american, and one is biracial african-american and caucasian. director harper: members of the public wish to speak on this item? >> [inaudible] director harper: ok, is there a motion for approval of the appointments as submitted?

second? any objection? all in favor? >> aye. >> item 13 is approved. director harper: that is the meeting. all right, thank you all. >> thank you very much. >> thank you very much.

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>> thanks for all of you being here. in january when i was sworn in, there were five major objectives that i wanted to accomplish. a pension reform was at the top. as i went through all of the town hall meetings on the budget, i indicated to the budget -- to the public that we needed to fix our financial house in the city. at the beginning of this conversation when he leaves started meeting, we had choices to make right at the beginning. the choices included whether or not we're going to hold out for months finger of blame -- claiming for what occurred.

or whether we would get to work and at the numbers tell us what we needed to do. as precisely what we set out to do and allow those numbers, the numbers that we have been quoting as the numbers we had to attack. the financial house of the city , it would allow ourselves to focus as we have done. i like to thank the people that are standing beside me as well as the ones in the back of me having spent quality time in coming up with a consensus, a comprehensive plan that we believe will fix the problem for the long-term. i'm happy to announce that we have at least a sponsor's if not more to present this pension proposal to the board going through the rules committee and eventually the full board for

the ballot. having said that, i want to emphasize that this proposal is comprehensive. it looks that not only the numbers that have been talked about with all of the press and all of you, the looks of the programs that we have put in place. and we have been contributing to a program that we have not been able to afford in a number of years. and also do it in the fashion that provides a dignified attention to those that have contributed many of their years of this wonderful city. i am proud to say that in working on this, we also have the choice about whether or not we would do it as a government or do it as a collaboration of people that were concerned about working families in this city. and making sure that we talked

to everybody and had every voice heard. we start in january up to now 4.5 up to five months of a concerted effort to reflect a comprehensive approach. it reflects a dialogue that is transparent. it reflects labor leaders, officials, the private sector as long as regent as well as the non-profit sector contributing about how the city can work together to make sure that we have a solvent pension system before us. we're looking at the system not just for the short term, but for the long term. we have ever imposed that we believe will save the city between 800 and billion dollars in the next 10 years. allowing the pension system to be solvent during those years and wander into the future. as you know, reforming pension alone will not ensure that the

city will be fiscally sound. i've also been working hard to balance the budget and we will be a announcing those measures next week as we report to the board of supervisors. have committed ourselves to doing five-year budgeting and five-year financial planning. that has also been very helpful to understanding how the pension system works and how it is part of the fiscal soundness of the city. it is painfully evident that not just in san francisco but every city across this country has been facing the pension system and making sure that that challenge is confronted. in different cities have different approaches. with a voice of the san francisco would have a special approach. that is the consensus in bringing everybody under the

tent to talk through what these numbers mean and what we can do to contribute. a lot to thank all of the people who stand beside me as well as those that have initially signed on the include all of the supervisors here today. this proposal ties back into investing in our neighborhoods and our communities. as i have said many times with this of the city, we can make city services increase and be maintained as well as proper investments to keep families in our city. is a halt what i want to reemphasize a consensus proposal levels in the city leaders, business, community in the nonprofit [unintelligible] no matter what level of work you have in the city, we will

contribute to the solution. we're seeking long-term reform in this proposal in the form of new and lower benefits that we have yet to hire and immediately relief in the form of current employees for the existing level benefits that we apply. it is important to show in this consensus plan that its comprehensiveness will be reflected in its ability to provide pensions biking, caps pension benefits, it raises the retirement age, it requires existing in the new employees to share health care costs. and it uses a sliding scale to protect lower wage earners of our employee group. if it does probably the most important thing that other pension plans you've been reading about the not do. a requires a greater contribution to the health trust fund.

finally you have questions about the other plans. and i will say to you that the other plans that may be have been developed under closed doors and with smaller numbers of people have not had the transparency that this process had nor has it been reviewed ha literally or with all the different actuarial reviews. the actuarial and the private sector as well as ours in the controller's office and those that we have hired and certainly have passed muster with the city attorney's office. have included the months that, representatives of the labor unions, moderates and progressives. the downtown business representative as well as members of the board of supervisors. i would like to recognize the tremendous effort that supervisor elsbernd has given to this process since day one. [applause]

and i know from the very first day that we met and talked about this, there was a healthy level of cynicism that was displayed. one that was probably a arrested with a lot of things that have gone proper for many years. the really keen look at what the retirement system wasn't doing. and as it was brought up with others in the discussion, we got better and better at allowing him members to speak to us. when you take into account of the health contributions in the pension contributions, we have a serious comprehensive plan that is reflecting the consistency -- the consensus. it is important that we don't leave people behind.

and we have done that. our plan is fair and is responsible. protect city services, and it ensures that our workers can retire in dignity and continued access to health care plans across the rest of this exceediy less affordable. >with that, i would like to welcome to this podium someone we have been working very closely with. come out for us. [applause] >> thank you, mr. mayor. they did make me promise not to play the banjo. [laughter] so that will not happen. this is truly an historic day for san francisco. we all worked on this. to think -- in the mayor touched

on this point -- this is a huge nationwide problem it is being approached in various ways. adversarial, dictatorial, some cooperation. it is really in san francisco we have been able to come together. i do not want to belabor the point because it has been made, but we have taken the lead nationally and a plan -- in a plan that has majorly contributed -- that has been majorly contributed to by the unions in our city, the administration, and a number of other sources. i think there will be real surprised nationally when they see san francisco taking the lead. so, i am thrilled.

i keep thinking i belong to some native american tribe. thank you. thank you all of you, for what you have done. i am thrilled to be part of this. thank you. >> that held the senate on the board of supervisors, -- cynic a on the board of supervisors, sean elsbernd. supervisor elsbernd: thank you, mr. mayor. the mayor was right there behind all the numbers in every nuance, and really throughout the process. i cannot tell you how much i appreciate that. let's thank mr. helmland. here we are. admittedly, i was a cynic.

i was not sure this process would deliver. it absolutely has. this is a real reform. this is a real proposal that every single san franciscan can be proud to support come november. i think it is important to state we will save up to $800 million over the next 10 years. that is real sacrifice from our public employees. this is our current employees stepping forward and making real sacrifices. individual families will be sharing the burden. that is something that needs to be recognized and shown tremendous gratitude. i fully expect the voters in november will show that gratitude. i know the members of the board who are here appreciate that. so, thank you to the mayor. thank you to the public

employees who are here for stepping forward. [applause] mayor lee: part of this effort has been a new found relationship between the mayor's office and the board of supervisors. we cannot do it without leadership from both sides, lowering everything from egos to pass the blame and getting through the work of the city. i want to thank president david chiu for helping to lead this on the board. each time i met with individual members on the board, the wool idea of the pension was always an update. i want to thank all of them for their contributions, for their ideas, for keeping things moving forward, and their positive attitude for a very complex and comprehensive challenged that we had. supervisor and for president david