not go into a greet detail about that. policy matters, mobile retail, i forgot to make a note of this in your director's report. but we've convened a meeting with different departments. and what's starting to happen at the small business assistance center, we've had businesses come in who are interested in opening retail operations in a mobile truck. so, there's a lot of policy questions in relationship to that. retail is much more broad than food. and policy questions about more and more commerce taking place out on our public streets. so, our office has convened a meeting with dph, mta, sfpd,

dpw, and oewd to start developing one, first, kind of a policy perspective on what we're going to do with this. and then right now there isn't any permit structure for these entities because dpw handles mobile [speaker not understood]. police department has a pedaler's permit but doesn't permit any operation out on the streets or in trucks out on the streets for retail. and retail has -- retail can go many which ways, good, you know, honest retail and not honest retail. so, how do we -- >> [speaker not understood]? >> drive by retail. >> that's been out for awhile. >> which one? >> letruck. >> oh, yeah. >> there are a couple retail clothing -- i've seen the clothing because the one

clothing where she opens up the back door and the ramp comes down and you can go up in there. >> right. >> i think, director, it's important that we take some cues from the mobile foods. be mindful of the fact that the brick and mortar businesses who have substantially more overhead costs and pay a lot more into their community don't end up with a big disadvantage because of. this i had another restauranture tell me there is an application in for four or five mobile food trucks to go into the west portal district, and he's not a happy camper about it. so, i'm really hope that -- because i think we all learned a great idea. seemed like a good idea to me. i wouldn't say it's a great idea now. [speaker not understood]. be more informed and careful. i'm hoping these things we

learned from that coming into play discussing what's going to happen. the other aspect also, we all think of a truck doing this. i also see where people will settle -- maybe it's the same thing, but they'll settle by a booth on 24th street during certain saturday mornings and will have a thousand boxes of shoes there right on 24th street. i think they fall into the mobile category. so, we need to take that into account. just some feedback as you're going through this. >> correct, right. and, again, also needing to take a comprehensive look of -- we currently have mobile food trucks, we have [speaker not understood], bike corrals all going into parking spaces. again, taking a look at the aggregate of everything. and also two other -- i mean, as you said, you know, the concern of it could be -- there

is a legitimate concern of goods and merchandise that are, you know -- >> of questionable origin. >> of questionable origin, thank you for that. and, so, that's not something that we want to make easily -- to happen easily. also the other element is that let's say there could be a-d-a concerns. and if we're permitting things in the public space that are not a-d-a accessible, so, we've had some of those discussions. and if we, you know, if we move into a permitting structure that needs to be taken into consideration as well. not only for the benefit of the business, but also in terms of kind of our policy objective as

well for the city. so, i just wanted to -- before this really -- i don't think it's going to -- it's booming to the extent that mobile foods was happening, but it is something -- we are starting to see more and more requests come in from wanting to operate a retail type of business. through this means. so, to get ahead of it and not to be reactive of it, we're working on this. we will also be meeting with some of the individuals in the industry as well. those -- to also make sure we get their perspective and understanding and if we do craft a permit, that it's crafted in a way that can support something, but not to the detriment of our neighborhood commercial districts and, you know, goods that are of questionable

origin. so, we'll keep you -- yes. >> can you report back to us as you're getting these inquiries? it will be interesting for us to get a baseline on what types of businesses are looking to expand the mobile truck thing. just so we kind of get an idea what we're looking at. >> um-hm. so, i'll make sure that we -- we'll ask -- i'll ask martha to just provide that information for us. -- at each meeting and also at committee meetings. * a-d-a update, we are working with asian neighborhood design through their -- through the sf shines program. we got some additional cbd -- community -- community development grant dollars to expand the ability of doing

some a-d-a outreach. asian neighborhood designs, they're the entity that the city contracts with with our sf shine program and our sf shine program is for some improvements. so, they have to take in a-d-a considerations or they work on projects for the city. so, we have a small amount of money that we were able to get. and, so, we are going to start with, i think, direct 4 as a target neighborhood to do some outreach. and they will be talking to the businesses. and if a business is really interested, falls within a certain criteria, then the business will be able to apply through an sf shines grant to get -- to have a full assessment and assistance with making the tenant improvements

for improving accessibility in their property. we set like three stages or three levels of criteria. and, so, if a business meets low, level or medium level in terms of their accessibility issues, then they'll be more likely able to apply for the sf shines funding. but if they're in what we call kind of -- they have some substantial issues such as three steps going up into their property, then we will need to direct them to a cast individual. so, i'm very pleased about this. this is a pilot program. and if it works out well, then we, hopefully we can expand upon it. so, and that is scheduled to launch mid november.

then i wanted to ask, have you had any feedback regardctioning the rollout with the check-out bags, heard from any businesses? >> i've heard more from consumers than i have from businesses. i was in one business, not in my neighborhood, in cole valley and they weren't happy about it just because there was a long line and somebody was complaining about, you know, got to figure out bags before they can move along. >> i think that's most likely [speaker not understood]. because i remember exactly the same thing back in ireland when they did this about 10 years ago. you were used to the bag coming out and the groceries being put in the bag, and suddenly they'd say, just put it on thev table. i remember distinctly, put it on the table, then they looked at you. and you looked at them. and then there would be a pause.

and then they'd say, oh, you want a bag, 10 pence or whatever. but people got onto it and people started bringing -- >> i notice in the grocery stores like in safeway [speaker not understood], they'll say before you go, do you want to buy a bag, do you want to buy your bags or do you provide a bag, right off the bat. >> i've seen a lot of signage. >> i've seen more signage in the last couple of weeks than i have -- >> i have, too, spaeerctionv people like trader joe's, have huge signs up now in the parking lots saying, hey, did you remember to bring your bags with you? so, you know, i think that's positive to see what they're doing. >> i was in line at ace hardware. he said, do you want to buy a bag for 10 cents? the guy said, no, i'll just carry it. it's such an instinct to get a bag with stuff. i think mission accomplished, people are questioning whether they should have a bag or not. and i think more and more people will get accustomed to

carrying a bag with them. if they really need one they'll pay 10 cents and say, i forget. >> [speaker not understood]. >> great. and then in regards to the street ordinance response to the government audits and oversight committee, heard the stifled grand jury's report on october 11th. and there was -- in regards to the recommendations pertaining to the office of small business with moving the street artists program over to -- from the arts commission over to the office of small business, there were mixed results with the committee. so, there wasn't a definitive response in terms of whether it was to stay with the arts commission or move over to our office, though i would say there is a little bit more towards a leaning to keeping it in the arts commission.

so, what the gao committee has asked is our two departments work together and see if in working together we can resolve some of the issues. and we need to go back before the committee in six months. >> was this the same committee that had initially made the recommendation that -- >> the civil grand jury made the recommendation because the civil grand jury makes recommendations to the board of supervisors and the supervisors decide whether to adopt their recommendations or not. >> okay. >> so what is our office going to be doing? i'm just curious how you're going to be working on this together. >> at this particular point, the director of the arts commission and i have not met. so, to that extent i can't speak to that right now. but i hope this i would see --

right now would probably bridge under the outreach committee. also permitting committee. but that i would have enough information to report at the next committee meeting for you. >> commissioner yee riley. >> i think you already answered the question. i was going to ask what does that mean if we were to take over the street artists. what kind of additional work would you have to do? >> well, we would -- the additional work would be to figure out how the program would fold into the office of small business. >> one of the things was they would come to the office of small business to pay for their permit to get a permit to do something on the street. and that revenue had come -- that was one thing. that it would come to the office of small business.

we figured with that revenue we might get resources to run the program. >> well, the program self-funds itself. and it has two staff people so it is able to fund two staff peep to run and manage the program. i think the concerns are -- the concerns are that it's somewhat straight away from being purely a street artist and craft program. so, there would be some work on our part if it does come into the office of small business. it's just doing a thorough assessment of how, you know, how we would achieve maintaining that integrity. you know, i have some ideas in terms of if it were to collaborate with sf made or the art institute or sharon meadows, other places where artist, craft people are

generating and working to partner to help -- provide opportunities for those individuals to be able to also engage in the street artists program. so, -- but that said, going down that road is a little early or, you know, it's a little presumptuous until it's been firmly established as to whether, you know, if a program were to come under the office. at this point the leaning is to obtain it. so -- to retain it in the arts commission, but, again, the directive -- the directive was for our two offices to work together to make a final determination to present to, to the tal committee. >> i look forward to the legislation and policy committee hearing that and weigh in the practicality of

trying to have the two departments run this thing. i'm real nervous about that as an initial reaction. so, i look forward to them scrutinizing it and coming up with any plan that would make this workable for both departments. >> and i would say it's not for the two departments to run it. it's just that -- the criteria was very broad. so, tom de cainy and i needed to meet to figure out what we are to do with that directive. but to be -- to make sure that i'm being clear if i wasn't clear is that it's not a program, it's managed by both departments. it would either be under one or the other. >> okay. >> and then just a few calendar items. we have gone back to full calendar hours starting friday, october 9th. and then i spoke on a panel on

october 3rd with the sf chamber of commerce economic forecast. a reminder that our november small business commission meeting is on the fifth, the first monday of the month due to the veterans holiday being recognized the second monday of the month this year. this is not something that traditionally happens. it just happens to be because veterans day falls on sunday and, so, it's a recognized holiday the following monday with the city government. and then scott helgey's open house november 15th and december 17 sergeant council of district merchants holiday party, location to be determined at this point. >> commissioners, first scott's calendar [speaker not understood], there is an invitation in the back of your binder. >> and that concludes my report unless you have any questions. >> thank you very much.

next item. >> item 10 is permitting committee report. >> we had a presentation planned for the last permitting committee which had to be canceled due to the family emergency on the part of the presenter. so, we elected to cancel the meeting until next month, so, no report. >> commissioners, item 11, president's report. >> okay. first off, i did attend the renaissance entrepreneurial center event at the bently reserve. a lot of kudos for this office. i was very pleased that i was hearing from that, not only from renaissance, but from a lot of their i want to say perspective entrepreneurials who said that they -- jane and martha in particular, names kept coming up as soon as they found out the office of small business. we love jane, we love martha. i wanted to put that on record.

whenever i go anywhere in town talking to small businesses, them working the counter really puts us up in the forefront. so, i wanted to mention that. also on october 2nd i attended the meeting with the mayor's office that scott helgey put on and i was joined by commissioners dwight and yee riley. regina presented the online business portal and the mayor was very, very supportive of this concept and wanting to work with oewd, osb and omoci. this is all part of a 17-point jobs plan and, you know, this is to make government more responsive and effective. and i mean, it seatxv like he wanted to spend the money and let's do it now which i was very, very pleased about. then we went around the room talking about other items. you know, the noticing and approval of park [speaker not understood] and bicycle corrals was discussed.

both use parking spaces and it's different how each one is noticed. so, perhaps utilizing a 311 for notification or planning to adopt a dpw-type notification procedures. give small businesses in neighborhood districts more advance notices to businesses on infrastructure projects. and then there was also -- this came up, discuss, you know, shop local, give support for local business initiatives were discussed. and the mayor wants to lead a campaign targeting city employees to redirect 10% of their spending to local businesses. getting city departments to purchase local. create a shop local first initiative. and for each business that registers with the city that the city sends business with, put a window decal on, just

getting people to shop, eat, drink and spend their money locally. and i want to s. os commissioner dwight and commissioner riley if they have any observations on that meeting that we had with the mayor. >> i think it was a good meeting. i thought there was -- obviously it was a little chaotic. so, i think scott's going to make some [speaker not understood] to make it a little more organized going in there. so, that's good. but no, i think it's fantastic that the mayor is open to meeting in that forum. >> i think you covered most of the items that were discussed. and i think it's a good idea to have some face time with the mayor every quarter for small business owners, as well the chambers and nonprofits. >> there is enthusiasm for the business portal. that's what made me feel good about that meeting because that was, you know, you showed him how new york does it and we should be doing the same. this is the heart of silicon valley here when you read all

the news items. san francisco is part of silicon valley, you know. we should be just as tech savvy as every other big city. so, thank you for that, director. and that's all i have for today. >> commissioners, item 12, vice president's report. >> yeah, just report back. you've heard it discussed before, although it's been awhile. there is a meeting hosted by the dbi once a month called public advisory code committee. sometimes people refer to it as pac and sometimes as cac. but the department or the heads within dbi, deputy directors and directors participate in this meeting and all interested community stakeholders participate in it and discuss anything and everything in the

business of process and a permit to the dbi. most of them would be building related permits, but i think that they could expand that to include other businesses as well that if they knew about it would participate. and i really want to give a shout out to the department for what they've done over the last couple of years. i can tell you that from the beginning the meetings were full of interchanges between different community stakeholders where they voice their concerns or complaints or whatever it is. to the department's credit they listened. they continued with the meetings. and they're very harmonious now. in fact, a lot of people have positive feedback about what the department has done. and essentially, if you think about it, it's quite remarkable

because what you have is a state body and a state department or a state agency, whatever the correct term is interfacing with the public on working collaboratively together with feedback on ways to do things better. and it shows because a lot of the people who work there every day and do business with the department are seeing a nice improvement on things. we would love to see the planning department get engaged, either by participating in the meetings or hosting their own community outreach meeting. that's one of the things that's been on the agenda. but i just wanted to put it on the record that small business commission should know that that meeting takes place once a month. it's also where we get an update on the permit tracking system that director referred to earlier which is going to be a system that will monitor permits for people through the

planning department and the dbi department [speaker not understood]. it's kind of slow to come online, late next year. it's big. they're doing a lot of work, a lot of thinking ahead of ways that this will work really well with all the [speaker not understood] * that we've learned before. conceptually just to let you know, it's not going to be one big permit tracking system for the whole city. i don't see that's what's going to happen. what's going to happen is the individual agencies are going to have very good permit tracking systems for their individual respective departments. and then there's going to be a first-class interface between the different systems to be able to communicate and keep each other updated and work just like an overall uniform database system. so, it's very exciting. that tracking item shows up on the agenda every month. and other item people want to bring forth to those meetings. so, it's a good thing happening

there. just want to let you know about it. thanks. >> thank you. next item. >> commissioners, item 13, commissioner reports. >> i have a report. >> commissioner dooley. >> sunday i attended a district 3 policy summit and lots of things were discussed, but its was particularly interesting that so much of the discussion centered around small businesses and neighborhood commercial corridors. * and certainly got a lot of people who were very much interested in promoting our office, of expanding our services. and i just wanted to give a run down. [speaker not understood] a lot of things already working on. their main priority of interest was streamlining the permitting, working to create a positive mix of businesses in

the neighborhood, compliance issues, and lack of compliance, and intensification of use, how we [speaker not understood] draft that in small businesses. another big issue was how to keep small businesses running during large infrastructure projects. discussions were made about funding. i know i believe new york city, some other cities have a way of compensating small businesses while they're operating during a large infrastructure project. and a lot of talk about working with the office of innovation, developing marketing and sales tools for small businesses, along with marketing of the vacant site. so, it was very heavy emphasis on what we do in this office in this commission. and people were actually very excited to meet someone from this office and know that we're there and that we are working on a lot of these projects.

and i urged them all to contact city hall and tell them that they would like to see us continue working and having funding to do all the streamlining that everybody would like to see done. >> great. thank you. commissioner yee riley. >> as i might have mentioned in the past i'm also a member of the cccd, citizens committee of community veldt. and we work with the mayor's office of housing as well as ouwd. * development the committee would have hearings in p different neighborhoods. last week we had a public hearing in the oceanview area and we invited some of the nonprofits as well as merchants and residents to the meeting. and one of the items that came up and i'd like to share with you was that the somebody mentioned business over there

are dying and they don't understand why because one is state college, state university. at the other end is city college. so, they're saying that many of the businesses do not know what's available to them like, you know, loans and revolving loan funds and whatever is available. so, i thought that maybe it would be do some outreach in that area. >> great, thank you. any other commissioner comment? next item. >> commissioners, item 14 is general public comment. >> do we have any members of the general public here wanting to comment on any items? seeing none, general public comment is closed. next item. >> commissioners, 15, new business. >> any commissioner have new business? next item. >> commissioners, item 16 is adjournment. is there a notion to adjourn?