so hopefully moewd, the person who's been working on this project is on i believe sick leave so unable to be here to respond, but i do believe that valley brown may be returning to work in district 5 office or at least that's the rumor. if that's the case then hopefully she'll be able to answer some of the questions that might come up today and that will definitely forward to her. also redevelopment agency certainly there's been a lot of really bad history in the western addition over the decades and accountability is something i think people would really like to see, so i am not sure how we necessarily achieve that other than continuing to kind of have to informational hearings and for people to continue to ask questions, which we will then again

forward to redevelopment personnel to moewd and to the oversight board. but i believe that before supervisor mercurini left, he did request a audit and we will find out what the status of that is. there were a lot of questions around $800,000 and we will find out about that and make sure member s of the public receive, but we didn't want to leave without having an opportunity for members of the public to put concerns or questions on the record which we can then forward on to the appropriate departments so people feel there is some movement toward establishing some accountability for some of the actions that have occurred in that part of the city over these number of years. so, again, one of the conversations that we just

started was with the merchants to try to establish some controls along the lower fillmore area that we hope would be beneficial to the small businesses and small merchants there and smaller businesses there. so, again, that conversation continues and at this point i'd say we open it up for public comment. we'll again forward on the questions and follow-up with miss brown, whoever would be in the supervisor's office to follow up on these questions. >> so let's open this up for public comment. do we have any speaker cards? >> i don't have any. >> then we should just ask people to line up on the side of the room if you can. two minutes per person. >> you know, with all due respect, i'm just going to tell you straight out. i know you mean well, but it doesn't make sense. let me give you a plain simple example. you want to make a difference on fillmore street? when you

walk up the street to marcus garvey and martin luther king, those are families that own and will always be there forever and ever. you tell those folks, hey, we're going to make sure the commercial people, not the vbd, not the merchants, we're going to make sure they live up to their responsibility. they are supposed to make sure the doors are open for people to come in and do a lot of events and things. picture this if you would, instead of busses coming in at 5:00, what if you create the traffic there. they are right now in a serious crisis but it's just a block away. everybody is looking for foot traffic. everybody is looking for an opportunity to do things, bring people from somewhere, all you have to do is walk up the street and say for the next 30 days we're going to make sure there's a

terrible outrageous discount so you folks can participate because they don't participate. the foot traffic is right there so you change the name, that's like going to fillmore and golden gate street and telling everybody on that block, we're going to name this happy corner. it don't make sense to change names. what makes sense is to alieu -- allow people and weathered the storm, the reason they have not been meeting correctly it because there's no community participation and i don't mean from a level of somebody just coming and raising hell. what i'm talking about is for you folks to understand that nobody ever thought that the restaurants was going to save us. that's a family business. every business up and down fillmore street that's benefited that owes all this money now are either restaurants or clubs. the point, in closing, the point i'm making because this is something that is near and dear to me. i'm 57 years old and i'm born and raise the right here in san francisco, you know.

>> so how do you think then that we can increase foot traffic from the --. >> by opening up the doors for the people that live there. you got 1300, you got almost 2 million dollars and you got a club there you can't even tell it's a club. you got people standing there and doing all this money back and forth from japan and nobody goes on the street and says open the doors. here's the saddest thing i've ever seen in my life. >> everybody only gets two minutes. if you could finish your thought, that would be great. >> two minutes? i've been here 57 years, lady. you say valley will be here monday and people are out sick. you are not respecting the sbreg integrity of the folks already there. maybe you ought to just stop and let us grow and flow. >> thank you, next speaker.

>> good afternoon, supervisors, my name is jake crafford. if you look at the fillmore district and compare it to divisidero and vezation valley, you are having a lot of power shaping our neighborhood deciding what businesses go into the retail spaces, what organizations come to service our community. in the last year and a half there's literally been two meetings in our neighborhood regarding the $800,000, two meetings, and one of the things we agreed to with the mayor's office when they came in, they would have monthly meetings and they would have it monthly, that way when you have a important topic the community

has an opportunity to talk. instead they only had two meetings in a year and a half and the way they were set up was to cause division in the neighborhood, so you can't have a proper discussion. this thing with the overhead propblgor, projector, fillmore market place vendors, awning program, business attraction, they present all that and then only give you at the end 25 minutes for public comment. you only can pick on one comment so there's 5 different topics, you can pick on one topic. that's in september 2011. now, this is may 3rd of this year, which is the last meeting they had, if you look at the very bottom, this time they only gave us 7 minutes for public comment. so they had these 5 important topics in our community and at the end they give you 7 minutes for public comment. that's what we got in

two years in terms of the huge impact the mayor's office is having determining our future. >> thank you. >> next speaker. >> hi, it's good to see everybody. my name is adrian williams and i have just a couple of comments. i do events along the corridor. i understand what the requirements are and i have, we do kwanzu, we do batuzi in the corridor, mardi gras san francisco style. some of those buildings were there before there was a fillmore corridor and there were certain things promised to the community. i have a tendency to get those things done for me but overall one of the things i have a problem with, there's no enforcement. for instance, i know for a fact that $4 million was put in a fund from the jewish

community high school to aid certificate holders and even with the 1300 going up, that building, we were promised that 13 of those certificate holders would be put in that building. well, they can't find any. now we have apartments going up on turk street, $4 million is still in the kitty to help these people to come back but why aren't those funds being done? i saw an email from gia which really worried me in the respect you are turning away people because they can't afford the down payments, they can't afford to be there so what is that 4 million which was allocated specifically for the stake holders, i mean for the certificate holders, what happened to that money? is it still there or has it been given to the businesses for loans too? so that's one of my concerns. the other is marketing, people like me who are stake holders

in that community who are trying to bring the foot traffic successfully by the way, we're getting ready to do our 7th year of kwanza, 7th year of mardi gras san francisco style. >> if you can finish, miss williams. >> but we are treated as if we are second hand citizens. we were there before those businesses got there. for a people like me, who is trying to bridge the gap between the businesses and the community, give us some respect when it comes down to working with certain offices here in city hall and come back and debrief us and let us know. i know that it's trying coming to our neighborhood because we're passionate, but we do deserve to get feedback and to be listened to and to be heard and so i'm really interested in what happened to that $4 million and why people are still not being able to use that money that came from the jewish community high school

for down payments for housing and that type of thing. is it still there, where is it? thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> former supervisor olague, thank you for bringing this important topic at this time. in the past after many, many years ross mikarami was instrumental in having a hearing about the certificates. one thing leads to the other. now, today i attended the meeting on the successor agency to redevelopment and you know that you are creating yet another commission on, they call it infrastructure and investment, you know? now, while we were attending the other meeting, not once were these people who were appointed on this investment

and infrastructure attended that meeting. now what's happening here, supervisor christina olague, when you speak the truth, people don't like it. there were a bunch of whoever you call it who were sponsored by the machine, you know the machine, much like the mafia. much like the mafia. now today you've heard a few and there are many people at home and maybe you should go on kapu, you know, and talk about this. have a series of meetings. that's the only thing we can do. because these people are banked on treating good people like dirt. you know, the western addition is where middle class african americans were forced out and they died in the sro's. now the few, the last warriors, the

last of the mohicans, you have wanna be's coming with new commissions trying to do this, that and the other and they have no respect, no respect for those who have gone before and done something. and it's not only in the western addition, it's in the bayview, the same thing. the same thing. we just had a meeting this morning, you know? it's the same thing. so, supervisor olague, keep on doing what you have done before, you did well at the planning department. keep on doing the right thing wherever you are. thank you very much. >> next speaker. >> supervisors, daniel landry for the record. first of all, supervisor olague, it's been a long time and i want to thank you for

sponsoring this and like always you've been right there in the forefront for a lot of issues and things just from me to you, i appreciate all the work you have done and i hate to see that it's going to be a transition, however that's how things happen, but we're going to still work hard and (inaudible) our efforts. i'm born and raised in fillmore, 44 years, and i also have a business in fillmore, i have friends, family, i've been there all my life. and for what i can say what's happening to the fillmore, what happened to the fillmore, i suggested to, like, supervisor mercorini a few years ago, just like we were speaking to sam jordan's a few minutes ago, the fillmore can be considered a historic district. all the facts proves the best way you deal with

areas like the fillmore and even bayview hunter's point is take it to the people. we had joint meetings, even the human rights commission came out, we spoke on serious issues and then we had hearings here about drugs. but the follow through and follow-up i think is what pushes people to the limit and sometime our conversations get lost because people feel disappointed because they don't see things coming forward. i stay in king garvey, i've been there 30-something years, with the support of you, supervisor olague, that rehab plant was not good for king harvey you have doorknobs falling off, you have gates that don't work, you have a $37 million contract that citibank forced seniors to sign off. now redevelopment is

not here, nobody knows who is responsible, we're in the fourth quarter and we haven't scored no touchdown. in fact, i think this is a good hearing and it needs to be supported. >> we'll follow-up. your questions and comments, we'll make sure that people get the minutes. >> definitely. even if we can have a joint hearing out in the community in the future i think that's always wise, to come out into the community and set up like the police commission have done in the past because that's when the people can only walk two, three blocks versus coming down here to city hall. thank you. >> thank you, next speaker. >> my name is east washington, i won't be able to say everything in two minutes but i definitely want to take time to thank christina olague for coming to our district and do something we haven't been able to do. i know supervisor ross

has done a tremendous job and you have done an even better job in your 8 months. september 27 you did something here in san francisco that has never been done in 20 years. we had 3 subcommittee meetings in one day up and down the stairs on african american issues. look out there and see what we have out there. it is totally unacceptable for my black community to not be right here for opportunity to talk about the atrocities that happened to us with the human rights commission and redevelopment agency, not only did we ask for it in february, you went beyond that, asked for a commission meeting and asked for this oversight committee. like he said, in this last minute, i'm going to tell you, my name is ace and i'm on this case. we are going to put together an injunction or something it stop what mr. ed lee is doing right now. what he is doing is creating an

atrocious group of individuals thats going to run the rest of our generation like the prior redevelopment has done. it's no mystery, all you got to do is check your history, people are going to do for generations to come, christine, what you have done, the housing authority, nobody here is crabing for what you did for them. whoever sits in that seat, they are going to make it law. i have to go over to another agency with the housing authority. let me say one thing, city hall is out of control. we don't know who is in control. we don't know what department is doing what. board of supervisors what is going on, i'm not going to sing today but city hall is out of control and we got to file a complaint for injunction. be ready for it. >> thank you, next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors, my name is douglas yapp right on, ace, that's all i have to say. i'd like to

thank supervisor olague for her brave and couragous act. she is setting a precedent showing that children in san francisco cannot be bullied and neither can adults. so you politicians better heed the word and you are lucky bullying isn't a federal offense yet. secondly, the reason why the situation on fillmore street is the way it is is because what has the mayor's office actively done for this community? i don't see a representative here today. now, according to the notes for this hearing there was a 3-month time period between assignment to this committee and today's hearing. now, i just heard the representative give his presentation. i don't think it takes 3 months to figure out what to say on that. so i have serious questions about why there was a 3-month wait and in

my humble opinion i call it retaliation. you want to be honest? i say it's retaliation why there was a 3-month wait for this hearing. isn't it convenient that they schedule it as item 7 when there's nobody here, when you could easily schedule it as item 1 and everybody would be here to listen. in my 5 years here, even though i've played dumb, i assure you i am not dumb. we know how the agenda is manipulated. why don't we end this year on a happy note and say city hall politicians, you have been warned once again, stop the bullying, stop the manipulation, all you are accomplishing is giving certain agencies more reason to walk through the door and slap a piece of paper in room 200. thank you. >> are there any other member

s of the public that would like to speak on this matter? seeing no more, this item is closed. mr. chair. >> thank you. so, colleagues, can we table this item without objection or shall we file this without objection? >> yes. >> thank you. thank you, supervisor olague, for being here. >> i want to thank member s of the public for coming out. we will draft hopefully there will be some minutes. if not, definitely written notes that i will pass on to other supervisors so hopefully this conversation can continue and i'll send those minutes to the necessary departments and then hopefully they will follow-up. so thank you. >> thank you. miss miller, is there any other business before us? >> no, there are no further matters. >> thank you, everyone, meeting adjourned. (meeting adjourned).

>> san francisco's buses and trains serve many riders who are blind or how low vision. muni is their lives line to get around. simple act of courtesy can help them access muni services safely. it is not just courtesy. it is the law. >> i used to take the 21 airlock. >> lot of times, when i would be waiting at the bus stop, the door would open and the driver

would announce the bus line. >> 71. >> it is easier and preferable when a driver sees someone who is obviously visually impaired if they stop in front of me and say "this is the 71," "this is the seven." >> our buses are setup to announce the lines when we pull up. when i see a customer with a guide dog or cane, make sure i let them know what line i am. >> every time i get on the bus, i tell the driver where i need to get off, even if i think there digital voice system is going to announce that. just so they know in the event that it is not working. i would say a good amount of the time, i do get acknowledgment, actually. >> good morning. >> morning. is your announcements system working? >> i'm sorry, it is not. >> could you let me know when we

get to van ness and sacramento? >> i sure will. >> i have had a number of drivers be really helpful in terms of getting passengers to move down a few seats so i can sit in the front. >> can somebody give this lady a seat? >> the bus driver was say, "please wait a moment. i want to make sure you have a seat." and i hear him or her announced that he needs a seat for a person with a disability. >> as soon as the person gets on the bus, i ask the passengers if we can have a seat for this person. >> anybody help us? thank you, sir. >> thank you. >> sides, federal law requires that the customers give their seats to the elderly and disabled if they should need it. >> buses should stop in zones that can accommodate multiple lines will stop behind one another. i cannot see what bus is behind -- i'm not even sure if there is a bus behind.

the second bus does not come up to the front. oftentimes, it has caused me to be passed up by bosses, by trains, and again, it makes me late for appointments. it makes me late for my job. >> i'm often anxious that i'm going to miss the bus that i need, simply because i'm not fast enough to scamper down and find out which bus is lined up behind the bus that is currently in front of me. what i'm going to work and i take the van ness street buses to work, sometimes, one of them will pull up right next to the other one. not in a bus stop, but parallel to it. and i do not know it is there. i also do not feel comfortable walking out into the street. >> is that my boss over there? i think that is my boss -- bus.

i'm going to miss it. i don't know how many times i have missed buses because of this. >> i do not double park. it is not safe for our customers, and especially the visually impaired. anything could happen, and it is muni's policy not to double park. normally what i do, if i can safely go in behind, i pull in the zone, offload my customers, load the customers that are waiting for me. when the bus in front of the leaves, i will pull to the front for the customers that did not see me. >> sometimes, the bus pulls up, and there is stuff in my way because the boys -- bus has not pulled up right in front of me. i have to figure out how to get around or through. i have to navigate through all of that in order to get onto the

bus. >> when i pick up a visually impaired customers, i like to pull up right in front of them, make sure nothing is in the way so they can walk right on the coach. >> okay, take one big step forward. >> when i drop off a visually impaired customers, make sure you do not pull up at the shelter. you want to give them a straight shot so they can go to the left or the right. you want to pull in front or behind the shelter. never around any trees or pose. i usually let them know that they have about 10 feet before you. a straight shot, and wallace 10 feet away, and they can make the decision what they want to do from that point. every now and then, and visually impaired customer wants to be dropped off right at the shelter. so they can go to the left or the right from there. >> ok, you want to take one big step when you step off. the shelter is straight ahead. >> if i get on the bus and asked

a bus driver to please tell me when to get off at seven straight, the bus driver very often will tell me to just look at the sign, and i will say that i cannot see the sign because and visually impaired. sometimes, the bus driver gets it. some of the time, the bus driver does not get it at all. it is really difficult when you do not see well to understand where things are. it is one of those issues where people do not see it from the outside. so when they see me having problems stepping off of curbs or stairs or running into the side of a building or things like that, it would appear to them as though maybe i had been drinking, but the problem is that there is no contrast between a great building and a sidewalk. >> it is difficult for some drivers i think to understand

that i am blind. although i may look like i'm getting along very well, and it did happen to me on several occasions with drivers, questioning my ability to see. they would say, "well, you really are not that blind." not only is that infuriating, but it is just something that cuts to my core. >> there are times that visually impaired customers get on the bus, and they are moving so well that makes me wonder how blind they are, but that is not for me to decide. i'm just here to take them some point a to point b safely. >> i moved all the way across the country specifically to live in san francisco because i knew they had great public transportation. i had the greatest interactions with muni drivers because i was thrilled to be on a bus and be able to get some more independently. i think the drivers can really feel proud that they are making feel proud that they are making people's lives possible in a way