coffers and it passed with the voters because they thought they were voting to fund free city. the money is there. why isn't it being used for what the voters voted for? >> thank you very much. any other public speakers? seeing none, public comment is closed. madame clerk, any other items before us today? >> madame chair, we need to take action on this item. would you like this file? >> we would like to file this, please. >> and there is no other business. >> supervisor fewer: we're adjourned.

>> this is the meeting of the recreation and park commission. would the secretary please call the roll. (roll call). >> i am going to make a few announcements. we welcome everyone today. it is the april 18th meeting of the recreation and park commission. we would ask you to turn off sound producing devices that could go off during the meeting. we ask you take any secondary conversations outside in order for this meeting to proceed as

efficiently as possible. commissioner buhl each commission has three minutes. each person will have three minutes to speak on public comment for each item. when you do, please address your comments to the commission. in order to allow equal time for all, neither commission nor staff will respond to questions during public comment. the commission may ask questions of staff after public comment is closed. if you would like to speak on an item of interest to you that is not on the agenda but is under the subject matter of the commission. you may speak under item 4 continued to item 4. if the fire alarms activate you

must evacuate the building in an orderly fashion. elevators will immediately return to the first floor and are not available for use. if you need assistance out of the building please make your way to the closest area of refuge across the hall in the men's restroom. inside is a speaker box. press it and security will answer. let them know your location and they will assist you. one change. item 9 is off calendar and will not be heard. with that we go to item 2, the president's report. >> thank you. very briefly. i know this will be discussed later in presentations. i want to note that since the last meeting we have had two very significant public events. one was acknowledgment of the gift at india basin. the largest gift in the history

of the recreation and park department. we had groundbreaking for the tennis center in tolden gate park. more will be said about these. this is because of the staff work and the constant attention to the quality of both the facilities and the programs in the department. it just is a reality the public fireds what we are doing to be worthy of major substantial multi-million dollars investments. this is a long time in the making, fill an it doesn't just. that he look carefully how they spend dollars. they have to trust those will end up being for the intended purpose. that only comes with confidence with the people doing the job.

commissioner harrison wants to make a comment. >> i had the pleasure of attending zoo fest last friday. i want to congratulate you on a very successful and enjoyable evening. the food was good, company great and entertainment was overwhelming with the some of the purchasing. it was great. i want to compliment you an and also tanya. thank you. >> that concludes my report. >> any public comment on the president's report? being none this item is closed. we are now on item 3, the general manager's report. >> good morning. i apologize in advance for a joyous and robust report. that is code for longish. let me start with my not so

favorite event of the year 420. this saturday is april 20th. as with every april 20, a throng of revelers is expected to descend upon us in robin williams meadow in golden gate park to celebrate all things green. as we have seen in years past, this previously not permitted event does create a host of challenges including traffic and health and safety issues. over the last few years we have been grateful to the leadership of supervisor london breed now supervisor vallie brown and local merchants and alex in particular who have stepped off to offer infrastructure around

this event including 185 portable toilets in the event area and neighborhood. 4900 feet of fencing, 90 security guards, 33% increase from last year. dedicated cleanup crews inside the event and in surrounding neighborhoods. this is our third year working together, and this partnership has created a safer and cleaner and less impactful event. the merchant contribution along with a significant amount of support from sfpd, m.t.a., public works, public health, juvenile probation, department of emergency management and, of course, our own staff who works around the clock to manage this event has yielded good results. this event is not without risk,

and as always we encourage everyone using the park to respect each other, respect the park, respect the neighborhoods, and to be safe and smart. as a public service reminder there are traffic considerations around the event. in addition to our regular saturday car-free road closures jfk at eighth avenue will be closed to vehicles as will conservatory drive each and west, nancy pelosi drive and mlk drive between ninth avenue which basically means if you don't have an awfully good reason to be around the park, don't go around the park. moving on. earth day. the very next day we come back

down-to-earth, and we get to celebrate, which i believe is also easter. we will be celebrating earth day and the eco center's ninth birthday. sunday april 21st 9 amendment to 2:00 p.m. there wil will be a habitat prot and enjoy a free barbecue lunch. to rsvp and to view the entire earth month calendar log on to earth month blog. next week is five playgrounds in the city including the panhandle, golden gate park. sergeant john mccauley park in the tenderloin playground, the play ground in mic chairren park

and in the excelser. it is under the let's play sf initiative a $30 million public private partnership with the san francisco parks alliance supported by park fund money and general fund support. in total they will renovate 13 playgrounds around the city. washington square playground was completed a few months ago. we co-host one big groundbreaking for all five projects on thursday, april 25th at 11:00 a.m. this may marks 74 years since the en end of the holocaust. to remind those of the survivors an installation by a german artist is at the plaza.

maybe you walked by it this morning. over 70 portraits of holocaust survivors including several local individuals, one i will talk about in a second. also including those from all across united states, germany, ukraine, they are to provide voice and visibility to survivors. courageous leann wonderfully presented by the institute of san francisco and the german consoling lat in part he -- consulate it is previously at the lincoln memorial in washington, d.c. and at the headquarters in new york city. it celebrates strength of survivors and they are pictured in the life affirming photographs. one of the survivors i learned about tenacity first hand in

2010 when ilsa alexander wrote me a series of letters demanding to know what we are done with her favorite bench after the pga golf tournament in 2010. she then came to my office to ask the same question. she got her bench back along with a plaque and also a surrogate grandson here at the park. it is an honor to see her out there. i hope everyone explores her portrait to see her warmth, charisma, humanity. you use it to realize the destructive power of hate. access to adventure. in partnership with support for families of children with disabilities will host access to

adventure for kids with disabilities and special healthcare needs on may 4th at golden gate park band shell. this includes art, music sports and live entertainment for all ages. for more visit support for families.org. lastly i want to report about thaboutthe biodiversity survey d by 107-18. our department completed an inter department mental survey summarizing all planned and existing projects and initiatives to promote the biodiversity. earlier this month we submitted the results of to the department of environment. the survey results are being compiled with those of other

city agency and share understand the near future. it would be great to come back to present about the report's findings with a specific focus on our organization. okay. i now have two bits of recognition. the first commissioner as you will note focuses on yesterday's wonderful celebration at the golden gate park tennis center. it was a day anyone who was there will never forget when mayor breed and president buehl and the supervisors and our tennis learning center kids and staff and our lead donors joined mayor breed in the ceremonial net drop. we officially began the final

phase of the 10 year a long journey to create a community hub and youth development program that will be the best public center in the country. our center is 125 years old. it is the keeper of stories and champions. the courts have hosted billie jean king and peanut louie and brad gilbert and alice marble who won 18 grand slam titles before defeating nazi germany and fighting to desegregate the sport by demanding that gibson could play in the u.s. open. it is the home of those who depend on the courts for joy, health, competition and community. during the 150th anniversary

next year the lisa and douglas goldman tennas centers opens to the next 25 years. the $27 million renovation will feature a clubhouse and new lights with 27,000 hours of play and garden for spectating and the pickleball court and the program at the tennis learning center. it will provide one-on-one tutoring and life lessons in leadership and teamwork through the game of tennis. most strongly symbolizing the unbreakable bond a large mural in the clubhouse will display the words love all. projects like this don't happen. they take determination and partnership and leadership and civic generosity. today i want to thank the tennis

coalition for the park that got this project going and for the gensty, experty and help along the way. my hats off for the outstanding leadership. thanks to the leadership of our donors, lisa and douglas, the fisher family, and thanks to each and every other single person. there are hundreds is not thousands that believe this project important enough to donate treasure, talent or sweat. now, i want to turn to our own team. i want to thank the heart of public tennis, channing hail and dana for helping us find the future operating structure. but my biggest personal thanks

is t to curry. who has spent a decade as chief administrative officer and lead cheerleader. without that grace, competent, commitment and unrelenting, unyielding focus, this project would have never happened. it is my pleasure to recognize dahlia curry. if you could join me with the first sign for the tennis center and this bouquet. [applause.]

(applause). >> thank you so much. that was very kind. i was a little suspicious when i was asked to be here today. i did write some things down assuming i would be a little flustered which i am. this is very, very kind. when i started working for the department about nine years ago, as you pointed out, this was a project in my portfolio, and i think if we are honest it was

high in the -- pie in the sky. don't get too attached kind of thing. somehow one gift turned into two, three, we just got some momentum. we had a committed community group in the tennis coalition. somehow we made it to the groundbreaking yesterday. it has been a real pleasure working with phil and all of my colleagues in the department. members of the tennis coalition and staff of the tlc program especially who work tirelessly every day to support youth development and improve outlooks for our kids in under served communities. victory has many parents. >> i was quoting the boss over

there. >> it has been an honor to work on this project, and i just thank you all for the opportunity. >> thank you. [applause.] >> okay. we have one more two-part recognition. then we have a video. then i am done. today we have the distinct honor of recognizing the outgoing chair and long time member of the parks recreation and open space advisory committee, also known as prozac. stefan had to step down after nine years. he was first appointed in 2010 to seat number six representing

district two and was later reappointed by supervisor farrell and most recently by catherine stephanie. i wonder if that is history. has one prozac member ever been appointed by three supervisors. three years as vice chair and three years as chair. in addition to the committee he is a member of friends of lafayette park. he is an extremely community focused park advocate involved in numerous projects in san francisco, including putting his professional music production to good use in five seasons for saturdays in the park at the concert series. he was instrumental in basically creating what i think is maybe the coolest dog park in all of

san francisco at lafayette park. i want to thank you so much for your leadership and commitment to making parks better. i know you are not going away as a park champion and advocate and engaged community and sevvick leader. i hope we -- civic leader. i hope we will all look back on your tenure as chair of prozac and understand what a turning point it was through your grace, diplomacy and calm reason, prozac has evolved into a partner with the recreation and park department. no longer just an advocat. we work together to keeply explore park policy issues, to problem solve, to make sure the community is informed. i could not be more grateful for your effort in making that

shift, and i know that jordan who i will introduce in a second will continue that legacy. that truly serves our parks and is one of the fundamental reasons we have the best park system in the country. if you want to come up and say a few words. [applause.] >> how do i follow that? thank you so much, commissioners. i did not prepare a speech, but i have my final chair's report for prozac which my brothers and sisters have heard this. i feel i can at least say a couple things. first of all, thank you for the recognition. a volunteer position you get into it because you love your parks. you get into it because you want to make change, and i would say

that more to the community that it is about getting your hands dirty, being focused on positivity for your small space and that grows. i will always have the work that we did here in room 278 in the lodge and in 200 odd parks that we serve. in my nine years we reviewed hundreds of presentations, met with dozens of city agencies with focus on oversight, understanding, input, discussion around many different issues. we talked about budgets and park policy. it is a whole new world when you peel back the layers. i would like to recognizeless an--recognize les and linda. i would like to thank our new

chair for serving, you know, as leadership during my terms. i would like to thank the recand park department. my good friend gary, don, stacy, dana, diane, lamonte, taylor, denny, and of course uncle phil. i believe our roll requires us to be squeaky wheels sometimes. it is finding that shared vision that allows us to make it a better place. we could all just put our vibes out there. without concession, without looking at each other to say we are all in this together for better parks, the commission, prozac and the department, it wouldn't work. it would be a broken system. i am glad to be part of that.

i feel the rec park department is open to finding middle ground. it is always nice to be recognized as a member of prozac. it is nice to see our hard work on display all over the city. i would like to thank catherine stephanie for making parks a priority in their term. our committee is an asset to individual communities and districts. it is clear our national park score reflects how much as individuals we are part of park success. as i term out and no longer serve on prozac, i challenge members and alliance to work with individuals and groups, organizations to make our parks better, support new open space,

promote future park bonds. we can have a great park system we need to support it in any way we can. it is my pleasure to serve as a member and chair of prozac. we haven't always agreed we made the parks and city better. i will continue to serve the city and community in other weighs in years to come. i thank you all for your service and your time. [applause.] >> hang out to let me make one more introduction the next chair of pro zax. we welcome jordan who was the new cherry elected to succeed -- the newly-elected chair. she is a graduate of san francisco state and graduate of usf with masters in public administration. she worked as a legislative intern and interned for

supervisor katy tang. she was appointed and during the first term on the board she addvo indicated for the historic preservation of the mother's building of the zoo and the dog play area. the community open space at the turnaround at ocean beach. she was developed equity metrics to make san francisco the first city in which every person is a 10 minute walk to a park or open space. we are excited to work with you and your prozac colleagues for the next several years. please come up and say a quick word if you don't mind. [applause.] >> good morning. thank you so much, general manager, for the recognition. i am thankful to my prozac

colleagues and for our former chair for always encouraging me to speak up and serve as leadership in this new capacity. i am excited for the work that our committee will continue to achieve in the next calendar year and work to have our community serve and support the commission as well as the department and future parks and recreation activities. thank you and i look forward to seeing you all very soon. [applause.]

>> on april 4, 2020, golden gate park turns 150. on april 4, 2019 it turned 149. here is the video. ♪ just listen to the music. >> that looks like us.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ h ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ . >> thank you. i thought we were nervous doing 14 the of those. that concludes the general managers report. >> is there anyone who would like to make public comment on the general manager's report? being none, this item is closed. we are now on item 4.

general public comment up to 15 minutes. this item will be continued to item 10 once those 15 minutes are up. at this time members of the public may address the commission on items of interest to the public within the subject matter jurisdiction of the commission and that do not appear on the agenda. with to the agenda items you will have the opportunity to address the commission when the item is reached. if you would like to make comment please come up. we will take you in the order that you come up. >> we have overhead, please.

>> commissioners, directo directorgensberg. the property owners have recently erected without permission wooden fencing around and through adjourning parcel of land. this belongs to the san francisco recreation and parks department this is a part of the park. these two property owners encroached upon approximately 5,000 square feet of invaluable open space parkland for their exclusive use and enjoyment. it is wrong for anyone to think property belongs to in one. it is especially wrong to encroach on public park land. we do not wish to punish or fine or collect unpaid rents or fees. our goal is to help.

we come to you as representatives of the public interest for that purpose. since last year rec park sent strongly worded notices to remove encroachments and restore the land. for over a year they resisted. they want the land. they convinced themselves they have a right to the land and they are determined to keep it. they spread misinformation on social media, circulated petitions and offered to buy the land. public parkland can be be solved or leased or given away without a vote of the people to whom it belongs. recently for reasons we don't understand. rec park has granted th the encroaching property owners an easement. when we asked for a copy rec park said there was no need for a written agreement. it is clear the fence is still

there. the gates, walls, stairs, pots, trash cans are there. their fence still discourages visitors and controls access to what they still consider to be their land. we believe there is a simple, fair and reasonable resolution to this egregiously unfair situation and it is to do as rec park first demanded. the recently constructed fence must be immediately removed and the parcel restored to a park like condition. we believe the solution benefits everyone and does no harm. these two property owners can still use and recreate on the lanbut not control it. if they want a fence they can build that fence on the property line where it belongs. if rec park will not reconsider the decision to encumber

thousands of square feet of public open space parkland we believe a hearing must be held to allow public input. we hope you agree and thank you for your attention. >> thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> hello everybody. i am happy to say i am not your neighbor. i didn't have anything to do with that fence. good luck. i didn't know this about alice marble. i noticed all the new parks opening. none of them were south. i am back for district 10, jackson square, jackson park. in the last 10 years, $380 million of bond money was spent throughout the city and not one penny at jackson park. i said the clubhouse built in 1912 is the same it was when my daughter who is 28 years old.

i misspoke. it is painted on the exterior. that is not really changing it. as i noticed the paint job then i noticed the crumbling cement wall and rusted chain-link fence. in spite of the unbelievable development in our neighborhood and i encourage you to visit us the arena, giants park. ucfh, good lord all coming to our neighborhood we have not been granted the money. the friends of jackson park have done a good job to build up community support, raising money. i beg you last time i said throw us a bone. i want the whole prime rib. we have earned it, put up with a lot of construction all the time. i beg you for a change. thank you for your team.

i want to applaud this gentleman. the person who was a volunteer. i will try more. one thing i notice is you work together with the commission and with the park as volunteers. we can never move forward. if the congress worked like this we might not be in the situation we will. jackson park we beg for the money. >> next speaker, please. >> i am mary clip. i make this statement on behalf of my son, josh clip, who could not be here today because of illness. josh lives with his wife in patrero hill. he is a planting leader with friends of the urban forest. one year ago josh noticed

several large trees in his neighborhood park of mckinley square were taken down or noticed for removal. because of his love for trees and his understanding of how trees are essential to our environment, he inquired with rec and park about this and asked if rec and park had a reforestation plan. the director of operations stated they had no reforestation plan. having planted nearly 700 trees himself with the friends of the earth and forest, josh was familiar with the city's street plan database, but he saw no parallel for the trees in our city parks. he knew that rec and park had

for the last 10 years submitted information to the urban forestry council regarding the number of trees that rec and park had removed and planted each year. josh made an information request on rec and park for the information on tree plantings and removals for the last 10 years. the same number of years that rec and park had submitted this information to the urban forest council. when rec and park failed to adequately respond to josh's information request, josh filed a complaint with the sunshine ordinance task force. this month the task force held that rec and park violated the sunshine act by failing to provide documents to josh in a timely and complete manner.

at the task force hearing dennis concern represented rec and park, the same dennis concern who told josh the deputy had no reforestation plan and stated at the hearing they kept no record of tree removals or plantings. he said that in submitting information to the urban forest council. they are essentially just trying to recall what they did over the last year. >> thank you. >> it is inconceivable that is city. >> you are out of time. >> i am going to ask that i respectfully request this commission the other one went be through three of those. i am going through one. i respectfully request this commission hold a hearing or series of hearings and require

the department to explain itself. >> thank you. >> you are at time. next speaker, please. >> thank you commissioners. we appreciate your letting us come up. i am jane while. i represent prozac to district six. >> i and anna gee. >> we want to add congratulations and appreciation for stevan. he worked for untold hours. it has really meant a lot to us and other members of prozac a representative of one of the wealthiest districts in the city. he has went to work for one of

the most poor areas of the area. what he has done for the park is out of the love of the city and he has got to bat for us for the small parks in district six. the spirit he has brought that phil talked about of working as a friend with the department. we have such wonderful park employees that come to our meetings at night and stay until 9:30 p.m. when they started working at 7:00 a.m. thank you for your recognition of him. >> i want to add to his recognition. when he first came to prozac, he was one of the first to guide me to be a representative of my district. i appreciate the hours he dedicated to mentor me. we will miss him very, very

much. >> thank you very much. >> next speaker. >> good morning, commissioners, ladies and gentlemen. i am robert ellis from the omi community action organization. i want to congratulate all of the honorees today. the solution to my problem is simple. it concerns the merced heights renovation program. my situation is the clubhouse, the renovation of the clubhouse to make the park more for the aging and disability people who are not being provided for means renovation of the clubhouse. making the clubhouse more accessible for the aging and disability people so they can

have programs of their own, which they do not have at all right now. one more item that i have. i don't know if it is on the agenda. the dog parks up there in the area. i think there is a rumor that they want to make the merced heights part of the dog park. we have two dog parks in the area within a few blocks of each other. we don't need a dog park in with senior citizens with disabilities. my request more specifically is to make the clubhouse more accessible, the park more accessible to senior citizens and people with disabilities. we need a place to have our gatherings and relations, too. thank you very much for your time. >> we have time for one more

speaker. >> good morning, commissioners. i am bud's wife who recently spoke about the encroachment on bruno hill. i wasn't going to speak today. i don't have any speech prepared. there were some things i wanted to bring up. back in december -- this isn't going to work. back in december 2017 is when we initially wrote rec park either november or december of 2017 because of the encroachment, and i just want to show you a picture of the fence that these individuals built.

it separate sepit is on -- it ic park property. that tree had sketching put on by the property owners. we wrote and they were very gracious and understood the problem. i felt assured they were going to take action and they did communicate with the city attorney's office. they issued notices to the property owners, required the property owners to remove fencing. remove what they put on the tree. they did remove what they put on the tree, but what happened. they were to remove it by november.

we were told to be patient. we were as patient as we could be. then all of a sudden -- sorry about this. all of a sudden we found out that the fence was reduced to 4. the gate is still tall. you can see first down the gate. this is still someone's private backyard. they have, i believe, are in someone's private backyard. they are not the only ones who did this. there are other property owners. we had requests from public works and rec park and hillary row nan's office. they asked for support. there is an e-mail from rec park

saying there are several property owners encroaching on to rec park property. this is public open space, you know. it is wrong. i just wanted to say this is wrong. >> thank you very much. >> we are at time for general public comment. this will be continued to item 10 if anyone else would like to make general public comment. we are now on item 5. the consent calendar. anyone with public comment on the consent calendar? if so please come up now. >> go ahead, ken. then we have someone else. >> overhead, please. >> i am here to make a couple comments, if i may, about item f on the concept calendar. i am with the centennial committee. we have over the past year

organized several coul studies e end of the great war. that didn't come to pass. the committee then approached the department about establishing some signage for hero's grove. it is ironic here we are at the weekend prior to the return in april 23rd of 1919 of the 363rd. it was a tremendous out pooring from the city that led to the bond that made possible the war memorial, veterans building and opera house. the committee found support for establishing signage at the hero's grove that was first proposed to this commission just

after the arrival of the 363rd in 1919 that resulted in the first tree planted memorial day of 1919. our plan is to establish signage at the eastern end of hero's grove, which was the first tree planted on memorial day. mr. mic chairren didn't like redwood trees. now we have a stand 100 years old. our committee proposed contributing two smaller boulders within the grove itself that are more interpretive the list it was dedicated in 1919. this year we plan to rededicate the grove and for the first time

have signage to identify the park. a grove in the park that many, many people do not know even exists, and i'm hopeful from now on there will be some direction and interpretive signage. that is the plan from our committee.

>> speaking spanish. speaking spanish.

>> good morning. i am the father of alex. this is my second visit with you here. i want to say i am thankful for you guys helping us. it is a long road. many times we didn't know where it would end. we finally see the light. this is finally happening. my son died in 2014 in march, and now five years later in

march it has been five years later and a little bit after march. i still go the hill to pray and say our father for my son. there is a little dog that visits me. i go there every day. i will go there soon with a memorial there. good morning again. i am alex's mom. usually i don't speak because i get emotional. today i am. i just am grateful that we are finally here after five years. i want to thank you guys so much. >> please express to them our gratitude for coming here today. thank you. >> if i could say a quick little thing. i want to say that, you know, it has been a long battle. i want to celebrate the rent -- relentlessness.

it is a hard a long journey for them. wwe are the police and the criminal courts have failed them you helped to bring justice. i thank you guys for that. >> thank you. [applause.] >> good morning. today is a historic day because today you are approving the first ever memorial, an international caliber memorial to be dedicated to a victim of a police killing. we thank you, the community thanks you and i thank you for these words that will be on the plaque against the violence and injustice of 59 bullets, family and grassroots community arose as a movement to promote the

positive spirit and to defend the honor of a be loved young man who was killed by the police. i mourn for alex. this place will be a place of peace. it will be a place of inspiration, educational field trips and love. thank you. >> thank you. [applause.] >> is there anyone else to comment on the consent calendar? seeing none. richard. come on up. >> good morning. i am looking at the balboa park renovation. i should be speaking about it in general public comment. there is something that they are

working on the walkway to other parts around the area, i thought it would be of interest for me to bring in whether it be chain link around different corners so people would know there is a part that has to do with the main entrance to the pool area, and i thought if people know ahead of time and see the corners like chain-link fences, corners of it, then everybody knows it is dog play area. i was standing there waiting around looking at the people looking at the soccer game. there wasn't too many people at the dog play area. this is not quite the right time to talk about it. there is something that might be