o >> this is the meeting of the commission on the environment, today is tuesday may 26th. it is 5:03:00 p.m., roll call.

commissioner arce here. commissioner bermejo here commissioner stephenson here. commissioner wald. here commissioner wan here. >> we had a couple of meetingses, where we had vacancies, we still have a couple vacancies, we have one less vacancy. what i think we have done over the past year, when we have new members join is we do a nice little welcome, say hello, and have our colleagues have a chance to get to know them and a little bit about them. about and this is one of those times, i'm booeming because i'm exseethed about our newest commissioner, we will learn about here in a moment. everybody in the meeting, please

the newest member of the commission on environment elmy bermejo. [applause]. >> first of all, i'm sorry, i have laryngitis, i'm starting to get my voice back but i want b to say, i'm very proud to be a member of this commission. [laughter] sorry, i will push this closer how is that? i said i'm very proud to be a member of this commission and i thank mar ra lee, for appointing me, for anyone that is probably not known in our community, but making sure we are making a better world i have grew up in san francisco. my family has owned and operating tommy's mexican restaurant in the outer richmond it will be 50 years in september. so i grew up peeling poi tea

toes cleaning tables, and the values of hard works, responsibility not complaining, but seeking solutions to problems that is my dad. he would tell me what the solution is this problem. and making sure we always gave back so i went to local schools like st. monica's, where my sister is on the board for the school, we always made sure, when there was a festival my parents, would send enchiladas, or gave back to the community in one way or the other. i am lucky to work for the government if not all of my life to be a permanent employee of tommies when you are in a family business, you are always in the business. i had the pleasure of the last five years i'm an appointee of the obama administration, director of the intergovernmental affairs for

4-and-a-half years, and was appointed to be the regional exceptive representative in that capacity, it's interacting with our stakeholderses and issues of the department including minimum wage talking about paid leave, we're lucky in a place like san francisco. california those issues are like, not should we raise the minimum wage but by how much. and other places i have worked with stakeholders in other parts of this county it's not that easy to have those conversations, i look forward to working with my fellow commissioners, debbie and guiermo, and everybody here. we have this saying at tommies, on the board f you live in san francisco, don't forget how lucky you are to live here. i told me colleagues when i

first got to washington, they said how long are you staying here, i said i'm leaving soon they said my god, you shouldn't be saying that, but for me san francisco is like the center of the universe it's great to be a part of it with all of you, thank you. [applause] >> welcome aboard. public comment on item two? seeing none, public comment is closed welcome. can we have item three, monica? >> approval of minutes of the january 21, 2015, special commission operations commission meeting draft minutes and march 24, 2015, commission on the environment regular meeting, packet, this is a disdiscussion and action. >> this is kind of a bittersweet moment because folks may not realize this is the last time

we're going to be reading the minutes prepared by the amazing monica fish. and i don't want to -- i know it's not agendized, as we do this and monica has done this work for so long, she has bb the hardworking for all of these years, so we're going to be thinking about throughout the meeting, even though she told us just get through the meeting, [laughter]. comments? can i get a motion to approve the minutes? >> i am. >> sorry, commissioner wald >> i move to approve the minutes, as a condition i just want to say something about monica. if i may. >> please >> i would say heshe's like the heart of this commission, she has kept us on the straight and narrow for so many years preventing us from ignoring or

violating any number i'm sure, of city and other rules. she gets the agendas, out on time she gets the agendas together. she does these fabulous minutes, and it is hard to believe, that we can do the work that we do. without her. although. i suppose, we will have to try. i just want to say, i hope monica you have a fabulous time in the next stage of your life and i thank you more than words can say for all you have done for this chicagosommission, and i do move we approve these various minutes, >> all right is there a second? commissioner stephenson? second. public comment on the minutes? seeing none public comment closed.

favor >> aye. >> minutes are approved. moving to next item monica. >> public comments: members of the public may address the commission on matters that are within the commission's jurisdiction and are not on today's aagenda >> seeing no public comment, comment is closed next monica? >> why you should visit a healthy nail salon in san francisco this is an informational presentation and discussion item. >> maybe before our director sets it up, i just wanted to say for our newest commissioner bermejo, what we have is a tradition that was started by a commissioner who is not with us today. anjelo, king, this is the first meeting we have had without him on the commission, he had the

idea once we went to sf gov and started putting the hearings out to the public, we should do at the top of the agendas, is have a community outreach presentation a presentation from staff about any number of the amazing different program at the department, so the folks viewing at home when this runs again on repeat or online can see at the beginning of the hearings, just a really great incite into wa we do at the department, and always been amazing presentations, it's a real joy to kick off the meetings in this way. >> director? >> okay, there we go. i'm go toing talk about the nail salon program in the director's report when we try and find what is new and hot going on in our department when we present to you on the commission it was

easy to pick nail salons, it's in the news and in the know can't wait to hear what anya has to share with us. anya? >> all right. the format is pretty simple. you are all members of the public, don't ask me why the presentation is running, after that, i will be here [laughter]. i'm going to talk to you about this one topic, if you get your nails done get it done at a healthy nail salon. we all like to look our best especially painted, healthy looking nails are always in style. did you think of all ot f chemicals you are exposed to when you get your nails done? there are thinners polishes hardeners, removers, and acrylic liquid to name a few these are powerful allergens and carcinogens, what does this mean? it can cause asthma reproductive problems in men and

women, and also cancer. if these chemicals are so bad, imagine how bad they must be for the nail salon technician, working eight hours a day, in the salon environment, working closely with these smelly, harmful chemicals, that stinks, pretty shouldn't causaler gees or asthma, and make it harder to have children and pretty should not give you cancer. we in the department of environment, believe pretty should be healthy, now you can do something about it. when you look for nail polish look for them without these chemicals, furmaldihide talbulin and [inaudible]. look for toxic free polishes now there say healthier option

too, the healthy nail salon recognized by the department of the environment, these use tommic free trio polishes they don't stop there we have safety products prakts, and ventilation. safer practices, include, wearing gloves when handling chemicals, proper ventilation, having a portable ventilation for doing artificial nails -- on the poor health of nail salon technicians, the price of beauty should not be paid by your man curist. have been trained on the health effects of these chemicals and how to keep their clients away from excessive chemical exposure they have been supplied with gloves masks protective eye goes ls and

disposing and buying chemicals they received free ventilation units to use when performing services, they all have certificates of collusion, and recognized by the city by being pioneers pioneers, in caring for their customers customers, they have provided window decals to promote themselves and there are bus ads, to check out the healthy nail salon, if you see a bus ad, look around a healthy nail salon may be closer than you think. look for a salon, at sf environment.org/healthy nails. if you don't see your salon on the list ask them to join and feel good that your pretty nails are not coming at the cost of your health. thank you. [applause]

>> great presentation. i really like how you link with a recent. up ed in the director, and the examiners, we will hear about in the director's are you port thank you anya. questions or discussion? commissionerer stephen son >> that was great thank you. couple of questions, how many salons are in the city, and how many are in the process to become healthy salons? >> we have 250 in the city out of the 25 are healthy nail salons, we have 5-10 in the pipeline >> that is great. how long does it take for them to get through the process? >> six months >> if i wanted to go to a salon that doesn't have a decal etc. to encourage them to do the that i can send them to do anything else ietnamese trainer

i don't know if you know this 95% of our nail technicians are vietnamese, they're comfortable if someone speaks to them in viet nah neez we have a trainer that calls them back, relays all their fears, and we give them the marketing splat, and they register immediately >> do you have the hot line number off the top of your head >> i do not. >> it's probably on the website >> yes it is on the website. >> thanks. >> all right. questionses? comments? all right. members of the public, thank you anya. public comment on item five? mr. david pilpel. >> on this i asked that the last operations committee meeting, if the healthy nail salon (audio cut out) if they're

also in the green business program, i'm told they're not necessarily. so there was some ambiguity, with staff, i hope the nail salons are also in the green business program, and this should be an add onto the green business program to the nail salons that are appropriate, if they're healthy nail salons concerned about toxics thoi should also be concerned about the green business program. i didn't want to forget about the green business program so they don't forget that as well. and thanks, to anya for the presentation. >> thank you, >> good evening. >> harris i have a question. where does one who has no access

to the web or net get information like a list of salons that are covered and so on? you need to have a phone number as well as a web net number. thank you. >> maybe we can do something with that request off the line. thanks mrs. harris, any other members of the public want to comment on item five? seeing none, public comment is closed. thank you again, anya. item six please monica? >> nomination and election of commission vice president discussion and action >> colleagues, we talked about under a previous item that we no longer have our good friend commissioner anjelo king, he will be back at a future meeting, we will have nice things to show, and have anjelo, commissioner king love fest when he comes back.

he let us all know recently he has new responsibilities and new things he working on that sound exciting, he will let us know about, but he's no longer able to serve at the commission. that means we have a vacancy in the role of vice president of the commission and one of the ideas i wanted to kind of share and put out there and see what folks think is what i have enjoyed being on the commission the past several years, is everybody learning gaining, sharing, leadership roles, we have our amazing chair of the policy committee. chair wald and all the amazing things she does. we have a new chair of the operations committee, commissioner stephenson, and all of the things that she does. i might be putting her on the spot just a little bit, but i have seen some amazing leadership grow through the search to find our amazing

director director raphael last year working on the search committee with me also doing work to help us have a really strong budget at the budget committee, and out in the community, and making the rounds and i wanted to suggest the idea of potential for another leader to join formally this commission, potentially, vice president sarah wan, if she's open to such a concept. >> thank you for nomination and thank you for the opportunity. thanks you for the opportunities, and thank you for the nice word putting around leadership, it's a thrill for me to be as your co-pilot on this end. >> that would be an amazing ship. so i think technically, we can do nominations or votes or

colleagues, what do we think about this concept? >> i wholeheartedly support if you are looking for a second for the nomination, i second it >> all right. nomination is seconded. commissioner wald? >> can i just ask i'm not sure this is an appropriate time maybe it is that is, we give some thought to the succession. and sharing the responsibility it's a huge responsibility, to be the chairman of this commission and that's on one hand, on the other hand it takes a long time to figure out how to be a chairman of this commission, and how to understand all of the different things the department does and all the interactions it has with members of the city government and all of our constituents we don't really

have term limits i'm not prepared to advocate for them, because i have no idea what a good term would be but i think we should think and maybe you and sarah should think about what is a good term what is a good change over it wouldn't necessarily mean you couldn't come back, it would just be -- i think it would benefit the commission overtime if more people are in leadership roles, i have no problem with the fearless leader we have. so sarah would you be willing to consider being the president at some point? [laughter]. i mean for me -- >> that's a good point. >> yeah you would? >> i don't know at this point.

>> maybe it's something at our -- i'm at a loss for words now -- the retreat, maybe we have something to talk about. commission bylaws >> if we calendar it in advance, we can get information about what other commissions do you know. >> i think it's a great idea. >> thank you. >> um, further comment? can we open this up to public comment on nomination and election of commissioner sarah wan to be vice president of commission? seeing none, public comment is closed. colleagues unless there is other comment, discussion, take a vote, all those in favor, please say aye >> aye >> all those opposed, please say no all right. vice president wan. [applause] if we can hear item seven please monica?

>> director's report. updates on department of the environment administrative and programmatic operations. >> thank you monica, commissioner's tonight is a bittersweet night, we got a fabulous agenda with a wonderful group of people in the audience to support the work we're doing and we're saying good-bye to somebody that is beloved. monica has been commission secretary for ten years that is correct is quite a chunk of time to dedicate her professional life to our department, not only to this commission but to the urban forestry council and other tasks, we have put hurricane great energies towards, she's out of town for the july 1st but for the september 1st, i wanted to say for the record, how much i love

monica and will misher thank you. so my report. in your packets, today, you get this long laundry list that the activities, the department has been engaged in since the last commission meetings what i have done is pulled out a few things, i want to call to your attention, because i think they're emblematic of the story we do with the department. the first one in the nail salon you heard about the nail salon project from our fearless staffer, who is -- anya is just a wonderful part of our department she has colleagues who work fearlessly with her on this as women, she mentioned a new york times, article, a big piece was done on salon workers, in new york city. there was a lot uncovered in that, we don't know how much of that is relevant here in terms of poor treatment flash flood salon workers, in terms of

wages, and hours what we do know is the toxic chemicals are in new york are the same as here. because we have been working closely with the author of that piece, she interviewed us even though our name did not show up in there, we were a big part of the research bauds because of that new york city has connected us about our nail salon recognition because we have answered the question if you don't use the toxic trio, what you use instead, and how do you make sure the relacement is not just as bad, or worse -- we are working with new york city and happy to do so. as you mentioned, president, we got an oped, in the examiner the icing on the cake was that

the u.s. epa, administrator, gina mac carty. -- she was blown away by the work we have done in our department, and our campaign to work and protect, nail salon workers, so i'm very proud of that work. follow up on the post office. in your packets, in that packet was a little line about the post office, i just want to remind you, this commission wrote a passionate letter to the u.s. postal service, saying what an embarrassment it was failing miserably, and what an opportunity it was for the postal service to save money and do the right thing as of this commission meeting, our 0 waste team has converted all 31

facility to have the three bin system, now all 31 have it they have 3500 employees, who need to get trained that is the next step to work with the staff at the post office to make sure those bins are well used we expect to have significant savings, for the federal government i don't know it will solve the woes of postal service, but it won't hurt. there is an announcement i want to call your attention to relevant to the work we're dog, the supreme court decided not to hear the pharmaceutical's appeal to overturn, the pharmaceutical take back program, this is good news for us, we are on sound footing, to start our own. san francisco passed a more far reaching robust, than san mateo,

has. san la collar ra is on their second reading, and marine, county is scheduled for june. and [inaudible] is studying it. this is moving like wildfire there was written in the wall street journal, in favor of the pharmaceutical industry thank goodness the supreme court chose to ignore it, good news for me. again, with energy watch, there are little factoids, of the list of stuff we're doing, i wanted to take a minute to explain. will you see in there this phrase about the corner store campaign, the corner store campaign is a focused effort from our energy watch team on

burnest heights, two of our watch staffers went out with a fridge contractor and targeted small businesses, who had fridge units, so it was focused, to bring energy to that sector it's difficult sector to reach. when you go to grocery stores and liquor stores they have a lot on their mind rather than fixing fridge units but there is so much money they could save out of 110 they went to almost 45 of them to do an energy return rate. it -- they're closing projects and fife per week they're

translating this good information to cost saving, and energy efficiency. what can we learn from this program? it pays, to be bilingual it's critical to go to where people are, rena and claudia, are phenomenal representatives, of this program to our group. they presented a case study that is bilingual, it's language and subject relevant, it's a case study from a neighborhood stores that had done the refrigeration, change out and saved money, they brought contractors, with them so the immediately, the businesses would understand what is involved in making the change there are two additional benefits, that i don't think neither of us would have predicted. pg and e looked at the