variance of the finding of the budget analyst, that this is actually the right thing to do and they are supportive of our compliance with the civil service and the equal employment opportunity in the city >> thank you, any questions? >> could we go to your report then for item 26? >> yes, mr. chairman. members of the committee. we will start off by stating that we are not questioning the fair market value the good deal that the director of real estate has negotiated in any way shape or form, or that this may or is improved and better space, that is not our question at all. on page 74 of the report we

point out that the first year rent of 257,400 for the first floor, is an increase of $134,827 or 110 percent, that is compared to the current of 122,523 on the second floor where it is now. this increase is due to a 47 percent increase in the rent per square foot as shown in table two and that is on page 74 of our report. and based on fair market value and an increase of 33,320 square feet that is a 43 increase in square footage. on page 75, of our report, we state that while dhr is showing that the increased floor space would allow more testing

capacity, dhr does not have specific information on, current delays and testing and service eligibility lists due to insufficient space on the second floor or have test and generation of civil service list will be increased due to the increase space on the third floor. >> in fact, we request of the department and we were very desirous of recommending approval of this item and we requested the department to provide us with the documentation which we felt was needed for the board of supervisors to have a good or to have good documentation to approve this and we were never provided with the information that we requested. so, we state that because on the bottom of page 75, because we propose we increase the city costs by $77,688 in the first year of the lease and $414,336

over the five-year term of the lease, this is in comparison if they stayed on the second floor without sufficient information, on how the generation of civil service eligibility lists, excuse me, on how the increased space under the proposing lease would contribute, to increased testing and generation of civil service eligibility lists we do not recommend approval of the 5-year lease of the first floor as an alternative to the board of supervisors should request that it is our recommendation that the board of supervisors request the director of real estate to enter into the negotiations with the landlord to exercise the available option to extend the existing lease of the second floor of the facility. and i would also point out mr. chairman and members of the committee, that the department still has in fact you approved in this budget, hotel space for the departments they still rent space for hotels, and they still bring in specialists and

that is a cost, which incidentally we recommended approval to this budget and finance committee for that additional cost to run hotels and to bring in the specialists. and we have not been provided with any documentation that other departments would, or the department that we have indicated that the other departments might use this space. we have not been provided with any documentation on that point whatsoever. so our recommendation as i say is to disapprove for the reasons that i stated. >> supervisor avalos? >> mr., rose i am just wondering what would satisfy you in terms of information? that the dhr could provide to show you that they will be using the space for additional testing? what did you request from dhr that you did not receive? and is there any way that you would be satisfied with... >> we wanted me tricks and documentation that there will be increased examinations,

number of examinations. that is basically the documentation. and they are stating that this is going to result in as you know, the departments are complaining all of the time that it is difficult to fill the positions. and it takes a lot of time and the dhr is saying that with this space, they can fulfill that or that need and there will be more exams given but we were provided with no documentation to document that. >> and then, you ask the dhr for that documentation and that is something that you were aware that is not being provided and is there data that can be transferred to satisfy it. >> well, we are not aware that we would fail to answer any questions and so there seems to be any confusion and so the deputy director of finances has just given me the copies of an e-mail with miss campbell who was assigned to this project

and this is on thursday, the 18th and he says, we spent $30,0 in october, and november of 2012 for testing rooms at a city hotel for the h40 chief exam and we are spending about $30,000 a year just on hotel rooms for exam administration, this is for interviews and that is independent of the need of putting up the people who are traveling to participate in the exams. >> this space would... the need to use a hotel room but you are still the budget authority to rent them for testing. >> we have to have the hotel rooms, we can't make the people sleep in the interview rooms, so we bring in the people. >> so you have hotel rooms and you have testing rooms in the hotels as well. >> but they are not sufficient, we have to rent, it is really auful but we have in the past rented bedrooms to interview people in in a hotel.

we need a lot of little rooms and they typically don't have the kind of meeting space that we need. and we would use a hotel room, which is not optimum, but i am sorry that the budget analyst does not feel that we have answered questions, we will answer any questions. >> is there any way that the dhr could break out from what use of hotel rooms is used for people to stay in when they are visiting and what is for actual testing, is there a difference one one in the sao*im same. >> the money that we provided and the $30,000 was for testing rooms no. for accommodations. and that is what we have been studying annually for just the fire promotional. and we also, and i think that this perhaps, we did not do a good job explaining our need for it. but, we really want to be able to have our continuous testing and police and fire on a regular basis, and where we could get the groups together,

of people from the community, and come to this location, to do our or to participate in the continue of assessing, if we don't have the facility to do it there, then people have to go to san jose or some other location to do it. so, the other and another just point that we provided to the budget analyst is that we have additional computers to use because we got them from the virtual warehouse from child support services. but we don't have a place to set them up right now with the additional space. >> and so i would be very happy to if we had a specific, you know, what the specific questions are, and we want to answer them and i was not aware until yesterday that there were any unanswered question or a belief of an unanswered question, we think that this makes economic sense and good policy sense and so we would ask for your assistance in this. >> so, one last question, if we were going to be able, and they were going to approve

additional space for testing, at this site, would we see the budget for renting hotel space come down? >> i mean,... >> yes. >> i mean... >> is that the fiscal year. >> i would say that, let's see, our director of public safety testing is here, but dave, we would completely eliminate any need of a testing space in a hotel? >> the cost savings? >> supervisors, dave johnson manager of the public safety team. we have one rank in each of the police and fire and sheriff where in the size of the applicant pool would even exceed a new space. and although, there are one exam in each department that we give approximately every four years where in we will likely have to rent the hotel space to do testing. the other exams there are two exams in each department where

in the current space does not accommodate our needs, but moving down to the first floor would. so we anticipate immediately, 30,000 a year of not spending on hotels, because we don't need those testing rooms. >> thank you. >> yes, supervisor, avalos, to the chair, for the budget analyst office. i do want to say that the department and the human resource and mr. updike had lengthy conversations with me and so it was not like there was not a lot of discussion. i think that the two concerns and one is this $30,000 in hotel space, the final e-mail i got was that there would be no savings in terms of that $30,000 a year. and there was an e-mail after the one that was just referenced and i just think that would have made a difference if we felt there were some other cost savings that would have been incurred by the space. i think that the other things is that a number and i know that a lot of the discussion was about recruitment for fire and police and exams for those

recruitments. and the promotional exams. my understanding was there was going to be two promotional exams in the coming year and maybe 19 over the following four years. and it did not seem like a very large number for us to justify the space. so some of it was simply how we looked at the numbers and there needs to be clarification because i did receive an e-mail saying that there would be no savings in terms of that $35,000, that they are currently using. >> with permission, i don't know, perhaps, that was miscommunicated. i don't know, i don't have that e-mail here. we believe that there is savings, dave has described those savings and they will add significantly reduce our reliance on hotel rooms for testing for those exams and i would note that we have a commitment for use from gsa to use the testing rooms for some of their large events. and so, we think that it also provides the opportunity for when it fits into our schedule,

for testing, that we are able to have the departments use them and they don't have to go to the outside of the city as well. >> mr. chairman, actually if the department is committing that they are going to save the $30,000 in the hotel rooms, we would recommend approval. if the department is suggesting that the board of supervisors request the controller to submit rescinding legislation of the moneys that you just appropriated in this year's next year budget, this year, now, beginning july 1, then we would recommend approval of this item. we are not... there is... the only way that you can get savings is you have to take it out of the budget. and savings does not just materialize, you have appropriated the funds and now you have to rescind the funds.

>> we are prior to sign the leases of the legislation to determine whether or not there were funds available. and in this particular instance, before i sign this, we checked to determine whether or not there was money, there is not money in the line item, but there is money in other places in their operating budget, that the department has committed to transferring in order to fund this increase, should this lease go through. so that is a commitment from the department and from the controller's office that there is not going to be an ask for additional funds in this year, for this increased space, they will have to make reductions in other places. >> and you can identify where the reductions would be from? >> at the staff level, we did talk about the reductions for other leased space, but there could be other savings as well in other places. >> mr. chairman, we are not disputing the source of funds for the lease, for the

increased cost of the lease at all. our point is that the department is now stating that they will be able to save money by not having to rent as much for hotel space. and that money is now in the budget. the only way that you can take that out of the budget is to rescind it and that will require separate legislation. if the department is in agreement with that and the board of supervisors wants to do that, we would recommend approval of it. >> let me suggest one thing at this point. given our break off and so forth, again, might i suggest that we forward this to the full board in the next ensuing six days we could have a discussion and we could get the cost savings estimates and whether we do rescind legislation or end up with a surplus at the end of the year we can figure out how to deal with that. and i am not concerned about that, but we could get details so we are not having a back and forth today and get to the bottom of this i would imagine. >> would that be okay from your

perspective. >> yes, at the pleasure of the board. >> supervisor mar? >> i am actually very supportive of that process, i know that it is only six short days, but my hope is that as much of that information that miss campbell and mr. rose just laid out that your office can provide as much of that justification as possible and even for me to understand that $30,000 whether or how much of it is going to be savings and how much might not be savings as well, but data would be helpful and i am just wondering why there was not maybe more of an effort to get the information to the budget analyst so that we did not have to go through this some what confusing discussion here right now. okay. >> and if i could respond. i think that we were not aware that it was, there was particular controversy associated with it. we believe that we had answered the questions and we will

attempt to answer the questions and we hope that we can get specifically what the questions are. and i think that we have contemplated this savings in our budget the $30,000 and i think that we will certainly provide additional information and follow up with miss campbell and she will undoubtly tell us exactly what metrics are needed and we hope that you will find them compelling. >> supervisor avalos? >> thank you. when you say contemplated, the same in the budget meaning that you actually had budgeted $30,000 less? or rented space? >> i just confirmed that with, not with... no, for the hotel costs yes, if we have this space over here, that we will not so much hotel over there, yes. >> and i do believe that there is other ways that cost savings can be measured or found, and one is the appropriation, and there is also just carrying forward as well, and you don't spend as much money as you

budgeted and but i would let this and i am okay, you know, getting the information for next tuesday. and so moving forward, with this now. >> and last question that i have is when you do your testing and all of that, there is no work orders? dhr, it is your budget to do testing for the departments. for hiring staff for a departments in a city, it is just part of your budget authority; is that correct?. >> it depends on what kind of exam, but generally yes, we have the public safety and the funds to do the police testing and the fire testing for the public safety side, and further exams for the city wide exams we run them in sometimes departments provide if they want us to run an exam they will fund that if they are the ones who needed it etc.. but generally, sometimes we split the cost, if the big exam would be supported perhaps by the documents that need to hire custodians and dpw and real estate and pec etc.. >> and so the police and fire

don't pay for that. >> well we have that in the budget because we took over that whole testing program. >> thank you. >> just the last thing, is confusing is perhaps, a miscommunication coming from your office or a conflicting information on that last e-mail that miss campbell raised saying that the 30,000 was in the savings or even just the clarity on that would be helpful for me. >> we would be happy to provide that. >> okay. thank you. >> colleagues any further questions or discussion? i want to thank dhr and our budget analysts office for their work and continue work on this in the next few days, at this point we will open it up to public comment? anybody wish to comment on item 26? >> seeing none, public comment is closed. and okay, colleagues, if you have a motion to this to the full board without recommendation. we can do that without opposition. >> as referred without recommendation. >> correct. >> mr. clerk, do we have any other business in front of us?

>> that completes the agenda to today. have a great break, everyone we are adjourned.

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transportation choices in the city and there is one place to find them all, sfnta.com. >> sfmta.com. >> it is the walking parking, and riding muni and it is all here in one place. >> sitting in front of my computer waiting transportation options that is not exactly how i want to spend my saturday night. >> the new sfmta.com is mobile friendly, it works great on a tablet, smart phone or a lap top, it is built to go wherever we go. >> cool. >> but, let's just take the same route tomorrow that we always take, okay? >> it might be much more fun to ride our bikes. >> i am going to be way too tired to ride all the way home. >> okay, how about this, we can ride our bikes there and then we can take muni home and it even shows us how to take the bikes on the bus, so simple

right here on my phone. >> neat. we can finish making travel plans over dinner, now let's go eat. >> how about about that organic vegan gluten free rest rft. >> can't we go to the food truck. >> do you want to walk or take a taxi. >> there is an alert right here telling us there is heavy traffic in soma. >> let's walk there and then take a taxi or muni back. >> that new website gives us a lot of options. >> it sure does and we can use it again next weekend when we go to see the giants. there is a new destination section on the website that shows us how to get to at&t park. >> there is a section, and account alerts and information on parking and all kinds of stuff, it is so easy to use that even you can use it. >> that is smart. >> are you giving me a compliment. >> i think that i am. >> wow, thanks. >> now you can buy dinner.

sfmta.com. access useful information, any >> 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