the selection process, and the contract talks. the one thing about this system, it is the only system in the country that can run this system. there is nothing out there to replace the current system. the current vendor has a system includes the rank-choice voting, for this process. the system that we have is what we can use for san francisco the system that we bought only four years ago. i asked for the board to approve this option, contract the us for an additional three years.

i don't know of any other funding source and no one has come forward to say that the money is available for new system. >> can i ask a few questions? but the conversation that we will have, many of us are wondering if we should do this, and if this fits into what we are trying to do. we actually purchased the system and own the equipment that we got with the investment of $9 million about four years ago. it makes no sense to buy this and equipment for $9 million, and use it for four years and then toss this out.

there could be a couple of scenarios planned out. this may completely go way, or we could have the rank choice boating, from what this is now. if we would approve this extension, how will we deal with this? we can turn off the module but if we tweak the system, how would we be able to manage this if we approve the contracts -- >> we have the existing agreement with the vendor, to provide the choice, and if the contract is expiring, i don't know if we can continue with

redeveloping with the process at the state and federal level, to bring this to the city for us to use this. we can have the contract in place to modify, which would potentially limit the motivation for the vendor to make these changes. >> with regards to the machines that we currently have, they are certified for us to run the election results. if we had to purchase a new system, we would have potentially higher standards that -- than currently exist. >> the current system is the 2002 standard, this was when the testing requirements took place. i think by the time they announced this -- this takes

care of the testing for the voting systems. and now this is the 2005 standard. this system would not pass the testing requirements. we will not purchase our own system back. we would not have the earlier testing cert. the 2007 requirements, this has not gone into testing or even -- we're looking in a situation where this system -- this is certified with the older standards but we have the current agreement with the vendor that will let us make some changes to the system. >> supervisor? >> i just want to make this very

clear. if, the voting is no longer utilized in the voting process and we turn this off with the machines, is there a potential reduction in the contracts in the future? >> there is a $70,000 license fee that we pay, annually, and if rank-choice voting goes away, we would not pay $70,000 for 2012. the other costs are not dependent on this, and so, they identify specifically now. >> there is the wrong choice component with the dominion? >> we pay up front, to bring

this component into the system. >> only dominion is able to work with what we have now. >> the only software license that they have. this was the first vendor in san francisco that ran this by now they do not do rank choice anymore. >> thank you. let's go to the budget analysts report. >> on page 5 of our report, under the first alternative, to extend the existing agreement by two years, the total cost will be $2 million, and similarly under the second alternative, to extend the agreement by five years.

the recommendation is detailed on pages 7 and 8, and the recommendations do not consider the impact of the pending rank choice charter amendment. we recommend that you approve the first alternative, with the recommendations that were made on page 7. to extend the agreement through two years. we consider the approval of the second alternative, with the recommended agreement on page 8 of the report, to extend this by a total of five years to december 10, 2016. we consider this to be a policy decision because these did not provide for the additional agreement. >> thank you. let's open this item for public comment. and other members of the public

who wish to speak on item number 10? public comment is closed. the item has heard public comment and is now before us. >> before coming into the budget committee i was going to request an amendment, for one of these extensions but after hearing this, i feel comfortable presenting the 21-year extensions. i understand the rationale with the equipment having been purchased, to extend this three years but i would like the flexibility of coming back to the budget committee, knowing what will happen so we have all the alternatives open to us. i would like to hear from my colleagues about how they would like to move forward. >> i appreciate these comments. i do think that your recommendation is a good one. we should exercise this option.

given the large investment in the equipment, and depending on what the system looks like in the future, we would like to make certain that we keep this investment, and we're not finding a new system if we don't need to. i don't think it hurts to have this item come back to us once we have a little bit more certainty about the voting, and with the requirements may look like if there are any changes. i would support moving forward with the two years, and this option to go forward and holding off on the decision with the additional three years. >> and is there any additional comment? >> do we have the motion to accept the recommendation, at least the first recommendation to exercise these options? >> there are several technical

amendments that we have made, and they are all listed on page 7 of the report. >> just to articulate what these are, regarding the proposed amendment, to amend the proposed resolutions title, for an amount not to exceed -- and to extend the contract through 2016, to oppose this -- to replace this language for an amount not to exceed -- to extend the term of the contract and it indicates to amend the resolution on page one, at a cost of 2.26, with the exact value of 2.264. and can we take this without objection? the amendments?

and then, just to the city attorney with regards to the city amendments, are these substances? with the items recommended, can we move this forward? we will do so. and are there any other items before us? thank you very much, we are adjourned.

tape 55 >> welcome, this is carl. >> great to meet you. >> great to me you, and i want to thank you for your interest and this is the city's animal shelter. and come in and a lot of people come here to adopt a animal or if they have lost their animal or looking for other animals. and we deal with other animals

like birds and rabbits and you name it. this is more to see in this facility and more to see in the community. and i suggest you go with an animal control person and see what they co, whether rescuing animals in distress or hit by a car or dealing with aggressive animals or wildlife or a variety of things. you can only get that flavor with them and doing it first hand. >> i have been with animal control for about six years, i spent a year in the kennel and then the office came up and i started doing it and it really fit. it's really the job for me. and animals i have to handle and i know what i am doing, i rarely get scared.

[whistle]. we do a lot of investigations and most are not as bad as people report but everyone once in a while they are. and i had one and people had moved out and the dog was in the inside and it makes me teary and when the dog is in the backyard, and i can pull an animal out of a horrible environment and feel good. >> where does this animal go after this? >> they go for the shots and then the kennel. >> and if they just found this, and once we enter everything in the computer and they can track

to find out if the dog went back home. we hold them for five days. >> this is a stray dog and it came in today and we immobilize it and then put it in a room with food and water. >> and then evaluate for medical behavior and see if anyone is interested in adopting then. >> we want to be sure that their behavior is good for the average adopter and not aggression problem, toward people or animals. >> and if they growl and don't bite the hand, she passes that. and good girl, in case she has something in her mouth, we get it out. and one more test, called the

startle test and it startled hear but she came to me. and passed the handling test. >> for the mental exam i feel for lumps and bumps. and the ears and see if they are infected and look at the eyes and be sure they are clear and don't have cataracts and look at their teeth and heart. this is the first job that i feel i make a dvrngs. -- difference. and we may do 40 to 80 animals a day for treatments. and do blood work and skin scrapings and cultures to diagnose different diseases. and x-rays, i can take an animal that would be

euthanized at a different shelter and fix it and get it ready for a home. >> we have a partnership and we let a professional groomer run a private business from our facility and in turn grooms our shelter animals. what is the big deal of that? when someone comes to adopt an animal, if it looks good, chances are it will be adopted more. >> and we groom and clean the ears and the works. >> typically a shelter wouldn't have grooming? >> not at all. and these dogs are treated with the utmot -- utmost care that others can't provide. this is a shampoo to bring out

the luster. and i feel satisfied in helping the shelter pets be adopted and to be a part of such a wonderful staff, from the top all the way down. if she passes our evaluation, she will stay until she's adopted. if you are interested in adoption and don't want to put them to sleep, that means at a last resort, we will give you a call before putting to sleep. you are not bound to the dog, and we would give you a call, and it's an actual adoption and cost $107 and it will be your dog. >> the volunteers to meet are the unsung heroes in this field that take the animals to hope and nurse them to get

strong enough to come down and rehome. without volunteers, i would have to be honest to say this wouldn't be much more than a pound. we thank god that we have the number of committed people coming down and helping us out, it makes all the difference in the world. >> when you want to come in and volunteer, you go through a general orientation, about two hours. there is a lot of flexibility. and the various programs available, are baseline dog walking. you can work with the cats. you can work with tony's kitty rescue, with the small animals and guinea pigs and birds and chickens. >> you always have an appreciative audience. >> do you feel that what you have learned here helped you

with your own dogs? >> the training they don't have? yes. and it's things that you learn, we usually outlive our dogs and every time you get a new one, you have skills to teach them. >> one of the programs is training program and it's staffed by a member of the community and one of the programs she has is dog socialization. >> we started this program for canine socialization. and all the dogs available for adoption get to play for two hours. and it's a time for them to get incredible exercise and play with other dogs and we have remedial socialization. and it's incredible the dogs

and they get exercise and run and tumble and when most adopters come to look in the afternoon, they are quiet and settled. >> and i want come and someone sees a dog and loves it, it's quick. and after three weekends, i saw him and he connected and i connected and came back. >> what is your experience of working with the animals? >> unbelievable. from the guy that is came to the house and everyone here, they are friendly and knowledge believe and -- knowledgeable and they care about the animals. >> and it's a great place to visit and look at the animals and maybe fall in love and take

one home. and look at our grooming program and volunteer program and many say, hey, this >> welcome to "culture wire." the director will introduce you to the man behind one of san francisco's most anticipated music festivals. ♪ >> welcome to "culture wire."

with me today is the founder and financier behind the hardly strictly bluegrass festival. tell me about what inspired you to have the festival. >> i am flattered that you would want to listen to me. now you are going to have to. i had a sort of fantasy for a lot of years that it would be really fun to put on a bluegrass festival. i have a friend named jonathan nelson. we were skiing one weekend. i told him about my fantasy. he said that i should do it. dawn holliday and sherry sternberg. the four of us had lunch. he said we would start a festival. that was the genesis. it was not anything more

complicated than that. in my own defense, and was not yet playing the banjo -- i was not yet played the banjo. the ulterior motive i was accused of did not exist yet. >> i would have thought it was because of your interest in the music and the instrument of the banjo that you play with a lot of love and enthusiasm. i would have thought that would lead to the founding of the festival. >> i have loved the music. much of my life. i really love the old time music. >> you mentioned dawn holliday. she works with you collecting the older music. >> she basically organizes the whole thing'. she decides who is going to be on. they have incredibly great bands opposite each other. i always worry about that, but she tells me not to.

>> this has really grown in the number of participants. >> she kept asking what i would do about it and i kept saying nothing. i do not want to change anything. i love it the way it is. i know it creates traffic jams, but so what? there ought to be something we can do once a year where there is a little bit of suffering a lot of pleasure. >> you have a band. >> the wronglers. i think this is our third or fourth year in the festival. the first year was spectacular. the band had played together less than a year at that point. this stage manager said he could give us 10 more minutes. i told him we did not know anything else. [laughter]

so far, we have not had to audition for it. that may give them the idea. >> one thing that fascinated me is that it seems so incongruous to consider someone with your background that is ultimately the driving force behind this fabulous music festival. >> i guess this sort of shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in one generation. i went to cal and went away for 28 years. i always wanted to come back. it turned out there was a wonderful moment in time when three of my four for children were living here. now all four do with their children. i thought there was a real opportunity. i wanted to start a new financial firm. it was a wonderful opportunity to do it in san francisco.

i get to do business with people i do not the test. [laughter] >> you established your firm here. he reestablished your family roots here. -- you reestablished your family roots here. you used this festival as a way to give back to the community even more. >> the theory of that was that we would have a concert for the middle school kids. we bust in nearly all of the middle school kids from san francisco and now from around the bay area. the kids love it. the letters i get are very endearing. school volunteers and the school districts are really into it. there is a lot of collaboration. >> i have this image in my mind of you as the biggest fan of the hardly strictly bluegrass festival. what are some of the highlights for you over the last 10 years? >> they are sort of the nostalgic highlights.

every year at the end, when in the low harris -- emmylou harris closes the festival and someone else opens the festival. i always call them the heart and soul of the festival. those are wonderful must object moments. having a chance to listen up close to some of the greats. those are some of the great emotional moments. there's always one moment that is so bizarre. 3 or four years ago i was sitting out front listening to emmylou harris. she was very stylishly dressed. i turned to her making conversation. i said there was a strong smell of pot and she asked if i wanted

some. [laughter] the following year my wife said there was an elderly gentleman old banjos. he was a very nice man sitting on the ground. he said he understood that i like old benches. he said he had three that he would like to show me. he said he understood that i liked white ladies. he said i would like this one. i asked if he was trying to sell the banjos. he said he was giving it to me. he was giving me a $3,000 musical instrument. he said he really wanted me to have it. >> that is a beautiful story. it is true. >> do you play it? >> yes. the this delta region the