>> chair wiener: is there any member of the public who wishes to make public comment? seeing none, public comment is closed. so, colleagues, this is now in the hands of the committee. supervisor farrell has proposed amendments, and perhaps first as to the amendments, before we decide what to do with the matter, we can perhaps discuss that first. but -- no. president chiu. supervisor farrell. >> supervisor farrell: thank you, chair, and to my colleagues and to the people who spoke today on both sides of the issue. i think as we knew going in this, there is passion on both sides here. and i very much respect that as the author of this legislation. and what i neglected to do earlier, was fail to thank my cosponsor, supervisor wiener, and thank you for your leadership on this issue as well. as i spoke before and mentioned

this legislation was designed to benefit everyone. this wasn't a one-sided piece of legislation. it isn't designed to pit homeowners against renters and the rhetoric that has come out in talking about this legislation has done that and that is extremely unfortunate. what we did was to, in this legislation, is to support both homeowners and t.i.c. owners but also renters as well as affordable housing community. i think today, what struck me the most, to be honest with you, were the personal stories that came out. the last speaker being a teacher that has to work a second job, families coming out, young parents, nurses, and so forth. and to me, it's the personal stories here that are really behind the motivation of this legislation. it is not to do anything else. so, colleagues, i appreciate your endurance here. this is something that i've worked on for a long time. i know it's been a topic of debate for a while and something

i hope we can move forward, for the best interest of san francisco. thank you. >> chair wiener: thank you, supervisor. president chiu. >> supervisor chiu: thank you. i want to thank supervisor farrell and of course i want to thank the hundreds of folks that came out today, who recognize that we are here because fundamentally our housing stock is extremely limited both for tenants and aspiring homeowners. unfortunately as echoed today the situation has pit two legitimate perspectives against each other, those and the t.i.c. owners stuck in challenging financial situations. i want to thank the work supervisors have done with their proposal and believe they're working in good faith to address the situation. that being said i have been a tenant for 17 years representing an overwhelmingly tenant district. while i would like to become a homeowners some day ever since i ran for office in 2008 i've expressed concern with the

proposal that has been suggested today. like many of my constituents i do not support the legislation in its current form. give the controller's report i have questions about whether the fee scale is appropriately set. while i appreciate the provisions for tenants, i have additional questions about whether there are ways to strengthen their protections. and my most significant concern is that if we allow the current generation of t.i.c. owners to convert, we will quickly replace them with a new generation of t.i.c. owners and additional real estate investments that will lead us right back to an identical debate within a short period of time. this is the first hearing on this important topic. as i said before if i had to vote today i would not vote to support it but i recognize that even if a majority of this committee voted down this proposal, supervisors farrell and wiener could collect two more signatures to bring this next week to the full board without time to see a comprehensive solution. i think both sides have been speaking at each other for quite some time but not necessarily

with each other. i'm happy to convene an intensive negotiation process over the next two weeks between representatives of the tenant and t.i.c. communities to see if there it is a better solution to work. to that end i would propose a four week continuance to february 25, and hope over the next couple of weeks we can do that work and on february 25, either we might have some different proposals to consider, or this committee can decide at that time how to move forward. >> chair wiener: thank you president chiu. he has made a motion. is there a second? >> co-chair kim: second. >> chair wiener: seconded by supervisor kim. supervisor kim. >> co-chair kim: thank you. i want to appreciate president chiu's thoughts and appreciated the last few hours, hearing the personal stories of our first time homeowners and our tenants in san francisco and really feeling that it was very tragic

that we have set up a situation where folks that need to be homeowners and renters and live in san francisco are pitted against each other within the same group of housing stock. and what we're talking about specifically of course is our rent controlled housing stock. and i think the larger problem that i really see today of course is how our banks and our realtors set up -- you know many of our first time owners, in many ways for failure or incredibly difficult time being homeowners in san francisco, with higher interest rates, just very kind of -- forcing people to feel like they're stuck in the place that they are. at the same time, we've got to hear about how renters are feeling the squeeze as well in the current economy as rent continues to rise. as someone who went back on the rental market a couple of months ago i recognize how challenging that is. i have the same concerns that president chiu has brought up. one of course is the fee scale and how that's been set up.

i think that 7.4 to 24.7 million for affordable housing is great. i'm not sure if that dollar amounts really makes up for the loss of potentially 1800 units of once rent controlled units being lost in one fell swoop. i think, over all, something that i'm probably most interested in, is what we do for the the next generation of folks that may also get pushed or encouraged into t.i.c. home ownership. i think it's one of the things our city does not want to encourage. the one thing we will never be able to build more of is rent controlled units. that is a depleting stock every year. and we don't want homeowners that can't afford to buy homes competing with tenants in rent controlled units. but i'm very sympathetic to the current status of our existing t.i.c. owners in the status that they're in. so i'd really like to see if we can come up with some kind of solution that will help our

t.i.c. owners, particularly the ones -- and i think it's important that it be owner occupied. i think we should be looking at a ban of fill for five or 10 years to ensure that these are folks planning on living in their units and not flip. and i think we should be talking about if we allow 1800 potential units to go through in this year are we talking about a freeze over the next nine or 10 years. so what we're trying to avoid is people stuck in a process for eight to 10 years and that's the actual challenge. then maybe we help take care of those folks today, but then actually do a freeze on future condo conversion so that we're not encouraging other folks to enter into that field, knowing that that bypass is given today. the reason why i asked the question of some of the public commenters about whether they were t.i.c. owners currently its not because they don't have skin in the game. it's in everyone's right to speak in favor or in opposition of legislation, regardless of

their status, or the position that they hold within the legislation. my concern was that other folks were looking at this legislation as an ice break for more, for more condo conversion in the future. so we were getting public comment from folks who were hoping in the future that they too can then become t.i.c. owners and then get a bypass in five or 10 years. that's the concern that i had. i know the authors have said that's speculation but public comment today has proved that far from speculation, that people are looking at this passage as an indication of whether they should encourage more t.i.c. ownership and that for me is problematic because we are talking about then cannibalizing further our rent control housing stock. so i do support this continuance. i think there is a real issue today that we should try to see if we can address which is specifically t.i.c. homeowners who are facing financial distress, who are potentially going under the water. i think there are ways for us to

look at that and to ensure that we are able to help those folks. but we are able to do that with a balance of understanding that a rent control unit unfortunately are an important part of what makes the city affordable. and that we're frankly just not building enough affordable housing to keep up with the loss due to condo conversion every year. so i look forward to this dialogue over the next couple of weeks. and will be supporting that motion today. >> chair wiener: thank you, supervisor kim. obviously i support this legislation, as i am a cosponsor, and i -- (no audio) -- addressing the very real needs of both t.i.c. owners and renters. i want to stress my view that this is a one-time mechanism, and understand there was one member of the public that i recall who said that this was a -- paraphrasing an ice breaker

for future bypasses. that's not my view and certainly not nig my intent. i want to take a moment to complement members of the public who were here today. i think we've been through some contentious hearings that sometimes devolve into name calling and pretty raucous behavior. this is an incredibly intense issue for everyone involved. it's very personal for t.i.c. owners, for renters, for many, many different people. and yet this hearing was an incredibly civil and i think substantive hearing. and it was great not only that people were so thoughtful on both sides in their comments, but that it really appeared that by and large everyone who spoke would say their view and then acknowledge the views of the other side. and really underscoring that this is not a black and white issue. this is a very difficult issue,

where everyone is on the -- in terms of supporting or not supporting. i also wanted -- for me, personally, this is a tough issue. i know and have met many t.i.c. owners who i represent and also in the city who are struggling in a huge way. and i do think that -- supervisor kim you have not demonized anyone but others have done sort of blanket demonization of t.i.c. owners that they're real estate speculators, they're in the 1%, so that unfortunately that has happened, they don't deserve it. but also, i moved here in the 90's and i saw some of the abuses that were happening in the 90's. and as a young lawyer in private practice i did pro bono representation through the lawyers committee for civil rights of quite a few tenants who were facing ellis act evictions, owner move-in evictions sometimes abusive

owner move-in evictions, his people living with hiv. so this is something that i've seen firsthand. so i don't pretend this is an easy issue. this is about an incredibly hard issue i think for everyone involved. but i agree that it is -- there is a problem that we do need to address, even though we may have different perspectives on how to address it. and then i just want to address a number of times people have brought up the issue of it's the bank's fault, it's the fault of the banks or the realtor so we need to go after them. whether or not that's true, when you look at the foreclosure crisis, although we have gone after the banks, we've also done everything we can to help people who are facing foreclosure. prop c itself contains a fund that has helped -- to help stabilize housing, including people who are facing foreclosure. so i think as a government, in addition to holding folks

accountable who need to be held accountable, when people are in a bad situation we try to help them. so it's appropriate to do that here. i'm very glad to hear president chiu talking about intensive working group, bringing all sides together, to try to resolve this. i'm the eternal optimist so i hope that that is successful and am glad to hear people are willing to come to the table. last year, supervisor farrell and i tried to raise this issue in a very broad based collaborative way to try to get a broad based discussion about it, and we were told in no uncertain terms, no, it's not even open for discussion. so i'm very, very glad to hear that maybe that has changed and that maybe there will be a good faith discussion to try to come to a resolution here, to help people who are struggling. and so i look forward to that. so i obviously i would prefer that we put this out of

committee today, but given the comments of president chiu and supervisor kim, and the desire to have this working group, i will support the motion to continue to february 25. supervisor farrell. >> supervisor farrell: thank you, chair wiener. thank you to my colleagues. you know, again, i think to echo what a number of us have said, i do respect the the dialogue that happened today. and i do concur with chair wiener that the comments that both people on both sides of the debate acknowledge the other side's merits and a desire to work together so it is appropriate that we decide to do that. and i look forward to the next few weeks. this is something that is -- as i mentioned before is not going away. it's affecting families on a monthly basis here and it's something that i very much want to see tackled and handled as soon as we can and i commit full time and resources to make that happen and look forward to that debate 12k3w4r-78 thank you. so -- >> chair wiener: thank you. we have amendments that have been proposed by supervisor farrell, and can we take those

amendments without objection? that will be the order. and now we have a motion to continue on the table, and it's been seconded, this is a motion to continue the item until february 25 can we take that outobjection? that will be the order. is? any other business before the committee? >> alisa miller: there are no other further matters. >> chair wiener: then we are adjourned.

>> the garden contains plants referred to by william shakespeare's plays and poems. located near the academy of

sciences, shakespeare's garden was designed in 1928 by the california spring and wild flower association. here is a truly enchanting and tranquil little garden tucked behind the path of a charming rot iron gate with romantic magic. the overarching cherry trees, the gorgeous big walkway and brick wall, the benches, the rustic sun dial. the pack picnic, lovely bench, enjoy the sunshine and soft breeze and let the >> you're watching quick bites, a look at san francisco foods. today you're in for a real treat. oh, my. food inspired by the mediterranean and released with a twist so unique you can only find it in one place in san francisco.

the 56th annual armenian bizarre, this is extra special not only because i happen to be armenian, but there is so much deliciousness here and i can't wait to share it with all of you. let's go. ♪ ♪ >> armenia, culture and cusine has had many cultural exchanges with its neighbors. today armenian food has food from the mediterranean, middle east and europe. >> this is san francisco with the largest armenian food festival and widely recognized as one of the best food festivals in the area. we have vendors that come up from fresno, los angeles. we have everyone here in the neighborhood. that's really what it is, is drawing people to see a little bit of our culture and experience what we experience weekend in and weekend out. >> we are behind the scenes now watching the chef at work

preparing some delicious armenian. this is a staple in armenian cooking, right? >> absolutely since the beginning of time. soldiers used to skewer it on swords. we have chicken ka bob, beef, lam, onions, parsley, over 2 pounds of meat being cooked in three days. >> after all that savory pro seen, i was ready to check out the fresh veggie options. * protein this is armenian. tomatoes and olive oil, that makes it summer food. what i'm doing is i'm putting some latinae. it's kind of like cream cheese without. when they offer you food, you have to eat it. they would welcome you and food is very important for them. >> in every armenian community we feel like we're a

"smallville"age. we come together to put on something like this. what i find really interesting about san francisco is the blends of armenians from different areas, when they are here, the way people work together at any age, grandmothers and grad fathers skewering the food, fun to see everybody get together. >> we call it suberak. it's cheese turn over, if you want. we make it from scratch. we like to do for la san i can't. >> the amount of love and karin fused in the foods is tremendous. they come in every day to prepare and cook all in preparation for the big festival. * >> nobody stay. you have to come today, tomorrow for the feast. >> what a treat to taste a delicious recipe all made from scratch and passed down through generations. it really makes you appreciate the little things. >> this is the best festival.

the food is to die for. it is a marvelous occasion. >> check out some of the food to go options. i describe myself here with a sandwich. all kinds of herbs and spices. this is fantastic. one of the best i've had in a long time. you know it's delicious. i have just enough room for dessert, my favorite part. we're behind the scenes right now watching how all the pastries get made. and we've got a whole array of pastries here just for us. the honey and nuts and cinnamon, all kinds of great ingredients. this is amazing. here's another yummy pastry made with filo dough. oh, my gosh. really sweet and similar, it's so much lighter. this is what i like. we have a lovely little row here. it looks like a very delicious

and exciting surprise. covered by input. i'm going to bite into it. here we go. godness. this would go great with armenian coffee. now we're making some incredible armenian coffee. >> we buy our coffee from, they have the best coffee. these come from armenia especially made. would you like to try it? >> i would like to try. >> would you like sugar or no sugar? >> no sugar today. so excited. really earthy, you can really taste the grain. i think that's what makes it so special. really hope you try it. having a great time at the armenian festival. we ate, we saw, and we

definitely conquered. i don't know about you, but i have to go dance this food out. in the meantime check out our blog for recipes, out takes and so much more at sf quick bites at cobbler.com. until next time, may the fork be with you. ♪ ♪ >> first of all, everybody is welcome. and we ask two things when they get here. one, that they try something they never tried before. be it food or be it dancing or doing something. and if they feel like it was worth their while, to tell one person next year and bring that person, that family member, that friend down the street to come with them. >> we're going to have to do a lot of eating, so, get ready. >> you diet tomorrow. with its elegant rotunda, the

reflecting waters of the sub rounding lagoon and fraying rant eucalyptus trees, special dates and memorable proposals. it is the perfect picnic spot to relax with that special someone by listening to water and fountain in the lagoon and gazing as the swans go gracefully by. beautiful to view from many locations along the lagoon and inside the columns is an ideal place to walk around with your loved one. the palace of fine arts is the most popular location in the city arts system. reservations for weddings and other events a