that and i very much hope, i know our next sheriff will fall in that mold. i hope that public safety officials will be part of what i think you have exemplified, the best of our cities values. thank you for that. for the final comments? >> supervisor mirkarimi: i want to thank you and recognize also chief of staff first -- hearst. what made mike the amazing excellent share of that he is of course -- because of the incredible staff that he has with him and some of them are here. those are moving on should also be recognized. [applause] president chiu: thank you. >> thank you very much it has been great working with you all.

-- thank you very much, it has been great working with you all. [applause] president chiu: obviously on the final day of this calendar year board of supervisors meeting we have a number of public servants who would like to acknowledge. supervisor elsbernd: thank you. i would like to ask me to come forward. today we are honoring our acting city administrator amy brown who is leaving the city and county of san francisco for a new position. amy is someone who i first met almost 10 years, maybe more when i was an aide to former supervisor hall when we were working on legislation for harding park. he was the deputy city attorney. over 10 years we have worked on a number of projects together. it has always struck me, the

intelligence and integrity. i knew i was always getting a tremendous work product in that every angle had been taken a look at and most importantly, it was provided in an honest manner. selfishly, i am going to miss losing a district 7 resident of such great regard. a neighbor who i have joked with, she lives so close to me when my son was a newborn. she could have heard him crying in the middle of the night. you have just been truly a remarkable public servant. you are someone who i think a lot of city employees looked up to. not just those who work with you but those who observe you because of the standard of excellence with which you serve the city. there is no question that the people of the city and county are going to miss your service and as a supervisor and resident, i want to thank you for all you have done for all of us. thank you. [applause]

>> thank you very much, supervisor elsbernd and all the supervisors. it is -- has been an incredible honor to work for the city. this is a terrific honor but every day has been a privilege and an honor to serve the citizens of san francisco, to work with all the wonderful employees and leaders in the city. including yourselves. i will truly miss you. i am very grateful for the opportunity. it says a lot about this place as an employer that someone could come here 12 years ago as a deputy city attorney and leave here to go being a city manager. the fact that there is such opportunity for that kind of growth and change and support for that is a real testament i think to this place and how special it is. and of course, i have worked

with many wonderful people, including many supervisors, i do not have a list nearly as long as our share of. i will not name names. i do have a contingent here from real-estate i know and other colleagues in the chamber and i am appreciative to them for the opportunity to work with them and i want to acknowledge the support i get from home. my spouse lisa is here as well. i got a substitute teacher for her class and cut out a little early to be here. definitely a team effort and i am incredibly appreciative and honored. thank you very much. [applause] president chiu: supervisor chu has some concluding comments. grow up wanted to take -- supervisor chu: i wanted to

take the opportunity to thank amy. you always work behind the scenes and make things much when it comes to board. whether it was at the city administrator's office you always demonstrated above and beyond the capacity to do the work and make sure when it got here that it was so well considered there was nothing we could do to say no to a. i want to thank you for your professionalism and all of your hard work. i want to say thank you because as the city administrator, you stepped up above and beyond, you were out there for the district cleanups early in the morning in the cold sunset fog. thank you for your personal time you took above and beyond working here at city hall to make things work smoothly. you demonstrated caring concern and i want to thank you for all that. president chiu: supervisor campos. supervisor avalos: i want to join my colleagues in

acknowledging the professionalism with which you approach your job. we first knew each other when i was in the city attorney's office. it has been amazing to see the deputy city attorney as you indicated rise to where you are and it is a testament to your talent and your professionalism that you are doing less and it is sad to see you go. we wish you the very best. the thing about san francisco government is we're not going anywhere. keep this in mind for future endeavors. thank you for your contributions to the city. president chiu: i want to also add in addition to everything that has been said, you have been a wonderful partner on so many things. the city administrator's job is a very difficult and complicated one and you stepped into a role that you did not expect to have to step into and you did it with significant grace, wonderful management experience, professionalism, and

good humor. i am going to miss you at quite -- coit. i hope we will be imitating some of the things you do. this is not your last tour of duty with the city and county of san francisco. thank you. >> thank you all very much. thank you. [applause] president chiu: i have the honor of starting the presentation of our final commendation of the day. last but certainly not least, i want to thank someone who has made a very significant mark on this great institution of the san francisco board of supervisors. today marks the last day of one of our colleagues, ross mirkarimi. [applause] ross, i want to congratulate you on your public service career or the transition of that career from a grass-roots organizer and

the district attorney investigator to seven years here with all of us at the board of supervisors, and as the district 5 supervisor and congratulate you on your election as the next chairman of san francisco. in your 15 charter amendments, if you are 100 -- york's 125 ordinances and 325 resolutions -- we have some serious standards. you were known as a champion for public safety, community policing, foot patrols, and fighting to reduce homicides. as a champion for the environment, fighting for solar panels and the first ban on plastic bags. for good planning with the market octavia plan and the divisadero corridor. as a champion for part clips -- parklets. we will been missing not just for your service, we will miss you for taking on the status quo for advocating for progressive

causes, from reentry to medical marijuana. we will miss you for your tireless work ethic on behalf of in particular your grateful constituents in district 5. we will miss you for your portfolio colorful language. i dare say we will miss your poems about declined -- declawed cats and your occasional creation of new words. shakespeare was also known for creating new words and i want to thank you on behalf of all of us. many colleagues will have some things to say. thank you for air service and we know that you will not be going far. we thank you in advance for keeping our city safe as the next share. best wishes, ross. supervisor mirkarimi: thank you very much. [applause] i feel kind of shy right now, i

do not believe it. it is a familiar feeling but it will be hard to mask it. thank you, mr. president, and thank you, colleagues. i am not going to try to summon seven years of memories as a member of the board. let me take this opportunity to say thank-you to all of you for us working together in what i see as representing, one of the coolest cities in this nation and in this world. i cannot tell you how enthusiastic i still am when i come to work in the same way i was enthusiastic when i started as a legislative aide here for another supervisor in 1994. that has never waned. every day that i come to city hall, i cannot tell you just the

great delight and pride i feel in being part of this institution. it does not matter if we have different perspectives. i never ever thought that was something to be taken personally. i did appreciate in every one of you and the supervisors who sat here who no longer do, the great debate in the great park that went in to try to improve one's district and the city. i appreciated that. i appreciated it when the debate became spirited. i've walked away feeling satisfactory, even if it did not always arrive at the desired results. i want to take this opportunity to thank my staff present and past. i want to thank them for placing the journey with me. i want to thank them for knowing that i am not a 9-5 kind of guy, i never have been.

and i demand a lot of people. when i would bring people along, i tell them i am a little bit of a boot camp sergeant because in the same way i was forced in, how i discovered i wanted to make an impact, i cut my teeth in demanding a great deal of myself as i did others. that is not always fun. i have to tell you that i am proud of the people who have served with me. who have given it their all. give it their all. and who really i know deserve a great amount of appreciation in recognition. if staff and former staff could stand up. i would like to acknowledge them. [applause] and regina and i have known each

other 20 years. and others that have been part of our office family. i want to thank the family and friends and loved ones of my staff, because they often get forgotten in that extended circle of people who are asked to be patient, who are to buy their tongues and to really arinder the pressing demands of what it means to be a district supervisor and what it means to be a member of the selected family. -- and this is elected family. i want to thank the amazing qadry of interns and volunteers that my office has entertained. i cannot tell how ratifying it is to hear from a former intern who has landed a great job and tells you that the reason they have aspired to that location is

because of some of the work and experience they had with our office. it is not easy to be a volunteer in turn. for me or anybody. they have to navigate from the mundane of clerical or answering the funds to hopefully getting a taste of what it means to be part of a complicated or controversial subject. i appreciate the work they have done. colleagues, most of all, i want to thank you. i have to tell you that you and those who have sat in this room that are no longer here now have been an incredible source of inspiration. long before i was elected to city hall, or to supervisors, there was one thing i would remember that kept replying in my head. when i would turn on the radio and i am a news junkie like maybe some of you are, too, and i listened to all sorts of news, not just the news i agree with all sorts of news.

i noticed that there -- i have noticed this for years. there is no other local government city council or body that is comparable to this board of supervisors that garners more news nationwide were perhaps even abroad. and what that might be for some, a badge of reason to try to suggest that people here are not nose to the grindstone enough to take care of the pot holes or the public safety, or the economy. i am reminded by the fact that it was members in this room who delivered some of the most watershed and landmark legislation that has served as bellwethers for the rest of the state or nation. weather is on health care, whether it is on immigration, whether it is on social justice or the environment. or progressive practical

approaches to public safety. whether it is on land use and development, whether it is trying before thinking of how we are able to have a more thoughtful economy. that is what is growing out of this institution. that is what made my walks every day to this office or bike ride or drive, that much more appreciative. i am not going far. i am -- president chui, you used a word, that is the -- do you know what that means? that means i will not be going for. i look forward to working with you. continuing in the endeavors that are important to you and to the

position i will serve as sheriff. it has been an honor to serve with you. i had wrote my thanks to the constituents of district 5 and the people of san francisco for allowing me to serve as their supervisor for seven years, i have enjoyed everything that has occurred inside the district. it is a remarkable opportunity to try to balance the fusion of big city interests with micro- neighborhood needs sometimes and that takes a lot. i know how that has attested to the staff small stuff that we have when everyone is expecting the staff to fix everything in the constituent needs in one day or one hour. thank you, everybody for this opportunity. to sign off, we're having a

party this friday in my office, a holiday our party. i do not know about the art, but i holiday party from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the last of the second four parties. i want to thank those who helped in the past that when i came into office, we had had in our party every single month for a number of years and it total to more than 60 parties that we were able to feature local artists and some who have made the grade and i am hoping they will return a commission back to us when they were not well known. i am kinney pay -- i am kidding. this is a farewell party and holiday sendoff. thank you for this honor. greatly appreciate it. [applause] president chiu: we have a number

of colleagues who would like to make additional comments. supervisor avalos. supervisor avalos: i want to congratulate you on your years of service here. it has been -- i started the same time you did as a legislative aide. you were a supervisor. i got to see the great work you did over the years and one of the things i want to acknowledge, it is important we all recognize, you had some difficult years those first couple of years in the western addition. the homicide rate was the highest it had been. you did not shy away from looking into the problem and weighing in and with legislation. it is significant how you were able to pull together community groups to have a much more active role in the neighborhood getting folks to work together i thought had a real strong impact. in reducing the homicides that happened in your district.

it was a model for the rest of the city. i talked about it a lot. your work in my district. it was very effective. one of the things i want to acknowledge is your work around -- where you touched the third rail. that open the door to do more community-based policing. i want to acknowledge the work. you have done some of your own policing yourself while you were supervisor. as perhaps it is legendary. what your out jogging, you were able to apprehend someone who had committed some violent act. i am glad you're going to have a gun to do the work because i know you will be using it smartly. you did a lot of work around gun-control as well. you have to control yourself with that gun. i want to wish you the best. you do have some big shoes to fill but your public record

before becoming -- going to the sheriff's office has positioned you well and i am sure the colleagues will be talking about that as well. congratulations. i look forward to more work with u.s. will. supervisor campos: i will try to be sure. i know you're not going away from city hall. you will be here working with us. one thing that i want to say is i want to thank you for the fact that when i became a supervisor as did many of us, as the new supervisor, you're trying to learn the ropes and i appreciate the fact that you and your staff from the beginning made ourselves available to help out and to show us around in terms of how this place works and i appreciate that. the level of support that came with that. as someone who has progressive

politics, i especially appreciated and appreciate the fact that as a progressive supervisor, you have been talking about issues like public safety, which traditionally have not been issues that we in the progressive community have focused on. thank you for demonstrating that you can talk about those issues and still do so in a way consistent with our values and that being a progressive means, focusing on those issues. it is not surprising that you would follow your tenure as sheriff of the city and county of san francisco. i look forward to working with you on that. i want to acknowledge that i respect and appreciate the passion with which you have approached the job. a lot -- level of commitment and dedication, the hours that you put into being a supervisor, is

very impressive to see that level of commitment. i will mess -- not that my staff and i keep track of these but we will miss some of the ross-isms. there is a list of creative uses. maybe there should be a website or a new web site for those of us who want to continue to add to that list. it has been an honor to be your colleague. it has been a pleasure to serve with you. i look forward to working with you in the future. thank you for your service, thank you to your lovely family and the sacrifice they have made to make sure that you do this work and for the sacrifice they will make going forward as you go down or new path. thank you, it has been a pleasure to work with you.

supervisor kim: supervisor mirkarimi, i first met you in 2003 on a mayoral campaign race. the following year i got to run for the first time for office with you as well in 2004 and i remember that experience we share together. i have a tremendous amount of respect for this board and there are many things that i admire individually and tried to model in terms of what i see. some of the things i have learned from watching you over the last seven years is your tremendous dedication to your constituents and our communities and neighborhoods. i remember in 2004, you had a very honorable group of community actress centiliters that land for the leadership of district 5. it was an amazing grace to watch as i am sure for you. i was incredibly impressed by

the royal lawlessness of your campaign in trying to touch everything goal border in district 5. i would often hear of obscene ross at this bus stop. how could it be could be at these different bus stops every single day? also the incredible qadry of folks you were able to bring on. -- cadre of folks you were able to bring on. it was a tremendous experience during that time. two years later, you had a strong reputation already on the board. you were known as someone who would be at the site of homicides before sfpd who -- would be there. we have had coffee and i have been able to walk on the streets with you.

i do not think i was ever on the street when a constituent did not stop you. it is a tremendously hard work and something that i hope to model as a district supervisor as well. we did some research and found that you were the primary sponsor of 126 pieces of legislation which passed over the last seven years. i wanted to highlight some of the ones that our office noted. you have been a leader on public safety as supervisor avalos and supervisor campos has delineated. i think that was something you were successful in accomplishing in your district. an issue that many of us shy from because it is challenging to address the symptoms that lead to homicide, whether it is poverty or lack of housing. despite that it decided to take a leadership role in this issue and i appreciate that. whether it was around foot patrol or programs for reentry

and reemployment of our offenders. you have been a leader around environmental and grain policies -- green policies. your plastic bag ordinance, it feels backwards to me to get styrofoam containers and plastic bags. a work around public power. we talk about frequently. whether it is campaign finance reform. you have been a solid vote on keeping the city affordable. whether it is supporting affordable housing or transport. i truly appreciate your commitment to the engagement and communication. thank you for your past seven years. i hope to continue the legacy and look forward to working with you as sheriff.

supervisor mirkarimi: thank you. thank you very much. supervisor mar: i will miss you, ross. i will miss your staff. you have had some of the most incredible, hard-working, insightful staff. i appreciated the interactions with them as well. we go back 15 or 16 years when you were in the supervisor's office and i have learned so much from you. all the different reincarnations of ross mirkarimi from the green party spokesperson at the state level. i remember that look when theo was born and seeing you with him at the jazz festival. i hope you never stop being that great dad. there is no greater person to be sheriff. i am proud to have served with

you. there is bigger things as sheriff. thank you for teaching me so much and being such a great member of our board. supervisor elsbernd: thank you. perhaps the last word on the issue of the mirkarimi words. i do not know if you are aware, ross, that our staff and the staff of the other members of the board used to have a game that they played every time you said a word and every time i used to -- there would have a piece of candy or glass of water. maybe a glass of something else. it was always a very tough competition as to who said what or whether or not i slapped the microphone. people enjoyed watching us do that. people appreciate very much the creation of w