tv [untitled] November 20, 2014 2:30pm-3:01pm PST
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audience. i know him and my appointee to the committee and any public comment on this item? seeing none public comment is closed. i will make the motion. >> all right. since this is your appointee i will go along with that. >> without objection elbert hill will be rea pointed. >> >> item number eight is a hearing to consider appointing three members terms ending october 21, 2018 to the local homeless coordinating board. there are three seats and five applicants. >> okay. let me call the applicants in order of the agenda. del seymour. >> good afternoon members of the board, madam interim president. congratulations on your new title. i am del seymour. i am reapplying for
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the potion of local homeless coordinating board. when i applied initially and started by job i didn't realize what this is and all of the issues and challenges in san francisco. i am a formerly homeless person myself and i thought i knew the ins and out of the homeless and governing of the homeless community and man i didn't know qawt but i am learning it. i thought this thing -- my involvement would be two, three hours a month and that's turn into quite a bit more. seems like i am down here everyday in the homeless communities because i have so much interest and concern. i take a day like today and windy and cold and i went by several providers this morning and everyone is full. we have a problem in san francisco and i am sure chicago and detroit can say the same thing but we have a problem in
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san francisco and it's not getting better. i would like to see it get better. i spend time now trying to build a community. we are getting an influxion i call them immigrants but from other parts of the country and citizen it is and moving in because of the tech boom and these people initially don't understand the situation with the homeless or needy or unhoused population and lately i have been asked to speak to twitters and index, adobe and others and giving the reality of living in a city where we have a large number of homeless folks so i spend a lot of time do that. i am on the board of [inaudible] and we're tickled there because we're housing people. we just opened up our safe haven on eddy street that is doing very well. we had the
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grand opening or the soft opening of our 250 kearney building two weeks ago which was a blast. really you have to come down and look at it. it's right in the financial district right where a house for veterans appreciate 80% in recovery and walk outside around the block and smoke a cigarette and not faced with all the demons like myself like myself in recovery are. the city is doing great things for the veterans and other organizations. i would love to continue my position. i am in the honeymoon. i can't stop now so please let me continue with the local homeless coordinating board. i spoke with nancy pelosi about the opening of st. anthony's and quite an event and chat with her about some of the things going on in san francisco and she
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promised to speak with her boss, barack obama in a few days and i am waiting for the call from the white house. i know it will come any day. thank you for the time here and the original appointment and i would like to continue pressing on. thank you. >> thank you. kim armbruster. >> not yet. is kim here? >> [inaudible] >> okay. erick brown. >> good afternoon supervisors on this wet thursday afternoon. i am erick brown and i am seated member on the local homeless coordinating board. i have been on the board for approximately six and a half years. i have been the chair of the [inaudible] committee, hud management information system.
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i have been co-chair for the hearth and how to bring regulations into line with san francisco in the continuum of care. i have worked seallessly i like to think providing homeless services to san franciscans. i worked for catholic charities 14 years last month. i am currently stationed at treasure island and the increase the redevelopment and housing here in san francisco and those folks that need to be housed. there are challenges, the main challenges for keeping people housed. we think once we give them housing it solves all life's problems so we need to explore what it means to put someone in housing and keep them in housing. i am fortunate to say that my team on treasure island has about a 98% occupancy
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rating so we do well out there and i have 34 units in town and it's about the same so i like to continue my work with the local board, and i am open to any questions. >> okay. no questions. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> next person is dan bowersox and i believe he withdraw his application so gary lewis are you here? >> hi. good afternoon members of the board. first i would like to thank you for inviting me to come down again and put myself forward for a position on the local homeless coordinating board. i come to this with -- my interest in coming to this board stems out of the last six and a half years working along the tenderloin and working with
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the homeless and low income individuals. i started this work in 2008 and leaving my job in biotech and going to law school and having a role in community development. i quickly began volunteered at the shelter and referrals through a student group. throughout school it snow balled there and i went into the homeless advocacy project and legal aid and worked with the -- what was then the good neighborhood coalition on the efforts to get a cbmc hospital project. upon graduation in 2011 i was extremely lucky to be offered the role much the executive director of the assistance advocacy project and an organization in the tenderloin around for 30 years providing services for low income folks in the neighborhood. we're unique as a legal services
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organization we have very -- we're unique in we're a drop in clinic and don't have restrictions on the type of work we do. i think this is where my strength comes from and i like to see on a daily basis a wide range of issues that impact the community that we're trying to help here. we really have no issue to small policy and it's very open door so i had a real opportunity to see things from the housing to the income issues and the bureaucracy issues and my principle role is varied and i think that is helpful. as the executive director for the first two years i was the only staff member at the organization and responsible from everything to case load to fundraising to program development to fixing the plumbing and gave me a good understanding of some of the complex challenges and not just the services we need to provide
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but how we provide the service in what could be an challenging economic circumstances or difficult to come up with ways to make these things happen. in addition to my work at gap i am teaching a seminar at the local law school, hastings that focuses on homeless as an issue and provides a set of survey of the issue for our students and i also sit as the local community representative to the finance community at project open hand which is a fantastic organization providing meals for low income folks in and around san francisco. i think i can bring to the board a wide perspective of the issues and strong problem solving capability. i am grateful for the opportunity to present my candidateacy and if you have questions i am happy to answer. >> okay. no questions.
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thank you very much. i actually have a question of erick brown. can he come up? so your a program manager with catholic charities? >> i am. >> and catholic charities as most of us know does a lot of work with the homeless population, and would also get contracts from the city. >> correct. >> i am just curious does it come up at all, or whether -- when you're in discussion of certain things that it's a conflict of interest for you? >> occasionally with the continuum of care particularly when voting on particular funding and that's probably the only time and i'm the first to recuse myself and say i need to step back, and i always sit on
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the [inaudible] oversight committee so i am well aware of what my limit aikdzs are, where i should speak, where i shouldn't speak and not necessarily forcing my opinion. if it's something i discussed, i avoided subcommittees just so there is not an appearance of impropriety and we have learned how to rock and roll. the chairs on the local board is also aware as is megan owens who will make sure that if there's a question that we will certainly cover that and make sure again there is no impropriety. >> so you don't feel like it's a major issue? >> no. it has not and prior to sitting on the local board this board is probably about 14 years and of the 14 years i was either
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a secret member or participant on some level and not until i became a board member and again that had to be pointed out there could be some conflict. >> i am glad to hear that because i know you bring a wealth of perspective into this. >> thank you. >> thank you. let's see public comment. any public comment on this item? >> i would like to urge you if you find it in yourself to support del seymour. i have known him for about three years, and i think he's an extremely qualified person for this position, and i also think he's got a lot of passion and he has a way with people so i think he's a good candidate. >> thank you for coming. >> hello. i am megan owens and from human agency staff and
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the staff to the local homeless coordinating board. i am happy to answer any general questions that you have and i want to alert you that current member kim armbruster has arrived. >> kim. >> i'm going to give you an opportunity to make a statement if you like. >> good afternoon. i am applying to continue my membership on the board. i have a background in social service agencies working with the homeless population and i myself have been homeless and in my time on the board i co-chair the coordinated assessment committee and co-chairing the hmis subcommittee, and unofficially have been going to all of the shelter monitoring committees
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because i think there should be a stronger tie there so i would very much like to continue my work on the board. thank you. >> thank you. any other public commentos this item? seeing none public comment is now closed. [gavel] first of all i would like to say for del seymour you have my strong support. when i actually look at the notes you're the only one that has been homeless on this committee and i appreciate the fact that you're willing to serve on this, so that's sort of -- not to take away from anybody else but i think you're special. supervisor tang. >> oh sure. i would agree with that. it seems like mr. seymour his unique background he has been in every sherlt in san francisco, and i think that is a very unique perspective that he can bring and i think all of the candidates before us today all
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bring something to the table that is very much needed, whether you're formerly homeless, or a service provider, volunteer work and so forth, and so i am very interested in giving those who have served the opportunity for reappointment, but also equally interested in seeing new members such as mr. lewis to have the opportunity to serve as well, so i know that we don't have -- we have more applicants than we have sees so i am interested to hear from supervisor yee as well about the other candidates but i think you all bring something good to the table that is good in your own way. >> all four of you that came today could serve this body well. i generally give priority to those that are on the
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committee everybodying a board or committee well, and i also look at whether people show up for meetings and all three of the incumbents in this case have pretty good attendance records, so that tells me a lot about whether they care about this issue or not. i have seen other incumbents come in for other appointments and -- well, why do you want to get appointed when you missed half of the meetings? so this is not the case so i would be in favor of reappointing all three of the members. >> okay. thank you and of course through the chair although again we're not able to appoint everyone today we want to encourage you to reapply if you don't make it this round and vacancies come up and we hope to see you again if you're interested, so with that then
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what it sound like i would like to make a motion to reappoint del seymour to seat two with a residency waiver. kim armbruster to seat three and erick brown to seat four. >> okay. without any objection motion is moved. [gavel] thank you congratulations. mr. clerk. >> there are no other items on the agenda today. >> okay. then meeting is adjourned. [gavel]
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>> welcome to "culturewire." today we are at recology. they are celebrate 20 years of one of the most incredibly unique artist residency programs. we are here to learn more from one of the resident artists. welcome to the show, deborah. tell us how this program began 20 years ago. >> the program began 20 years ago. our founder was an environmentalist and an activist and an artist in the 1970's. she started these street sweeping campaigns in the city. she started with kids. they had an exhibition at city
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hall. city officials heard about her efforts and they invited her to this facility. we thought it would coincide with our efforts to get folks to recycle, it is a great educational tool. since then, we have had 95 professional artists come through. >> how has the program changed over the years? how has the program -- what can the public has an artist engage with? >> for the most part, we worked with metal and wood, what you would expect from a program like ours. over the years, we tried to include artists and all types of mediums. conceptual artists, at installation, photographers, videographers. >> that has really expanded the program out. it is becoming so dynamic right now with your vision of interesting artists in gauging
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here. why would an artist when to come here? >> mainly, access to the materials. we also give them a lot of support. when they start, it is an empty studio. they go out to the public area and -- we call it the big store. they go out shopping, take the materials that, and get to work. it is kind of like a reprieve, so they can really focus on their body of work. >> when you are talking about recology, do you have the only sculpture garden at the top? >> it is based on work that was done many years ago in new york. it is the only kind of structured, artist program. weit is beautiful. a lot of the plants you see were pulled out of the garbage, and
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we use our compost to transplant them. the pathway is lined with rubble from the earthquake from the freeways we tour about 5000 people a year to our facility, adults and children. we talk about recycling and conservation. they can meet the artists. >> fantastic. let's go meet some of your current artists. here we are with lauren. can you tell us how long have been here so far and what you're working on? >> we started our residency on june 1, so we came into the studio then and spent most of the first couple weeks just digging around in the trash. i am continuing my body of work, kind of making these hand- embroidered objects from our day-to-day life. >> can you describe some of the things you have been making here? this is amazing. >> i think i started a lot of my
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work about the qualities of light is in the weight. i have been thinking a lot about things floating through the air. it is also very windy down here. there is a piece of sheet music up there that i have embroidered third. there is a pamphlet about hearing dea -- nearing death. this is a dead rabbit. this is what i am working on now. this is a greeting card that i found, making it embroidered. it is for a very special friend. >> while we were looking at this, i glanced down and this is amazing, and it is on top of a book, it is ridiculous and amazing. >> i am interested in the serendipity of these still life compositions. when he got to the garbage and to see the arrangement of objects that is completely spontaneous. it is probably one of the least
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thought of compositions. people are getting rid of this stuff. it holds no real value to them, because they're disposing of it. >> we're here in another recology studio with abel. what attracted you to apply for this special program? >> who would not want to come to the dump? but is the first question. for me, being in a situation that you're not comfortable in has always been the best. >> what materials were you immediately attracted to when you started and so what was available here? >> there are a lot of books. that is one of the thing that hits me the most. books are good for understanding, language, and art in general. also being a graphic designer, going straight to the magazines and seeing all this printed material being discarded has also been part of my work. of course, always wood or any kind of plastic form or anything
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like that. >> job mr. some of the pieces you have made while you have been here. -- taught me through some of the pieces you have made while you have been here. >> the first thing that attracted me to this was the printed surface. it was actually a poster. it was a silk screen watercolor, about 8 feet long. in terms of the flatwork, i work with a lot of cloddish. so being able to cut into it come at into it, removed parts, it is part of the process of negotiating the final form. >> how do you jump from the two dimensional work that you create to the three-dimensional? maybe going back from the 3f to 2d. >> everything is in the process of becoming. things are never said or settled. the sculptures are being made while i am doing the collages, and vice versa. it becomes a part of something
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else. there's always this figuring out of where things belong or where they could parapets something else. at the end goal is to possibly see one of these collage plans be built out and create a structure that reflects back into the flat work. >> thank you so much for allowing "culturewire" to visit this amazing facility and to learn more about the artists in residence program. is there anything you like our viewers to know? >> we have art exhibitions every four months, and a win by the public to come out. everybody is welcome to come out. we have food. sometimes we have gains and bands. it is great time. from june to september, we accept applications from bay area artists. we encouraged artists from all mediums to apply. we want as many artists from the bay area out here so they can have the same experience. >> how many artists to do your host here?
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>> 6 artist a year, and we receive about 108 applications. very competitive. >> but everyone should be encouraged to apply. thank you again for hosting us. >> thank you for including us in "culturewire." ♪ ♪ ♪ aah! i'm a lion! yes, you are. come here. let's see how this looks. hey, how's my little horse? she's a lion. yes, she is. grrr! ha ha! announcer: you don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent. when you adopt a child from foster care, just being there makes all the difference.
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