information. when i explored university mount ladies home as a possible placement for what i was led to believe would be my mother's final care facility, it has since become quite apparent that the board now has plans to quickly sell the building, turning the senior facility into a private school. have there been financial records kept that have been kept more easily, i would have considered other residential care facilities to avoid having to move my mother a second time this late in her life. it is a well known fact seniors have frequent difficulty with major life changes. clinical literature suggests that moving to another facility is one of the greatest stressors for all people and much more for seniors. the last few weeks my mother ha expressed increasingly more anxiety about her move and how she'll get her things together. ~ i would additionally like to state my mother and other residents have formed deep

relationships and which would unfortunately be severed if she were forced to move. i would like to believe that we are a society that treasures our seniors. the best service to the seniors of university mount lady home would be that they could remain in place the rest of their lives. university mount is not just a facility, it's a community. a place of warmth and care and loving people that work there and friendships. i urge you to support university mount's continued operation. thank you so much. >> thank you. before you go, can i ask you -- (applause) >> i think sometimes we lose the human side of this. could you tell us just a little bit about your mom? my mom will be 89 july the 24th. my mom was a world war ii [speaker not understood]. there are a couple world war ii veterans there. she's not the only one. bruce is also a world war ii veteran. he would have been here had he

been able to. many people that would have actually like to have been here haven't been able to. my mother worked all her life. she worked up until her 80s. she was a transporter for hertz car rental, transporting people all around, people from out of town. so, she's very vibrant. given the fact that she was born with a disadvantaged right arm, it was broken at birth, she's very vibrant. she's very articulate. she knows what's going on with the mount. she's very upset about leaving. >> that's it. thank you. thank you. >> i think it's sad that we're at a point where we're thinking of evicting a world war ii [speaker not understood]. next speaker, please. my name is [speaker not understood]. thank you, supervisors, for arranging this meeting for

neighbors to come here and express their thoughts and their feelings towards closure of the university mount ladies home. as you mentioned, this was set up for that purpose, to take care of these seniors. the assisted living there. and for so many years, for 130 years, that was the purpose of it. it was not built for a school. and at that time there were 25 acres left. 25 acres landical klatted, it was from [speaker not understood] to felton from you haderthv to cambridge street. they sold all those properties so they can put that money in endowment. and evidently they mismanaged that money.

that endowment was supposed to be in the bank and provide interest. that interest was supposed to take care of these people. and then they go out and borrowed $1,700,000. where is that money? they put it in their pocket. they didn't use it for people. so, there must be something to do about this. thank you very much. i'm opposing closing that and i hope we will continue that because we need it in portola district. the seniors need that place. thank you. >> thank you. next speaker, please. (applause) supervisor campos, my name is gene [speaker not understood]. first i want to thank you for holding this meeting. i was pleasantly surprised to hear your comments and concerns in regard to the closure of the university mount as well as i was surprise today hear what the mayor's office did. and what director mcfadden and her office did. i'd like to comment on what

director mcfadden said about san franciscans being able to retire and live their life out in san francisco. my mother, when she married my dad, moved into the bayview district in 1944. my dad had lived in that house since 1928. my dad was at university mount before he passed away and because of the level of care there was so good we brought our mother there. we went to university mount first of all because of the convenience and the cost. everything else in san francisco is prohibitively expensive. we stayed because of the level of care provided by the university mount. it isn't quite university mount ladies home for nothing. it is a home. ~ isn't called we're one of the families that had to relocate our mother. it did not go well. mom still wants to go home. she's not in san francisco any more.

we could not find another facility in san francisco. i think it's tragic, terrible injustice that this facility be closed, first of all, and secondly be reopened as a school [speaker not understood]. thank you very much. >> can i ask you, where is your mom right now? she's at atria [speaker not understood] facility. it's got all the bells and whistles. i think because when you first walk into university mount you don't have all the bells and whistles -- it might even get the effect -- it's an older facility, 1930. made you think of "one flew over the cuckoo's nest." every room doesn't have a bag room. the place is clean. >> thank you. thank you very much. [speaker not understood]. thank you. >> thank you. i'm going to read a few more names. albert sandoval. [speaker not understood], he spoke already. patricia [speaker not understood]. david [speaker not understood].

chaplain rick [speaker not understood]. irene hildsman. [speaker not understood]. eddie schein. go ahead. thank you, board of supervisors, for this meeting. my name is christopher valente. [speaker not understood]. in the last five years i helped more than 50 individuals move into the university mount ladies home. many of whom are still there and sadly some of which i've had to help relocate over the last 50 days. it's been a lot of transfer trauma and emotional distress for most of those people along with a lot of financial distress. a couple of thing that strike me is, one, i'm not sure how

the board of trust -- in my estimation, i know them and they're good people. but i don't think that they've been very transparent and i don't know how they can be in the position to decide what proposal would work in the futures and which proposals wouldn't in order to continue to keep it in operation as a care home. it obviously failed in their management responsibilities. and if there are other viable options out there, i don't think they should be the ones to decide what's viable moving forward and what's not. i would urge them to donate the land and the property, which they have the ability to do, to the city of san francisco and hopefully the city of san francisco could then hire another management company or potentially create a public land trust in order to continue to house the current and future residents of the community.

the other problem that i'm really distressed by is that we've gone now from 53 residents to 28 or 29 residents. i was there last night. i wasn't allowed into the meeting, but i was allowed into the board to chat with a lot of the residents. >> thank you. and there is a lot of stress there. >> thank you. next speaker, please. good morning. my name is barbara -- >> if you could speak into the mic. thank you. good morning. my name is barbara dunn and i'm a registered nurse who lives in the neighborhood and i also work as a geriatric nurse who had 40 years here in san francisco. it just came to my attention this morning from the news and the newspaper that university mount was closing. not only do i disagree with the closure of an assisted living in san francisco to turn it into a private school, but i think what is really important

for san francisco residents to understand is that when you get displaced as a senior in an assisted livetion, you ~ living, you are most likely going to have to be transferred outside the city limits. university mount has been affordable. i as the director of nursing have transferred people there. it is a community, it is a home, and when you have to disband that, when you are in your 80s or 90s, it is extremely difficult to find appropriate placement within the boundary. we citizens downsized laguna honda. you know, it used to be a much larger facility that used to take care of our seniors. we rebuilt it, it's beautiful, but the number of beds dropped tremendously, which has put an added stress on our senior population that needs assisted living. i also wanted to comment that a private school going into a

charitable building or an entity that was made for charitable purposes and does not meet -- a private school will not meet that mandate as far as i'm concerned. and the community, i think, will -- now that it's in the public domain -- will stand up and fight for it, university mount. thank you. >> thank you. i'm going to read a few more names. richard jones [speaker not understood]. christopher valente. [speaker not understood]. christine [speaker not understood]. and sonny solis. and i apologize if i mispronounced any names. go ahead, sir. my name is [speaker not understood] sandoval. can i get the monitor turned on? [speaker not understood]. this is what i was notified this morning by reading this. forces of change in san

francisco. been there for 53 years, thank god, and i live two blocks away. i have four kids. my kids have gone there and we've gone to the boutiques they have there at christmastime where they do all their arts and crafts. i have many arts crafts in my house that are bought there for the last -- i bought the house in '85. i've been there two blocks away. i wanted you to know these senior citizens are part of our neighborhood. they walk and talk in the park to the children. ~ periodically, and we love them dearly. and i'm very proud of each and every resident. like it was said, there were visitors, veterans of foreign wars. they deserve better loyalty. i totally disagree with this closure announcement. and since i just found out today, i can't wait to let

everybody know in the neighborhood. i actually went there this morning. i spoke to this gentleman here in the wheelchair and gave him an article. i passed it out maybe 30 papers and his name is bruce ben, 89 years old. there is a picture of him right there. and he said, i finally made the newspaper. [laughter] what a great guy. so, you know, i guess you guys woke up a sleeping giant. as the community gets hold of this, we will stand up for what's right. and st. francis loved hope and compassion, that's what the city is about and what we'll continue to fight for. thank you. >> thank you, sir. next speaker. actions speak louder than words. the board says it's tried everything to keep university mount open, but their actions and poor choice have allowed the institution to falter financially to the point of closure. they worked in complete isolation, no advisory board,

no development or marketing personnel, no strategic plan put in place, and no fiscal information was ever shared with the community. we'd like to help you out, they say. which way did you come in? well, telling us they were seeking a partner keep the home going, they worked even more aggressively to get people to move, stirring fear with clothes you're dates and dire predictions. actions speak louder than words. mr. brinkman and board members have repeatedly stressed that their first priority was to find a partner that would continue the home's mission. the articles of incorporation state the mission is providing a place, not money, but a place to care for low-income seniors. they chose instead to sell to a school for wealthy children. money over people. actions speak louder than words. they tell us money from the sale will somehow provide assistance for low-income seniors for years to come, but the numbers simply don't add up and once again they have no real plan in place to make it happen. paying us to go away is no

benefit, for no amount of money will bring our loved ones back if they die from the forced move from familiar surrounding. the city cannot afford to lose this crucially needed facility or the 130-year history it represents. i urge you to take the most stringent steps possible through zoning or other means to maintain the site as a home for low-income seniors and prevent this travesty against our seniors and our city. actions speak louder than words. my name is eddy schein and my 97 year old mother is florence smith and we are the low-income women for whom this facility was created. thank you. (applause) >> thank you for sharing your story, thank you. next speaker. good morning, i'm [speaker not understood]. i'm here to speak to you about why both myself and my family are opposed to the closure of university mound ladies home, a

home that's been caring for women and seniors 130 years, and the property used for any other than assisted living, this mismanaged nonprofit is in a situation that is negatively impacting so many people both financially and emotionally. at a time of aging baby boomers will need more senior beds. one of those impacted -- one of those victims is my mother, okay. she's at the mound. this is grace, my 8 three-year old mother suffering from dementia. she's here with my dad, my 89 year old dad sitting right there next to me. despite them being married for 66 years, she -- he relishes seeing her every single day going into the mound. the mound is a 6-minute drive from my parents' house. since the mound's closing several other facilities that care for senior have closed we are now forced to make a decision to move my mother potentially to san bruno or mill braae. and for many of us, while the move to san bruno or mill braae may not be big because we all drive and are comfortable with

it, for my 89 year old father who shouldn't be driving it's going to be a burden. it's a burden that he will not be able to go see my mother on say daily basis. my mother looks forward to seeing her -- seeing him every single day. it's going to impact her and create a high level of stress for her because of the move and because of not be able to see my father. the mound board members have consistently kept their dealings extremely secretive. they have not brought the family members into the loop until necessary. they said they received options but who is to say. they led us to believe it is not in the best interest of the mound. how can a nonprofit have any interest except helping those in need, helping those they currently care for? we in fact have no confidence that the mound board has either had a desire nor a will to find a viable solution to keep it open and running as an assisted living facility. one quick note. my parents adopted san francisco as a place of residence 60 years ago and have

owned a home nearly 0 of those years and a san francisco business at one time for over 40 years. ~ 60 they have lived in the city and had faith in the city the way it has been run. they love the city immensely. we look to you, board members, to make the correct decision. in supporting -- in not supporting and closure of the sale of the home a decision in the best interest of our aging san franciscans. >> thank you, ma'am. next speaker. (applause) first i want to recognize the elders who came here today. (applause) knock-knock -- >> who is there? eve. >> eve who? eviction.

imagine a person at a door is your mother or your father or your brother or your sister or your uncle. knock, knock, who's there? equals death. listen to your heart beat now for a couple seconds. just listen. this is life we're talking about. >> thank you very much. next speaker. thank you, chaplain. next speaker. (applause) i have an overhead, please.

>> the other way around. first i want to thank you supervisors for having this hearing so that the community can have its say. my name is irene hilton and i am a single mother of a 94-year old [speaker not understood] residing at university mound ladies home. i'm here because [speaker not understood] already spoken to the trauma that's going to happen to the seniors if they're forced to move. i want to spend a few moments talk about the trauma for our caregivers. [speaker not understood]. we found we were unable to take care of them. as a single child, i'm one of those people [speaker not understood] about the trauma again we have to go through the same process.

i have a bunch of notes. i need to throw it away. what i really want to say is i worked for 25 years in a community health center. our whole model is predicated on the majority of [speaker not understood] coming from patient subsidized by either federal, state, or private grants. why this home can't continue to operate under the same model is beyond me. we have not been given a lot of information by the trustees or by [speaker not understood]. one of the thing we learned is it is a $400,000 deficit. pretty much for the last 20, 30 years. you know that as supervisors and funders and foundations and government people, that's a drop in the bucket. we have to be able to figure out a way to resolve this. where are we going to be? where are we all going to spend our senior [inaudible]? once you move these lots,

they'll be gone forever and will we ever find another building in san francisco? please, let's do the right thing. thank you. (applause) >> thank you very much. next speaker, please. supervisors, my name is dorothy [speaker not understood]. i've been a volunteer at the home for two years visiting residents and leading craft class and singa longses. i walk into the home and residents say, where have you been? and i was there the day before. i visited one of my favorite residents last night. she has a ten-year old [speaker not understood] on reality. spends a lot of time sitting alone. she spoke to me at length last night. she believes she was at her mother's home. her five sons were outside playing and her father was tinkering. she was there taking care of her elderly mother. she believed her mother lives there and is actually her

roommate. at the home. to take her from her home and her roommate would cause her to draw back into life into darkness where none of us could pull her back like i could. it is a travesty we can't give her the world she created for the rest of her life and keep her happy. university mound is not just a facility. it is a community of people who care. i urge you to support university mound ladies home in its continued operation because if any of you have met the ladies, you'd love them at first sight. and i want to see them keep their home. thank you. >> thank you. next speaker. (applause) supervisors, my name is

anna stratton. my mother celebrates her 87th birthday today. my mother said to her when i told her about the closure, people need to fight. get them together to fight to keep this facility open. we are a family here. she joined the community of university mound october 2013. she has made friends there. she wants to stay. she thinks that everyone is moving together as a group, not separately. she doesn't understand that we cannot -- we pay out of pocket. we cannot afford to keep her in san francisco. we have secured a location for her in hayward. her friends, they will not be able to come to visit. she volunteered in san francisco for over 35 years of her life. she lived in bernal heights since 1957. her friends get rides from

their own grown children to see my mother or take the bus. we chose university mound, the portola district, because it neighbors bernal heights close. people can see her. our concern is when she is in hayward, no one will see her. and i feel she's just going to feel isolated and alone. thing will be different for her. my concern is when we transferred her to university mound, she will not eat for 7 days. there is a concern she wasn't going to pull through. that's a concern again. and my mother wants to live the rest of her life in san francisco. supervisors, i am asking that we not turn our backs on the most vulnerable, the frail members of our community, our elders. there is one quote -- >> go ahead and finish. go ahead.

okay, just one quick quote that i read. the parents of baby boomers are not asking for anything. most would choose independence over reliance on others, but the reward of baby boomers spending time with their parents will last a lifetime. >> may i ask what's your mother's name? [speaker not understood]. >> happy birthday. thank you. >> thank you. next speaker. (applause) supervisors, my name is christine [speaker not understood] and i represent age song living. age song is an assisted living operator community in hayes valley. many residents are here today in support and also oakland. age song has been working for the last year to keep university mound open and serving residents of modest means. those efforts have been focused on continuing the operation at the facility under the current ownership until last week.

age song has a right of first refusal to purchase this property. and as of last tuesday university mound board has recognized that right. that's great news. we have 15 business days to [speaker not understood] together. that's the time period that the board has given us. and age song intend today do exactly that. they intended to put a deal together to purchase the facility, to continue to operate it as a assisted living facility, continuing to serve residents of modest means. they have -- they proposed a model for the continued operation under the current ownership they believed would work. the board rejected that model. they are now moving forward with that model with a different investor group and hope to put a deal together to save the community.

and age song vehemently opposes the closure for all the reasons you do. and it is hopeful that they through their efforts and through some partnerships can keep it open. >> can i ask you a quick question? yes. >> thank you. it's your plan to evict, if you were to take over the facility, to evict anyone? no. >> okay, great. thank you. next speaker. (applause) i'm christina flores from age song living on behalf of dr. [speaker not understood] who had to leave. thank you. ~ mr. campos. [speaker not understood] and i want to express that we are open still through the plan, christine our attorney, just stated, and i did not plan to speak. i'm sorry, i'm not prepared, but [speaker not understood] had to step out. we are open to other alternatives as you had

mentioned earlier, partnering with the city would be one. we are open to discussions with john stutlander, a wonderful colleague of mine for years. our goal is to offer our combined 40 plus years of expertise in running residential care communities for the elderly in the for profit and non-for-profit world. we have offered business models. we have shared those business models with you, mr. campos, with the board, john himself helped us develop a model for university mound that we believe is sustainable. there are multiple options for university mound. all of those options include keeping the current residents there. i'm a former board member. i came in with this board in

2008. there are viable options. we love the elders. we learn from the elders. it's a continual quality improvement model and will be for years to come if given the opportunity. thank you. >> thank you very much. next speaker, please. (applause) hi, supervisors. i'm really nervous. i came here on behalf of my friend sandra parker whose mother is at university mound. sandra is new here. she really fights goliath, she's wonderful. i want to say three things. i wanted to say that for me, and i hope for all of us, the elderly are giants. they're a little bent now, but we stand on their shoulders, and we look and we see our history through their eyes. secondly, i want to say that the board of trustees seems so untrustworthy to me an outsider that th c