foods store, and it's also a corner grocery store, as well. we call it cheese plus because there's a lot of additions in addition to cheese here. from fresh flowers, to wine, past a, chocolate, our dining area and espresso bar. you can have a casual meeting if you want to. it's a real community gathering place. what makes little polk unique, i think, first of all, it's a great pedestrian street. there's people out and about all day, meeting this neighbor and coming out and supporting the businesses. the businesses here are almost all exclusively independent owned small businesses. it harkens back to supporting local. polk street doesn't look like anywhere u.s.a. it has its own businesses and personality. we have clothing stores to

gallerys, to personal service stores, where you can get your hsus repaired, luggage repaired. there's a music studio across the street. it's raily a diverse and unique offering on this really great street. i think san franciscans should shop local as much as they can because they can discover things that they may not be familiar with. again, the marketplace is changing, and, you know, you look at a screen, and you click a mouse, and you order something, and it shows up, but to have a tangible experience, to be able to come in to taste things, to see things, to smell things, all those things, it's things, all those things, it's very important that you do so.

- working for the city and county of san francisco will immerse you in a vibrant and dynamic city that's on the forefront of economic growth, the arts, and social change. our city has always been on the edge of progress and innovation. after all, we're at the meeting of land and sea. - our city is famous for its iconic scenery, historic designs, and world- class style. it's the birthplace of blue jeans, and where "the rock" holds court over the largest natural harbor on the west coast. - the city's information technology professionals work on revolutionary projects, like providing free wifi to residents and visitors, developing new programs to keep sfo humming, and ensuring patient safety at san francisco general.

our it professionals make government accessible through award-winning mobile apps, and support vital infrastructure projects like the hetch hetchy regional water system. - our employees enjoy competitive salaries, as well as generous benefits programs. but most importantly, working for the city and county of san francisco gives employees an opportunity to contribute their ideas, energy, and commitment to shape the city's future. - thank you for considering a career with the city and county of san francisco. >> the teams really, really went above and beyond and is continuing to do that today. this past year, the san francisco public utilities commission water quality

division started receiving many more requests to test for lead in the public school system here in san francisco as a result of legislation that had passed from the state requiring all of the public schools to do lead testing. and so as a result, the public utilities commission and the water quality team in particular was asked to meet with the san francisco unified school district to begin to prioritize which schools to test to meet that state mandate. >> the team that tests, we're a full service environmental laboratory, and we take care of both the needs of the water quality division and the waste water enter price. and on the water quality enterprise, we have to also have drinking water that meets all federal and state quality regulations. and lead in schools, we're playing a problem in remediating this problem of lead in schools. >> our role here in communications is being able to

take the data that we have that we know is protective of public health and safety and transmit it, give it to the public in a way they understand we are really doing our jobs well and making sure that they are safe always. >> the public learned very quickly all the accurate facts and all the critical information that they needed to know, and it's up to these individuals and their agencies and their commitment to the city. >> i enjoy the work because i can help people, and i can help the utilities to provide a better water quality, make sure that people feel that drinking hetch hetchy water is actually a pride. >> hats off to the water quality team because between them working on late nights, working on the weekends when the schools are closed, and working as a partner in the school district for the times they found a higher lead sample, they worked through to address that, so the team went above and beyond and is

continuing to do that today. [♪] ♪ homelessness in san francisco is considered the number 1 issue by most people who live here, and it doesn't just affect neighbors without a home, it affects all of us. is real way to combat that is to work together. it will take city departments and nonprofit providers and volunteers and companies and community members all coming together. [♪] >> the product homeless connect community day of service began about 15 years ago, and we have had 73 of them. what we do is we host and

expo-style event, and we were the very force organization to do this but it worked so well that 250 other cities across the globe host their own. there's over 120 service providers at the event today, and they range anywhere from hygiene kits provided by the basics, 5% -- to prescription glasses and reading glasses, hearing tests, pet sitting, showers, medical services, flu shots, dental care, groceries, so many phenomenal service providers, and what makes it so unique is we ask that they provide that service today here it is an actual, tangible service people can leave with it. >> i am with the hearing and speech center of northern california, and we provide a variety of services including audiology, counselling, outreach, education, today we actually just do screening to see if someone has hearing loss. to follow updates when they come into the speech center and we do a full diagnostic hearing test,

and we start the process of taking an impression of their year, deciding on which hearing aid will work best for them. if they have a smart phone, we make sure we get a smart phone that can connect to it, so they can stream phone calls, or use it for any other services that they need. >> san francisco has phenomenal social services to support people at risk of becoming homeless, are already experience and homelessness, but it is confusing, and there is a lot of waste. bringing everyone into the same space not only saves an average of 20 hours a week in navigating the system and waiting in line for different areas, it helps them talk, so if you need to sign up for medi-cal, what you need identification, you don't have to go to sacramento or wait in line at a d.m.v., you go across the hall to the d.m.v. to get your i.d. ♪ today we will probably see around 30 people, and averaging about 20 of this people coming to cs for follow-up service. >> for a participant to qualify for services, all they need to do is come to the event.

we have a lot of people who are at risk of homelessness but not yet experiencing it, that today's event can ensure they stay house. many people coming to the event are here to receive one specific need such as signing up for medi-cal or learning about d.m.v. services, and then of course, most of the people who are tender people experiencing homelessness today. >> i am the representative for the volunteer central. we are the group that checks and all the volunteers that comment participate each day. on a typical day of service, we have anywhere between 40500 volunteers that we, back in, they get t-shirts, nametags, maps, and all the information they need to have a successful event. our participant escorts are a core part of our group, and they are the ones who help participants flow from the different service areas and help them find the different services that they needs. >> one of the ways we work closely with the department of homelessness and supportive housing is by working with homeless outreach teams. they come here, and these are the people that help you get

into navigation centers, help you get into short-term shelter, and talk about housing-1st policies. we also work very closely with the department of public health to provide a lot of our services. >> we have all types of things that volunteers deal do on a day of service. we have folks that help give out lunches in the café, we have folks who help with the check in, getting people when they arrive, making sure that they find the services that they need to, we have folks who help in the check out process, to make sure they get their food bag, bag of groceries, together hygiene kit, and whatever they need to. volunteers, i think of them as the secret sauce that just makes the whole process works smoothly. >> participants are encouraged and welcomed to come with their pets. we do have a pet daycare, so if they want to have their pets stay in the daycare area while they navigate the event, they are welcome to do that, will we

also understand some people are more comfortable having their pets with them. they can bring them into the event as well. we also typically offer veterinary services, and it can be a real detriment to coming into an event like this. we also have a bag check. you don't have to worry about your belongings getting lost, especially when that is all that you have with you. >> we get connected with people who knew they had hearing loss, but they didn't know they could get services to help them with their hearing loss picks and we are getting connected with each other to make sure they are getting supported. >> our next event will be in march, we don't yet have a date set. we typically sap set it six weeks out. the way to volunteer is to follow our newsletter, follow us on social media, or just visit our website. we always announce it right away, and you can register very easily online. >> a lot of people see folks experience a homelessness in the city, and they don't know how they can help, and defence like this gives a whole bunch of people a lot of good opportunities to give back and be supported. [♪]streets.

>> (speaking foreign language.) >> i wanted to wish you a best wishes and congratulations the community has shifted a lot of when i was growing up in the 60s and 50's a good portion of

chicano-american chinese-american lived in north beach a nob hill community. >> as part the immigrant family is some of the recreation centers are making people have the ability to get together and meet 0 other people if communities in the 60s a 70s and 80s and 90s saw a move to the richmond the sunset district and more recently out to the excelsior the avenue community as well as the ensuring u bayview so chinese family living all over the city and when he grape it was in this area. >> we're united. >> and growing up in the area that was a big part of the my leave you know playing basketball and mycy took band

lessons and grew up. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> allergies welcome to the community fair it kicks off three weeks of celebrations for the year and let's keep everybody safe and celebrate the biggest parade outside of china on february 11th go best wishes and congratulations and 3, 2, 1

happy enough is enough. >> i grew up volley ball education and in media professional contrary as an educator he work with all skids whether or not caucasian hispanic and i african-american cumber a lot of arrest binge kids my philosophy to work with all kids but being here and griping in the chinese community being a chinese-american is important going to american school during the day but went to chinese school that is community is important working with all the kids and having them exposed to all culture it is important to me. >> it is a mask evening. >> i'd like to thank you a you all to celebrate an installation of the days here in the asian art museum. >> one time has become so many

things in the past two centuries because of the different did i licks the immigration officer didn't understand it became no standard chinese marine or cantonese sproupgs it became so many different sounds this is convenient for the immigration officer this okay your family name so this tells the generations of immigrants where they come from and also many stories behind it too. >> and what a better way to celebrate the enough is enough nuru with the light nothing is more important at an the hope the energy we.

>> (speaking foreign language.) >> relative to the current administration it is, it is touching very worrisome for our immigrant frames you know and some of the stability in the country and i know how this new president is doing you know immigration as well as immigrants (fireworks) later than you think new year the largest holiday no asia and china those of us when my grandparents came over in the 19 hundreds and celebrated in the united states chinese nuru

is traditional with a lot of meani meaning. >> good afternoon my name is carmen chu assessor-recorder i want to wish everything a happy new year thank you for joining us i want to say. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> (speaking foreign language.) >> i'm proud to be a native san franciscan i grew up in the chinatown, north beach community port commission important to come back and work with those that live in the community that

i grew up in and that that very, very important to give back to continue to work with the community and hope e help those who may not be as capable in under serving come back and give shop and dine in the 49 promotes local businesses and challenges residents to do their shopping and dining within the 49 square miles of san francisco. by supporting local services within our neighborhoods, we help san francisco remain unique, successful, and vibrant. so where will you shop and dine in the 49? >> my name is ray behr. i am the owner of chief plus. it's a destination specialty foods store, and it's also a corner grocery store, as well. we call it cheese plus because

there's a lot of additions in addition to cheese here. from fresh flowers, to wine, past a, chocolate, our dining area and espresso bar. you can have a casual meeting if you want to. it's a real community gathering place. what makes little polk unique, i think, first of all, it's a great pedestrian street. there's people out and about all day, meeting this neighbor and coming out and supporting the businesses. the businesses here are almost all exclusively independent owned small businesses. it harkens back to supporting local. polk street doesn't look like anywhere u.s.a. it has its own businesses and personality. we have clothing stores to gallerys, to personal service stores, where you can get your

hsus repaired, luggage repaired. there's a music studio across the street. it's raily a diverse and unique offering on this really great street. i think san franciscans should shop local as much as they can because they can discover things that they may not be familiar with. again, the marketplace is changing, and, you know, you look at a screen, and you click a mouse, and you order something, and it shows up, but to have a tangible experience, to be able to come in to taste things, to see things, to smell things, all those things, it's very important that you do so.

good morning everybody. welcome to the rebirth of west side chords which was

the second oldest housing development in san francisco but also one of the most stable communities in san francisco and we're here to celebrate today a new life and you're going to hear more about what that's about today my name is bill witty i'm chairman and ceo related california and on behalf of our partner tabernacles cdc who you'll hear from and related. we welcome you. without further ado i'm honored to introduce someone who in fact needs no introduction the first african-american american woman mayor of san francisco but more importantly a person who is of by and for this community. leader not only of this community but of the whole city are once and future mayor honorable london breed applause everyone.

thank you all so much for being here and first of all i just want to say to the people who live in west side courts congratulations this is truly your victory and i know we're gonna be swearing in the resident council here today and mr. street is not able to join us. the president but we have the resident council here so we'll get to that in just a moment. i i just want to start by saying you know this is this is pretty amazing. i grew up as many of you probably know in the western edition community and it. i grew up in housing and plaza ease and the conditions of plaza east for over 20 years of my life where i lived? were similar to the conditions that exist right here in west side courts. before this renovation and when i first became supervisor i met with mayor ed lee and talk to him

about housing and why we weren't meeting our obligation as a city to invest in housing in a way that would allow people to live in dignity it was very personal for me because of my own personal experience in frustration and so nothing was more important to me than trying to focus on making the kinds of changes that will better the conditions of the people who live here. merely agreed him. we worked really hard and the rad program is something when awesomely was director of the mayor's office a housing we brought that idea to the community and a lot of folks were apprehensive of course because commitments had been made in the past but the follow through has has not happened but because of that work. i'm so really proud that we are renovating over thirty five hundred housing units all over the city and changing really the conditions of how people.

live and again some of the basic things that so many people take for granted because i understand what it feels like to live in a community where sometimes a windows are broken and the heat doesn't work and the water doesn't work in the toilet is stopped up and we never even had showers at plaza ease and the roaches and the past and all the stuff that really frustrated me to no end. i know has frustrated so many of the residents who lived here for years so this is really about keeping a promise a promise to change the conditions of a number of housing units throughout san francisco so that the residents truly feel not only respective but they know that they are truly an important part of the city and county of san francisco as a whole. so so many people help to contribute to making this happen and i know that

one of those person sadly is not here with us today michael palmer who work for the mayor's office a housing was a real advocate for something that i also cared about and that was making sure. that we weren't displacing the residents while we did the construction work so that people felt like we weren't trying to push them out and his work around understanding construction and combining that with his understanding and love for people really made a difference not only in this project but in so many projects throughout the city. that we are rehabbing and so i know michael's family is here with us today and i'd ask you all to please stand and be acknowledged thank you for coming applause this this place belongs to the community and i just wanted to also take this opportunity to thank. so many people who made this possible

and in fact i'm glad we didn't give top clatter a heart attack because he was the one who with the tabernacle along with reverend mccray who spent so many hours working with the residents in this community and i want to thank tabernacle i want to thank. related. the project manager for this project i want to thank bank of america not only investing in this project but continuing to invest in other rehabilitation projects throughout our city and i want to thank the mayor's office of housing so much. this was really a partnership along with our spiritual leaders in the community reverend arnold towns in and reverend amos brown thank you for continuing to make sure that the community takes front and center in any of these projects that we have worked on to rehabilitate and i also like to acknowledge our new california state treasurer fiona mom who is

joining us here today. thank you so much. owe her office provided the tax credits thank you so much without those tax credits we wouldn't be able to do this project and again it takes a village it was a lot of hard work. and i think about on today along with so many of the projects that i've been able to attend a lot of these events as soon as i'm ask i'm right there because i'm so happy i feel like this is happening to me. i feel like you know this is something that i would have liked to have happened to me when i was growing up. you know in plaza ease but at this time i'm so grateful that it's happening for the residents here at west side courts. it means a lot. and it did take a village and so i want to thank you know i know royal and the folks who painted from from this neighborhood

and so many other incredible people who came together to really provide you know this community with a place that they so deserve and we know that there is a lot more work to do and when i think about today i really think about mayor ed lee. something he would always say it's not just about making new promises is about keeping oh promises and today we keep a promise to this community to not only invest in the place that they live but continue to provide programming and resources and other things that will not only support this community but we'll make sure that this community thrives so at this time on behalf of the city and county of san francisco i would like to honor the members of the tenant association. and thank you for your commitment and your leadership and i want to also say to all the residents here they are volunteers working on your

behalf and at this time we would like to swear them in. so come on up. as so jonathan street is not with us today unfortunately he's he's the new president and he's not feeling well. but we have joe blocks. . am i saying you're right name right joe and cassandra bennett randy walton and mary jones they are gonna be sworn in and really excited to administer the oath of office. so let's do it at this time. michael all right. are we ready so please raise your right hand and repeat after me and i and state your name. do solemnly

swear to uphold the office for which i have been elected. i promise to be committed to the rules and policies established by the united states department of housing and urban development in conjunction with the san francisco housing authority the west side courts lease and housing rules and the west side courts. tenant association bylaws to enhance and increase the quality of life to the residence and to the work. in a cooperative

manner with the san francisco housing authority. the city and county of san francisco and the west side courts ownership and property management as well as other community partners i take this obligation freely. without any mental reservation. or purpose of evasion or and swear that i will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which i am about to enter. congratulations applause all

right. congratulations. thank you all so much for being here today this is the new tenant council and they will serve this community. let's give them all the support that they need to succeed thank you all so much applause good afternoon my name is randy walton and the treasurer of the ways that 10 association he joins

me now. i was the vice president. but today i am the treasury and i welcome you all. and i just want to let you know that this is a journey that we're on. and we all take it highly seriously and i want to save him. my. i didn't have a chance to do. think about this writer species anything because i was actually do this at the last moment and some speaking from the heart to let you know that. west i of course to me he's like it is. it's amazing because when i first came here it was nothing like this and i came from southern california this my first member living in housing project. when i came to san francisco and i had a lot of fear and a lot of apprehension about it and manage. there was a bit here at the time told me they changed a lot. it wasn't the same valid placed at it suppose it once been and i've seen it grows from that point on. and now you know this is really state and a great

place to live. you know. the council here behind me we've all had our struggles here and we just we've been we bind together to make things happen we have a lot of plans that we want to put that out there for the residents and to make this a great a place for the kids. we have plans for that. you know we have a lot of things that we've got hope to do and we can't do it alone. we need the residents have in order to do it so we put it out there. we just want to be for everybody. for the kids for the adults in everyone including think the management here at west side for working with us. todd and everyone else. and so as we go along. journey year just be patient with us and know that we're working funding for the residents in thank you have a blessed day.

as no excuse me hello everyone my name is cassandra bennett i am the secretary of the tennis association known at 10 it. i've been here for 15 years and as far as part of the council i want no more than to see the tenants advance and have our property management and the people that are over west side courts just treat the tenants with respect. and together. just the tenets come together and in love each other and embrace each other and the gap with one another. you know without a team effort we have nothing close together we standard divided we fall so i just want to state and i'm thankful to be able to stand before you today. and

hope stated tinnitus will appreciate the new over face that we have a new facelift because it is a facelift. and it looks beautiful. i must say that looks really nice you know but you're still work to be done and as low as a tenets take care and work together we can make things happen. i look forward with the rest of the team to make things happen around here here and away from here you know i i embrace change not only hear web site courts but outside of what cyborgs. there's nothing matters in the quality of life your rights and privacy rights to respect your rights period so with that. i just want to say thank you. as well i don't

think i could say any better than our last couple of speakers did. as mere breeds said though this is a partnership. owners residents in the city and our partner in owning this development now and hopefully pretty much forever tabernacles cdc led by someone who first was just a partner now has become a friend. the reverend dr. james mccray who himself has a longtime history is a pastor in the western addition reverend mccray as

mr. waiting thank you very much for that very kind introduction. and i noticed that he introduced me as reverend that that change is what i was going to do. just a little i would like to ask all of the related team if you're here. stand up. and there are others are all of the tabernacle team if you're here. stand up. as all of the fdr h t. would you stand up. reverend banks. come on come on down their work. i

think the others have that i wanted to thank have been thanked the city. the bank. the community but i would now like to ask all of us to stand up. and i'd like to ask the leaders to come back and stand right here a minute and turn around and i want all of us just to extend our hands towards these leaders in our community. just in our own way wish them strength. courage and then my favorite piece. because of to have peace they can extend hope and what we need. today is hope. what this project and the others in the community

are about is extending hope. this the first african-american built facility primarily in san francisco for our african-americans waiver has been brought over into the 21st century hope. related in the city and the community and the bank said found a way to put together a package that will enable such a venture to come to reality. hope. and along the way organizations have been created like tabernacle like f our age that now have a unique quality and ability to carry the whole bomb. thank you san francisco i'm

so glad to be able to go around this country and say i'm i'm a native we got a lot of problems but we are struggling to keep hope alive as the changes of this 21st century bombard us. leaders thank you because your job moves the whole bar and thanks to each and every one of you. as i am now really happy to introduce your supervisor valid brown. again someone who doesn't really need an introduction in this community who's been active in this and the communities

and desperate 5 4 really decades bringing a level of experience and commitment that you don't frankly often see in city hall. among other things while our mayor with supervisor and valley was her top aide they pushed forward a policy that enabled residents who are already here to have a priority to stay here and new affordable housing. so please join me in welcoming supervisor valley brown who we have to help stay as supervisor remember that in the next year as hello everyone and thanks for being here. and i just reminiscing a little when then supervisor breed had won the election she said i need you to come back down in this office and worked for me. and i did and what was

interesting. is she said we all said what your priorities supervisor breed at the time she said my number one priority is housing. he said what your second priority housing. what your third priority housing and after the third time we all like we get it. housing is your priority and soon after that we were out knocking on doors in housing. we came over to west side courts. you know it's the second oldest housing in the city. we walked to we talked we talked to residents about their situation here what they were thinking how that they you know how do they feel about living here. lot of everybody was grateful but also we realized this needs work this complex needed work and needed rehab and when then mayor. ed lee came in. he

talked about rad and one of the things that i was really passionate and so was mayor breed is if we're going to rehab and we're going to completely change and make it better that when we build housing a rehab housing. there is no displacement and that was something that really we felt strong about no displacement when you're building housing or rehabbing housing because as we know and many people that live here this community here is at the heart of this area they're the ones that have been here have raised and made this community what it is this really strong heartfelt community so there was no way that anyone could move or could be moved out and displaced. and when i come when i became supervisor. that was one of the things first places i

visit was west like courts to look at what was happening to the rehab to talk to residents because i felt we have to make sure that we save this wonderful asset. and we have to make sure that our residents are safe and so i'm just really proud to be here today as your supervisor and say that what's what are my priorities. housing yes. so thank you everyone and i hope you get to walk around and just look at this it's absolutely beautiful. thank you. as a mere breed made

reference to all of the partners the mayor's office of housing kate hartley and her staff are here today provided a lot of money and let's just say moral support. but bank of america has had an outsized role in this red program not only in west side court but in every development in the city providing virtually all of the debt and equity financing i think the total of financing is up in the seven or eight hundred million dollar range which is really pretty remarkable when you think that one institution has been responsible for that. so with that i'd like to call to the podium lives minnick an executive with bank of america and the bay area about thank you and good night. there we go. thank you

and good afternoon everyone i can talk really loud i could probably do about it. all right okay thank you so much. and bank of america is so please i was actually two point two billion dollars and financing so when you think about the rental assistance demonstration and the redevelopment of our housing within this amazing city of san francisco. bank of america was so excited. to be able to step up and again and provide that commitment of the two point two billion just to put it in perspective we refinanced 4.5 billion around the country and two point two of it came right here in the city where we were founded. it is so amazing to be able to be in developments like this beautiful west side court see the rehabilitation. meet the amazing residents there we go. and again we are so very very happy to be a part of it we'd like to continue the thanks. with the mayor's office with our supervisors with kate and her team at

the department of housing and all of our wonderful bank of america teammates that made this possible. thank you so much. as how often does a state official come to a local event like this. fiona ma has a long history as a san franciscan of serving this city is a supervisor and the state assembly and the board of equalization and now as the recently elected treasurer of the state of california and just so you know it's the treasurer who allocates all those tax exempt bonds and low income housing tax credits that finance this and other projects like it so she's like a really good person to

know. so it's my pleasure to introduce a very good friend state treasurers fiona mom. applause thank you so much it's my honor to be here some of you know i sat like i started out as a district representative to john burton back in 1995 and back then you know i was just learning and many of the people that i was working with are still here the reverend mccray reverend townsend reverend amos brown todd clatter as well as gerald green are still here and we are. still here all right still here. and then to the new leaders are dynamic mayor london breed as well as our supervisor valley brown thank you for continuing to lead us

here in san francisco and i've been living here in san francisco for 30 years. but bill witty was actually here longer and he was one of the senior consultant advisors to dianne feinstein when she was mayor and his commitment to low income housing. bar none is like one of the best examples of what developers should be doing could be doing and need to be doing more until the west side courts tennis association. welcome to politics i'm just telling you you are going to get so busy everyone's going to be calling you lining up sending you text messages and emails complaining so welcome welcome. and you know my prior job was. i was the tax collector on the state board of equalization nobody likes this tax collector nobody

wants to call me and when they do they have a major problem now that i am your state treasurer i have money. and i have grants and bonds and a loan programs and i am just so honored to be here today working with all of you. i have to tell you are t calkins saddleback because of folks like bill witty we are going to revamp those two agencies we want to be proactive and forward looking and also constituent oriented and i had a meeting with them yesterday and we talked about the conditions that some of these properties and how some of these management companies are not doing their job. well we're putting together the list of the good actors and the bad actors and those that are bad actors are not going to get any more tax credits moving forward until they clean up their act we also talk about displacement when these applicants come before us at t calkins did

lag. that's one of my questions if you were going to renovate and rehab these units where are the tenants gonna go and that also is important. and then also you know making sure that we are a one stop shop. so when developers come to us and they have projects we want to help we want to put together the deals with you. instead of thank you very much. you don't qualify. click. right we want to say you don't qualify for 9 percent but how about 4 percent. how about if you put housing along with the daycare or food co-op or or a senior clinic right all these things we have the money for in the treasurer's office so i just want to say i am open for business. call me anytime. we want to be part of the solution thank you very much alive there was of course a lot of work done to

get this development to the condition. it is now and today we hope to keep it that way. and there is a bricks and mortar side and there is a people side. on the bricks and mortar side i want to acknowledge a few people first of all our own staff at related particularly lisa grady or a project manager lisa applause and our property management team. one of the good ones i like to think. our regional director danny rivera and site manager shoemaker rochelle applause into people that we've worked with a long time on a lot of developments and are going to hopefully continue to work with a lot more. first of all bob ney be the president nimby brothers the general contractor bob as they had to work with the community with

some local subcontractors to get to where we are today. and mimi sullivan inside a solid and the architect who labored with us. we were talking earlier about making sure we hopefully got just the right colors on the new building and hopefully the residents will tell us. maybe we need to fix that. so thank you mean me as but it's not just about bricks and mortar and early on working with tabernacle my friend of one hundred years reverend arnold towns and who you'll hear from in a moment and his partner gary bags it was about this has to work for the residents and i say to you today that i hope and expect that five and 10 years from now. you will hold us to this standard this isn't just about finishing the project this is starting the project.

so gary arnold todd and everybody. thank you for that. to conclude the program. now i think it is particularly fitting that my friend reverend arnold townsend come up and lead us and maybe a little bit of prayer. i mean i don't know that anybody who speaks for the western addition better or longer than arnold. arnold about thank you. and it's just wonderful to see everyone and let me say a couple of things real quick. i know that you all and sitting looking at me and that what you're really thinking you know i've been last on the program before and when your last on the program. you know that everybody not just really just want you to hurry up shall i show. i am gonna do

my best to hurry up let me shakeup but a couple of things. i'm glad you mentioned a bill to staff here because now i don't have to. i was going to do it. it was some outstanding. work going on we had to be tough to get it done but everyone did their job played the role of building i like you should we go back a very long ways he's not quite as old as i am but he's close see he's close and really you know we knew each other around the times the feinstein days in the mosque only and agnus days but where we kind of really got to know each other we actually played basketball together a few times and whether you know it or not or whether you think he looks like enough bill used to have pretty good little point guard game back in today brilliant play you know east coast he played east coast style. they don't they don't

do much outside shooting but they can go to the whole pretty good. he could go to do. pretty good show he called me and said arnold i'm doing some work in the west additional coming back to town to do some work and i need you to come help me. i said bill i'm flattered but the days of me coming into office at 9:00. that's all i'm an old man. and he said no no no i just need your help. you know and and really didn't tell me the truth because you kind of told me it's part time. you know you won't have much to do but what he was generous and that wrote me in. and so i came back and i'm really grateful that i did. i finally did something smart all these years of living i said you know i've gotten older bill and i don't do much heavy lifting. and i've got a younger partner man friend and so should my younger brother and i need to have him come on the project and so he said. who you talked

about i said gary banks. is your well we don't really knowing but we can tell. and gary came on and it is without question one of the most brilliant things that i have ever done i'm sorry what. gary put together here and that pitts plaza de services team which hasn't been mentioned a lot today but the people. who work directly with the residents dealing with problems they have and i mean things you wouldn't think of. but everything from child support help of people that it happens child support issues trying to get people very removal so people can get jobs and go to work helping with g d driver the life you name it. these people did it it wasn't necessarily what they came on and we're told to do but they put together a team danielle banks who kind of managers things and then darlene was here and robin jackson and not guiana who are at this project he put togetherpl