from commissioners, so do we have any comments from commissioners? >> i think we need to ask is she can come back and answer any questions that would be more clarifying and can narrow down who would be in the initial rollout, but we support the intent of this legislation. >> perhaps we could have staff, up with a list of questions that we could forward to the supervisor's office. >> if the report is available the next week, we can identify the parking lots.

>> i would recommend that we draw up from this discussion the points individual commissioners have made and to come back, especially to bring the information as soon as possible so we can hear it and review what we have to save. i am sensitive to the public safety side. i am also sensitive to the job creation side. people do not pump their gas in portland oregon. in the state of oregon you cannot pump your own gas. you know why they did that? to preserve the jobs of gas attendance, to make sure people going from high school into college had some gainful

employment, so honestly, i have to jump start from the cost of the employee, and i dared leave. i would like to add my voice that if you are creating a johj, that you get some kind of tax credit as well. it could be small, but it would be important. but would be my recommendation. >> what i heard was a motion to continue and to also scheduled this at the next legislation and policy committee and to request a legislative spots also have representatives. that is the connection i think they made. >> i do have a motion. is there a second as?

that is seconded by commissioner dooley. [calling votes] commissioners, on that motion passes, 6-0. >> thank you very much. next item, please. >> commissioners, you are on item number seven. discussion of efforts on environment code, check our bags and checkout buying charges, a

presentation by the department of the environment. >> thank you for the opportunity to come back and present an update on where we are with the checkout environment. first i would like to thank you for the continued support of this legislation, and i think it has been a helpful tool, so are what -- so what i want to do is give you an update on 3 items. eageone is the amendments that happened in december. second is a brief discussion around the availability of some of the check our bags and what

the market looks like for small businesses in san francisco, and the last thing is outreach and what additional steps to the market is entering an -- is doing. the sponsor really look into a lot of concerns that this commission as well as individuals stakeholders had, and ultimately they have fallen into four general categories. first was the automatic increase that would have been over one year. if the legislation was originally written as 10 cents and then it would drive up to 25

cents, so the automatic 25 cents was removed. the second amendment was discussed by the board of supervisors, expanding by an additional three months of legislation to give an opportunity to dig even deeper prior to the legislation being enacted. the third item that was discussed and amended is a broader exemption with respect to bags could have direct contact with food. i think there was a lot of concern among stakeholders of supervisors said they wanted a clearer definition of those checkout lines were the single

item is a food item there would not be a charge associated with that. if you go to a cookie store and you purchase three cookies, and there is a bag out of a point of sale, there is no 10 cent charge for that consumer, because it is items of food if you go to our hardware store and buy 25 nails for a particular project, it goes into a small band. that would not have a check out charge associated with it. the final amendment is they directed the comptroller's office that after january 13 to conduct another economic analysis on how the legislation is meeting the intended goals of reducing single use plastic bags

in san francisco, so those were the general items the board of supervisors adopted that is very different from what you considered in early december. the second item i wanted to discuss, the staff had asked about the availability of reusable, compostable bags, and what i can say it from our departments perspectives from looking at all of the five manufacturers -- bag manufacturers because of this legislation there is not one particular company that is going to benefit from this new requirement, given the fact that

many municipalities are moving towards demanding progress -- products that are reusable but can withstand the legislation in terms of being able to be washed, being used multiple times, that the industry has started to meet and make these atbags available to merchants across the country, so we are seeing large traditional manufacturers starting to comply as well as seeing a significant amount of new entrants into the marketplace who are looking for the opportunity to meet the demand in terms of compose the ball plastic -- compostable plastered. everyone assumes the a canvas bag like this is the only kind of reusable bag that is

available. it makes sense if i am going grocery shopping, but if i am going to the store to purchase items, i might not always have this. we want to be clear that the options businesses have are quite broad, so you have the kind of traditional canvas bags that meet our definition to the tee as well as a bag that is reusable, you could put it in your bag. it is all around you. here is a small manufacturer who came up with an opportunity to be an entrepreneur and is making a significant sale of these. in addition, people have concerns of the legislation is unique in terms of what

municipalities are doing. this legislation contemplates the availability to small businesses and businesses at large, composed of all plastic, very different from path in by as we cannot recycle, it cannot compos, but there are now products on the market place that are compostable plastics, and we have different opportunities but meets the requirements in terms of being reusable, stronger handles, so again, there was an opportunity to share this information, the ability for small businesses as well as large manufacturers, that these types of products are available today, and they are competitively priced. we believe prices continue to

fall as demand increases. i have been talking to some of the large manufacturers. they really feel their manufacturers currently produce everything they need to meet the definition in the legislation. the last thing i wanted to update the commission on is out of reach. the board of supervisors and the mayor and the delay of this until february essentially gave our department the ability to kind of deep and the level of understanding and education that is necessary. we felt that a lot of the media reports were rather inaccurate in terms of trying to identify what was in the legislation and what was not, so we find this an

opportunity to increase the depth and knowledge of the legislation with key stakeholders, so they are committed to work with key supervisors. we have been working with various stakeholders to make sure we try to get a reverse communities, and similar to how the department worked with consumers around the styrofoam ban, where we continue to work with businesses so they understand what these kinds of products are. we will be putting together opportunities and making those available to businesses so they understand what those requirements are.

we did a lot of vendor ferriairs where we brought people to come in and talk to businesses to see there is so well so -- there is a wealth of inventory that meets the requirements, and we continue to do that here. four out reach, that is a cornerstone of what we do. we look at any legislation within environmental focus, and we are trying to create change. the only way to do that is through education. we feel the opportunity to continue to work with other merchants associations and other businesses in santa francisco really is the ability for us to change behavior.

we can do that through out leash -- outreach. we see that as an opportunity for us. you have a tremendous wealth of data with respect to making sure we reach out to all of the district, not only some of the large traditional advocates for businesses but equally for small merchants who may not have formal associations to try to get out there. we are working with our own department and others to do door-to-door efforts with businesses to try to get this message out as well as to give folks an opportunity to better understand what our requirements are, so we really appreciate the good in vice we have received from the commission staff. we look forward to partnering with you as this legislation

moves forward and is back to before the board on the first meeting in february. >> just a quick request. may i see the plastic bags? i would like to feel them. your fax is not the one they us? >> -- >> is about the one they use the democrats to touch and feel i think is very important, and we continue to work with businesses and to bring the vendors back together so folks have the of readily available. >> where are the largest manufacturers? where are they located?

but probably the largest are all over the country. goothey are headquartered mostly outside of california. as i mentioned, that bag was produced right here in california. these ones are made right here in san francisco. we are supporting local business. there are various options. >> one of my main concerns, are the compostable bags subject to the charge if someone gives you one at a point of sale in the produce market, then they still have to charge 10 cents?

>> correct. >> that is a significant change in our small markets. that is one question during your five i think it is important to clarify n.y. -- that is one question. >> it is important to clarify that if i am a consumer i am not charged for that if the cost is imbedded in the general price, so we will see a general charge for that bag. >> that is what i like about the legislation. the merchant can pass the costs directly to the consumer directly, and as we deal with rising costs for produce, in getting them into the price of food and every other cost, it is

increasingly difficult, and i think we have to step up and understand the cost of the things we are using, but what does concern me is lower income neighborhoods, and people who are on extremely limited budgets. they are my primary concern. it is done in other countries, but that is where outreach education comes in. to be passed on to the consumer is my concern. i just want to verbalize that. >> you mentioned earlier bags in direct contact with food, food items, so does that include food to go from restaurants to? >> the legislation and we looked

at in two ways. as a diner who goes to a restaurant, my leftovers would not be considered are charged region -- considered a charge. however, if i asked it been delivered to my place of business, that is a check out bag, so the ban would be applied. >> what about if it is not delivered? i like to stop by. >> take care. >> it is the same vein -- it is the same thing. the issues of concern were are

bags that meet the definition available that can withstand heat, that can keep the content there, it is not going to leave? -- leak? many of the compostable bags meet standards without being able to carry safely a bag of hot food into the car or however you are making your way. >> it will be difficult. let's say i go to a restaurant and order a cup of soup. how do you carry it home without a bag? do we need to bring our own? >> certainly a consumer can bring their own bag, or there

will be a charge of 10 cents. >> are you going to reach out to restaurant owners and let them know what alternatives they have? if i buy a cup of soup and it is too hot to hold on to, i know when you order a soda, they can put it in a box to hold the copups? can they offer alternatives and educates the restaurant owners? >> the restaurant owners are an important constituency. an example is what was done in the past. there was a lot of concern when the city banned styrofoam. a lot of people felt the alternatives would not be as objective for carrying hot

but, in fact, we have been able to move away from styrofoam and find alternatives. businesses have been able to continue with a product that is, postal and beneficial for all of us. i think a very similar approach we're taking with respect to check out bags that there are alternatives available for merchants and store owners to continue to meet their current need and their customer's current needs. >> the alternative, they are using plastic. i get 100 of them at home. >> hopefully, you are reusing them. for example, styrofoam, it can

crack or break. there are lots of other opportunities that you can use. >> unlike the styrofoam and the change where there wasn't a charge to the consumer, what we have heard from businesses is the fact that they don't want to be in the position of educating the consumer at the register on what this new regulation is. i know that there has been a lot of discussion about the outreach to small businesses and those that will be impacted by the legislation. can you speak to the department's plans on education for the consumer? so that when this is enacted, the consumer is informed and the business is not.

>> part of the approach that we are taking with consumers is working with the small business owners so that they can comply with the legislation, ultimately, we don't expect them to have to interpret on behalf of the city, every single requirement that the city has for them at a point of sale. anywhere from if you purchase -- our department is really looking at working with businesses to try to identify. we have contemplated putting together posters that can be available at a point sale, they know why there is a charge associated with this. we talked a lot about really working with media to try to get

the message out and get behind his message out. and they will indicate there is a charge specifically required by the city and county of san francisco. we are exploring the broader range of what the department can do to educate the consumer so that the store owner doesn't fall disproportionately ha. the ideas generated on their part, what they would like to see and some of the traditional ideas that have been very effective, previous changes like what we have done with styrofoam and other activities associated with that. we make sure that all three bands are available, helping consumers understand what the changes are and why they are

important. it affects partnership so that it is not burdensome on the store owner, that we collectively share that response. >> in the messaging, i think what would be good it is that like the three bands, they are part of what the president is required to do. the business is sort of helping in this. it is changing the consumer behavior so that the messaging is really directed toward a target -- targeting the behavioral change. >> really need more people to walk around the reusable bags. i think this commission for the continued support, and we certainly welcome the opportunity. this country last time will be constantly engaged in this effort, engaged in the partnership.

president o'brien: i thought it might have been commissioner clyde, but i thought we have suggested a lesser charge -- was that just -- instead of having tiered? and will open it up for public comment. no public comment? public comment is closed. >> this is an informational discussion item with the department as we move forward with this matter.

>> commissioners, item 8. presentation from the department of public health on an upcoming business case for lactation accommodation. from the san francisco breast- feeding promotion coalition. >> my name is jackie and i am he been working with the breast feeding coalition. this kind of stems from the surgeon general's action to support breast-feeding. one of the items she mentions as a barrier to breast feeding the way the american academy of pediatrics recommend exclusively for the first six months and continued for the first 12 months