would like to have her come to the floor and share. >> good afternoon. i one of -- i am one of the commissioners and we sat on a panel for the business association and known in san francisco as the chew and changes to the administrative code regarding landlord tenant relationships around access and i am curious because you mentioned the fact that small businesses tend to feel unjust they're obligated to make capital improvements and they have a five year lease and the owner owns the building. i am wondering if you can describe the changes that the chew code required and whether you seen it has made any difference in anyway, whether it's the relationships between landlords and tenants or improving access or just educating tenants about what the status of their

building is? >> so just to reiterate the requirements are that when a property owner is engaging in a prospective lease or just about to sign a lease and/or renewing a lease they need to inform the tenant or prospective tenant as to whether the space or the commercial space they're going into is either compliant in terms of entrances, exits and restrooms, or may not be compliant and then who is responsible and needs to state in the lease who is responsible for ensuring that any non compliant improvements are to be done. the concept of this was to make that clear so that if a tenant could see that a property owner saying i can't guaranteed

that my space is compliant, and that they see there's a step up that they assess as to whether what is going to be the cost of making that entry way accessible? can they afford it? can they negotiate doing the tenant improvements with the property owner? so that was the intent of the legislation, and then for the property owner again to hand them a brochure and understand some of the things they're looking at because a lot of business owners are not necessarily sure what they're looking at. some other things we have seen or we have heard actually what is great from our end is that discussion is happening so we actually had businesses reach out to us and all right we're interested in this space. we don't know if it's fully compliant but how do we navigate this and get this

information? so it is -- they're giving more thought about the potential liabilities of the space that they're going into and what that may mean for their business and whether they can make the place accessible or not. we have heard of a few where the property owner has given extended free rent if the tenant improvements for the entry way is not substantial, and but i think the one down side is that we're now seeing that it's written in the lease is that if there is a lawsuit and the property owner is sued that then the business now is liable for paying the property owner for the amount that they were sued for -- the business is required, so that was an

unintended consequence that we're now seeing in the lease, so but we don't have any necessarily metrics in terms of leases and what has taken place in terms of the entrances, exits and restrooms, but it definitely has engaged a conversation, and i think we've prevented some businesses from finding leases and spaces where there's substantial improvements to be made to the entry way and it's clear they don't have the financial means. the property owner has no intention of doing that of making the improvements and so have said okay this is not the right space for us to be going into. >> so are you saying that one of the unintended consequences has been new indemnity clauses in the lease that the tenant is required to endemifiy the landlord --

>> i don't think they can do that because federal law -- i don't know the legal terms but federal law -- the property owner is still subject to being sued in federal law. what they're saying in the lease whatever they paid being sued in terms of statutory damages and legal fees that the business is required to reimburse them for those -- for that. >> i have another question if there is time and to you again. it's about what you mentioned the historical building commission not necessarily approving ada access improvements and i am wondering if you have any perspective on that? whether you think as far as you can tell that the historical building commission is correctly applying the codes under the ada or if you think that that's an avenue where the ccda could do some education of

historical building commissions or if you can see any other suggestions for ways that we could assist in smoothing out those conflicts? >> so the businesses in terms of the issue if they don't come -- they generally don't come before the commission because the commission is really there for landmarking historical buildings. this is really dealing at the staff level, so and probably probably to be more careful or specific about -- it's not the historic preservation department -- they may not approve a proposed -- like in the example that i provided. that recommendation which meets building code standards doesn't meet their standards so they won't approve it, so what they do want is then for the business to come back

and try to work out a different solution, and so the time the cost, the architectural -- especially for a new business opening up is you have a $3,000 filing fee. you could have six months before you get through the review process even just staff that is not coming before the commission so these are some of the unintended barriers as the department is working to meet its mandates to try to preserve the exterior historical architecture of a building, so that's -- i am pleased that our historic preservation staff were sensitive to the fact that -- you know they're trying to figure out ways to shorten that window and get information out with their checklist to get

information out ahead of time of what considerations need to be considered, so that maybe an architect or a cass inspector is not just looking at the building code but taking a look at what the historic preservation department is considering so the recommendation that they're providing in an accessible interest includes both of those things up front. >> i think that sounds like a great idea and i hear what you're saying about expedited review and i am wondering if you know, and there is a set of standards for historical -- for making access in historical buildings and there is criteria and i don't know if you know whether the historic preservation staff is following those guidelines or has its own set of guidelines that it follows when considering access alterations? >> i can't -- i don't -- i

don't know if there are two sets of guidelines. i can't speak to that. >> all right. thank you very much for your time. >> thank you commissioner mcginnis. we just want to acknowledge real quickly two special guests that entered the room. one is mark quinn the u.s. director of small business administration. thank you for coming. and then also we see tara. >> [inaudible] >> yes thank you. san francisco chamber of commerce director of strategic relations. again we thank you. we also have the honorable tom ammiano in and i think he stepped out for just a moment and we want to acknowledge he was in attendance and hopefully will be back shortly. we thank you all for coming and sharing and if there

is anything you wanted to share too in this setting we appreciate this moment if you could come forward and share things you're doing and what you're working on specifically in the area of small businesses and information on access for them? food in san francisco isn't

just about expensive eat but food for everyone and there's organizations in the city that are doing really good work making sure that healthy food it assessable to everyone. more and more as follows are are becoming interested in upper arlthd they want to joy the open green pace sea know where their food it coming from we'll look at 3 programs talking ushering agricultural and garden to new heights. so what exactly it, your honor agricultural >> it the growing food or flowers within city limits traditionally we've been referring to communities gardener that is a raised bed

over and over upper argument has a more a farming way of farming. >> so tell me 0 what's growing in this garden. >> a really at all plant. in the one of the rare places, you know people have access to green space 24 is one of the places to grow things like the purple floor. it is sort of recognizing that the more diversity in given space the better not to just have one thing by everything supported each another >> it provides the community with an opportunity to get their hands dirty and reach 0 out and congressmen with the community

in ways they might have not otherwise to engage with one other. >> now the dpw urban planning program so see how the garden community. >> so i grew up on a farm in air force base we picked the foods open the trees and share with other families and as i drive around san francisco i see any trees with apples or mrumdz and lemon trees i can see the food going to waste and brought that idea back to the department many of the trees where the fruit would go to waste we origin or crop and pick other fruits and delivery this to food banks or shelters to people who need them. >> i'm here with nang wong

hello nang. >> hello. >> i need to understand house this gleaning work. >> we come and harvest like for example, we'll come over here this is the lemon and plug it like this. >> (laughter). >> made that good, good and ease. >> the trick is how not to hurt the branches. >> like the thing. >> i'm so excited about this. the people are so passionate about where the food goes to the private property owners give us the food they're happy that no of a t is going to waste

>> oh. thank you. thank you. again job aura natural >> (laughter). >> from backyards to back lots let's take a look at the food and community bonding at the free farm. >> my idea was to start growing food and giving it away. and getting my neighbors to who had space and having a kind of event that brings people together not to run our food program this time around but to share the wealth of the abundance of our welfare. we were all divorce and as part of our philosophy of working together and working together.

>> what's the most rewarding aspect of volunteering for the free farm stand. >> well, we could is a generalic satisfaction but something about giving food away it's giving something i brought that in and sort it and gave it to you it's primitive to be able to give something some basically to someone else. >> now serving number to 49 come on down. >> we have the capability of producing this food and in san francisco you can grow food all year round so the idea we're capable of prougdz food in our own backyards we're here to demonstrate an bans of food and i think that giving it away for

free we show individuals it in have to be a comedy. >> we build time together and it's the strength of any ideas of the connections we'll turn that connection and the more connections you make no mistake about it the more you can have a stronger power and not have to rely on money that's the people power. >> in this episode we've seen the urban farms and gardens provide more in fruits and vegetation people can have the special produce available it can be a place to give back by

donating food to others and teach our children the connection to the earth and environment it's truly