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tv   [untitled]    November 15, 2012 8:00pm-8:30pm PST

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vv boone, in the visitation valley. i work closely with the -- committee advisory committee, and gave me a good sense of the role and function of these by display and how important it is to get the right people involved to see what the community needs. zone two of the -- redevelopment area was the leland bayshore commercial corridor where i worked. i frequently was doing presentations to the cac [sounds like] and getting input from them on a lot of the commercial quarter revitalization activities and objectives. i have a real connection to their area in the lgbt center. i very much would like to see a lot of entrepreneurs, people i work with, local small
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businesses, occupy a lot of the commercial space that i know will be created along market street coming up. i know small business development, and small business retention has been identified as a priority by the cac, and the upper market plan. i have worked closely with-- the cbd, the castro cbd, and i know that we can make this happen. i look forward to working towards is objectives. i am also, as an employee of the lgbt center, and a supporter of lgbt culture i want to ensure that disappointment with the in a position to be a champion of that culture. i know that is important to the fabric of that neighborhood, and that area. i want to work to support that. i know that it is more important than ever coming up
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with the projected growth that is going to be taking place. i know the neighborhood there are issues, affordable housing is no doubt a major issue. i know that the cac along with myself i very much aware of the need to have a good mix of housing. and as well as pedestrian access and safety. every day i walk form -- avenue to octavia to go to the center, to go to work. when i get to work as it in an office that overlooks the market octavia intersection. i have a good sense of how nasty of an intersection that is an allowed the dangers that occur with the automobiles and cyclists and pedestrians converging. i am committed to not only improving the pedestrian experience but making it a
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safer experience as well. this is an opportunity. i am looking forward to it. you have any questions? >> supervisor kim: i do have some questions. i'm happy to hear some of your thoughts around small businesses and of course pedestrian safety. all of those are an integral part of the plan. probably the intent to represent low-income communities. could you speak about some of those issues that you feel would come up in the market octavia plan, and would you like to work on, because i think that is an important aspect of the seat. >> absolutely. i'm not sure i mentioned this before. i do have a background in urban studies. previous to my role in the center i was working in the visitation valley doing work
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with a small business is down there. a lot of those merchants live in the neighborhood. the issue becomes not only providing, working with low income individuals and merchants. people in the neighborhood being able to access the stores on the main street, the commercial corridors, community facilities, resources. a lot of that work with the populations continues today at the center. a lot of them really work to sort of defy the myth of gay affluence. >> supervisor kim: i want to be more specific. specifically low-income
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communities where they are limited to owning a small business. what do you believe would represent the interests of low income individuals? one of those things that are important advocate, issues important to the committee? >> i know that a lot of the community impact fees assessed on the developers, there are limits and requirements for these developers with regards to affordable housing of these new developments. i would like to see those requirements exceeded if at all possible. with regard to a lot of the residents, and some of the rsos in existence on market street, i will like to work to improve
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some of the infrastructure surrounding them. i know that there is an rso at 12th and market that i walk by everyday. >> supervisor kim: construction? >> yes. there are opportunities to improve the built environment that surrounds those sros. i think that in mix of housing and population, we want to improve the character and a lot of fabric. i want to work to bring in this population growth and advocate for individuals that have been there for a while, that they
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will stay there. their lives will get better. they won't be pushed aside. they will be able to enjoy the improvements in that area. >> [indiscernible] >> i know currently there is the waldon house and the hay/ashbury clinic have merged. they have an office in mission street. there are a number of service providers on market street aside from the center, like lion martin health clinic and ucsf alliance. >> supervisor kim: i'm glad that you know the organizations but do you work with them? do you interface with people that are also low income? >> i do particularly with my work in the department at the center.
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oftentimes i am not only working with people that start businesses but people come looking for services who may need some assistance in finding part-time employment. and maybe being able to utilize some of our financial services as well. >> supervisor kim: you interface with people who come in asking for services? >> yes. >> >> supervisor kim: great. that's my question. are there any other questions from colleagues? >> i would like to follow up on my question. do you identify yourself as low income? >> i do. i believe that meet the ami requirements. i am at 70% ami. i do. >> thank you. >> supervisor kim: thank you. at this time we will open up for public comment.
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if you would like to speak on this item, yeah? please come up. two minutes. >> hi supervisors. thank you for your service. and the director of economic development of the lgbt center and nick is on my team. he did incredible work in visitation valley. he was able to engage the neighborhood businesses in a way and at levels not seen before. i also was impressed that he created an opportunity for lgbt networking. he's a strong ally of the community before he stepped into his role at the lgbt center. we serve low-income communities, and very low-income communities at the center and in terms of income
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unfortunately most people working in nonprofits fall into the low-income bracket. we work with about 1000 people per year, 70-80% are low income. developing self-sufficiency. and starting micro-enterprises. part of nick's role is supporting folks in the process. we are able to support them in developing all of the opportunities for economic health. and with that i will conclude. i think you will find that he is a great service to this community. >> supervisor kim: is there any other public comment on this item? >> good afternoon board members. peter cohen. i have been on the market
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octavia cac since its beginning. i can up for renewal last december. the board decided against that and they were looking for someone who came out of the low-income committee. that is important. i want to share with you a couple of perspectives on why i think that lens is important on the cac. we are in an area where there has been rapid gentrification particularly in the upper market portion of the plan area. it cannot be understated that there is a low income population that is really vulnerable the displacement. i think that fundamentally that has to be a focus for the cac and someone has to bring that knowledge to the table,
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whether the person in the low income seat or not. over the last two years or so, in terms of the geography of cac members, they were very overbalanced towards the upper market. all of us a point is were from the castro area; we were not able to find from the district 6 or the -- area. about half of all the plan development commercial and residential is from octavia to the east. at some point that geography knowledge is going to be important to the cac, whether this seat or another seat. those are things that are important in the changeover of the set of cohort appointees to the next.
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>> supervisor kim: is there any other comment? seeing none public comment is closed. >> i want to thank mr. wolf for his interest in the seat. i work closely with the market octavia cac. we have quite a bit going on in the plan area including in the upper market area in terms of development of the creation of affordable housing, retail, which would result in job opportunities plus safety improvements. the cac's role, for a long time because there was no development, it was theoretical. nothing was happening before the collapse of financial markets but things are happening now. it is incredibly exciting. we need people involved. in addition to what we heard tha mr. wolf brings, is a
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tangible connection between the lgbt and the market octavia cac. the lgbt center sits close to the market octavia plan area. when you look at the priorities of the center in terms of working with youth, providing services to people, working with young people, seniors, economic development, all of the things the center does it would be valuable to have the center closely integrated into the cac. this is a strong application. i would move that we forward mr. wolf's application to the full board with recommendation. >> supervisor kim: supervisor avalos?
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>> thank you chair kim. i do appreciate the applicant put himself forward to serve on the committee. although i feel there is expertise in doing community work, and working with certainly around the leand avenue area, that is a significant public service. i think someone representing a low income seat, i look for keywords, concerned with demographic changes, poverty. i just wasn't hearing that. i think it is important if we are going to be having a seat looking at overseeing how we do development; how different agencies work together; that we have a clear lens perspective that is real concerns about
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low income people at heart. i did not hear that coming. not to say that the person does not have qualifications in other ways. for this seat, i want to make sure we are able to maintain that perspective. it should be clear to me in making a decision to that appointment. i would not support the motion. >> supervisor kim: i actually feel very torn about this. i represent a portion of market octavia. i do think that not just low income but being able to speak about the issues of low income, community members, being able to articulate that is important for the seat. i am looking at the committee members now that sits on the committee. you're very qualified for the
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cac; i don't know if you are qualified for the seat. we have homeowners. is important to have a variety and diversity. where i feel very torn is that i wanted to be on the cac, but i want someone who can speak articulately about what low income folks would like to see this area plan. i think housing is one. we want to push developers on making the largest commitment that the cannon building housing. there are issues around open space. i know that you served some of them to the center. i was not able to hear that connection and also ideas on how you would represent that perspective on the cac.
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i think your perspective would be great; i don't think that it fits the seat before us. i think it is hard to find someone for the cac. i am not ready to support to today. i would be open to support you on another seat in the cac for sure; it is important to have young folks who work at the center to participate; you would be able to be inactive, contributing member from the get-go. so, i know this is awkward. >> can i suggest that perhaps
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before we forward this with no recommendation, it's been close to a year that the seat has not been filled. in terms of the cac, and mr. cohen was not accurate about this. would appoint almost a year ago michael simmons, affordable housing developer who lives and works in the western addition. i think that, it would seem to me that given the time that has gone by, and given that the lgbt center does provide an awful lot of services to extremely low-income people through both the economic know the programs and elsewhere, i would suggest that at a minimum would put this forward with no recommendation and see what the full board thinkgs.
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>> supervisor kim: i am not ready to do that now. i am open for a motion to continue. i would like to spend time speaking with mr. wolf. i would like to articulate what you would be representing and i did not hear that. maybe with time we can sit down and have that level of discussion. i would feel comfortable with the motion to continue; i would not feel comfortable with a recommendation. >> i am of the same mind. i would continue and seeif other applicants come forward. >> i disagree but given that i'm in the minority i will suggest we continue to the next rules committee meeting. >> supervisor kim: is the first thursday of december, not too far off.
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december 6. >> do you see the need to do this at the next rules committee? or do we need more time to see if there are other applicants? >> supervisor kim: december 6 is the last rules committee this year. we could do a motion to call the chair, i am not sure who will chair this committee the next year. >> i am fine with the original motion to continue to december 6. >> why don't we do a motion to continue to december 6? during the time mr. wolf i would like to see done with you to talk more about the low income communities in this area. i'm not sure what applicants might come forward given that we have been looking for several months for someone to fill the seat.
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we have that motion. we continue without position. call item 5. >> (reading). there are six seats, 15 applicants. >> supervisor kim: i know bernice casey from the shelter monitoring commission is here. before we hear our many applicants of this committee. >> thank you supervisors. my name is bernice casey, i am one of the two staff assigned to the shelter monitoring committee. i will briefly outline, without supporting any of the candidates, the qualities for membership. i know the october rules committee meeting, our current vice chair secretary spoke to you and talk about some of the
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concerns they have the committee and the legislation. i have been with the committee for seven years; this is the first time that basically almost every single committee member has resigned. will be appointing almost all new members with exception of three individuals seeking reappointment out of 13 seats. i wanted my coworker to have time to talk about our challenges in accessing clients due to language barriers. >> good afternoon supervisors. one of the challenges that we have with a shelter monitoring committee is that we cannot get committee members that will speak spanish. there are about one of the staff and i will be leaving december. that would leave only one staff.
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and the spanish speaking is low. we do want to reach that are monolingual in the mission district especially because we have soldiers over there but it is very hard when a monolingual comes, and there's no one they can speak a language. it is important to have someone appointed who speaks spanish. >> supervisor kim: we have heard from other shelter monitoring people as well. thank you so much for both be here. supervisor avalos. >> what has been the history of anyone on the committee can speak spanish? is that an ongoing problem? >> it has been an ongoing problem.
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we were fortunate to have a woman who was one of the initial people appointed in the community who served for almost three terms, six years. she was bilingual, not latina. we have had one member who served for about a year and a half who is latino, whose spanish was a little bit better than mine but in no way fluent. we have one member who speak spanish. m she has been instrumental with clients who come in to take complaints, but also going into the field of facilitating community meetings. we were without a spanish-speaking staff or
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committee member for a year and a half and we were able to utilize interpreters from the department of public health to do outreach. >> and does the staff actually help with any outreach? there could be some organizations out there that do a lot of work with people who are homeless, or monolingual spanish. >> we use some of the resources of the coalition on homelessness and some other volunteers are sometimes spanish-speaking. but they don't volunteer for the committee. we needed we rely on staff. a big portion is to take complaints. we don't want to use staff in those environments to translate comments to take complaints from clients. all of our research are now in
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spanish and english, particularly when we do screening or surveying. if i go out and my spanish is muy mal, i can give the document in spanish and i can write comments later and have them translated later. to do the effective job we want to increase the capacity of spanish-speaking people on the committee. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> supervisor kim: so at this time i'm going to call forward the applicants. we do have a number of applicants, 15 applicants for six seats. i'm going to limit your time to two minutes; i apologize but i want to get through this in a timely manner. i will call two names at a time.
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the first is adalene tony. >> hello. nice to see you all today. my name is -- antonio, i work at the coalition of homelessness. i just moved last week. i've been homeless since i was 15, i'm now 20, five years. my daughter is 15 months old; she was born homeless; i speak spanish, french, portuguese. i can help in that area. having lived in the shelter i do think there's certain things that need to be changed. staff and cleanliness -
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i just feel that everybody deserves the right to have comfortable, safe environment to live in especially with their children. especially families. if i were appointed i would make sure that happens. so that's it. thank you. >> supervisor kim: thank you so much for being here. next i have adalene tony and and deborah ann white. i know lamont is unable to attend the date. matthew steen? jenny parrilla here? matthey, you are here? is jenny is not here, i know tony fatua