castro neighborhood. and there have not always necessarily said yes to every project to every developer. in fact quite the opposite. the history of negotiating with developers early and sometimes taking a hard line. yet, dennis specifically is respected by these same developers that the he's taken a hard line against. to me this speaks volumes to his integrity and ability to collaborate and the stroo city of san francisco will benefit from dennis to the planning commission. thank you. >> my name is liam nase am. i stand before you today to the board of supervisors to lend my support to dennis whom i have known for 20 years. i

stood by not only in the sidelines but watched his stad -- stead fast commitment to the community, his passion, intelligence, integrity and independence. these are all things i know that he will bring to the commission. our neighborhood is richer because of dennis and the whole community will be richer for his appointment. i'm hoping you will pass on it today. thank you. >> hello supervisors. my name is anthony lee. i have been a resident for 20 years and i have known dennis for 18 of those years. you will hear a lot about his credentials and his work in the community. i want to talk about him as a human. it's quite an annoying

working with him in the neighborhood. there are very many people that know him achl very diverse group of people and always a level of engagement and i put that down to a sense of empathy. it's not that you just can't walk past the puppy. he's truly engaged in the community in which he lives and that's demonstrated by his resume. the other things which is slightly odd about dennis is in fact around planning. there are many planning professionals here, who spend a lot of your time thinking about the future , but as human beings we haven't evolved around planning. we plan around dinner. dennis looks at things in a different way. there is a great deal of

friends. if you ask those friends and almost all of them have an emergency kit at home and they have a plan and know what to do in the event of an emergency. the one thing you need to do in san francisco is about planning and an emergency. dennis helped me prepare for an emergency and he didn't tell me how, he showed me how to do it. and we got everybody christmas emergency gifts. he's great. thank you. >> good afternoon commissioners. mike bueller san francisco heritage. dennis is known for his work with the heritage. i would love to have him on the board now but now he's going to a higher purpose. it's notable that

dennis was among the first members to reach out to me in san francisco and i'm happy to say that we were able to work together very effectively regarding both articles 10 and 11 of the planning code with historic preservation in the city and recently in the landmark district nomination which was highly contentious at the time and dennis was the key figure in the community to act as a liaison in the preservation community and supervisor wiener and the vocal groups who were very concerned about designation at the time and formed a compromise that everyone could live with and the most detractable decisions now have embraced the landmark district status and taken advantage of it's incentives. his historic preservation and experience is i am mpeccable and great he's

able to fill the large shoes of commissioner sugaya. thank you very much. >> i have known dennis for many years and worked with many issues and i'm here to support his appointment to the planning commission. i first met dennis when he was working on the fundamental on building project. i learned to appreciate his dedication and commitment to that project. and dennis helped us a lot on the issue of replacing the central freeway with octavia boulevard. he mentioned his work on the market octavia

plan. as well as other neighborhood issues like the 55 project. i now serve on the market octavia with dennis. i want to second what our colleague olson said. when i think about his knowledge and commitment and his community work. he's a very easy person to work with. he's very collegial and i really strongly recommend that you appoint him to the planning commission. he'll behind -- be an excellent commissioner. thank you. >>supervisor norman yee: go ahead and lineup. >> good afternoon. it's a pleasure to offer my support

for our neighbor dennis richards. i met dennis in 2008 and have known him to be a true advocate. his agenda is very much that of the community. he's a devoted participant to the market octavia plan and crazy enough to continue on to the commissioner dsh cac. he's vehicle a -- very much a proponent for inclusionary housing and he's willing to fight for what he believes is right. one particular occasion that i would share with you is a recent developer came to the neighborhood and was proposed a building and dennis fought very hard to make it very clear to them that unless the policy included non-discrimination according to sexual orientation and gender that it was something the community could not

support. he brings knowledge and combination and works with community and engagement. he's passionate about improving our neighborhoods and at the same time maintaining their individual character. it's my pleasure to offer dennis my full personal endorsement and that uconn firm his appointment. >> supervisors, i would like to support dennis richards to the planning commission. my name is betty levity son. i work well with dennis. about eight years ago8 years ago dennis invited me to join the

dnta. i have worked with dennis closely not just on how well he writes, but on issues involving housing and development in the neighborhood. i want to reiterate and support what danny just said and i want to point out how well he works across groupsch he's really very good at within dtna and putting together committees to analyze issues before us that have differing opinions. he made sure that everybody was in the room. i think that a lot of what people talk about when they talk about planning process has an under current of politics. dennis is unwaiveringly fair. i can't think of a better person for the commission. i think he will support, i think it's unfortunate that he couldn't

serve with bill sugaya. but in replacing him, it's a wonderful addition to the planning commission and a great addition to the planning within the san francisco. thank you. >> good afternoon, my name is allen martinez speaking for myself. i have known mr. richards for 20 years. we met in boxing class. so we go back and worked together on the friends of 1800s saving the building and the harvey milk store and the market octavia. with dennis i think we are getting several things. it's been long my contention that

people in the neighborhood understand planning better than going to the architecture school and not the things i learned in school. dennis has been a member of the community for a long time and involved in that process in that community. in both prospect ifs, he knows how to community works and more than that, he cares about it. as a member of the community, he knows what community means to people. he knows what's at stake and his passion for the city is important. lastly he's a natural leader. he really is. i have seen him in leadership positions many times. he knows how to bring consensus, resolution, he knows how to

open discussion. i think that is going to be a skill that is going to really shine on the planning commission. thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors. aaron highland. 22 years resident of the castro. i knew dennis long before he knew me. our firm worked on the fallon building. i'm disappointed. i expected to be here to support bill sugaya. having said that, i can't think of anyone else who could fill his shoes other than dennis. i fully

support his nomination. >>supervisor norman yee: any other public comments on this item? c'mon up. >> supervisors, do ug weinberg. as a resident of 25 years in san francisco. i'm here to support his nomination to the planning commission. i have worked with dna. one example of dennis' skill and fair mindedness occurred two 2 months ago when he stepped in to suggest that my next door neighbor on the opposite side of me and yes, dennis is my next door neighbor on the other side, e erect poles to show exactly how to propose expansion would potentially impact their neighbors on

both sides of them. that advice has proven helpful with the situation. needless to say, dennis richards would be an asset to the planning commission. thank you. >>supervisor norman yee: thank you. any other public comment? seeing none, public comment is now closed. i just met dennis yesterday and i had a good time talking to you. because it was so interesting he was in the area that when i was a young person from age to 18. my family had a grocery storay e storay block away from where he list. what -- lives. it was nice

to see some of the things that existed when i was there or when in the past for me that was 40 years ago. and then he talks about the present and he understands the reality of what exist today as he was talking earlier about the affordability crisis and so forth and the neighborhoods. at the same time, he's one that i found that can also think about the future. when he talks about, you know, nothing remains, changes constant. that's the type of person i would like to see on the planning commission. people that can actually throw that balance between the past, present and future. i will be

supporting your nomination. supervisor campos? >>supervisor david campos: well, i didn't know that you were a good time on top of what's been said. i'm glad it's not always you can say that about a planning commission appointment. i'm very happy, proud to make a motion to move this item forward with a positive recommendation as the committee report and look forward to working with you and thank you to all the community members who have come out to support you. >> okay. supervisor tang? >>supervisor katy tang: thank you, i too had a great time chatting with mr. richards. i'm looking forward to seeing you working on the planning commission. what impressed me not only the organizations that you have been involved in , but the amount of time and that shows true commitment to your neighborhood and that

brings a lot of experience to the commission. as a new incoming member potentially of this planning commission. i have one question for you: are you ready for this? worried but i'm also happy, still able to support campos' motion. >> he took boxing classes for christ sake. we have a motion to amend line 3 and line 13 from the motion to approve this nomination. >> so moved. >> okay. with no objection, the amendment passes. there is a motion on the floor with no objection to, and it goes as a committee report with no objection. then the motion passes. congratulations. [ applause ] madam clerk. item no. 3. city clerk: item no. 3 has

already been called, mr. chair. >>supervisor norman yee: so, could i have bobbie wilson. maybe give him a few seconds to leave the room. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i am privileged and honored with the opportunity to speak with you today. thank you. i started my legal career in san francisco as a legal aid society employment law center in the mission where i focused on high impact employment cases representing farm

workers and black firefighters, lesbian police officer whose fellow officers put a rat in her locker because she dared to complain about sexual orientation discrimination. as part of the employment, i also staffed the workers rights clinics. those would be clinics that we would have at different locations and would have people come in who couldn't afford lawyers and talk about their employment problems and they had many many types of employment problems. i tell you that because it goes to the diversity of my legal experience. after the employment law center i went to a private practice to a firm that is no longer around but a great firm, howard rice. they had a commitment to excellent lawyering and also a deep commitment to pro bono.

they did everything to make you a very good, very successful, very sharp, very good lawyer to understand the issues and legal analysis and many of the cases they handled were quite complex. the best thing about being there, was the opportunity to have a case which for me was the brown versusboard of education at that time was the assess or in the marriage cases and that lasted 4 years. all of that experience i want to bring to the board of appeals. people have asked me, why do you want to serve on the board when i spend all my days working in law? to me it's simple. i believe in service. i have

sat on not-for-profit boards, communities, pro bono work. it gives me a chance to give something back. i also have become concerned that there seems to be tools to manage me to be a limitation on the access to justice. for example, our state courts don't have any money which makes cases go later and there is lots of delays. federal courts, as justice kennedy reminded us, congress has advocated their responsibility and the judges have not had a raise in 20 years. forcing talented judges to leave public service and go into private mediation which is a loss to all of the system. even a quasi i judicial body like the board of appeals, it's an important body in

people's lives to come somewhere they maybe able to have an opportunity to have their cases heard, an opportunity to have their day in court and an opportunity to change a view where they have been wronged. it's important that when people come in, they come in as equals. so the gentleman who has the architect and the lawyer in my eyes is the same as the young lady where english is not her first language and she gets the same attention, same respect and same opportunity. the one thing i can guarantee is that not everybody will like my decisions. but, the good side of that is that i will always be prepared, i will be knowledgeable about the law, i will be compassionate, i will be impartial, i will be intellectually curious so

that if someone is having a difficult time telling their story, i can help them bring out that story. i'm excited for the opportunity, and i want to bring all of my intellect, my compassion, my energy, my drive, my courage and my sense of fairness to the role. thank you for the opportunity to talk to you. i ask for your support and i want to thank the people who sent letters in for me and a few that are going to speak for me today. thank you. do you have any questions? >>supervisor norman yee: thank you, supervisor campos? >>supervisor david campos: thank you very much again. i have to begin by acknowledging that i have known bobbie wilson for a very long time. as a baby lawyer starting at howard rice had the pleasure

and honor working for bobby who was then a young partner at howard rice and i will be completely honest, if i were not on the board of supervisors, i would be among the people, some of them, my friends who are in the audience waiting to speak on behalf of bobbie wilson. so i think it's an excellent choice. i just have one question which is something that it's not a question as mainly if you can expand on this because it's something that you said in your statement and i think is very much really important thing for something as important as critical as the board of appeals which is what happens when you have a pro per someone who is representing themselves who may not have the skills, the ability as way of getting their story out and making sure there is an equal

opportunity given for that side of the case being heard. i really appreciate that point that you made and it very much goes to who you are and if you can expand on that because i think it's very important. >> i think there is a perception that courts and bodies like this are only open to people who can afford them, and that people who bring lawyers and people who have money to take the time to pull together maps and all the things to present a very cogent case. when i was an expert, there is a litigant who was a pro per. i watched the judge go out of his way to sort of walk the pro per person through what he needed. so for the judge who knew what he needed, he wasn't going to side with him per say. he

wanted to say, do you have this document, yeah, i have this document. okay, bring that up. give it to the bailiff and bring it up. do you have this form? yeah. i have got this form. and then he would ask a question in a very simple way he could understand. when the gentlemen would say, no. he would probe. it didn't prejudice the other side who was well armed with lawyers, but it gave a better sense that there was fairness here. the judge didn't end upsiding with the pro per person, but he walked out of there thinking he had a fair shake. >> i can a test the fact that you have the ability to do that and you helped me as a young lawyer who didn't know what i was doing. i think that's a very important skill. thank you. >> you are welcome.

>>supervisor norman yee: thank you very much. for public testimony i have paul henderson, david shay, dan call, >> good afternoon. nice to see everyone. paul henderson. i'm here today. i'm a friend of bobby. i have known her for many years in my role at the san francisco attorneys office. one of my duties in management was monitoring and evaluating lawyers that came in to the firm to be

prosecutors for a period of time. this is a big program that had hundreds of people a year that was very rarely that i saw talent and ability like bobby's that would stand out, that would cross the years where i would say personally engaged with specific individuals like bobby based on those experiences, but that's exactly who she was. i saw her in the courtrooms, i saw her interacting with the public, i saw her engaged with the legal community, as an advocate, working with the bench and a wide number of related agencies and remained impressed with her, not just with the work she did with me and through that agency at the time but over the years with her intellect and her dedication to not just community but to community service. you know, obviously i don't need to go over her resume. you have seen all of

that and know what her commitment has been to the community of san francisco. i can't say enough in terms of how impressed i am with her and what an honor to have someone like her representing us and working with us in partnership. i'm available to answer any questions. but there is not enough that i can begin to say in these two 2 minutes to say that i will give her my unkwifkable support. >> good afternoon, supervisor tang, yee, campos. i'm a ten 10-year resident of district 8. i'm speaking on behalf of bobbie wilson who i have also

run into at the farmers market. bobby wills and i work together now but i have known her for a long time. i have worked with her and tang in the same sex marriage cases and that really impactful case nationwide that led to what we see today in terms of equality for the lgbt community. bobbie wilson comes from a very humble beginning. she grew up in new york projects and a top student at columbia and her career skyrocketed. when i had the opportunity to meet bobby ie wilson i was super excited to work with her and we got to rk