looking at some new information with regard to financing without putting the power enterprise in jeopardy which is also something that we been hoping would be explored on the face i saw an article lowering their rates by 10% and that was somewhat depressed it was somewhat depressing because we were just hearing about this jeopardy situation that we can to be and where were hoping that their neck rets change put this us up above us. this may be think that we really need to reevaluate every policy and procedure and every everything we put ourselves to be conservative.

we really need to investigate the balance versus potential failure and/or lack of positive program outcomes what us in this presentation that is artie happened. that is very heartening. we look for to talking with staff about more details. >> i just wanted to point out to make it clear that, the pci a is going up. and up our rates i just want to make sure that that'll make our rates is higher than that. >> thank your staff are doing a tremendous metalwork a very tough job but they been doing a

lot of it would very changing situations. a few things that i want to bring up. a ppa process i would say the pricing is the best but that is what was needed to be done in the beginning. i think it was well worth for them to do. we should be looking at that model and also the tax credits will go away from the federal level as a fallback which is not as good as the tax credit is now. we have some options that will save us in san francisco. the other thing is talking about the policies and procedures that you have for the first phase. i agree that we should be looking at all those things.

you might want to look at the different costs. it's not like long-term that you want to have but it can give you some money quickly to say were going to do it takes a couple years will go to the process. i think it's well worth the energy of what that is and how

it looks like. the quicker you expand the quicker you can get more leverage in your rate structure and having more money to do that buildout. this will take some time to actual build and develop the system.

>> any other public comments? thank you all very much and thank you for the presentation. item 13? am item 13 approved amendment number two. >> good afternoon. i'm the environmental justice and land-use manager.

just a quick context for today's amendment that before you. this is a continuation of a project that we started in partnership with supervisor around two years ago. we're trying to engage residents and ratepayers were there at that is in front of their homes to show that small actions like removing a little bit of concrete total on the ring to soak and can have benefits. this again is an amendment to extend the existing grant for an additional year and i will provide just a little bit of context around the accomplishments. working with the supervisor's office we have removed over 6000 ft. of impervious paved over concrete. replace it with vibrant stormwater front your gardens.

that's around 75,000 gallons of storm water removed from our system. the amendment that before you will help extend this program for another year and let us work with another 20 residents in district for. with that, i will take any questions. >> when you say were removing the concrete what you mean? >> that is a volunteer-based effort. they work with the property owner they cut the concrete and is a voluntary effort, everybody comes on help and bring in the soil and plant the sidewalk gardens and the maintenance of those front yards is on the property owner.

>> the cutting the concrete breaking it down and all that is being done by friends of the urban force? >> they do some subcontractors but it's handling through friends of the urban force. i am just a comment on reluctant keeping the fact that we been having these conversations about the nonprofits and the roles and more specifically when you're talking about actually doing construction work, the work that's covered bar agreement meant and performed by the men of women that already work for the commission but for men and women that work for summer contractors under certain standards because everyone so busy we just keep missing opportunity and opportunity.

they were going to gauge into this there needs to be some additional linkages. and what i'm talking about are the human beings. the ones that we have for example going through programs at the human services agencies. and in the friends of the urban foreigners want to have two, they should be looked at for an opportunity to have a job with a nonprofit. before we continue i'm going to say that i really can't support it at this point in time. until we continue to flush out the missing pieces. i feel with men and women every day or looking for an opportunity.

>> i understand that there are and we talked about getting back to you on all the nonprofit things that we are interact with. i think some of the challenge that were facing is that the labor is sort of hitting directly title. for example the scene property, if you lease it out who is actually managing the property? we are just listening? when we look at the situation we just want to break the square of a sidewalk and plant trees or something else. we don't really think about the labor component because were talking about how much?

m this would be for 80,000 of which the concrete cutting services is a very small percentage. i do agree that we need to have a more holistic look at all of the touch points. one of the things is put all the things that were doing as a touch. directly, indirectly with the labor market so that you have a full flavor of everything that were doing and how they interact and you're right, it could be an opportunity to leverage all the things were doing not only in this area but other areas. >> i greatly appreciate your comments. i want to be really, really crystal clear.

it's not for me as for leverage and not for me about union and wage scales. the labor standard piece does. people care and he gets a conversation going because of the investment they were married making as a city the committee workforce that is a linkage that i think we can all agree on. it were not linking some of these entities because we are profiting it out. on this one piece i think that we all invest in those young men and women that committee

workforce piece. and there's just not enough there kind of not put together in the right way and we don't have the leverage. if we have one great guy whose timing out with human service and agency they were just missing the opportunity. i hope to be clear. >> i think you're clear in every opportunity that we don't take advantage is a missed opportunity. we would love to sit down and chat with you about these type of opportunities. >> also this is the last time that this particular grant can

be amended. and again it's trying to keep that were going. a lot of the volunteers and this is based on volunteer committee efforts. i would urge the commission to consider approving this amendment while we give ourselves the time to have this conversation. this program has been so successful that i expect future opportunities as well and right now just hoping to keep the current work going. >> commissioner? >> i would like to thank you for the comments and i agree. i would like to support what proportion --proposed here there is momentum right now to the young men in orlando who help educate and help us put things

on the ground. he came through a program. i don't abuse your study cancer program and he found gainful career. it's a fantastic opportunity. i would like to suggest porch allow this and move forward while we look for components to engage in the labor concrete cutting. the actual the muscle of the work done by residence. i would like to throw my support behind this. >> it's appropriate for us to have this dialogue. i am not going to ask that you don't move it forward.

>> i appreciate your comments as well and i think that the workforce development conversation is very important, not only now but in this context and in every context. as a representative from the environmental seating committee i look at this differently as well. i see it as a pulling up as m h much. so understand your concerns i would still like to put a motion on the table to move this item forward. >> i will second. can i think we can probably do

both. by moving, i think i'm committed before i send it to have a conversation to see how we can take advantage of the opportunity. we need to take advantage of these opportunities. commissioner courtney maybe we can talk off-line and use that as leverage to take advantage of this opportunity. >> i'm confident that we will have a conversation.

>> we have a lot of stuff to go. >> thank you. public comments? >> good afternoon commissioner. the program. this program is one of the most popular program and we would like to see this continue. thank you everyone. >> thank you. any other public comments? we have a motion and a second all those in favor say i.

opposed? it's a 3-one vote a1 vote and i. we will be moving into executive session. would you please read the items that will be having a close session on? >> item 16 is dedication as plaintiff 17's conference will negotiator. this is price and terms of payment. will not hear item 18 through 2 22. and item 23 is a threat to public services cities. >> thank you do have any public comment on the items to be heard in close session? c9 may have a motion so that we can assert client moved to

assert and second. all those in favor

soon. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> greeting of peace brothers and sisters and esteemed guests we thank you very much for joining us here and society of san francisco during this critical time in our countries history first i want to thank the following city leaders for your work and commitment in protecting and advancing values we would like to thank our esteemed mayor, mayor ed lee, the city attorney district attorney george gascon, ms. sheryl davis the human right director of human right commission, human right

commissioner, san francisco police department the city attorney's office are faith leader if in this city a special thanks we want to give a special thanks to mayor ed lee who showed up here the day after the election i thought out of the country he came to assure the muslims of this city they have nothing the fear we want to thank him a special thanks for his leadership of the diverse community in san francisco and like to say it him and unapologetic fight for the city's dignity and justice and civil right and renewed strength we believe for elected officials

throughout the country so we would like to thank him thank you, mr. mayor and i saw one time thank you very much for our beloved mayor, we hope and actually prefer that he runs again (laughter). >> i hope so but it is possible we can keep the time so we can complete this by 12:30 by the grace of god mayor ed lee. >> (clapping.) >> thank you, mohammed thank you for the societies warm welcome happy new year everybody and you know, i can't think of a better way to celebrate the traditional new year and also the upping lunar new years but with people of diverse background coming to

the islamic society people i will working closely with particular this year and years to come and to celebrate the coming together of leadership in all our diverse community to protect and enhance and share the love the city has to continue to be the inclusive city we've always wanted to be i know that mohammed had already listed names. >> thank you to jeff adachi our public defender's office who is a great part of the coalition of the departments but also the sarcastic constituents community-based organizations that joined together in the education the legal education network in the legal defense and the legal rights collaborative in i did minority communities that are hard working to get the 50 thousand legal resident in our

city into pathways to citizenships organization likewise self-help or the kind of groups that are standing behind me that represent our superintendant lee i think there are 3 board members here from the unified school district our incredible help community that everyday wants to make sure that people are not living in fear and can actually take care of their health and safety challenges and today today's announcement of the equity and rights and community education immigrant rights campaign is all about getting rid of and reducing fear in our city fear exacerbates your health fear prevents parents address kids from getting the education necessary need and president in in city fear drives people underground

to create three quarters only underground economy fear stops people fear is what we contest against we want people that are in san francisco to live their lives freely and proudly and society themselves with the religion they wish to our orientation the way they wish to and the community of color and the community we wish to be in this is what san francisco is all about and mohammed we're here with the islamic society sang are part of dominates and certainly as the mayor i take it privileged not just to say that but to put the resources together to defend and enhance

it today equity immigrant to the additional three hundred 8 modified to protect the get together right and push this forward and work with the over one thousand plus bar associations leadership that is doing pro bono work in addition to the work we provide for the community-based organizations to enhance that by an additional one and a half million dollars to go to the collaborative to the network to pathways to citizenship the legal education and make sure that our city's family of diversities stays intact no matter what the announcements or the detail no matter what potential attacks there might be from the federal authenticities we'll be that city of refuge and sanctuary we'll protect ourselves and make

sure that people boo live in fear i'll hear some individual stories from people and hear from the agencies that want to do even better and make sure we reach out correctly in all the 20 different languages of people that live in our city and hear from the leaders that is a not just protecting but to provide a pathway forward to citizenship this is what the city is all about not status quo but advancing people's lives and we're right here at the center that has the nameed but potentially elected officials being a target a target perhaps on a registry perhaps associated with a religion that some people may not have a correct more positive attitude about i know any ancestors that lived here

wizards ago they're an a registry a registry that prevented them from voting and owning property outside this area call chinatown i know that first hand from the stories i've heard over and over over again by people that were victims of discriminations and in all aspects came to this country seeking a better life almost just obedient in every way living they're free lives and paying takes and doing hard work life is hard because of the barriers we face i celebrate those lives and again and again particularly this year with the additional resources because again, we will not allow our residents to be in fear for their lives or their families so this is the way i think we

should celebrate the new year bringing all the families diversities together in the city and giving them the support they need and rising up out the fear that is real and potential we'll be together throughout the entire year if not more to make sure we campaign 80 communicate to all the residents congratulations and continue the strong effort to support everyone to make sure they can live their lives proudly thank you for joining us . >> (clapping.) >> hello my name is sheryl davis i'm the director of the human rights commission the human rights commission exists to support the acts the discriminations and help people filed complaints one of the areas we focus obsess the sanctuary city ordinance we are grateful to partner with our sister agency mayor's office of

economic workforce development and the immigrant rights and affairs to highlight we're here to talk about the fear that exists and the things that are happening not just in san francisco but nation wide we want to provide a space for people to come and share what was happening and support them through the process we will be working with the collaborative opportunity to host workshops do you know your rights session to make sure that people know their voting rights and how to have access to the resources and working with the school district to do simple workshops to make sure that people know we're a place of love and not just a place to come to exercise activities and behave in a manner this not in like that with the goals of san francisco we're launching our eligibility campaign that is around

immigrant rights we want to make sure that everyone understand san francisco is a city for all and everybody should feel comfortable if you feel your discriminated against finds us we'll help you feel safe and secure and included in san francisco i'm grateful to partnership with the office of city engagement and looking forward to launching and moving forward thank you. >> (clapping.) >> hi, everyone i'm adrian executive director of the civic engagement and immigrant affairs san francisco is one of the futile city's in the nation that has a department that is focused on policies and services for immigrants and monolingistic community we have an immigrant rights commission and together with a broad network of community service providers and

legal defense organizations and city agencies we work to make sure that san francisco is a welcoming and inclusive and safe place for all providing a continuum of support from assets and legal services assistants for the young dreamers and citizenship and leadership training on civic engagement and a number of services we all seek to make sure that all have access to the critical health and society services they have opportunity to drive and parking lot participate in the city's success we face a new administration many demonstrated unprecedented disregard for the rule of law for basically human right and decency and respect or right-hand turn for all people in the coming years we need to w. to fight for civil and human

right for justice and quality for all people not just some we have 3 courageous residence to share their personal experience and stories first is mr. why a long time resident it emigrated from hong kong and his family are finds the pasta to citizenship interpreting is ms. ann self-help for the pathway to citizenship leadership thank you. >> (clapping.) >> >> (speaking foreign

language.) >> >> (clapping.) >> i'm going to translate for mr. honk 79-year-old came from

hong kong in 2011 came here not knowing a word of english once you reach the 5 years residency i'll apply to be a u.s. citizenship this journey will be difficult and no self-help for the elderly leading a group of cso calling the pathway to citizenship initiative 6 months ago we attended a 7 day workshops and waited for a long time but got all the serial number application forms filled out for him and 3 members of his family and also got the fee waiver together he saved over $2,000 he's a very happy one of the family member already became a u.s. citizen and him and his

wife have been footprint and filed out the necessary forms the advertising on a pro bono basis have provided and attending citizenship classes as self-help and some other agencies have provided fund and on behalf of the folks wanted to thank mayor ed lee for the opportunity thank you. >> (clapping.) >> okay. we're next going to hear from a client of the delores community services where attorneys provided legal assistants to her and her children and interpreting for her amateur from the office of

civic engagement and immigrant affairs. >> (clapping.) >> >> (speaking foreign language.) >> my name is ann actual. >> i arrived to the united states last i'm a single mother. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> since i don't have any relatives it became hard to get legal services and work. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> a friend of mine referred me to them and they referred me 2 to 3 the delores street

services. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> when i went to the delores street services they provided serves fyi for people of low income and the services will be for free as well. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> when i got higher was living in a shelter i'm still living in a shelter but now i can have a legal status that brings me peace of mind especially i'm a single mother and have children.

>> (speaking foreign language.) >> i don't have much else to say i'm very, very thankful about the services that are provided like myself and many immigrant we count on the services and very thankful for them. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> i'd like to thank the delores street services and the mayor as well thank you. >> (clapping.) >> wanted to thank and pointed out that we have been enjoying our wonderful service naomi kelly who has been supportive of all those services we provide to the city we are honored to hear 23 dr susan a family member at

ucsf judgemental was born and raised in north carolina she attended college and medical school following the hate killings of her family we demonstrated here wilt to clearly articulate the threat of islamic to be and results to phobia and hate we're lucky to hear from her today doctor. >> (clapping.) >> thank you all for thank you for having me. and thank you to those who shared their powerful stories we heard are not just examples or scenarios how this campaign may help we're talking about real people with real struggles members and interest rates of our society that rely on our leadership to protect the rights of all people unfortunately, we live in a time where hatred is

very real my name is dr susan barry cot and mayor ed lee is touches me in many ways as a sister who lost her brother and sisters as we were murdered cooperation style in their home by their neighborhoods because of their faith and who works at jennifer lowe dedicated to servicing underserved with a mission of working towards social justice my family looked at different those photos were done as children of immigrants who were known that for their legacy of service and compassion that pains me they were taken at the

prime of their youth by hatred my family is not alone and as a private attorney provider in the clinic many of the folks rely on the services we offer in a time of uncertainty i hear patient after patient share with me in their justifiable fear they hear they're not welcome their children are taught and bullied at school health and safety derates and not enough resources for the vulnerable those are people that with come to our city to find refuge a city that is complaining the underserved that is important now more than ever for the leaders a galvanize the resources and protect the right of all constituents i'm honored to stand next to our

mayor and the entire team that does just that thank you. >> (clapping.) >> thank you, dr. bar cot and thank you to the islamic society of the san francisco for hosting us ♪ sacred space and all the partnerships and pathways to citizenship initiative the network that the immigrant and legal education network and the san francisco legal collaborative, the san francisco san francisco unified school district department of children, youth dcyf and public defender's office the mayor's office of housing and community development, the immigrant rights commission the human rights commission, the office of civic engagement and the zoning administrator office and to mayor ed lee's staff and the director of the violence

prevention and especially to our leader mia's you've heard the threat of our human right and religion is not across the ocean in a far away land it is here and now nearly 17 years ago over one hundred americans of japanese descent were illegally incarcerated in concentration camps those camps exist could i so in the threat that lies before us inspiration hope and faith in the human spirit and in the undying belief that together we can create an equal and more just society to everyone this ended our event because this is a place of worship we ask you leave the stage as quickly as possible thank you very much

ethics commission for january 23rd, and i will call the roll. vice-chair keane. >> here. >> commissioner hayon. >> here. commissioner chiu. >> here. >> commissioner kopp. >> here. >> all present and accounted for. i will ask item -- agenda item no. 2, public comment on matters appearing or not appearing on the agenda. is there anyone who wishes to make public comment? seeing none, we'll turn to item no. 3, which is discussion and possible action on draft minutes for the commission's december 19th, 2016 special meeting. any of the commissioners have any comments or corrections? >> i have got a couple of

-- either grammatical or literary additions. one suggested rearrangement of language and one question. on page 4, >> commissioner could you speak into the microphone? >> on page 4, under "discussion for enforcement and report." the end of the second paragraph there's a reference to ms. blome noted that bdr attempted an assetb search of mr. chris jackson and the court's investigation determined that there are no assets.

is the "court" the right word? do you remember? i didn't think you said court. >> it should be bdr. good catch. >> bdr, okay, may i propose that change, mr. chairman? >> you may. >> then on page 5, above the words "public comment," and maybe should ask what -- how we phrase this as a customary practice, is present tense or past tense? because that sentence says, "the individual commissioners acknowledge" in the present tense.

and i'm going to suggest this change: the individual commissioners acknowledged, and congratulated. of the executive director pelham on her election to the governing board of the council on governmental ethics. i have written this out. and then also above that, the last emphasized point in the first paragraph in conjunction with the controller's office, it should be present tense there "develop definitions of the types of activities." not past tense "developed." >> all right.

any other commissioners' comments? corrections? assuming those corrections are made, i'll take public comment on the minutes, if there is any public comment? if not -- >> i will move approval as amended. >> second. >> all in favor? >> aye. >> opposed? hearing none, the minutes are accepted unanimously. turning to item no. 3, no. 4 -- >> i'm sorry, commissioner, did you ask for general public comment? >> i did ask. >> you did? >> yes. >> no comment. >> my apologies. >> thank you. no. 4 is -- come to the microphone. >> because i was trying -- excuse me, first, my name is alpha

buie and i'm mentioned in item no. 3 and i raised my hand and i think, if i'm looking at the agenda correctly, this is the item that you are speaking of right now? >> no, that is item 4 that we're coming for. 3 was approval of the minutes of the last meeting. >> i beg your pardon. >> no problem. >> all right. thank you. >> i will call that item. >> thank you so much. >> and that is hearing on the merits alfalfa buie treasurer and the african american democratic club sfec no. 13-13 111 2, and ms. blome, do you want to outline the complaint and i'll take testify from you, ms. buie. >> thank you, chair. actually, the oakland ethics commission is here to represent staff in this hearing because it involves a presentation of evidence and

he is barred in california. so he has been kind enough to come over and i will ask mr. daju to present the staff's case. >> we worked through -- >> come before the microphone. >> as far as the process goes, did you want me to present our hearing and then the respondent will have an opportunity to respond to it? or make any kind of statements? >> yes, you each have ten minutes, and then ms. buie will have an opportunity for her presentation after yours. >> good evening, commissioners, mala daju representing the san francisco ethics commission enforcement staff. as you know in the matter of alpha buie and just as a little bit of background, the african american democratic club is a general

purpose committee that was active in 2011-2012. in 2014, the enforcement staff had -- opened up a case and found that there was three failures to file semi-annual statements for 2012 and 2013. commission staff reached out to the respondent, and when i say "respondent" i mean ms. buie and the commission she is treasurer for. unfortunately the semi-annual statements, delinquent semi-annual statements were never filed, and the staff didn't -- wasn't able to reach out to the respondent anymore. since then, commission hasn't been talking to respondent. they have attempted to resolve this matter, and in 2014 because the matter -- they weren't able to resolve the matter with the respondent, a probable cause hearing was held by the commission.

the commission found probable cause that the respondent did, in fact, fail to file the three semi-annual statements. an accusation was issued by the commission for those three failures and that is what the brief is here today about. the respondent in this matter was served with this brief back in december, and also with notice of this hearing would be held today. the relevant statutes were also served on respondent and she was given the opportunity to submit any evidence to the commission staff for this matter. and also, to respond to the brief. until now the commission staff did not receive any evidence or response brief or any type of communications from respondent. based on the evidence that was issued or that was submitted to the commission in the brief, we recommend that commission find that respondent did fail to file three semi-annual statements and that the

commission issue a $1,000 fine for each failure to file semi-annual statement, and also, that the commission order that either the committee or the respondent file some type of paperwork indicating what the status of the commission -- of the status of the committee is right now? whether one -- one of the issues was whether the respondent in this matter was still the treasurer? in order for her not to be the treasurer, the state law requires that she file a form 410 which would delegate the power of the treasurer to somebody else. or if the committee is no longer active, if they would like to terminate the committee so that the semi-annual statements don't continue to be due, they can file a terminating 410, but it would require them to file the semi-annual statements all the way up until the date that they indicate in the 410 that the committee was

active until. i have one matter i would like to address with the brief. unfortunately, in the brief we have both ms. bui and the african american democratic club as respondents. the probable cause and the accusation that was issued by the commission only applied to ms. bui as the respondent and therefore i would like to strike the african american democratic club. i would be happy to answer questions. >> doesn't the club have an obligation to file the termination statement? >> all filing obligations by the committee that the treasurer -- the treasurer and the principle officer is liable for any failure to file campaign statements, including form 410 to terminate. >> any commissioners have any

questions? >> i would like to hear ms. buie's testimony and obviously ask her a question or two. >> thank you. >> ms. buie. >> good evening once again i'm alpha buie and thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to come and speak. first of all, going back to 2012. during that time, it i was asked to turn over the books. now the only thing that i'm probably guilty of is not being aware that i needed to file this form that he spoke of, to remove my name of being the treasurer. there wass a period of time where the african american democratic club from the time i was asked to hand over the books to the incumbents, there was a period of time at that point in time between that moment and the time that they actually had the

election, which i haven't had time to go through, because i'm going through some stuff with a whole bunch of water damage in my home, and displaced and a lot madness going on in my personal life like now. so a lot of this i haven't been able to address. but there was this period of time. and so when i contacted after first being aware these filings needed to take place, i contacted mr. saint croix and he was on the phone for me, we probably spent an hour on the phone, trying to get the records from the wells fargo bank, where we had done business with and our banking. so that i could reconcile these records, and then file the reports that needed to be filed. at that point, wells fargo told mr. saint croix and i at that time that

they had no record. they couldn't go back and find the records. so i asked mr. saint croix, who signed on one of these things, what am i to do at this point? he said, i don't know what you can do if wells fargo can't give you the records. at that point in time, i handed over the books, in 2012. the reason i know it was 2012 i was also runing a phone-banking campaign for president obama at that time for him to get elected. re-elected. so i had my mom checking on a ill month and the phone bank and when they asked for the books i gladly handed them over. i called this -- this gentleman indicated that i didn't contact anybody. i called the ethics commission, mr. saint croix and a couple of other people, just trying to figure out in this time what can i do to

make this go away? what can i file? i don't have what you say you need. i haven't been the treasurer -- i haven't been involved with the african american democratic club really since 2012. so all i wanted to know was what do you need me to do to make this go away forever and not come back? and nobody has responded to me. from the time i got the first one until now and at the time that i got the first one, had i not been going over to my house, where i can't live and checking my mail and picking up stuff, i wouldn't have even known this, because i haven't been able to live in my home where my mail was been going since may of 2016, based on other damage that is going on. so whatever i can do to make it go away, i am here today, because that is what i would like to do is to be able to get rid of this once and for all. i don't feel in any way,

shape, form, or fashion, that i should be penalized and i certainly don't have $3,000 to give anyone something i'm not totally responsible for and even if i was responsible at this point in time in my life i don't have $3,000. >> commissioner kopp? >> what took so long for you to appear? this has been on our calendar, what? two times. four, today. >> when i actually read through it, i did see something that said if i wanted to respond, if i wanted to file something, and i did call somebody, and they said that i didn't have to appear earlier. >> the form notice does say you don't have to appear.

>> when i got -- when i got. >> if i'm going to face a fine, i'm going to appear. >> i got the second one, the second thing, then, i'm like, okay, it's not -- i'm not -- it's not going to go away. then i saw mr. saintcroix's name at the top of it and i really felt because he was the person who was on the phone with me to wells fargo. an hour. so i was really surprised to get this, and see that his name was up there whether when he was on the phone with me to get records or to try to direct me as to what i needed to do. >> when did the club end its activities? >> that i really don't know. as i said, i did not have any real

involvement after 2012. >> after 2012. >> yes. the reason i didn't have any real involvement after that, as i said, i was running the phone-banking and then from that, i was back and forth from san francisco to memphis, tennessee, where i was caring for my mom, who later passed away. so i was not trying to keep up with what was happening with the club. i was trying to keep up with what was happening with my mother and unfortunately i didn't bring that. it's in my car and i left the funeral thing and i'm not standing before you just to say here is that. i had some real-life crisiss that you needed to deal with and i couldn't be here dealing with that. >> as far as you know, does the club still exist and is active? >> you know, i don't know. all i know is that the

person that i last know who came in as the vice president, i did get just a text message from her about this, saying you need to handle this. so i don't know what -- i have not -- i have not in any way been involved. >> how did you initially get involved with the club? >> initially i got involved with the club because i really wanted to have a voice in what was happening in the local politics and in terms of being able to hear what people's platforms were, and to just be able to be a person that had some kind of input and stood up for something in terms of trying to make my community better. it should be known, i mean, i am not

only am i a responsible citizen, i am a san francisco peace officer. i don't go around ignoring and not obeying the law and i have been since 1989, i have been. so i am not a person who walks around and just takes things so lightly. my plate during this time was very, very full, as it is overflowing right now. it is overflowing. and i just, as i said, with everything that i have got going i really am here because i would like this to go away. >> well, one of the problems is that the club has not terminated insofar as the ethics commission's records show. can you shed any light on

why that hasn't occurred? >> no, i really -- >> let me ask it another way: who was the president, or the leader? >> when the 2013, 2013 the election, which was supposed to take place in 2012, the 2013 eelection, i think it actually took place in 2013. i went back and found an email to that effect, but i didn't bring that in today. but that email suggested that the election actually took place in 2013 and at that time mr. karl williams would have been the president and joe eli jackson would have been the vice president. >> are either of them here tonight? >> no? >> hmmm? >> no. >> no. anybody else you can tell us

who was an officer? besides them and you? the only other person who is here this evening was the outgoing president in 2012 and that is mr. charles spencer and he is here. >> i have a question to somebody on the staff: how did we get rid of an organization that no longer functions and nobody appears to sign documents to terminate it? >> ms. buie continues to be the treasurer, so she continues to be responsible under the campaign finance reform ordinance. so she can file a termination statement. >> i know she is, but nobody is doing something. >> right. >> can we do something and say you are no longer recognized? >> we don't have that power, but that is something that is on our list of things to add to actually.

>> if i may, sir, i just want to be clear? if there is something that i write or something that i say? >> you fill out a form? >> i fill out a form. >> to terminate. but if you are not treasurer anymore. >> fill out the form and terminate it. >> i may be wrong and staff correct me, but i think one of the problems is which you file to terminate, you have to say you have no funds or if you have funds what you have done with them? you have to have a financial statement about it and that is what i understand she is saying the problem that they had initially to get wells fargo to cooperate and she says wells fargo didn't cooperate. >> right. >> i share your frustration. it just seems that we have a number

of these cases where the party being charged is told that you have to do x. and they don't do it, and we penalize them every six months, because they didn't do it. just seems to me there has to be some way not to keep up runing up the fines to get it closed? >> chair renne, may i ask a question? paul? >> sure. >> ms. buie, can you go back to the discussion you had with wells fargo along with director saint croix and shed a little more information on what you were asking for and what they were not able to provide? and then what director saint croix's advice to you was? >> yes, what i was asking for -- i had bank account numbers from when we had accounts during the time i was actively acting in the

capacity of the treasurer. and during that time, when i was calling to get that -- one of the things -- let me back this up a little bit, so i'll real clear on why. when i was not acting in the capacity of the treasurer, the whole books and all the binders and stuff that i had, there was another person during that election, when they asked me to turn the books, that was transferred to. if i had brought that box with that stuff, i could show you the box, where it was shipped back from the person was out-of-state who was elected as treasurer. that box was shipped back to me with all that. i still have that stuff in that box. it was shipped back to me. in the meantime, this time that you are speaking of, had already passed and was already delinquent. so i didn't have anything. with the information that i had, the old bank accounts, i was

asking wells fargo to give me bank statements. so that i could go back over the bank statements for the period in question ? if i could go back over the bank statements to reconcile with statements to see what was spent and if anything was taken in and deposited? and wells fargo along with director saint croix on the line with me said they had no records of these accounts. so when we were on the phone as i said approximately an hour he was on the phone with me and from one person to another person to another person and they still said they couldn't -- they had no record of these accounts. >> so then as far as you know, you do not have and wells fargo does not have any records of the accounts for the african american democratic club for the time in question? >> the time in question, yes. the only wells fargo statements that i have, i have them in a binder, which i didn't bring, which was up to the period when i was no

longer acting in the capacity of the treasurer. so that is all i had was what i had shipped off and what came back to me in a box. i didn't have anything else. other than, the only thing i got was communication from the ethics commission. i hadn't gotten anything since then. >> after your conversation with wells fargo with director saint croix and they indicated that they don't have any of this information regarding the accounts or accounts statement, what was his advice to you? >> he said if you can't get the statements, i really don't know what you can do. he says, because you need to be able to show what the balance that you are showing, the cash balance that i showed in the last statement i filed, what happened with that money? i said i don't know. you know, i want just going to make up something to put on there. i didn't know. >> thank you.

>> i'm sorry -- >> in regard to that box with those materials in it, did that show the existence of a wells fargo account and checks and numbers? or a number of an account on there? >> yeah and i had those when i called them and if i had brought that box -- in that -- i created a binder, a zip binder. and everything that came to me when i was acting in the capacity of the treasurer, everything that from filings to statements, to everything is categorized by the month when i was acting in that capacity. >> so you had materials that indicated accounts such and such exist? >> ah-hah. >> at the time you and mr. saint croix were on the phone with wells fargo and you are telling them this it is the account and they

are saying -- -- those accounts are no longer in existence and mind you it's 8-9 months since that time since there was any activity on this. what they had done was closed out the account. and what i needed them to do was go back, like where they kept it on laserfiche or whatever they kept it, even though they closed them out to, go back and get me copies of what they had up to the point that they closed the account out. >> i'm a little confused. did wells fargo tell you and mr. saint croix they didn't know anything about any such account? >> they didn't see they didn't know anything about the account because i had the account numbers, but they said they no longer had any records pertaining to the accounts. they didn't have any records pertaining to those accounts. >> okay. >> i wonder if you could

just -- on the calendar, clarify some things for me. so you were treasurer of the local african american democratic club in 2012? >> um hm h. >> with a what was your periods as treasurer? >> i think from 2011 -- at least 2011-2012. >> so you were treasurer for one year, is that correct? >> i may have been longer. i'm sure it was 20 -- i see i filed something 2011. 2012. 2011 is when i took it over

and looks like the first one i filed and it's in your package, because i didn't bring any of the documents that i have. the first one i filed was in 2011. so i would have been doing it 2011 through 2012. >> so during that period, where you did not file these forms, and where you accumulated this debt of fines that -- of forms that you didn't file and therefore, have been fined during that period, is that correct? >> no, the period i didn't file is after the period that i was no longer -- see i'm looking at your packet. >> who succeeded you as treasurer? >> the person who succeeded me was sun seri -- i can't remember her last name. and i don't remember her last name because as i said, i was not --

once i was no longer active in that capacity, i was not active with the organization and i was not active because i was running a phone bank. >> okay. i understand. is this club still active as a political club in san francisco at this time? >> i have no idea what they are doing. i just know i haven't been active since 2011. a thousand things could have happened since 2012, i just don't know. >> okay. for me, i mean as i listen to this, it seems to me that no. 1, i don't know how well we train entities of this nature in terms of what they have to file and what they have to do and do they understand the kinds of fees that are going to be applied to them as fines if they don't comply with either the dates in

which they have to file information? and otherwise it's just this morose of people that nobody know what is going on and i don't understand why wells fargo wouldn't have records of that bank account. that to me is completely bizarre. i'm just completely at a loss what is going on here and how we're going to resolve this? >> ms. buie, you at one point went to somebody at the ethics commission to say that you were no longer treasurer? >> exactly. >> and you were told at that time, were you not, that you had to get something from the club saying that you had been relieved as treasurer before they could -- the ethics commission and its staff could treat you as no longer the treasurer?

because that is the way it was originally when the committee was set-up, that you were identified as the treasurer. and they wanted you to get something from the committee telling them, telling us that you were no longer treasurer. why didn't you do that? >> no one ever told me that i needed to do that until all of this stuff came up. no one has ever -- had i known that i needed to file something, to say i was not and that is the first thing that i think i said when i came up here, the one an only thing that i'm guilty of is not knowing that i needed to file whatever it was to remove my name as treasurer. i didn't know i needed to file paperwork to remove my name. somewhere in some old emails i have some emails that said that the election took place -- the

election actually took place in early 2013 and list who had the incoming officers were in 2013. but i don't have that with me this evening. >> mr. chairman? >> what i would like, i would like an opportunity to submit that information to you and whatever else that is in that box that you need to see. i would like an opportunity to submit that to you? >> i'm going to sum up as what it looks like to me, but first charles spencer was the president in 2011; right? >> [inaudible] >> in 2012 as well; right? >> [inaudible] >> do you know if he is still the president? >> i know he is not the president. >> he is not the president. all right. then ms. elias jackson was

president by 2014, is that correct? >> you know what? in 2013 i know she became the vice president. i don't know if she actually became the president. she may have at some point, but i didn't have any contact with her or the african-american democratic club. >> if you read one of the documents attached to the file, this is from jo jackson, dated august 22, 2014 -- >> is that in the packet that i have? >> huh? >> what page is that on? >> exhibit 6. >> exhibit 6. >> respondent has been given all of these documents? >> yes, she is looking through them. >> all right.

in there it states that you met on july 1, 2014 with garrett chatfield, who was -- i don't know -- an investigator or something with the commission. and and indicated that to him with documents that the committee's documents were forwarded to a new treasurer, remember the name of that new treasurer? ? sunseri -- gosh i can't remember her last name, sunseri something. >> anyway, and you assertedly agreed you would attempt to get the

bank statements at wells fargo to determine how the committee used the balance of $5216.51 to file the form for to termainate and august 11, 2014 is elias jackson identified as the president contacted mr. chatfield. mr. chatfield met are her on august 22nd, 2014, went through these issues, and nothing happened. you are still on the hook, so to speak, because on the public record you are still the treasurer, which makes you a respondent. the club is the other respondent.

now it's recommended that because of a technical omission, the club be deleted as the respondent. which leaves you as the remaining respondent and as far as the record shows me, it leaves about $5213 or something in a bank account somewhere. in the meantime, it's probably eaten up about $100,000 of staff and taxpayer time and money to go through this. you know of any other individual in or out of the club, who could provide information on its current status? >> i really don't. >> you don't?

>> i really don't. as i said, i have actually, honestly, sir, so much chaos in my life with having lived in a hotel for four months after water damage to my home and then in an apartment and trying to make sure that i get asbestos and mold and everything out of my home. my life is -- the last thing on my mind other than this right here has been the african american democratic club. i have just been trying to bring some peace in my own personal life. >> i'm curious, is there anybody else here who is a member of this club? i desist. >> any response that you want to make? >> no, i'm just here if the commissioners have any questions. >> you have to speak into the mic. >> i don't have any

comments unless the commissioners have questions for me. >> why did you arrive at $1,000 per violation? >> so i'm happy to let staff respond to that if you like to, what do you think? >> we can. looking at past fines for this type of violation, when folks entered into stipulations, the penalty was about $500 per violation. but we felt that since the case had to go to a hearing we would at least double that. we did try to make it as reasonable as possible from our perspective because we did have some information to indicate these mitigationing circumstances and we did not think that the maximum penalty was appropriate and that is why we recommended $1,000 per violation. >> any other comments or questions by commissioners? >> just another question to staff to make sure that the only way

to terminate the committee would be to file the form 460. there is no other way to terminate the county? >> it's form 410. >> 410. >> yes, i think that as a practical matter the commission could probably and maybe josh could opine on this, the commissioner would probably accept a letter from ms. buie that the bank accounts are closed and there is no way to account for the money that shows on their last form 460. in conjunction with the form 410 to finalize the case. i would be willing to accept that. is that okay? >> well, the problem with that though is how can she sign such a letter when she doesn't have any idea whether there is still $5,000 or whether the $5,000 is pilfered. >> she doesn't know how it was spent, but we at least know

that the account is closed? >> the account is closed? >> it sounds like there is no record existing past the year she was treasurer and i would assume that the account she had control over is closed. [ inaudible ] >> i can't hear you, can you talk into the mic? >> i'm sorry. the accounts that i had control over and that i had any connections w they have been closed for years. >> if the african american democratic club started conducting any activity, after the closure of the club through the termination statement, then we had have another enforcement action against the new commitment for not formulating correctly. >> when you were treasurer and the account did exist, were you the one signing the checks that the club would expend for various things? >> yes i was. >> okay. was anyone else authorized

to sign the checks besides you? >> the president. mr. charles spencer. >> okay. so one would assume then, in regard to that $5300 whatever it is, was that in the account at some point, did you write any checks on those amounts? >> you know, when we had elections and that is why i don't ever recall there being $5,000 left in there, when we had -- when there was ever a politician running or anything like that, we paid for ads. we paid to have, like copy people to brint print out door knockers to put on doors and gave kids stipends to pass out things. so usually we were in the

hole, but according to the dates that the cut-off fell on, if i filed it according to the cut-off dates for the monies taken in and money spent and it looked like there was money, but in essence the money was gone. it's just the checks came in, or checks went out after a lot of times after the cut-off date, the terminate date i should account for. so it was always on the statements -- it may have looked like there was, but a week or so after, i filed coming up to the next time to file the next statement, then that cleared out the next money, but there was never any money leftover for anyone to do something with. we were always in the hole for something. >> did you ever see a balance of $5,000 on account on any of

the materials sent to you as treasurer? >> not really on a bank account. >> well, on anything? did you ever see any kind of documents sent to you by wells fargo that said, ms. buie, treasurer of this -- in this account, which you are the signatory of, there is now $5,000 or any kind of statement, do you remember seeing? >> a statement -- not with a balance of that amount. what i probably remember seeing is we took in a check for $5,000, we showed there would have been a deposit, but on that same statement the money would have gone out almost as fast as it went in. so statement could show the deposit of whatever it was, $5,000, would have shown that deposit, but immediately from that $5,000 would have been withdrawals of the monies that were spent. so it would not be a balance ever of $5,000.

i don't know if that make goods sense. >> >> listening to the discussions earlier, i don't know if it was your statement -- it was shown at some point that the club had an account with $5,000 in it >> it's the last form 460 showing $5,000 -- >> exhibit 3 in the brief -- >> right okay. >> it's the very last form 460 filed for that committee. >> okay. >> it was filed by ms. buie. it was received on october 25th, 2012, a week before the election. >> okay. >> it shows $5,000 and some change left in committee's funds. >> so ms. buie filed that and said we have got $5,000 in this account? >> yes. the exact amount $5216.51.

and that was for the october 1st-20, 2012. >> that was filed october 25th, and ms. buie resigned in november 2012, so a month later. >> i will call for public comment in a moment. thank you. october 1st through october 20th and that is the ending cash balance there. that was filed -- >> i have in mind, let's see, how would we accomplish this? writing to wells fargo asking for a history of this account and a, did it exist and b, if it did not

and wells fargo says that is not permitted by law, but i would like to see what wells fargo does, and maybe the city attorney can figure out some way we can get that. i'm sure you would consent to it, but i don't know you have standing to consent. >> i'm not sure that would be germane to the issue here and that is whether there should have been a filing? to close it up? >> it's clear there should have been, what are you going to do? >> i guess before i call for public comment, does anybody want to make a motion, either to accept the staff's recommendation or object it or some other alternative? >> i'll make a motion to accept it, but i want to include the

club and he says that we can't do it. >> i have an issue. are we going to discuss the staff's recommendation? >> pardon me? >> are we going to discuss the staff's recommendation now or no? >> well, >> well, i will make the motion and call for public comment. >> okay. is that motion seconded? >> i'll second it. >> any commissioners want to comment on the motion? >> what is the motion? >> whether or not we should i accept staff's recommendation? find the violation and impose the $3,000 fine. >> my view is that i think $1,000 per violation is excessive. i think that during her time as treasurer, ms. buie discharged her responsibilities in filing

form 460 as required. the last one october 25, 2015 and she resigned thereafter and believed she didn't have any further responsibility as treasurer. so therefore, didn't file any additional statements. and then there when contacted by the staff in 2014, i believe it was, i think she worked in good faith with executive director croix to resolve this issue and then when she was told by the director i don't know what you can do, she didn't take any further action. until now, when she received the information and has come here. and she said very clearly i'm here to make it go away and take responsibility and the amount in $5,000 in a committee that only raised $13,000 i, believe n total and was intended to go campaign

outreach and as ms. buie said to make further contributions to the community and have a say in what is happening in our political life, i commend her coming here after so long to take responsibility for this. it seems like she is the last one stand based on her testimony and i would find that $3,000 is disproportionate to the actions she has taken and the gravity of the violations that have occurred here, i think our commission has considered violations of larger dollar amount and also with much more sophisticated players. and so i think that the punishment really does need to fit the crime here and that i think to your point, my fellow commissioner point, i think commissioner hayon said what

is our responsibility based on the facts of the case and outcomes and i think piling on with a $3,000 fine doesn't serve that purpose. so i would recommend and would feel comfortable observing the letter of the law with a $1 per violation. >> you are proposing to amend the motion? >> yes. >> to reduce the fine to $1. >> yes, per violation. >> commissioner hayon? >> the only comment i want to add to this, i totally agree with what commissioner chiu just expressed. but the problem for me at least is two-fold. one at the beginning, where i questioned how we educate people especially small groups. we're here to see there is ethical conduct in the raising of

money for particularly in elections. and the have big groups are very sophisticated and now how to deal with this and you have this massive groups, small groups that don't know what they are doing and unsophisticate treasurers -- not an excuse, but we need to make sure that they know what they have to do prior to beginning these groups or these efforts. at the other end, we have this problem with not enough staff, not enough personnel at the ethics commission to deal with things, with these issues from a timely manner. i mean this is 2017. i mean, this woman barely -- if i am to believe you, barely remembers who was in the african american democratic club at that time. these things need to be resolved

quickly, and efficacy and what kind of advice the executive director was giving ms. buie in 2012, this is not what we should be spending our time on. there are far more serious violations and issues that we need to spend time on. this is not one of them and i'm fine -- fine her $1 and this whole thing is ridiculous and embarrassing. >> i will call for public comment. >> hi. my name is charles spencer. i was president of the african american democratic club -- >> sorry i didn't hear you. >> my name is charles spencer. >> mr. spencer? >> right. i was president of the african american democratic club during the

period that alphabuie was treasurer and she administered her role in a way that made me feel comfortable and we had an election and handed all the information and po box keys and twitter and handles and handed off everything and expected the financial wells fargo account information would have been handed off and taken care in a similar manner as the website. i had a couple of follow-up meetings with the subsequent president and vice president. we discussed strategies, priorities, and we -- i assumed that everything that needed to be taken care of would have been taken care of, with the new president and vice president. i am at least a little bit concerned that alpha buie is being held responsible for not filing

for the club's obligation when i would have expected the subsequent president and vice president to take care of the file filings. >> who are they? >> carl william and joe jackson. >> pardon me? carl william and joe jackson. >> i have a question n terms of the group's fundraising. >> yes. >> how did you fundraise and from whom? >> we tried to raise from members, and our primary financial activity would be to prepare state card and fundraise with candidates and prepare and disseminate cards and put they will on car windows and we had pretty much never had a net free and clear balance of $5,000 and were were pretty much zero all the time. >> so most of that money, $5,000, or whatever the amount was, was

money that the members contributed? >> that is correct. >> let me ask you this, is there any explanation -- one of the investigative documents indicates that the committee had raised about $9200. i think it was the year 2012, that january 1-october whatever it was -- and spent over $13,500. does that ring a bell with you? >> i can't tell you the exact balance, but i know that again, during each election cycle, we would go out to candidates and members to raise money and our primary expenditure would be the slate cards. we would use spotlight printing, and

other than a po box and website. >> do you know if the club still exists? >> i do not know. i know a do you know a couple of years ago joe jackson was trying to organization the club -- i don't know at that time if she was still president or vice president? but no, i do not know if the club still exists. >> do you know any of the people who were officers after you? do you know them today, so you can say to them, why don't you go down to the ethics commission and filed a statement terminating the club? >> i have telephone and email address as of a couple of years ago and i will do that tomorrow. i will call them tomorrow. mr. williams and miss jackson. >>

i'll do it tonight. >> all right. any other public comment before we vote on this? did you have a question? >> good evening. david pilpel and i had a couple of comments on this matter. four things specifically the woman referred to as jo elias jackson i met her several years ago. at the time i believe she was a city employee and she still may be. so perhaps some outreach could be done to her through the city to determine her status and if she has any information that might help in this matter? the second point, the exhibit 1 of the packet indicates that the 410 filing was an initial statement, the first 460 exhibit 2 doesn't list the id number, but the second 460, exhibit 3 lists id number

14706 for the committee and that suggests to me this was either mishandled by the secretary of state, or there's something else to this story, because an id number starting in 98 would suggest that the committee was initially formed in 1998 under the previous numbering system. and that the -- that either the initial filing was for a new organization that should have been issued in a different number, or this was actually treated as an amendment to a prior statement of organization form had 410 with that id number. so i'm not sure about the history of the organization, but it trigers the question based on that id number. i didn't hear about outreach to the fppc and how they would handle a similar matter involving non-termination of an entity, when er