which is what i am here to speak about. the uptown bar is really a community bar, and i think other people have spoken to that. i love that bartenders from the lexington bar come and have a wild lesbian night once a month at the uptown. my daughters come have had drinks at the uptown with me. she has grown up, don't worry. a lot of people have had weddings and baby showers at the uptown. couples have met there, we have had wakes, we have had funerals, we have had community events. it is a great community space, and really deserves legacy status. i know it is difficult for businesses to stay in neighborhood like the mission, like potrero hill because of rising rent, and i hope legacy

status can help with that. and just enclosing, i won't take more of your time because i know you have a lot on your plate, but i think it's really important to go forward with legacy status for both of these businesses. thank you. >> thank you. is there anyone else? >> hello, my name is jason nichols. i do not intend to speak today, but i do feel bound as a long-term patron of the uptown, literally more than half of my life, 25 years. there are many, many, many bars in san francisco. there are very, very few uptown bars elsewhere. you can get a drink else -- anywhere. this is a meeting place for artists, filmmakers, muralists, local community organizers, anyone who does anything significantly and culturally in

the mission goes to have cocktails and hang out and exchange ideas at uptown. i'd encourage legacy business approval. that is all. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> hello. my name is timothy butler i did not submit a speaker cart, but i am also one of the co-owners of uptown, i will keep it brief and speak more on my time as a customer there. i have not been around as long as everyone else, but it came to uptown first of 2005 is a place to get away and be alone and have some time with my feelings. it was shortly after that i realized that being alone at uptown is a little bit hard to accomplish, as everyone there is polite and wonderful. it was a staff that first brought me in, and let me feel like i was part of it, and then

there after i was continually meeting other customers who would come for either the same reasons, a quiet place to get away, or to actually meet people i know my life would be very different had it turned out the way i intended. i'm going there to be alone, but i just want to say that i am very happy and pleased to have been brought into the family that uptown is, and that is the reason that it is the place that continues to thrive, it is much of our living room, as it is a bar, and it is where our family goes to meet. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> hello, my name is katrina. i definitely did not plan to speak because it terrifies me, but i feel like i need to. i'm an employee at uptown, i have only been there about three years now, which is a blink of an eye in the history of uptown, but i still feel like i'm part of the family there, and i think

that's why a lot of customers come in because they feel that there is a report, people develop a rapport there, there is a family feel, and i think that's really important to hold onto in the community, of the mission, in san francisco, which is rapidly changing so much. i also want to thank barbara for mentioning uptown almost, it is an advantage that we do every second wednesday of the month. it is a? event, and it's -- a lot of people were displaced after the lexington closed, and we have created a space for a lot of those people, whether they were employees at the lexington, or just went in to have a good time there, and a lot of these people come in on more than just that events now, and i have heard from multiple people that they feel safe at our bar, and sometimes they haven't wanted to stay home alone, but they don't

know where else to go, and they feel safe, so that makes me feel good that i help provide a safe place for people. i think that's all i have to say no. >> thank you. >> thank you. last call. [laughter] >> closing public comment. [laughter] >> bringing it back to the commission. commissioners? we have a good place to work out and get a margarita now. [laughter]. >> right, exactly. i want to thank the public for the amounts of remarks that you have all made. it is terrific to hear the stories, and uptown, thank you, it is wonderful to hear about the stability and the anchor that you provide in the neighborhood and hear about your family connection, it is terrific for the neighborhood and for thinking about living in

san francisco and what you are doing for the families, so to speak. world his jim, it's amazing. i thank you are the first jim -- i thank you are the first gymnasium. it is a forerunner of keeping san francisco fit and anyone who enters into this town. thank you for your dedication and perseverance. [laughter]. >> great, anyway, thank you, it is terrific. i thoroughly support the nominations today. >> thank you. >> i'm in support of both of these, i especially want to thank everyone who came out to speak today and spent all this time sitting through our hearing i know it has been a long one. it is really appreciated. your stories are really important for us to here, so it is really great to read these packets and having the personal stories adds another dimension to it. i'm ready to go and get a drink at uptown and work out at world his jim.

>> commission a black? >> i concur. two great organizations. it is my favorite part of being a commissioner. first of all, staff does a great job of putting information together and working with applicants. we read these reports very closely. sometimes they are longer. they are fascinating stories. it is wonderful that people come out to support the institutions. i assume that lots of people are working out at the moment were they would be here. [laughter] one of the things i like to do is -- i believe manhattan is in my future. >> a margarita. >> i heard manhattan as well. >> commissioner perlman? >> i echo everything. thank you all for what you do and how you create the spirit of the city that we love. thank you. >> thank you. >> i would make a motion to recommend these for legacy

status. >> second. >> thank you. there is a motion that has been seconded to adopt recommendations for approval for both legacy business applications. [roll call] >> so moved, that motion passes unanimously. >> congratulations. [applause] [laughter] >> and we can adjourn today's meeting. [laughter]

>> when i open up the paper every day, i'm just amazed at how many different environmental issues keep popping up. when i think about what planet i want to leave for my children and other generations, i think about what kind of contribution i can make on a personal level to the environment. >> it was really easy to sign up for the program. i just went online to

cleanpowersf.org, i signed up and then started getting pieces in the mail letting me know i was going switch over and poof it happened. now when i want to pay my bill, i go to pg&e and i don't see any difference in paying now. if you're a family on the budget, if you sign up for the regular green program, it's not going to change your bill at all. you can sign up online or call. you'll have the peace of mind knowing you're doing your part in your household to help the environment.

>> madam clerk, will you please call the role? >> thank you, mr. president. (calling role). mr. president, all members are present.

>> thank you. leads and gentlemen, will you please join me in the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag to the united states of america, to the republic which it stands, one nation under god, with liberty and justice for all. i were like to acknowledge the staff at ffng who record each of the meetings and make the transcripts available to the public online. madam clerk, are there any communications? >> i have none to report, mr. president. >> colleagues, today we are approving the minutes from the

february 26, 2019 board meeting. are there any changes to these meeting minutes? i see none. can i have a motion to approve the minutes as presented? motion by secur secure supervisd seconded and those minutes will be approved after public comment. madam clerk, can you please read the consent agenda? >> items one through nine, these items are considered to be routine if a member objects, an item may be removed. >> colleagues, would anyone like to sever any items from the consent agenda? >> madam clerk, can you call role on items 1-9. (calling role).

there are 11 ayes. >> these ordinance pass nancy. madam clerk, let's go to the regular agenda. >> item 10 an ordinance to amend the planning code, to require all projects to use the state density poe new bonus law on ane footage regardless of environmental application date and to affirm the determination and make the appropriate findings. this item has an eight-vote threshold pursuant to 4.105 to

approve. >> supervisor peskin, any comments? >> i would, and thank you, mr. president, colleagues. i have distributed to all of you findings that needed to be incorporated into the subject ordinance. they are set forth on pages 2-6 and section 101.1, findings and findings relative to various elements of the general plan. and i would like to move those findings and add them to the ordinance. >> do we have a second? seconded by supervisor safyae. the ordinance is amended nancy anunanimously. this ordinance passes unanimously on first reading.

madam clerk, please call the next item. >> item 11 is an ordinance to amend the business and tax regulation's code to add provisions to the homeless grocery seat tax and make conforming non-substantive changes. >> can we have the same housing call? the ordinance passes on first reading unanimously. madam clerk, please calls 12 and 13 together. >> item 12 is a resolution to approve a lease agreement between the treasure island development authority and treasure island enterprises. for the management of the treasure island marina for 66-year term and annual-based representative of 90,000 and adopt the appropriate findings and item 13 approves a lease agreement between the treasure island development authority and sailing centre for a 66-year term and minimum annual base

rent of 10,000 and adopt the appropriate findings. >> colleagues, the same house in-call? >> these resolutions are adopted unanimously. >> resolution to authorize the sheriff's office to enter so a third agreement to enter into the monitoring programme, to approve rules and regulations with a three-year month extension now through july 31, 2019 and 466,000 increase amount for a total 2.4 million and to approve evidence of financial responsibility as demonstrated by the programme administrator lca for the 2019 calendar year. >> this resolution is adopted unanimously. madam clerk, please call item number 15. >> item 15 is a resolution to

authorize the general manager of the public utilities commission to execute amendment number 4 to an agreement with black and veach corporation for a new total of nine years through march 9, 2020 and to increase the agreement for a total not to exceed 72.8 million for a continued construction management services for the calaveris dam replacement project. >> without objection, this resolution is adopted unanimously. madam clerk, the next item. >> item 16 is a resolution to retroactively authorize the park department to expend a trust for public land grant for 521,000 to conduct a feasibility study and concept design for improvements to the eugenel. friend centre.

>> supervisor peskin? >> not to sound like a broken record but the retroactive stuff, i didn't see an email from rec and park which the others have been doing of late. i was wondering if the mayor's office or somebody from rec and park or supervisor hainey has an answer to that. >> this is beverly with rec and park. understandably this is a retroactive right for grants combined from the trust republican land and we understand there is a new protocol we've move forward on and this was an exception before we had moved forward on it. >> thank you. >> colleague, can we take this

same house in call? this resolution is adopteds unanimously. madam clerk, item number 17. >> item 17 is a resolution to authorize the office of the treasurer and tax collector to accept and expend a $150,000 grant from the workers' lab to design and pilot a worker's fund at the san francisco airport from may 1, 2019 through june 20, 2020? >> this same house in call? this resolution is moved unanimously. >> item 18 to adjust the union square park recreation and open space fee from 4 dollar 4 dollae the appropriate findings. >> colleagues, can we take this same in-house call? the ordinance passed on first reading unanimously. madam clerk, please call the next item? >> resolution that declares a climate emergency, item.

19, in san francisco and requests accelerated action to address the climate crisis and limit global warming to 1.5° celsius. >> colleagues, same house in call? this resolution is adopted unanimously. madam clerk, the next item? >> item 20 is a resolution to determine that the transfer of a 21 off sale general beer, and liquor license will serve the public convenience of the city and requesting that the california department of alcoholic beverage control impose the issuance of this license. >> colleagues, same house, same call? >> without objection, this is adopted unanimously. madam clerk? >> item 21, the require the department of resources to require implicit biased training, heads and members of city boards and commissions if they be current to complete this

training by december 31, 2019 and if newly appointed to complete the training of 60 days of assuming office. >> supervisor stephanie. >> thank you, president. colleague, i would like to thank supervisors ronan, mar and recommending it out of the rule's committee. this legislation will ensure the leaders of our city including all commissioners and department heads which does include all elected, learn about implicit biased to reflect on onl only . we know this can be an inclusive workplace and city. this is pervasive and all possess them. implicit bias can affect workplaces and organize and result in unintentional discrimination.

i took this two-day course on biased and believe that building education into our institutions is absolutely imperative. schools should teach it, workplaces should offer training and leer leaders should think at it when making cree decision. m. they want to participate in an in-house training to provide as an all-day worse. city commissioners will take an online training to have the opportunity to take the full day in-person training, as well. i want to thank my legislative aid who worked through some of the issues that came up and i want to thanhope to have your s. >> thank you for your leadership, i would like to be added as a cosponsor. >> ok, colleagues, can we take this item, same house, same

call? without objection, this is passed in first reading. item number 22, madam clerk. >> a motion to reappoint sabrina hernandez,michael interio to the golden gate bridge highway and transportation district. >> colleague, can we take this same house, same call? without objection, this is called unanimously. madam clerk, next item? >> item 23 a motion to amend the rules of order of the board of supervisors by striking rule 3.23.29 to remove the budget and finance select committee on federal policy changes. mr. president, pursuant to board rule 3.261, this item requires a vote threshold for approval. >> thank you. colleagues, can we take this, same house, same call? without objection, this motion

is approved unanimously. madam clerk, please call item number 24. >> item 24 is a motion to amend the board rules by making clarifying amendments to 3.26. rules, committee and rule 3.30, and by adding 3.31 to establish joint city and school, this item also has an eight-vote threshold to rule 3.26.1. >> colleagues, i am truly looking forward to establishing the joint city school district, city college select committee. i want to make sure that we indicated that the board moves that the chair of this committee will be a board supervisor. i am proud to share that. i have asked and assigned supervisor matt hainey to be the chair of this committee once

formed. as such, i would like a motion to amend the motion to add the language to clarify that the chair of the joint city school district and select committee would be a member of the board of supervisors. can i have a second? seconded by supervisor stephanie. and without objection, the motion is amended. supervisor marr? >> thank you, president. first of all, i want to thank you for making the creation of this joint education select committee a priority. supporting our public schools and expanding access to city college is of high importance to my constituents and so many across our city and this committee will help enhance our board's commitment to public education. currently, i'm working with the sfusd and city college to expand city college courses to serve the diverse educational needs of

the sunset district and other westside residents. we'll be expanding dual enrollment courses at lincoln high school this fall and creating a win-win-win situation for sfusd students and parents. so this collaborative process i have had with city college and the school district highlights just the kind of examples of important work that can happen with the support of the select committee and how valuable to have the committee so thank you so much and thank you to supervisor hainey for leading this effort. >> supervisor hainey? >> thank you, president. i wanted to thank you for prioritizing this committee and bringing it back. i actually had the opportunity to serve on it when it existed in the prior iteration as a school board commissioner and there are so many issues as supervisor marr just outlined. where not just two institutions which was the prior iteration where it was sfusd in the city

but actually these three institutions working together, aligning our workforce development goals, our pipeline goals for jobs. i just think there's so many things we'll be able to talk about and collaborate and partner because of the existence of this committee. so i'm very gratefu grateful toe assigned as the chair and looking forward to having anybody who wants to sit in and be a part of it. i think we'll be able to do great things there. so i want to this on your radar, as well. if there are issues that come up, if you all would things forward for hearings or other things for us to here in this committee, i'm very excited to welcome that and thank you again, president. >> thank you. supervisor walton. >> i want to thank you,

president, for bringing this committee back in effect. i was disappointed when it was suspended. i think there is such much that josepoverlaps and the city and d and it's something to allow us to be unified and adding city college as a part of the joint committee, i think is just the icing on the cake. so i look forward to doing the work together. thank you. >> thank you. supervisor fiore. >> yes, thank you, president. i want to say thank you for putting this forward. i served on the joint committee between this sfusd and the county of san francisco for four years so i know this committee very well and always thought that city college should be a part of the conversation and so i want to thank you and i look forward to hearing what's happening at this committee and also how these three institutions can add to the work

and support each other. thank you. >> thank you. i also want to say just that this committee is very important and considering that a few years ago we also created another body to see how we could coordinate services for our children and families throughout the city. we're talking about living in the home or at school or graduating and going to city college, we're talking about the same person. so there's no reason we don't work together. a few years ago, the people actk to create our children, our families council in which they met quickly and did a lot of work in the first few years but more recently, it has not been

as robust as i would like to see it. maybe this joint committee could be a stimulus to this council to get something together because the cochairs of the council are supposed to be the mayor and the superintendent of school. so hopefully we'll see ac activation. this is approved unanimously. clerk? >> appointings rosa chen to the committee for a term ending february 21, 2021. >> colleague, can we take the same house in call? this motion approved unanimously. madam clerk? >> item 26 is a motio motion to repoint melissa mendoza to the

bicycle committee. >> this motion is approved unanimously. it's not quite 2:30, so madam clerk, can we jump over to roll call 32. supervisor walton, you're first to introduce new business. >> thank you, president and madam clerk. today i'm making the request for legislation on illegal dumping in san francisco. we know illegal dumps has been prevalent in our neighborhoods. from march 13, 2016 we had 18,034 requests for illegal dumps and illegal dumping is especially rampant in the industrial parts in district parted and my office has been working with public works, sfpd

to eliminate illegal dumping and to stop people from putting their trash and debris on our streets and sidewalks. aside from how it looks aesthically, it is also costing us millions of dollars to address illegal dumping and this is something that needs to be curtailed and stopped. so i'm going to be introducing and requesting formal legislation to request fines for illegal dumping and putting trash and debris on streets, remove business licenses and vehicles from contractors who dump on our streets. and with that said, we need the entire community to come together as we work to curtail illegal dumping in our streets and in our neighborhoods. this is a major problem that should not exist. we should not be treating streets and communities as dumping grounds. the rest i submit. >> thank you, supervisor walton. supervisor yi. >> thank you.

colleagues, today i am in memorium to a friend, francisco ping shae. he was known for his tireless spirit. he was born in 1933 in china and was a graduate of the sujou university. he came to san francisco as a journalist for the daily central news and fell in love with the city he would call home for the rest of his life. his career lead him to becoming the secretary at the chinese consulate general for the republic of china and editor for a number of newspapers when his other par passion came calling. in 1982, he realized his dream of becoming a professional chef.

i didn't know this, but he opened a hunon village restaurants, one of the first in san francisco and the united states. he introduced new spicey fresh flavours to a new audience and forever transformed the scene for the chinese cuisine. francisco wanted to share it's love for cooking by teaching classes at city college and offer demonstrations to whoever wanted to learn. he was known tor tireless advocacy also heavily involved with engaging and uplifting chinese american community. he was one of the founders and a long-time director of the chinese international school, a chinese dual language and one of the first in the united states serving pre-kindergarten through

eighth grade and serves on the boards of the chinese chamber of commerce, self-help for the elderly, chinatown economic development task force and promoted san francisco internationally as a member of the san francisco shanghai sister committee and as a former cochair of the taipai city committee. francisco was active as a member of the california commission on asian and pacific islanders american affairs. advising the governor and legislature on issues affecting the islander communities. a member of the california world trade commission, a member of the california transportation as advisory board and a board member of the california acupuncture board regulating the

practice of acupuncture and asian medicine in the state. as if that wasn't enough, he was president of the u.s., china and preservation confucius foundation to promote relationships between the united states and the pacific rim. francisco was instrumental in shaping the political careers of many local leaders, including then president to the board of supervisors angela alio and over the years, francisco became well-known as a prolific fundraiser and a community relation's consultant on a local, state and national level working with congressman mike honda, former california greg davis, formal state senator john burton and former san francisco

mayor willie brown, jr., among many others. he was a mainstream for many political complains. and civic causes. what i loved most is the way he brought positivity to the work and people around him. i will miss running into him here at city hall or out in the field where he could outpace anyone out there volunteering or canvassing. francisco is survived by his wife of over 50 years, ivy shae and his son thomas su-shae and alexander shae and daughter, as you know is francis shae who is also an equally energetic workhorse in the community.

so i believe both leo, thomas, and francis are here today in the chamber. i want to thank you for sharing your father with us. our hearts and prayers are with your family during this time. not supervisor peskin. >> thank you, president. i wanted to add my words about francisco. i met him in late '90'snes's ins restaurant on washington street, upstairs with the chinese club would meet and a few years later i ran for supervisor, when was one of the first folks to support me and many years later when i came out of my hiatus, he dragged me down and me on chinese radio, even though i wasn't supported by certain people at those times and he was

totally his own person and i just wanted to express my sorrow to his daughter, francis. supervisor fiore? >> yes, president, i would like to add my condolences and sympathies to the shae family. i met francis do francis franci. he was a sharp dresser and he came up to me and approached me. and we had been friends ever since. my husband also, so fund of francisco, i think. he has been so kind and generous to me and he actually had no reason or purpose, actually, to be so kind and generous to me. kind of barely knew me but kind of took me under his wing. i have to say what i loved most about francisco besides his

smile was that he was political without the nastiness of politics. he was completely independent. and he felt -- what he felt was good for the community, and then he would sand up for it and i have to commend him for that and also, i want to say that he was a wonderful community volunteer. mainly supporting and representing chinatown and i also went to his radio show with my limited chinese language skills and felt completely at home with him. many times he had come to my office with visiting delegations from china and i was so pleased to accommodate him and i just want to say, we have experienced a great loss with the passing of francisco shae. i don't think there will be another personality or person like him in san francisco. these types of people are so rare in our world and in the community that i think of

politics and san francisco politics, he was a loyal friend, again, kind and generous and he will be sorely missed, not only by me and my husband but i think the whole san francisco community. >> thank you for your word. supervisor ronan. >> i didn't have the pleasure of working very closely with francisco but every single time i saw him at a political event or in the halls of city hall, he would give me the warmest smile and a big hug and tell me to keep fighting and working hard and it was just such a highlight every time i ran into him. and, of course, he had a hand in raising francis shae, my beloved colleague for so many years, former legislative aide and

someone who we all work with and respect so profoundly. he is the super star that everyone remembers and appreciates so well. i just wanted to offer my sincere condolences to the entire family, especially during this time of grief and just let you know that francisco meant a lot to all of us and to the ci city. >> thank you. supervisor mendelman. >> thank you, president yi. a lot like of us, i loved francisco and was very sad to hear of his death. i had met him in 2003 when i was volunteering on a mayoral campaign and i remember this hyperactive, extremely energetic man walking susan up clement

street introducing her to all of the merchants and i remember thinking if i ever ran for office myself, i wanted to have this guy on my side. sure enough in 2010, when i ran for the board of supervisors the first time, francisco was there from the beginning and was a tremendous support to me throughout that campaign, which i did not win. but when i came back and tried it again in 2018, he was there again. he was incredibly loyal and ec liceclectic in his political tas but he was as others have said incredibly independent. i remember going for a run in the spring of last year and passing this adorable house on 30th street that -- i mean, it was just adorably decorated but it had signs and i was trying to wrap my brain around who could

this possibly be and figured out at some point that was francisco. so it was an honour to represent francisco for a short period of time and i want to join my colleagues in expressing my condolenceses to francis and the family. >> supervisor marr. >> thank you, president. i wanted to join you and our colleagues in this honouring and recognition in the memory of francisco. i had the great pleasure of knowing francisco for many years. actually originally through different political campaigns and and i have always been so amazed and inspired by the energy and just the zest for life that he seemed to embody and, also, as i got to know him more, just really impressed by the wide range of work that he

had done, you know, outside of politics, but really for the achievechinese community and soy important issues in our city. so yeah, i just wanted to add my deep condolences to francis and the family and just express my strongest appreciation for all that francisco did for our city, in the chinese community, especially. thank you. >> supervisor prong. >> yes, first time i met him, i was with my first boss at city hall and i was a legislative aid. we were at some event and he was talking to me about being a legislative aid. i thought, how does he know all? he knew, like, these dark, deep secrets that we all kept near to us and tha then when i found out was francis' dad, i laughed so hard.

i said, ok, you're an insider. but he never told me he was francis' dad when he was telling me all this stuff. one thing i knew about him that he was community first and he was a true san francisco advocate and activist. and it was hard to hear that he had he passed away and condolences to francis and her family. just want to say thank you for letting your father be that person that was always from upfront fighting the fight and we will always remember him. supervisor hainey. >> thank you, president. i also want to share my condolences with francis and the shae family. your father was clearly somebody who had a huge influence on people in this chamber and across san francisco an san frat to thank you for sharing him

with us and all for that i know you will continue to do to continue his legacy as supervisor said, there are rare individuals that are larger than life who have such an impact during their time here and we know they will always be with us and francisco was one of those people. so my condolences to you and the shae family. >> supervisor. >> thank you, president. i was absolutely taken aback today. i thought we were honouring -- giving, actually, a certificate of honour and commendation for life achievement. i'm really, really sorry to francis and the family for your loss. your father, as yo you know, was such a pleasant, warm person that we all loved. i remember the first time meeting him when francis was working for fiona. he started talking to me about being a chef and about politics

and he started talking to me about all of the different things that he knew about san francisco and chinatown and he queried me on my interest on running for interest. i was, like, who is this guy and why does he know so much? [ laughter ] >> it was just really refreshing. as everyone has said, he constantly had a wonderful smile and wonderful energy and so, i think everyone at a loss today, a loss for all of you, a loss for the city and what a kind, gentle man he was and my deepest condolenceses to your family and to all of us. thank you, president. >> supervisor walton? >> oftentimes we wonder where people get their spirit and sense of advocacy and sometimes we actually get to see actually where that comes from and i did get the opportunity to meet your father. i didn't know him well, but i do know where you get your spirit

and dedication for serving and fighting for community. i just want to send my condolences to you, francis, and your entire family. our prayers are with you. >> thank you. as you see, the to the shae fa, he's well respected in this chamber. i would like the entire board of supervisors in closing today's meeting in memory of francis coast. francisco. so on march 15, a young lady, madam cordiva was struck by a car out for a walk with her mother on john mire drive crossing the crosswalk.

madeline and her mother were severely injured. madeline succumbed to -- to her injuries last week. every collision in her city streets -- sorry.

i'll just submit it, madam clerk. >> thank you, mr. president. can we go to our 2:30 item. >> we have submitted by supervisor mendelmam, supervisor ronan. >> i'm sorry, supervisor memdelman. >> thank you, president. daniel birsherack around? come on up, daniel. this is on completion of his five years of service. since daniel's tenure began in april of 2014, the customer mers

have grown to meet changing needs of the neighborhood. under leadership, the membership reached 325 businesses, the highest number ever. over the past five years, the castro merchants have launched the windows for harvey and weekly castro art walk promotions and expanded popular annual holiday promotions to include -- and monthly promotions -- and expanded holiday promotions on market street. each of these have drawn visitors along to appreciate and celebrate community in the castro. daniel's service goes above and beyond the needs of small service and was active in the creation of this remarkable partnership that brings together the castro me merchants and neighborhood groups or house and

unhoused alike. daniel worked tirelessly to foster relationships between city officials, business dealers and other dealers. he's been a tremendous partner to my office in tackling the most important issues providing great expertise and leadership to address commercial vacancies and he's been a champion of innovative approaches to bring people facing mental health off of our streets and into housing and care. i don't know how many neighborhood m merchants would e strong advocates fo for additiol drop-in centres or resources in the neighborhood but daniel is one and i'm incredibly grateful for you in that regard. in addition to the volunteer service, he has given more of his time to the community as an appointed member as dpw's news rack advisory board and the small business working advisory

group and sf police advisory board and a cofounder of the henry brook committee, chair of the castro upper market renewal committee and delegate to the san francisco council of the merchants association. he's a busy guy. his work in entrepreneurship spans two decades and his location in the castro has been open seven yearses and owns three cafes and snack shops and his business has employed 37 people and sf bay guardian of the bay award and named business time lbgt leader's list. i say how lucky i am to represent a district with engaged and dedicated constituents and daniel is a leader to give his time to make

his community better. though he will be stepping down this thursday, i trust he isn't going anywhere and that his commitment to the community will continue. before i invite daniel to say a few word, i want to acknowledge a crew of merchants who have come out today to congratulate him. masude murray is in attendance, along with other merchants, brian springfield and ray connelly from the friends of harveyville plaza and i believe daniel's partner is also here. i'm looking forward to working with all of you, as well as richard mcgeary, the administrator and all-around important merchants. daniel, thank you for your leadership. >> thank you. >> i invite you to say a few words. >> thank you, and thank you so much for those kind words,