now how long it takes to get any permit. >> that's when you submit our application i believe it's seven months from are you doing an e application. >> for a larger scale it it be 4 to 6 and for the smaller one less second question i guess whether the department feels the it seems like in a lot of the performance measurements there's the target and for the most part 0 lower than the target you feel your meeting the performance target and this new budget are we throwing targets out. >> the answer is we're not doing well as we could and part of it is the way those numbers are actually created for example, one of the things you see is a low number that the

discretionary review that go to the planning commission 3 didn't mention when the item is continued there recent factors like that we need the other thing that tim mentioned i know helped i hope those numbers improve sending a small project team we set up on one of the preservation work and general work we were able to hire a few temporary staff that end up four or five members with respect former staffers that came back to work on temporary assignment and did an amazing job of cranking out permits and getting those of the plates of other planners so we're looking at ways like that to improving efficient ssi those numbers are not good it's clear but it also there are

things we can do that don't only include hiring staff. >> commissioner matsuda. >> so under for the hr pr from the actual of 26 percent to a target of '75 that's pretty impressive and that's the goal it maybe we should have a less - i think we've approved in the 26. >> i mean, that's great i'm all for this this is a huge huge huge jump. >> i understand. >> so something completely off the press or preservation for a second out of curiosity it is out of the short-term rental program and airbnb let's say their tax money into the general fund it is only about $15,000 to we get more general fund.

>> we don't it's one million dollars 8 we will - there's no - those funds are not dedicated to this purpose there is a fee associated with short-term rental those who participate have to pay a semi buy in fee. >> an in all fee, if you will. >> it's $50 not a large fee one the elements built into the legislation require us to work with the controller's office in a year after legislation it effective to look at the budget implementation of that program and to understand how it is effecting our budget we think we can fund those are out of our first year but the position is not a small amount of money and

$50 foe. >> and if it gets cut the whole new tax revenue will be such a - >> i understand that is as you can see from the trend one of the keith is slides shows you the revenue funds has dropped the general fund going to the department has dropped. >> commissioner johnck. >> yeah. i want to bring up something that is historical when i first came on the commission the legislation to enable more categorical exemption were passed i've been impressed with the amount of things i see i've reviewed the huge list in sars department and it seems like this is going good i don't know did you do more and is that under number 3 the work

program that you know as look at a case and is this the fedex and this is number 3. >> it would be on page 3 of the handout today. >> i think its number 2. >> that's number 2 i would think number 2 if we had to do if this was no categorical decision and we ended up with something. >> commissioners, if i'm correct you're talking about number 2 that's with ceqa casework. >> it seems like that aspect of moving projects throw in a rapidly as possible it appears that's the way it is.

>> it is going better and certainly the legislation and tina our senior planner along with her environmental staff is working hard to streamline the process and complete some sort of documentation that clears a property or project through ceqa without the time consuming paperwork without the write-up of the building whether the project did or did not meet the standards we use a simplified form that improves the mind and hoping this is related to the 38 percent versus 45 hoping in the next year to see real change and improvement because of that. >> okay. good great thank you. >> commissioner hyland. >> just the other commissioners

have pretty sure addressed my concerns and questions one specific question on page 8 of the new positions for 2015- 2016 and 2016-2017. of the housetop >> of the handout. >> of the slide show there's 12.62 new positions for 2015- 2016 is the 14 or 2016-2017 additional or the two. >> what part is that. >> keating department staff so the 12.62 positions in 2015- 2016 they annual lists when we make a new position request in the upcoming budget year the assumption it take a period of time approximately 3 months to bring a new staff person we don't put them for a full fte

but the second y year it's full-time so the same two positions listed there. >> that's where why the positions are flat. >> that's correct. >> of the 6.2 does the mayor have the digital ability to strike out which ones he didn't want to fund or of the 12.62. >> keith from the department staff if the mayor choose not to productive one of the requests his office will disapprove he'll not typically say you'll only get 9 he typically has not done that in the past. >> that's reinforces our need

although living in the preservation like suggested like everything in the city. >> commissioners seeing no other comments at this time opening it up for public comment any public comment on this item? censured commissioners that was informational any last questions or comments commissioner pearlman. >> about the letter of the prehistoric survey didn't do we want to do a draft of and get that in the hoper along the line what's the process. >> i'll get more information commissioner hyland. >> i wanted to thank staff and director ram and others for pursuing this. >> thanks peculiarity it if that's it we'll move on and

commissioners that places you on item 11 for the next case at dr. carton mid block crosswalk with article 10 standards. >> good afternoon, commissioners the department staff before you is a request for compliance to article 10 appendix and the secretary of interior standards for the sfmta proposed crosswalk of dr. carton good let place the project is have the opportunity to city hall landmark number one proposed project involves the alternatives to the sidewalk and roadway in front of the east entrance call of city hall and the project includes removal of the existing flashing crosswalks and equipment and installation

of two municipal transportation agency polls across the area and installation of two 3 colored traffic signals on a mounted poodles and two signals and installation of one traffic signal in the sidewalk per the recommendation of the architecture review committee all traffic signal all new traffic signal lob blue to match the existing street light poles as the project sponsors of sfmta 12 had been in the public right-of-way and no permit will be issued a certified is not required the h p credit b will meet the secretary of interior standards and in their review of the proposal in november the a f c

times to minimize the size of features associated with the traffic lights sfmta has made no changes to the project in response to this comment staff finds the i have no speaker cards number of poles and the size of massive arm poles in the landmark district are not compatible with the mapped site as required by appendix j or the secretary of standards to be more capable with the city hall and the landmark district and con forms and to be responsive staff recommends the utilization of the alternative mass design that is based on the shorter arm poles where overlaid muni structures exist and the smaller

mass arms see that was installed in the mission were included in the photos of the exhibit in our packet it was recommended the dooms shouldn't be the bright color not comparable with the character of the district sfmta as noted that no changes to the sidewalk crosswalk are promoted as part of the project but staff is also consulted with the maibz and the maibz has indicated that yell is a required color for my newly painted area and the reconstructed kraukdz on the east side of the carton dr. carr tons place with the civic center place is somewhat related but

separate will be kruk9d with the bright yell ada pads for the main features for the landmark district staff recommend that sfmta, dpw and the maibz cooperate with the preservation staff to identify alternative color and creativity and aids and pads that meet the flexibility requirements of any person(s) responsible for the ringing or use of a recommends in compliance with article 10 and modify per the recommended conditions to bring the project into con forbearance the department represents the h pc recommended the following conditions one that the subject project utility an alternative maps bans the shorter arms or other gugz and

two the sfmta the dpw and the maibz cooperate with the preservation staff to identify high creativity and treatment for ada zoned pads that meet the possibility of requirement more comparable with the district and ada pads should be utilized on any project in the utilization i have crosswalks that concludes my presentation. unless question the project sponsor is here also thank you. >> do we want to let the sponsor if they have a preservation first then - thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners i'm riccardo the city traffic engineer with the san francisco municipal transportation agency we are sponsoring the traffic signal that has been described by

flower and the work began about a year ago we coordinated with the civic center plaza association and part of that project the current lighted crosswalk would be impacted we evaluated the current performance and recommended a traffic signal to replace the lighted crosswalk we felt 2 would be safer and where vehicles are required to stop as opposed to of the vehicles warned to stop the work on that project 2, 3, 4 cooperation with the maibz and dpw and meeting the project on the east side of the plaza we were trying to go through the process required of us including going to the architecture commission we did in october and november there was a fatality you're aware of

an employee of this building was killed at the crosswalk this was unfortunate and as part of that a renewed immediacy to going emptied with the funding there's been issues about the as noted great the color of the polls that's something we can do paint the poles the issue that remains is the issue of how long the municipal transportation agency arms are the overhead arm be 20 and 25 feet along so the signals are over the traffic lanes if we use the shorter ones the signals won't be over the

traffic lanes they'll be on the side and in this situation with a mid block crossing we want to make sure the signals are visible to travel and nobody is running the red lights want to make sure that the people see the yellow lights with advanced warning with the safety measure we want the traffic lights to be prominent over the traffic lanes as opposed to to on the side many overheads don't have the traffic lights when we do new traffic signals try to make them as prominent as possible our our research indicates in those kinds of situations less red light running and safer pedestrian krauksdz want to make sure that going forward we have as safe as possible

infrastructure unfortunately, that creates an aesthetic or visible impact on the street we feel it's a manageable one given the traffic lights will be a few feet more over the traffic lanes so the trade off between saves we believe are manageable here to answer any questions about the design. >> commissioners if so commissioner wolfram. >> is quick question about the design on the municipal transportation agency on the northbound lanes it is to the east side the 20 foot lanes; is that correct? >> yes. we were trying to make the mask arm it's a compromises the mask arm if we want it to be

over the lane we want it to be away interest the parking lane by visible enough so it is basically a matter of how close relative to also trying not to make them too long to minimize the effects that have been raised to us wibl that design with the 20 foot mask arm a sufficient with the signal over the or close to the traffic lane. >> thank you. >> thank you it's yeah, that would be tough i don't know someone had been killed it is a pretty scary one at mid block to stop it is a tough one from a traffic engineers side so i think painting at a minimum and it sounds like in a fast track situation i know i see how long

it takes to get a street pole built so i understand the pressures commissioner johnck. >> we're looking at the ferry building the crosswalk on embarcadero in front of the crosswalk i use that all the time. >> this is an example where the traffic lights are stopping the folks and it is only a crosswalk there are numerous example in front of the museum of modern art at yerba buena there's a lot of crosswalks we want to make sure their prominent and the vehicles stop again, because it's not an intersection it is harder to get vehicles attention in that kind of situation. >> yeah. okay.

>> why not take public comment and come back on this is there anyone from the public who wishes to speak on this item please come up to the podium. >> hello, i'm patrick carney from the city hall preservation advising commission the commission has reviewed this numerous times we've seen the report we agree largely with the staff recommendations and also several of us don't have a problem with that being longer you mentioned 20 feet obviously we don't want any more fatality at that intersection the commission also discussed the flashing lights in the crosswalk i see their proposed to be removed the commission thought if 9 flashing lights were to remain that perhaps they'll be

coordinated with the traffic lights they'll be red that the traffic signal is red and spaced more closely together say 3 feet you'll see that light show going on in the sidewalk as well as people are looking at up at the building and the architecture might not see the lights so if the flashing lights were removed perhaps they'll be red and orange but never be green just a thought from the commission thank you. >> thank you are there others who wish to speak on this item back to you, commissioners. commissioner pearlman. >> thank you i wanted to thank people's 3 last year for how you took the ar c comments and incorporated them into our report and recommendations and you know obviously no one

wanted to see fatalities anywhere but the shorter ones i think once people know there are stoplights and continuing the lights flashing at the sidewalk at the pavement level i think once people know it's there it's there and people stop objective no one there's issues now because there isn't a isn't a stoplight i walked around the building and notice we have highway 101 running of van ness avenue grant it it's not a mid block stop but people are going faster there's buses and people dodging buses and people seem to be able to stop without having my arm over with the polls on either side this is not where people are going 50 miles per hour but people are starting up

from the lights on either side of the city hall simplifying somehow the 8 footer could be a valid and useful and appropriate piece there to not have it so far i'll agree what the staff recommendation. >> commissioner hyland. >> when this came before the m r.c. in the packet there were other options this was the preferred option in mta this is what we were trying to make work better in the district i'm wondering i don't want to delay the implementation but you know perhaps if there was a hold out endorsed exhorted so the pavement was shorter it might change if that was able to the incorporated i'm suggesting so

have poles in the middle of the street but bulb outs at the icy level maybe a plausible solution without having the arms i'm suggesting that maybe our commission could recommend you go away from the lights and go with something at the lower level that we do need to recognize it needs to move forward quickly. >> commissioner johns. >> thank you i maybe mantel i think not i believe the flashing lights that are there are a result of the request that my wife made when she was chief of staff with mayor brown the essential problem and visible impact is a very nice way to disguise the

word of the public they'll be ugly a kind of defacing of that side of the building so, now, of course in life there are compromises that we have to work towards but i would be in favor of those smaller lights that is not a block where there's high-speed it is a block where for some reason seems to attract a lot of jerks. (laughter) but that can be controlled there are various ways that have been suggested i strongly courage that in this instance less is more. >> on the staff represents number one are we using the shorter mask arms but the painting that was mentioned by

the gentleman painting up to the 16 poles in the area and then i would also take the suggestion from the city hall preservation commission member and in combination where the lights we've got them wider i'm sure he can pick up the conjunction i'm in favor of the adding the 35i79 and the third suggestion of keeping the lights and pavement. >> so fell commissioner? >> commissioner johnck. >> so i can clarify instead of removing those which is what the traffic engineer is saying to keep them so we have both the shorter arm and the semen satisfaction of those flares i

really prefer i mean the mask arm i think it is needed but a shorter - >> yeah. shorter. >> commissioner hyland. >> i'd like to figure out if there's a way to add for any future work in this area to study the bubts i don't know what's happening potential a master plan it would be incorporated for the civic center that could be then brought across to the face of city hall to the facade of city hall and this in addition to that 0 it is a if the crosswalk gets shorter for safety and commissioners one of the things in the work plan includes among other things a plan for the civic center that we're leading

next year with many other departments like rec and park not only the park portion of the plaza but all the surrounding streets as well those can be incorporated. >> can we not at that particular time this. >> commissioner hyland my recommendation or again isommission could make a finding in the future as part of the master plan this issue be considered and if there's an option that minimize or reduce the number of traffic signals that that be considered at the time of the master plan. >> yeah. yeah. >> okay. are we voting on this. >> do we need a motion. >> right. >> i know i spelled it out. >> i move the staff represents includ