>> i want to learn more about it. >> social networking and e-mail. >> i want to know how to use it. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> divisional divide is a divide between those with access to use digital tools and those who don't. >> with young people, having computers and i just don't know. they're doing it fast. so, i want to know. >> not knowing how to navigate the internet or at a loss of what to do. >> we don't have a computer.

>> we're a nonprofit that unites organizations and volunteers to transform lies through literacy. our big problem right now is the broadband opportunity program. a federally funded project through the department of aging. so, we're working in 26 locations. our volunteers are trained to be tutors and trainers, offering everything from basic classes all the way to genealogy and job search. >> to me computers, knowing how to use it. >> i think it's really important to everybody and possibly especially seniors to get enough of these skills to stay in touch. >> it's been fun. with seniors, to get them out of their homes. >> so they can connect with their family members. or their family members.

>> [speaking in spanish]. >> so, what we focus on is transferring skills from volunteer to learner to help them get onto facebook, find housing in crisis, be able to connect with friends and family. >> i decided to teach what i learn and it made me want to give back. i discovered that seniors do a lot of review. >> i am a beginner, so, little by little i learn. i learn a lot now. >> if you get the basics, you can learn it.

it's simple. it's easy. once you know it. and that's what i want to learn, how to make my life easier and more knowledgeable with the computer. >> so, what we need right now are more people who speak languages other than english or in addition to english who can give their time during the day and who care deeply ideally about helping to close the divide. >> it's a humbling experience. it's something simple to ask in our daily life, but to someone that doesn't know and to help somebody gain that experience in any way is awesome. >> [speaking in spanish]. >> no matter how tired or cranky or whatever i might

feel, when i walk into this place i always walk out feeling great. >> if you feel comfortable using computers and you have patience, we want you on our team. >> would you show me how to type? >> [speaking in spanish]. >> will you help me learn more? >> good afternoon welcome to the government oversight audit committee. my name is carmen chu. with supervisors cohen and

campus. mdm. clerk we have announcements? >> clerk calonsag: turn off all electronic devices; submit cards for any speakers. each member will be allotted the same number of minutes to speak in each item. items will appear on the february 5 supervisor meeting. >> would you call item 1. >> clerk calonsag: ordinance amending the san francisco administrative code by adding sections 6.22 q and 6.42 f to require a public works contractors to pay subcontractors. >> chair: this is an item that we have been working on for quite some time. catie chang in

my office among other folks and contractors have been working on ways to improve the way that we do business. one of the areas is reducing withholdings to make sure we are not the bottleneck for many of the local businesses and many small businesses and also what we can do to improve the issue of prompt payment. especially during the past few years the idea of how it is the city processes payment and get them back out to contractors is an important issue for us. if you think about the prompt an issue, you can think about it in three parts: when it is that contractors submit invoices, we hear a lot about this; how long it takes for the city to process an invoice and finally the issue of when it is that contractors pass on

payment to subcontractors after the receipt payment from the city. many recognize there is much to do in the first two phases of prop favorite, with has to do with how we get contractors to submit invoices in a quicker way. we have created an online system. the second portion with regard to processing in time the city already has a certain requirements around how quickly we are required to process payments for both construction contracts as well as professional services contract. there is a lot work to be done to track how well the city does to standardize; we count that time. and be able to report on that and see how we do. there are opportunities in

those two faces.finally in the third area, with regards to how fast primary contractor space of contractors, there are rules, a three-day requirement already in place. this legislation does not change that. once upon contractor is paid by the city, that they pass and pay contractors within seven days, it is a reasonable piece of legislation. in the sense that if there is a dispute those items can be - there is a separate process for that. as long as they are not disputed items, the payment should happen.

there is an enforcement component, a 2% enforcement are fine if the prime contractor does not pay. also private enforceable action between contractors. part of the incentive of doing this third portion is really to help to get us consistent with some of the state laws already in place that helps some of our contractors. that is what this legislation generally does, applicable to construction and professional services. there is a lot of work that we can do and we will continue to do with the task force. i know that mindy -- is here. making sure that we look at every piece of the process. i know that the city will continue to work for the mayors office as well with some of the executive directors. and colleagues i hope for your

support for this legislation. it is a fairly straightforward one and it helps improve one part of the process. there is an amendment that i would request that we make after public comment. i will read that into the record. this really seeks to clarify the enforcement component. all that we would be doing is adding on page 1, line 22 i believe -- and on page 2, line 9. they should read that this subsection -- this is a part of his new -- enforceable and is not, and it goes back. with that, if there are any questions i will be happy to answer them. we do have our city attorney here to help us if there are any questions. -- who has been working with us on this legislation.

other than that we will open for public comment. other members of the public who wish to speak in item number one? >> (off mic) (off mic) ofm(off mic) (off mic) --- (off mic) >> chair: i think you want to speak on item number two.

>> i don't mean to be fresh. i am being straightforward. i'm true to this. i'm here at city hall for 20 something years way before you all can hear. i don't know what you were doing 20 years ago, but i am doing the same thing i was doing 20 years ago, trying to find out what is going on at city hall. every department here needs to go over their contracts. for instance ttys signed contract that you don't know nothing about. there's a lot of things going on, i'm going to be here to let you know. i have been here starting city hall for over 20 years. specifically the last five years and the new administration. things -- and dwayne jones. because of the african-american outmigration.

every department of the city affects us, african-americans. i know you don't want to hear that but somebody has to be up here and i will be here at every opportunity i can until city hall opens up their eyes to realize that the african-american black negroes are in a state of emergency in san francisco. >> thank you. next speaker. >> can you hear me? good afternoon supervisors my name is george shank (sounds like) - speaking as vice president of the asian-american contractors associations. we brought this legislation and discussed that among our membership and the board. this is a straightforward piece of legislation a supervisor chu mentioned. it will have in our view a very positive impact on the

contracting community, providing certainty and predictability with regards to cash flow, with the seven-day component. there is also a mechanism for self enforcement which is positive, namely the 2% prompt payment penalty. for existing or upcoming sf projects, don't think that there will be an adverse transition to these requirements. these requirements have been going on since january 1 of last year. when jerry brown passes into law as of january 1 last year, for about a year prime contractors and subcontractors have been dealing with these requirements and successfully adhering to these requirements outside the city.transition to this legislation should be smooth. >> good afternoon my name is

lloyd -- small business consultant. also an lbe and serve on the lbe committee. we have been talking a lot about your legislation. everybody i talk to agrees that it is a wonderful first step in this will alleviate a lot of suffering are some of the smaller outfits that have not been paid in literally years from their contracts. so having said that, congratulations. very good. we still have a lot of nagging problems with our lbe program. what i am hoping that you would understand and if you need more clarification we are available at the committee 87% of the lbes other micro-lbes, the smallest. since we are tweaking some of these ordinances it looks like we might have the

mindset to realize some of the advantages to having work go to our local business enterprises especially our smallest ones which by the way comprise only micro, 87%, but most of the micros are minority and women owned businesses. you can go further than that and say that historically because of some institutional setbacks in our society, women and minorities have a harder time getting credit. it goes on and on. they remain small. i urge you to take this opportunity of this mindset and try to figure out a way to bring more work to the smallest, the micros, more set-asides and possibly some

changing of the thresholds. >> chair: thank you very much. are there other members of the public who wish to speak on item number one. seeing none public comment is closed. (gavel) though i have a motion to amend the legislation as read in the record? >> so moved. >> seconded and we can do that without objection. this helps to address from component of the prompt payment process; other areas where we do think that we have room to move, we have room to look at what we require prime contractors to do with regards to submission, once they receive an invoice from a subcontractor. we have a lot more work to do around transparency and how the city can make sure all parties involved have transparency with where we are in terms of processing payments.

finally i think the city has room to move in terms of figuring out how to standardized reporting and tracking payments and how it is that we do reporting. these are some of the areas of that forward to continuing to work on with the contractor community and with the city departments. do we have a motion to send the item forward with recommendations as amended? >> yes, madam chair. it is good to be back on government audits and oversight, and looking forward to working with this committee. i want to say that this is a very sound piece of legislation. it makes a great deal of sense. i like the fact that we are among the things conforming with state laws; it makes a great deal of sense to also provide certainty and clarity for the subcontractors that are impacted by this issue. and i would like to ask that my name be added as a cosponsor. >> chair: thank you very much supervisor.

i would like to say that the small business commission has also acted to support this legislation as well. >> i make a motion to move this forward, the process of recommendation. >> chair: we can do that without objection. item 2. gvl(gavel) clk>> clerk calonsag: performance audit housing authority. >> chair: this is brought by a number of supervisors. supervisor campos, do you have opening comments? >> supervisor campos: i will be brief in my comments. since i was elected supervisor four years ago, we have heard from time to time from a number of residents from the public housing developments about issues involving living conditions and the housing authority developments. it is something that we have been hearing more about in the last few weeks.