get to declare today to declare this the day for san francisco (clapping) the could >> good afternoon. excuse me. obviously there's more people than seats. there is an overflow room in our legislative chambers down the hall.

so, if you could, some of you may have to go over there, otherwise the fire marshal might come in. okay, welcome to our rules committee meeting for thursday, april 17th, 2014. i am supervisor norman yee and i will be chairing this meeting. it's really hard to hear, excuse me, for you people that are chattering. we need to have you go outside and maybe have your discussions outside. i am joined by supervisor katy tang, the vice-chair, and supervisor david campos. the clerk today is alisa miller. the committee would also like to acknowledge the staff of sfgov-tv, jonathan gum lock and jim smith who record each of

>> madam clerk, i would like to call items 5, 6 and 7 after item 1. >> okay. item number 1 is a motion confirming the mayor's reappointment of cheryl brinkman, for a term ending march 1, 2018, to the municipal transportation agency board of directors. >> ms. brinkman, are you here? >> yes he, i am. >> where are you? oh, there you are ~. >> good afternoon, chairman, vice-chairman tang, supervisor campos. i am cheryl brinkman. i currently serve on the mta board of directors as the vice-chair.

i'll talk a little about my pa service before i focus on what i'd like to do should i be voted for nomination -- renomination by your committee to the full board. the mta has been focusing very hard on tep pilot projects and eventual approval by the board was reached. a challenge there, of course, is funding it. we adopted vision zero around pedestrian safety. our challenge is funding it. we adopted a bicycle strategy plan that can do great things for the city. same challenge, funding it. and focusing on affordability and equity, especially equity for women on our streets when we have more vulnerable [speaker not understood] users such as cyclist. my goal going forward should i be reappointed, i said for the last three years one of my big goals is to stop hearing women my age which is 50 this year telling me i'd love to ride a bike but i'm too afraid. that's sad. we have people who can't use the streets the way they would prefer because they're frightened the way our streets

are designed and the way they would prefer is better for them in term of health and affordability and better for the city in term of a for the ability, congestion and pollution. i'll continue to work to make sure our streets are safe for users and especially vulnerable users and i want to focus particularly on women and building infrastructure that welcomes them to our streets. capacity and deficiency are huge issues facing muni. the 5 and the 5 limited, a route which seems to have infinite demand, having several buses pass me by at 5:00, 5:3 on van ness. it has had a huge impact on the route reducing travel time and drawing in more riders and utilizing some of our new muni buses which are just gorgeous. the main com platev i hear from most muni riders is overcrowding and reliability. we know how to dispose of these things. we just haven't had the funding to do so. when we do have the funding we come up lacking in the political will area. i want to make sure that we all can understand why the mta

wants to implement changes to our streets and that everyone can understand the benefits. and i know that can be challenging in the district when people may not understand why a segment is being focused on and targeted for changes. in our recent budget which i hope is approved by the board of supervisors, we are budgeting for service increases to help relieve overcrowding. we want to help the m toshibation a improve parking management. we have a lot of implementing from lessons learned from sf park. our challenge will be how to build on the success of the pilot sf park program. disabled placard reform, this is a big challenge with big consequences. parking is an emotional issue and a very he expensive problem. we know that in our commercial corridors up to 30% of the congestion can be from drivers circling to find parking. those drivers are a danger to other street users because they're focused on one thing, a parking spot, which may not be available if we haven't done our job to manage the parking. street safety, we're working to redesign our streets to make

them safer, but we need to focus on changing user behavior. from car drivers who speed recklessly and use cell phones while driving, to pedestrians who start crossing with two seconds on the countdown to bicyclists who disregard the pedestrian right-of-way. as noted by the chief of police we all need to slow down and look out for each other. but i'm not content with asking people to be nice which is why enforcement is a huge part of the solution. we look to the sfpd for enforcement. the electricity i. agenda will continue to focus on automated enforcement. red light cameras, forward facing cameras on our buses and speed cameras will all need to become standard. we kant afford the number of police officers that we would truly need to reign in all the dangerous behavior we're seeing out there. thing i've come to realize about public service which i'm sure you all know, too, don't expect to be thanked for a thankless job and thank you for your service, and to take the long view. so many things take so much time to implement. some of them you would say take

a lot longer to implement than they should thev we try move as fast as we can to [speaker not understood] our transportation challenges and gain public support, but we captain miss that part, gaining the trust and support. if we go too fast we hit up against that part, gaining the trust and support. so, i look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve on the mta board of directors with your approval and support. and i'm happy to answer any questions. >> okay. are there any questions? >> [speaker not understood]. >> yeah. for people that are standing because of fire codes and whatever, you need to move into 250, the main chamber until the item you're interested in is called. so, we're working on item 1. we're going to do item 5, 6 and 7 and go back to 2.

okay. ms. brinkman, thank you for your service. >> thank you. >> for a thankless job. but i have a couple questions. you know, we know that our muni and our buses seem to be always breaking down and so forth and there seems to be a lack of funding in our budget. what are you as a commission focus on in trying to improve that situation? >> so, we do have a plan to replace our entire rolling stop within the next five years. i'm sure you've seen some of the new buses that are already out on the street. the new buses are allowing us to save on maintenance costs

and reduce the breakdown rates. we have leveraged a lot of federal support to buy new rolling stock. we hope to continue to be able going forward with the ballot measures that we hope to have in november. if they pass, that's going to help us go a long way towards increasing that rolling stock. if those ballot measures don't pass, it's definitely going to be more challenging, but we will still continue. we keep hoping that in addition to the local support we're getting that we will get increased state support and at some point perhaps increased federal support. as you know, that looks a little challenging right now. everyone is very focused, not just on the new rolling stock, but increasing the number of mechanics we have on hand sort of streamlining the process by which they can get in there and fixed bus and get the buses rolling again. >> okay. supervisor tang? >> sure. i don't really have a question, but just more a we are embarking on the cip and trying

to move closer toward implementation, i know we chatted about this when we met but i also wanted to reiterate that i really appreciate you working with all the different neighborhoods and making sure that all of our different communities recognize that something that happens within their own district can be impacted by changes as well throughout the entire system, throughout the entire city. so, i look forward to working with you so we cannot only better communicate that to the community, but also really work to make sure we address whatever specific needs we also do have in our district. >> thank you. i think the staff has done a good job with the tep outreach. as you all know we can always do better with our outreach. we he look to the supervisors to help us with that, so, i really appreciate it. >> okay. any other questions? seeing none, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> is there any public comments on this item? come on up, two minutes. state your name, [speaker not understood]. yes, gill christ well,

district 8. i oppose reappointment of this nominee. just like the sceneierx with disabilities do. she could have made a motion to cover seniors and people with disabilitieses to ride muni for free. no, she didn't do that. she could have put ~ in the mta budget now for seniors and people with disabilities to ride muni for free, but she left us in limbo. just like the san francisco gardner has reported. was she listening to the public comment that the supervisors gave, like the chair of this committee, supervisor yee, gave an excellent public comment on this issue along with supervisor campos and avalos and mar. she wasn't listening. no, i don't think so. right, reject this mayor appointment. why should you reject -- you should also reject the mta

budget until seniors and people with disability are given justice in the mta budget. not handmade enof the mayor lee stand up to the mayor. reject this appointment. and what about metered [speaker not understood], cutting the revenue out of that. ~ for sunday when the supervisors clearly told them that's not what they wanted. so, you should reject this nomination. thank you. >> is it natalie? and madelein? come on up. good afternoon, supervisor yee, tang, and campos. my name is natalie [speaker not understood] and i am a membership and volunteer director at walk san francisco. i'm here on behalf of walk san francisco to strongly support mayor lee's reappointment of cheryl brinkman to the sfmta board of directors.

during her tenure for the past three years she's consistently championed safe sustainable and equitable transportation. most recently she has demonstrated her leadership and commitment to safe transportation in the city by leading the sfmta to adopt vision zero. the policy, as you are all aware, to end all traffic related deaths in the city in 10 years, including pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. she spearheaded the request for the [speaker not understood] to draft the resolution at the sfmta, considering the board was considering it for adoption. and in recent meetings has asked for staff to look for ways to actually fund vision zero in the sfmta's operating budget. as vice-chair of the board, she's regularly been present at all the board meetings and has attended public events on an ongoing basis, including the most recent walk to workday on

friday, which many of you were also in attendance at. thank you. she's made herself easily accessible to the community and to the discussion of their concerns. more over, she adds an important voice for women and families who are not always represented in the city's transportation decisionses. walk s.f. and our members have been pleased with cheryl's consistent dedicated service the past four years and with her reappointment, we look forward to working in partnership with her to implement vision zero, a policy from which all san franciscans can benefit. thank you for your time. hi, madelein savage, founder of folks for polk. i also am here to not only second what natalie has just said but also to further support cheryl brinkman in her post as member of the sfmta

board. believe at she did you have fortitude for the very difficult, messy and long gain that public service demand. i think she has also -- i have attended many of the board and policy governance committee meetings and i've witnessed a comprehensive grasp on even the most complex matters and her dedication to resolving them in an evenhanded way. ms. brinkman listens carefully, clarifies issues, and communicates lucidly. the hearings with controversial agenda item she remains cool in the face of often blistering comment and demonstrates compassion for those under stress. i know i speak for many others in saying i hope she will be allowed to continue to guide san francisco transit wisely into the future. thank you. >> okay. any other public comments on this matter? seeing none, public comment is now closed. [gavel] >> supervisor campos. >> thank you. thank you, mr. chairman, and i want to thank commissioner brinkman for her service in the

last few years and for wanting to serve san francisco. i appreciate some of the comments that were made. and let me just say that with respect to the issue of free muni for low-income and middle income seniorses, i do agree that's something that i wish the mta board of directors had done, but i think that we will have an opportunity to deal with that issue when the budget comes before the board of supervisors. i just want to simply say that i'm very proud to support the reappointment of commissioner brinkman. i think she has done a phenomenal job, not only in representing the interests of the riders, pedestrians, bicyclists, but in really reaching out to communities that historically have not had access to decision-makers on the mta. i have been very impressed the

last few years by the level of engagement that this commissioner has had with so many communities, very difficult verse communities. and i think that this is the kind of appointment that you want to see happen. so, i want to thank mayor lee for reappointing her. i think that it's well deserved and i think that there is a lot of work that needs to be done and a lot of work that this commissioner has already begun and continue to do. and i appreciate many things, but one thing that i have been very surprised in a very positive way by the level of responsiveness to community, i appreciate that it was you who made the motion, for instance, in including high school students that turn 18 as part of the free muni for low-income and no income youth program.

so, i just want to thank you and wish for the best success and ask that you continue to do all the great work that you have been doing and look forward to continuing to work with you. but this is a pretty easy vote for me, so, thank you. >> supervisor tang. >> thank you. i'm also happy to support ms. brinkman in her reappointment. i do think it's more important as a member of the mta board of directors that you actually ride muni and from my understanding you've not owned a car in 15 years, i believe. so, i think that you have really great incredible firsthand experience of just what are some of the daily challenges people go through rideling muni. so, with that i'd like to make a motion he to reappoint cheryl brinkman to the mta board of directors and send that to the full board. >> thank you. and i just want to weigh in. your work, your reputation is stellar. of course, i was a little disappointed that we couldn't move with the pilot project for the senior free muni, but i

also know there's a lot of challenges and we'll see what we can do to keep promoting that issue because i think it is necessary. so, there's been a motion. and seeing no objection, the motion passes. [gavel] >> thank you. item number 5, please. >> item number 5 is a hearing to consider appointing one member, term ending march 1, 2016, and one member, term ending march 1, 2017, to the in-home supportive services public authority. there are two seats and two applicants. >> is there a mr. boyd, come on up.

do you want to make a statement? you may do so right now. >> i'm not prepared to make a long statement like the previous person. this is like the fourth time i've been before the rules committee. >> sure. >> i thought thing were pretty well said. what would you like to know or what would you like me to comment on? >> supervisor tang? >> sure. maybe i'll just ask a few questions. if you want to just briefly explain your role on this body, so far what you've accomplished, and some goal you wish to move forward if you are appointed. >> i worked for many years with ed roberts who was paralyzed from the neck down 45 year. i basically established california as the first home care state in the country and it's the largest home care state. i worked with him all over the country, all over the world, and i grew up in long beach

where aarp was established and took my first home care course over 50 years ago. home care is going through a very difficult time statewide. it's being privatized and private corporations are taking the role of the county -- the counties, in all 58 counties, and it's crucial to elderly people and people with disabilities to have the type of home care that's been established in california continue. there is a supreme court case, the homestead case, that went through 15 years ago and one of the people i referred to in my paperwork, collene wick, dr. collene wick of minnesota, has

done the first comprehensive 15-year report on homestead, and basically homestead says that people who are elderly and disabled should be supported in their own homes with supports at much less expense and institutionalization. and for the past 15 years, thousands of people will have spent millions of dollars not implementing homestead. and for the first time there's been a report that basically documented that throughout the country. >> he okay. any other questions? ~ thank you. is mr. beetle here?

>> good afternoon to all. rather than mention your names, i know most of you. i am now very interested in becoming part of the board for inhome support services. i am a recipient. if i didn't have mine, i would have been told by my medical professional to be institutionalized. i don't think any senior or disabled person should not have a choice to live independently because of support services they need to be able to do so. my mother and father, in an assisted living arrangement in florida, at the end of their year. one died at 93, one died at 90. at the end of their years they needed that, but they had the

choice, too, to not go there until necessary. and they made sure they didn't. even though different people wanted to put them there, they made sure they had their independence to live independently. my goal of joining this group is to continue to advocate for seniors who are disabled. it's a combination thing they need to live independently, which i am. you cannot tell it by looking at me, but i'll tell you, i'm blind in my left eye. and because of my stroke, my nerves and my calf on my right leg now give away any time and i can fall on the streets even though i have a cane, any moment. but still i want to live

independently, and i will live in the house, the only senior s-r-o in the city, ramon hotel on howard street. we have many people in wheelchairs. we have many people in walkers and with canes who because of ihs are able to live there and not be elsewhere in the city being cared for. but that is a savings to this country, to the state and to the city. so, that will be my objective in joining the board. and if you have any questions, please ask me. >> okay. seeing none, thank you, mr. beetle. and you seem to be ready to -- >> oh, i'm a senior peer counselor, too. >> oh, thank you. >> but you have to be trained

four months, four hours a day, five, all day saturday. and then you're certified to be a senior peer counselor. so, i work with fill pin owes all over this country and in the city very directly because i speak their languageses. >> thank you very much. any public comments on this matter? ~ come on up. good afternoon, supervisors. thank you for your time. my name is patrick hoff stall. i'm the executive assistant of the san francisco ~ ihss public authority and i just wanted to [speaker not understood] is a new addition and mike is a returning board member, have the full support of the staff and their fellow board members. thank you. >> any other public comments? seeing none, public comment is now closed on this item. [gavel] >> supervisor campos? >> thank you. i want to thank the two

applicants, mr. boyd and mr. beetle. i think that each one of them are great selections and of course mr. boyd has been serving already. so, i want to thank them for their service and appreciate the fact that they're willing to put in all this work for -- on behalf of the city. so, it's my pleasure to make a motion to move these two applications forward with a positive recommendation. >> thank you. are there any objections to the motion? seeing none, motion passes. [gavel] he >> congratulations. madam clerk, item number 6. >> item number 6 is a hearing to consider appointing two members, terms ending march 31, 2016, to the commission on the aging advisory council. there are two seats and two applicants. >> okay. dianne ~ diane lawrence, are you here?

yes. >> good afternoon, supervisor yee, supervisor tang, and supervisor campos. it seems like i was just here since i was here back in december. so, my name is diane lawrence. i'm a lifelong resident, fifth generation san francisco an, spent the majority of my life on the sunset park side. i'm here today to ask for reappointment to seat 5 on the advisory council to the adult -- to the aging and adult services commission by supervisor tang to replace -- to represent district 4. having just completed four months -- actually, gone to four meetings now at the end of expired term. i learned a lot in those four months that i want to leverage moving forward. and with much more to learn if i am reappointed. as i mentioned in my last hearing -- presentation before this committee, i've seen the city grow and change over the course of my lifetime and

especially the sunset. parts of the city as a whole. there are many challenge facing the city leaders, a number of multiple -- my four month ha made me aware of all the work the disabled, the department of aging and adult services do, the myriad of services, but also the challenges facing not only city leaders, but the various departments, commissions, and listening to the two gentlemen ahead before me, obviously the challenges of budget issues as well. i think the challenge both in the recommendations we make on the council and that all of you and your other colleagues face has had to rebalance those multiple challenges and those competing priorities. i mentioned i wanted -- previously i wanted to be more

of a solution advocate rather than just a grumbler. and as i sat in those meetings the last four months, there is much to be done. i look forward -- i took care of my mother and grandmother, and attending the bethany center training on friday realized how far things have come in the alzheimer's community from the 1980s when i was using the yellow pageses to find services for my mother who i now have found a pre-alzheimer's, early onset alzheimer's when there were no terms like that early onment i'm also at the [speaker not understood] institute for lifelong learning ucsf. among a population, very active, very engaged valuable resource of senior sit sins. being there three days a week i'm becoming more aware of the challenges, mobility, hearing, transportation challenges that we all face ~. even just driving in san francisco become a challenge as