variant is circulating in san francisco? is it cause for concern? >> we are not aware if the variant is circulating -- the new variant. this is the british variant, i assume that is being asked about. we are not aware at this time whether it's circulating in san francisco. and is cause for concern and number of scientists and looking to confirm the transmission and the increased transmission risk but i think that to emphasize the need for people not to travel and to stay t a home and for the travel quarantine guidelines to stay home so people returning to the city do not transmit covid-19. >> thank you, doctor.

we will give it just a moment. thanks for your time. >> all right, dr. colfax. that is it for today. thank you to madam mayor and for your time. that concludes today's press conference. >> thank you so much. goodbye. >> available for each item on this agenda, via telephone by

calling 1-(415)-655-0001. and when prompted entering code 1468720758 and then pound and pound again. once you join you will be able to listen to the meeting as a participant. to make public comment on an item, when the wr item is calle, dial star, 3, and you will hear that your line is unmuted and the operator will advise that you are allowed two minutes to speak. when your two minutes are up we move to the next caller taken in the order in which they are received. best practices are to speak slowly, clearly, and to turn down any televisions or radios around you. allow for audio and visual delays during the course of the meeting. >> thank you, miss milton. why don't we open up for public comment, any comments on the incredibly thorough minutes from our meeting last year about this time, december 17th, 2019. are there any minutes of the public who would like to comment on this item?

>> there's no public comment. >> okay. public comment is closed. and can we have a motion to approve the minutes from december 17, 2019? >> moved by mandelman. >> and amber, remind me -- last year you made me get a second? >> clerk: you should get a second. >> okay. see, we don't do that in three-person committees at the board of supervisors but i had a nagging suspicion that you wanted that last year. commissioner ronen, would you like to second? >> yes, please. >> and on that motion made and seconded, a roll call, please. >> clerk: on approval of minutes [roll call] you have three ayes. it is approved. >> thank you. and, madam clerk, please read the next item. >> clerk: yes, item going into

closed session, evaluation of the public employee performance and recommend approval of the executive director's performance objectives for 2021. this is an action item. >> thank you. and, madam council, do we need a motion to go into closed session? >> clerk: you do not need a motion to go into closed session. >> okay. should i take public comment prior to going therein? >> clerk: yes. >> are there any members of the public who would like to comment on this item number 3? >> no public comment. >> okay, public comment is closed. and now we will leave the open session and reconvene in the closed session momentarily. >> clerk: committee members -- i am waiting for everyone to get back with s.f.o. s.f.o sfgov-tv. >> ah, okay. if you would let us know when sfgov-tv is good to go, we are

good to go. >> clerk: okay, sfgov-tv is back. don't see council -- >> it's already, we won't mess this up. >> clerk: all righty. let's do roll. [roll call] we have quorum. >> supervisor peskin: so first as to item number 3, our closed session item i would like to make a motion to not disclose. a second for that motion? >> second. >> supervisor peskin: seconded and on that a roll call please. >> clerk: motion not to disclose [roll call vote] motion passes. >> supervisor peskin: could you read the next item? >> clerk: i can. item 4, recommend setting the annual compensation for the executive director for 2021, this is an action item. and then also, chair, before we do continue, i would like to

make an announcement about public comment for those on the line. >> please. >> clerk: thank you. the public comment line is 1-(415)-655-0001. and when prompted enter code 1468720758. to make public comment on an item when the item is called dial star 3 to be added to the queue to speak. you will hear a message saying that your line is unmutee unmutd you are allowed two minutes to speak. calls are taken in the order in which they are received. >> thank you, madam clerk. i first want to start by thanking the chief financial officer of the transportation authority miss cynthia fong, for helping us in closed session and then i want to thank our executive director and miss fong for really taking care of the 43 member staff of this small but

mighty agency. and then to -- without divulging what transpired in closed session, to thank my colleagues, commissioners ronen and mandelman, not only to their commitment to the transportation authority and its staff and to its mission, but for making our closed session deliberations very, very smooth. we are all very cognizant of the fact that this is a remarkably tough time financially, emotionally, psychologically. and that sales tax are down and other funding sources that the p.a. relies on are down. but we also acknowledge the staff and their hard work and note that on average that the staff have received -- within the agency about a 4% increase

to their salary. and to that end, we met in closed session to discuss the performance evaluation of our executive director whose work we found to be superlative in 2021 and recommend approval of the executive director's performance directives for 2021, and found that the work of the executive director, like i said, was outstanding. and in closed session the personnel committee took action to set the annual compensation for the executive director for 2021 in the amount of $278,113.68, which is a 4% increase. so i just would like to take an open session vote on that and i would like to make a motion to set the salary as just stated. is there a second for that motion?

>> second. >> and is there any public comment on item number 4? >> i'm double checking right now. ah, yes, hold on just a moment and i'm going to put the caller on the line. >> first speaker, please >> hello, caller, your two minutes begins now. >> caller: yes. while i'm sure that the executive director has done a fine job, the computation seems already extremely high. and i don't see why there's any need to increase it at this time when, you know, other department budgets have been having their funding cut. and so, you know, this is a time of austerity and $278,000, that's already exorbitant, so

why -- why is the executive director having his funding increased? i don't understand it. and so i think that in san francisco, they really deserve answers, especially insulting after you had this closed session that i understand is permissible under the brown act for a performance evaluation, but you chose to not disclose the contents of the closed session. is the director -- doing such a wonderful job, it would be -- it would be prudent to disclose what -- you know, tell us why the director is doing such a wonderful job. in fact, i believe that you're supposed to take public comment before voting to not disclose. so i'm very concerned about this situation and how the director

is doing so wonderfully. and, quite honestly, san francisco is not doing really well right now and i understand with the pandemic, but, you know, we're having a hard time -- and maybe the director needed to not have a raise too. >> clerk: thank you, caller. >> yeah, and so are there any other members of the public for public comment? >> clerk: there are no more public comments. >> so i'll start by closing public comment. while public comment is not a period for discourse, let me do say a couple of things. number one, our executive director is a she, not a he. not that matters relative to what is before us. number two, this is not a sub-division of the city and county of san francisco. this is actually a separate agency under state law.

and, number three, if one compares our executive director's salary to other similar positions in northern california and the bay area, this is not only in line with those salaries but it is arguably low a. as to the assessment of the meeting of goals that were set forth last year that we evaluated for 2020, that information will be publicly disclosed. and with that, on the motion a roll call, please. >> clerk: on item 4 [roll call] there are three ayes. the motion passes. >> thank you, miss mitton. is there any druks introduction of new items? seeing none, any general public

comment? >> clerk: let me double check before i move on. there are no public comments. >> public comment is closed. and we are adjourned. >> thank you, chair. >> thank you, commissioners.

>> this is the hearing for wednesday, december 16, 2020. the mayor declared a state of emergency in relation to covid-19. on may 29th all commissions must reconvene remotely which is our 13th remote hearing. this requires everyones attention and your patients. if you are not speaking mute your microphone abdomen turn off your camera. we are broadcasting this hearing live and with we will stream public comments. for a chance to speak through the public comment period call 1-415-655-0001 and access