>> good morning, today is april 14th, 2015. welcome to the finance committee of the san francisco transportation authority. i am john avalos joined by david campos maliha cohen and we will be joined by other colleagues. mr. clerk.

do we have any announcements? >> there are no announcements. let's go on to our next item. roll taken. >> we have quorum. >> next item is part of our consent calendar. items two to three comprise the consent calendar. staff is not going to present. >> colleagues changes to the amendments. comments on item 3 of the consent calendar. we will go to public comment. any member that would like to speak come forward. we will close public comment.

may we have a motion to approve. >> move to approve. >> seconded by commissioner cohen. >> we need a roll call vote for the first one. okay. on the consent calendar. commissioner avalos. aye. >> kim, abcent. maher, absent. >> four, state and federal legislative update. this is an action item. >> good morning, chair and members, mark wats representing sacramento. two items of interest. on the matrix we added constitutional amendment number

5 and relates to the voter threshold for local special taxes, not designating a purpose for the tax, but under any tax approved by the voters reduce the threshold to 35%. we are recommending support for that measure. another measure that was brought to my attention by staff to relay to you and ask for your action on is to reconsider ab 779, found on page 7 of the matrix. this measure has been a watch and we're asking for you to reconsider and recategorize it has opposition. essentially, it pertains to the metrics used to measure traffic and greenhouse gas emissions in transportation priority areas. and on further reflection and collaboration with local

agencies we find it's too flexible and a step backwards from where the city has been moving and recommend oppose. >> we had a discussion about the other items last time. questions or comments? we can go to public comment. public comment is open. >> additional -- >> i was going to give a quick update on the federal transportion project. >> the current bill expires at the end of may and the federal trust fund will be bankrupt by july. so just a little better than the may prediction they had before but still we're looking at deficit and no real way to fund it since no one is talking about

that. and the president introduced the grow america tax. this would be paid by a tax on earnings in addition to the gas tax. it increases transit programs more than doubles the discretionary tiger grant program, which is very over subscribed at the federal level and increase an $18 billion freight program. we're watching but unfortunately, it would be great for transportation and he introducing he's every year and usually congress doesn't go anywhere. we're looking at another short term >> thank you. bad congress. >> good morning, chair avalos. i was proud to join with

agencies around the region to rally and call on congress to pass a long-term bill. our delegation in california is fantastic. it's the other folks in the nation that need to come toward. what we heard interestingly from the director of cal trans, malcolm dougherty, in other parts of nation where we don't have voter approved bill. both at the local and state level, they are really facing tough choices. they can't enter into construction projects. that i need to demobilize once there's a federal long-term bill. this is so disruptive and we are fortunate to be cushioned from that or protected from that because of our ability for self help at the local level as well as state level. >> thank you. okay. and no comments from the

committee here. thank you for the presentation and the updates. this is open for public comment. any member of the public who would like to comment? seeing none, we will close public comment and can we do the same inhouse call. >> we need to amend the item first. >> so colleagues we need to make an amendment to move from watch to oppose for ab 77 and can we have a motion. >> so moved. >> second. >> and we will take that without objection. and on the item underlying item we can take the same inhouse >> okay. gavel. >> we will approve that. next item please. item number five, recommend awarding an 18 month contract for planning and environmental at a-280 at balboa park and

negotiate terms and conditions. >> good morning i am liz rutman. i am senior engineer for capitol projects transportation authority. as you may recall last june we came to the plan and program committees for the adoption of the balboa park study we completed in the spring. at that time the board adopted the staff-recommended petition for bicycle safety and minimize traffic going from i-280. out of the study came recommendations for several project elements. element one is to close the northbound on ramp from geneva avenue.

element two is reassign the southbound lane and the third is a potential kiss and rider access. this past february we came before the board for an appropriation of $750,000 to advance the next steps in the study and that would found the transportation staff and the interagency agreements with cal-trans and a consultance report. i am here asking for an amount not to exceed $450,000. the consultant scope of work for the next steps include a traffic analysis for both ramp modifications and the precurser to the subscent project approvals. this analysis would be presented to fhwa for approval since it

changes access for an interstate highway. the southbound off ramp realignment to ocean avenue we hope to have completed for next year and the consultant would support our community outreach in helping with a funding and implementation plan for the projects. we released the proposals in every february. we set an sbe dbe goal. any one would work for 28%. we received two proposals in early march. both competed the 28% goal. we interviewed both firms and the unanimous, the panel selected ae com as the most qualified team with the best relevant chs consulting and recco, three

of the four firms are of the dbe, slb firms. >> thank you. that's the end. i think there's one part of the study that i'm concerned that should be addressed and i'm not clear if it's being planned. there are a lot of people in district 11 and probably close around district 11 who are concerned about the meeting forward program, in particular the 29, 54 and 52 that have been dropping off on geneva and will pick up on ocean avenue. the plans to access the change were done in 2007 2006 when the tep was put forward. we have seen changes dramatic in

terms of traffic patterns around there and often and certain times of the day you see that ocean avenue is at a stand still and whether it makes a lot of sense to actually move these bus lines to ocean avenue is you know one that i think is worth considering. as we're adding in these other changes where we're closing down an on ramp going north from geneva geneva, that's going to move traffic to ocean avenue as well. i think we should be being lewing at in this -- looking at this in the ways we're changing to getting on and getting off of the 280. is that something that's being proposed? >> when the circulation study was done, we assumed that the changes to the routing proposed by the tep was in place.

the analysis done already included those. we will continue to include those and coordinate with mta on which elements are moving forward versus which have changed since the tep was written to ensure we're including the changes correctly in the traffic analysis. this would be more detailed and we will include those improvements to make sure it's holistically evaluated. >> great, i'm concerned that we're diverting more congestion into ocean avenue that will lead to huge impacts to the speed which we're trying to address with our changes to on ramp -- >> it's a valid concern. it's the first thing we will do to make sure these projects can continue to move >> great. thank you. >> colleagues any other questions? thank you for the presentation. this item is open for public comment.

any member of the public who would like to comment. please come forward. seeing none, we will close public comment and this item we can take same call, colleagues. the item passes. our next item. >> item next 6 introduction of new items. this is an introduction item. any new issues? colleagues discussions? okay. we will open this up for public comment? and seeing no member come forward. we will close public item. we will go on to general public comment. any member of the public that would like to comment? count down from five to one in my head. we will close public comment and our next item. >> item 8 is adjournment. i would like to thank sfg tv staff for their presentation. we you at the full ta meeting next week. we're adjourned.

>> feel like it really is a community. they are not the same thing but it really does feel like there's that kind of a five. everybody is there to enjoy a literary reading. >> the best lit in san francisco. friendly, free and you might get fed. ♪ [applause] >> this san francisco ryther created the radar reading series in 2003.

she was inspired when she first moved to this city in the early 1990's and discover the wild west atmosphere of open mi it's ic in the mission. >> although there were these open mics every night of the week, they were super macho. people writing poems about being jerks. beatty their chest onstage. >> she was energized by the scene and proved up with other girls who wanted their voices to be heard. touring the country and sharing gen-x 7 as a. her mainstream reputation grew with her novel. theses san francisco public library took notice and asked her if she would begin carrying a monthly reading series based on her community.

>> a lot of the raiders that i work with our like underground writers. they're just coming at publishing and at being a writer from this underground way. coming in to the library is awesome. very good for the library to show this writing community that they are welcome. at first, people were like, you want me to read at the library, really? things like that. >> as a documentary, there are interviews -- [inaudible] >> radar readings are focused on clear culture. strayed all others might write about gay authors. gay authors might write about universal experiences. the host creates a welcoming environment for everybody.

there is no cultural barrier to entry. >> the demographic of people who come will match the demographic of the reader. it is very simple. if we want more people of color, you book more people of color. you want more women, your book more women. kind of like that. it gets mixed up a little bit. in general, we kind of have a core group of people who come every month. their ages and very. we definitely have some folks who are straight. >> the loyal audience has allowed michelle to take more chances with the monthly lineup. established authors bring in an older audience. younker authors bring in their friends from the community who

might be bringing in an older author. >> raider has provided a stage for more than 400 writers. it ranges from fiction to academics stories to academic stories this service the underground of queer fell, history, or culture. >> and there are so many different literary circles in san francisco. i have been programming this reading series for nine years. and i still have a huge list on my computer of people i need to carry into this. >> the supportive audience has allowed michele to try new experiment this year, the radar book club. a deep explorationer of a single work. after the talk she bounces on stage to jump-start the q&a. less charlie rose and more carson daly.

>> san francisco is consistently ranked as one of the most literate cities in the united states. multiple reading events are happening every night of the year competing against a big names like city arts and lectures. radar was voted the winner of these san francisco contest. after two decades of working for free michelle is able to make radar her full-time job. >> i am a right to myself, but i feel like my work in this world is eagerly to bring writers together and to produce literary events. if i was only doing my own work, i would not be happy. it is, like throwing a party or a dinner party. i can match that person with that person. it is really fun for me. it is nerve wracking during the actual readings. i hope everyone is good.

i hope the audience likes them. i hope everybody shows up. but everything works out. at the end of the reading, everyone is happy. ♪ test. >> good afternoon, everyone wow. first of all thank you, everybody friends, family appointees to our boards and commissions it is my pleasure to join all of you and issue the oath of office but a celebration of more people that share responsibility thank you to our supervisors here supervisor breed formerly supervisor and new carmen chu jane kim thank you very much for being here our city administrator thank you for being here and commission thank

you and tom hugh and mr. puc guy >> thank you all of you for being here today let me say at the outset we're giving the oath of office for 32 people 118 bodies and commissions that help me deal with the policy challenges but more and more most importantly and the most important thing the commission and advisory bodies do we reach out to people and engage them and bring that diversity of opinion and culture into the way we around government and this is what the exciting to me and let me tell you i'm excited today because the 18 different commissioners and advisors bodies are very important to me

let's look at who ear appointing people to when we look at our diverse city i have to say and it is not because it begins an organization but art it is important to our city on a local and international level so the arts commissions e commission deals with our diversity and culture and on the eave of the completion of novm the beginning of the maeks the reestablishment of moob and the museums we traditionally have and now a really big opening of community arts that is revienlts has been the reason why we've been able to revitalize market street in the tenderloin lead by the arts and the asian arts my name is a big part of that not only

because their across the street today but i i think so you have an indulging exhibition it is a sud dusk infection i don't want to talk about that too much but our building inspection commission will be appointed to you don't think them we have serious fires in the city in the past two months over one hundred units of affordable housing we've got to make sure that everybody lives safely in our city and we don't lose housing, in fact, we need to net new build housing in the city to the building inspection commission will make sure that happens commission on the status of women and equal pay of advisors board are important nor many, many reasons many of you know

you'll be co-sponsors with libby shaft on women's economic empowerment this october we'll bring together all of you and anyone that is have read or interested in making sure that women have no gooblz to economic opportunity and less barriers and those two commissioners will do that i'm excited about the individuals appointed there it is a lot of great talent and high commitment brought to the bodies with respect to equal pay that's a fairly new board they're going to be 4r50k9sd the actual data so we understand what the economic gaps are between men and women in our city and what we need to do that about it and, of course the status of women take that data address revolve it through policy oriented discussions and ultimately legislation we need

to consider our historic preservation commission and hiv council wow. what they've done to make improvements with the ac a, with 5 hospitals being built with health care being the number one impact driver in this city their incredibly important and wanted to say to you a big that's correct to the health commission they're there day to day to help us with issues of mental health and all kinds of health problems in the community the hiv health services planning council i'm very proud of them we're joining as angle inspire industry to make sure we get to zero infections in the city we are about to launch the opening of the wednesday center in the

castro this is successful such a great state of the art to help us going get to zero in a short amount of time this year is a one hundred year celebration of our world fair it, of course, allows us to think back a hundred years ago the innovators in our city i mentioned that in a context of this historic preservation commission as part of they're great work to understand and make sure that our city's history is connected to us this building is part of that history but so many other buildings give us that link to the history so it shouldn't intries you one hundred years ago people were doing it and how we're doing it today is