i.d. 1874896279, and then press ##. when connected, you will hear the meeting discussions, but you will be muted. when your item of interest comes up, dial *3. speak clearly and slowly and turn down your television or radio. alternatively, you may submit public comment by e-mail at vivtor.young@sfgov.org. it will be forwarded to the supervisors and be included as part of the official file. that completes the official comments. >> chairman: thank you. can you please read the first item. >> clerk: item is a hearing to appoint one member april 30, 2022, on the commission for animal

control and welfare. >> chairman: thank you, mr. young. colleagues, we heard most of the seats for this body last week. i am delighted that mr. van horn has reapplied for seat seven, which has to be a licensed veterinarian. and has served on the body in the past. mr. van horn, do you have any comments? i saw you, mr. van horn. the floor is yours, sir. he was on there a second ago. >> clerk: he is still currently logged in. there you go. >> how is that? >> chairman: that's perfect. >> sorry. i've been kicked off twice in the last 30 minutes. we're trying with my iphone at this point. for the last couple of years, i have been the

veterinarian occupying seat seven mainly because i haven't been able to wrangle anybody else into doing it. but i am happy to continue. i've tried to stay impartial in terms of subjects that come to the commission. i feel like my position there is mainly to reflect the veterinarian profession as a whole. i mean, i've got colleagues who work with peta and also colleagues who make their living in the beef industry. i have colleagues that are all about, you know, animal research and other colleagues that are absolutely not. so i try and just bring background from all parties and their views to the various topics that we're discussing. if anything, i think i've done a pretty good job of staying impartial through my input on the various topics that have come up. and if people are happy

with my work, i'm happy to keep serving. >> chairman: thank you so much, mr. van horn. we very much appreciate your service and expertise that you bring. and your colleagues seek your reappointment. and thank you very much for your willingness to continue on, and i am sorry for your failure to wrangle another veterinarian for seat number seven. is there any public comment on item number one, mr. young? >> clerk: yes. members of the public, who wish to provide public comment on this item should call 415-655-0001, the meeting i.d. 1874896279. then press pound and pound again. if you haven't already done so, please dial *3 to line up to speak. a system prompt will indicate you have raised your hand. please wait until the

system indicates you have been unmuted and you may begin your comment. at this time, we have no members of the public in line for public comment. >> chairman: okay. then public comment is hereby closed. and thank you, again, mr. van horn. i would like to make a motion to send this item with recommendation as a committee report so that it can be heard with the other applicants that we approve next week. on that motion, mr. clerk, a roll call please. >> clerk: this is a recommendation for appointment to seat seven. >> chairman: that is correct. >> clerk: on that motion. [roll call] >> clerk: the motion to recommend as a committee report is adopted without objection. >> chairman: next item, please. >> clerk: thank you.

item 2 is a motion approving or directing the mayor's nomination for the reappointment of julia patiknik to the treasure island for a term ending february 26, 2025. >> chairman: thank you. commissioner, are you there and ready to say a few words? >> yes, i am. good morning. >> chairman: good morning. >> can you hear me okay? >> chairman: we can. >> thank you very much. it is great to see all of you today. i'm really thrilled to be renominated. i've already served a short 30 month stint and really enjoy working with the board at treasure island. i'm sharing my 20 years of expertise and energy in the environment. we have had continual blackouts on the island, and i've been working with different groups to try to find solutions for the community. i've been working on backup batteries, and also working on equity and community justice issues,

working with the newest board member and with community leaders to help on making sure that the transition is just as reasonable and really some of the work that i do with the coalition-building across the country, bringing shared lessons learned so we can implement and really work on transparency and accountability. and so as the two islands move towards this development to really make sure that we're constantly working with the community and approving their voices in the process, so it is not just one versus the other, and it is more of a joint work in progress. i would love the opportunity to continue to work with the community and with the staff and the current directors on moving us forward in a just and equity way. >> chairman: thank you so much, commissioner. are there any questions from members of the rules committee? seeing none, i -- oh, commissioner?

supervisor chan? >> i just want to make a quick comment. i'm really glad that you brought up about the power shortages. i do feel like every time when we have a storm in san francisco, somehow that treasure island always gets the short end of that stick. and it always happens there. so it is just music to my ears. i have great sympathy for my supervisor, matt haney. and he was the only supervisor who could not walk his entire district. i always have the pleasure to be able to do door-knocking in my district simply by walking there, and to know that treasure island truly is an island. and yet they're still really part of the community of san francisco. and we need to continue to make sure that whatever we do there is inclusive, and make sure that they do have voices. so it is great to hear that that is the first point that you brought up.

i appreciate that. >> thank you. it is really important. the same with the toll issues and the congestion and the ferries. the accessibility is so critical, and it can't just been for one group of people. that connective tissue that makes san francisco so great as a community, i agree. we have to constantly keep saying that message and showing by our actions that we can do this. >> chairman: is there any public comment on item 2? >> clerk: members of the public who wish to provide public comment on this item should call 415-655-0001, the meeting i.d. 1874896279. then press pound and pound again. if you haven't already done so, please dial *3 to line up to speak. a system prompt will indicate you have raised your hand. wait until the system indicates you have been unmuted and you may begin your public comment.

at this time, we have no listeners and nobody in line for public comment. >> chairman: okay. public comment is closed. i would just like to start by thinking you for your service and soon to be your continued service to the treasure island development authority board of directors, and also acknowledge your work at nrdc, and i will say not apapo to this, i'm in receipt of a letter which or nrdc signed on to this morning questioning whether or not the city attorney should be the next general manager of the public utilities commission. a fascinating letter. we'll have those discussions at future meetings. having said that, i would like to make a motion to amend the subject motion by removing the word

"rejecting" at line three, and removing the word "reject" at line eight. on that motion, mr. clerk, a roll call, please. >> clerk: on the motion to amendment, supervisor mandelman? >> aye. >> clerk: supervisor chan? >> aye. >> clerk: chair peskin? >> chairman: aye. >> clerk: the motion to amend is adopted without objection. >> chairman: i would like to send the motion at amended with recommendation to the full board of supervisors. on that motion, a roll call, please. >> clerk: yes, on that motion, supervisor mandelman? >> aye. >> clerk: supervisor chan? >> aye. >> clerk: chair peskin? >> chairman: aye. >> clerk: the motion is adopted without objection. >> chairman: thank you, mr. clerk. congratulations, julia, and colleagues, we are adjourned. >> thank you.

>> clerk: (roll call) this is the recreation and park

meeting of may 20th 2021. please note due to the covid-19 emergency and to protect city employees and public, the meeting rooms are closed. however, commissioners are here -- remotely. we ask for your patience if we experience technical issues. public comment will be available for each item on the agenda. each speaker will be allowed two minutes to speak. comments or opportunities to speak during public comment are available via phone by calling 415-655-0001. and the access is 187 925 4792. when you hear the agenda item you would like to comment on called, dial star 3 to be lined up in the queue. the system will be silent while

you are waiting. all callers will remain on mute until their line is open. everyone must account for the time delays between live coverage and speaking. you may submit public comments in either of the following ways, e-mail the commission. if you submit via e-mail, it will be included in the legislative file as part of the record. and you may also send in comments by mailing them. please note this commission meeting is recorded and will be available on sfgov tv. >> the only comment i would make is beginning to get news about meetings in city hall and covid rules while the board of

supervisors may and june commence to meet in person, i believe there would still be citizen participation virtually and it's my anticipation that rec and park commission meetings will continue to be virtual probably throughout the summer. so until further notice, that's kind of the operating plan. and with that, that concludes my president's report. >> okay. any public comment on the president's report. just dial star 3 to be added to the queue. anyone on the line? >> i do not see hands raised. >> thank you. public comment is closed. we are on item 3, general manager's report. >> good morning commissioners. i'm going to lead off with --

may as you know, asian american pacific islander heritage month. this occasion is especially poignant as our asian community endures unprovoked incidents of hate across the country. throughout the month, rec and parks has been highlighting how our parks and history has been shaped by the community. the first woman athlete to win golds in diving. the park in her neighborhood was in her honor in 2006. local basketball legend who is being adorned very popular and recently renovated chinatown playground. an artist whose works can be found in many of our parks and of course our staff from

gardeners to custodians to recreational professionals and members of our leadership team, our parks system is what it is, meaning incredible, because of the important contributions of our asian american and pacific islander community. moving on, to graduations for all. for high school seniors, graduation is a significant achievement that marks culmination of four years of work and important milestone that brings hope for bigger and better things to come. as our city continues to recover from the past year, we are proud to partner with the school district, department of youth and family, the mayor's office, the nonprofit spark and other city agencies to bring a sense of normalcy back to student lives by arranging for, fundraising for and hosting 11

in person graduation ceremonies from june 1st through the 3rd. the school district will host an additional nine ceremonies at school of the arts for graduating classes and there will be a special black student graduation on june 4th. it allows for short socially distanced programs, livestreaming for family members who can't attend in person. and most importantly, an opportunity for our city's graduating seniors themselves to connect with each other and their fellow classmates and their teachers. this effort will serve more than 4,000 graduating seniors and 16,000 family members. i'm very, very proud of this initiative and want to give a

special thank you to the property management division for working to help pull this off. the level of planning, the level of detail, the level of implementation is extraordinary. players are back and at

mclaren park. a performance art group with performance events that transform public spaces presents psycho pump, created with social distancing at its core, the show is a solo or duo journey that participants walk up and down and through the park on existing trails. along the way, special areas including the labyrinth -- [indiscernible] that connect them to their natural environment. it runs through june 27th and tickets and more information can be found online.

last month, mayor breed to cut the ribbon on the new playground. thank you vice president mcdonald for joining. it includes swings, imagination garden, river bed exploration area with imaginative play, it is really a very well designed and executed project. the $5.2 million renovation includes improvements to

lighting, drainage and irrigation system. approximately 4.2 million was provided through the neighborhood parks fund. the project design was shaped by feedback gathered through community meetings, electronic voting and outreach, where in the world is christopher parks festival, a free event to raise awareness for the parks and the results were spectacular. moving around town, i'm very excited to announce that shoreview park will be reopening on june 7th. save the date. we have two highly anticipated celebrations but starting with shoreview park. it is a one acre park in district 10 transferred from the

sf infrastructure former redevelopment in 2007. the renovation of shoreview park includes pathways through the park, a new play area and picnic area. for more information, check out our website. then 10 days later, just down the hill from shoreview, we finally break ground on the first phase of our indian basin project on june 17th. on thursday june 17th from 3:00 to 4:30, we'll mark renovation work, bringing us one step closer to creating the bayview and city's next great park. the event will include a shovel ceremony and fun community activities. for more information check out our website. finally commissioners, i wanted

to give you an update on day camp efforts for the upcoming summer. last month i highlighted the partnership with the library and other agencies to provide free summer day camp -- [indiscernible] >> please mute yourself. >> thank you everyone. last month i highlighted the partnership to provide free summer day camps and other programs for san francisco public school children. we conducted outreach and worked in partnership and over a three week period provided opportunities for families to fill out an interest form for priority registration. as you recall, it was designed to help identify public school students first most in need

whose families identified as either residents of hope sf, public housing, families experiencing homelessness. children in the foster care system, english language learners, students with disabilities and low income and historically impacted communities including the african american, native american, latinx, asian communities. this is a program that is geared specifically towards public school students because public school students were without any in person learning throughout the year. and so anyways, the interest forms were necessary to identify families first. registration kicked off earlier this month.

then to the public at large. to date, we have filled 83% -- sorry, we filled 2776 slots of the 3,000 we have available. we have if my math is correct, 224 slots, opportunities on the wait list to fill the 3,000 camp slots we currently have. 83% of the slots are for our high priority students. so far. our staff continues to work diligently to place campers on waiting lists into the remaining slots. the opportunity to fill other

spots could be provided to allow for larger cohorts the allow us to move more kids off of the wait list. gary, if you could put the chart on, i would like to share with you what the registration looks like here. you can see the highest registrations. district 11 and then district 10 and then covering the mission. i do feel we have done a decent job at identifying our two levels of priority, our highest priority kids and then other kids. unfortunately there are going to be people that did not get their

kids into camp this summer and i think it's important to understand two things. one, the fact that we're making a concerted effort to prioritize families this summer and the health order still provides some serious constraints. each three week session has limited number of kids. the overall number of slots is not where we had been pre-pandemic. to the good, summer together overall is trying to touch nearly 25,000 kids throughout the summer. in fact, there's an event that our superintendent of recreation is attending as we speak down at the palace of fine arts and joined by the mayor, our library director michael lambert and department of children youth and

family. we are start together distribute up to 10,000 books to sf kids. dcsf is reaching out to families unable to register for camps and offering opportunities in private camps for free for which they purchased slots and many nonprofit camps. they have contacted more than 2,000 families and placed more than 700 additional kids in outside private camps. the school district is also participating in the program and offering in person learning loss and summer wellness opportunities on many of its campus and we're joined by many, many of our community based organizations in this effort for approximately 25,000 students this summer. that's all i have today.

>> if anyone wants to comment on the general manager's report only, dial star 3 to be added to speak. >> there are 14 on the phone and zero hands raised. >> public comment is closed. we are now on item 4, general public comment up to 15 minutes. this item will be continued to item 9 also. at this time, members of the public may address the commission on items of interest to the public within the subject matter of jurisdiction and do not appear on the agenda. with respect to agenda items, you'll have the opportunity to address the commission when the item is reached in the meeting. if anyone on the phone is here

and wants to speak on an item not on the agenda, dial star 3 to speak. >> ashley? >> yes. >> if i may, i left out one important announcement that i think should be mentioned. that is my bad. if there's a moment where i could jump back in, i would appreciate it. >> why don't you do that and i'll check if anyone has a comment on that. >> it's a happy one. i'm thrilled to -- two things. i did neglect to thank the incredible team and partnership for the summer together effort. you should be very proud of your staff. performing literally miracles with the summer program and ways of registering people. just about everyone has done a fantastic job. the real reason i jumped back in, to announce that stern grove is coming back. i think the mayor just issued a

press release today. stern grove will be back starting june 20th through august 29th. and health orders continue to evolve, some advanced registrations and capacity restrictions but i believe june 20th they'll kick off with a band. an exciting moment and sign we are waking up from our dark long awful sleep and things are coming back to normal. thanks to staff for helping to make it happen. done. >> just to give public the opportunity, does anybody want to comment just on that item on the general manager's report? dial star 3. any new hands go up, paul?

i'm assuming there's probably hands up for item 4. >> there's one hand for general public comment. >> okay. we'll move to that item. seeing no further comment on the general manager's report, public comment on that is closed and now item 4, general public comment. just a reminder to those online, if you want to comment on something not on today's agenda, this is the time to do that. you'll have two minutes and you can dial star 3 to be added to the queue to speak. first caller, go ahead. >> i'm an organizer with kids safe sf, advocating for kids safe streets and places around the city, including most notably and related to this commission's

work, kids safe parks and the great walkway. i wanted to call in for a few reasons. one is to bring everyone's attention to a really positive celebration rally we organized this past sunday with over 350 people and over 100 kids who came out to the great walkway to celebrate the space and advocate for it to be saved and extended in its current state. we had a marching band and we walked down the great walkway, the beautiful sign. senator wiener came out and spoke.

i wanted to emphasize how amazing the space is including senior citizen saying it saved her sanity during the pandemic and who moved here in 69, marched for the vietnam war and last year for black lives matter and says the great walkway has given her and neighbors along the lower great highway something to enjoy, a beautiful space for her to walk and enjoy. and then we had tons of kids out who have learned how to bike on the great walkway and want to see it stay around. with that, i just wanted to bring the commission's attention to the fact that there are thousands of people who have signed the petitions and rallied to support both -- >> thank you. sorry your time is up. thank you for calling. >> okay. >> is anyone else's hand raised,

paul? >> yes, there's one more. i will unmute. >> okay. >> good morning i'm charlie perkins. i need to respond to the prior comment. i'm a member of concerned residents of the sunset. the closure of the great highway to automobiles has devastated the peace of mind and lives of many, many outer sunset residents, resulting in 18,000 to 20,000 cars every single day being diverted off of the divided great highway that has no cross sections, no intersections with cross traffic. no right or left turns on to residential streets, on to sunset boulevard as far east as 19th avenue burning fossil fuel

all the time, this is a devastating result for climate change at a time that climate change should be the number one issue on everybody's radar. there's no possible way making people stay in their cars longer in less fuel efficient driving conditions does anything but hurt climate change and force more greenhouse gases into the air. equally significantly, all these additional cars through the residential streets makes the streets far less safe for children, for the residents. there's been a huge uptick in traffic in accidents. there's no questions about that. we have the statistics and a petition sent to park and rec many times. with over 7,000 signatures of people in san francisco who don't want it closed to cars. it is a highway. it is not a walkway.

the attempt to recouch it as a walkway is kind of silly. there are plenty of -- there's a park right there. there's fully functional walking and biking paths on either side of it. the blueprint recently called it a safe -- >> your time is up. i apologize. i'm sorry to cut people off. is anyone else ready to comment? >> no other hands raised. >> okay. thank you. seeing no further public comment, public comment is closed. we are on item 5, the consent calendar. commissioners, is there anything you want taken off consent today? flush if not

you want me to motion -- >> do you want public comment on the consent calendar? >> right. thank you. if anyone on the line wants to provide comment on the consent calendar, dial star 3 to be added to the queue. >> i don't see any hands raised. >> public comment is closed. >> chair would entertain a motion to approve the consent calendar. >> so moved. >> second. >> all those in favor? so moved. thank you. >> we are on item 6. san francisco zoo. >> hello it's tonya peterson with the zoo. you can see my messy office at the zoo and i have a power point i believe.

i'll go to the first slide here. we're a safe haven for a wide variety of animal and plant species indigenous to places throughout asia and this month is asian american pacific month and wanted to highlight some of the habitats from asia. our endangered snow leopards and i had to show a picture -- there is one of our gentle red pandas. the habitats are china, nepal and india. he is named after one of two men to scale mount everest in 1953. the first sherpa to guide a successful trip to the top of mount everest and recognized as

a hero and we'll celebrate him on may 29th. while we couldn't celebrate asian heritage month like we normally do, we are striving to reach out to guests and make sure they feel safe. here's a comment from one of our members who recently thanked us for the safe environment as a local san francisco resident, feeling safer in the zoo. (please stand by...) .

>> we were still able to participate in local conservation programs. here is one of the frogs that was bread and reared here at san francisco zoo and then released into the wild. thanks to the field biologist of national parks service, we were able to track some of these frogs we released. and recently the field biologist came across two female frogs released from the zoo in 2018, and three adult males released from the zoo in 2018. i thank you the conservation staff for continuing during this terrible pandemic. and what a cute and handsome frog that is. we recently said good-bye

to garcia, one of the 15-year-old male mexican gray wolves we have here at the zoo. he and his two siblings came to the zoo in 2016 as a partnership with fish and wildlife in an effort to save a species that only has 30 left in the wild. many of you probably know about the conflict that occurs between wolves and ranchers and so forth, but this one right on the border of arizona and mexico was nearly deplete. we took three of the males. we collected semen and continued to breed the species. one of our kind donors named the three boys after her favorite pop stars, garcia, prince, and bowie. garcia passed away of old age. his brothers are of similar age. we are obviously keeping a careful watch of them, and

we hope to continue this program with new, young pups some time soon. with that, i finish my pups some time soon. >> chairman: thank you. >> if any members of the public would like to comment on item 6, the san francisco zoo, you can dial *3 to be added to the queue. >> hello, ashley, there are 12 people on the line and zero hands raised. >> okay. thanks. seeing no further public comment, public comment is closed. item 7, golden gate music concourse and art installation. >> good morning, commissioners. dana ketchum, director of property management. i am here for discussion and possible action to approve the design and installation of a

temporary art installation composed of two components: monumental wrecking and lift every voice from june 8, 2021, through june 20th, 2023. the installation of the "lift every voice" is also subject to the historic preservation commission. your approval of this action is defined by adman code chapter 31. i am going to share my screen for a little bit, and then we're going to watch a video that talks a little bit about this that does a much better job than my describing it. let me first share my screen. i'm floating. slowly. if it doesn't go soon, i'm going to have gary do it for me.

ah, there we go. okay. so as i mentioned in the first part of this, and hopefully you can see this, there are two components. one -- this is going in the music concourse, on two sides of it. one is monumental reckoning, 300 sculptures by artist dana king. she will is present at the end of my presentation and describe more about it. the sculpture would surround the empty pedestal. it has the words "lift every voice." and i'll explain more about that. so here or the two locations -- and, gary, if

you wouldn't mind, if you could play the video, that would be great. and do i need to stop sharing my screen? >> yes, dana. >> okay. ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ lift every voice ♪ ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ ♪ let us march on ♪ ♪ to victory ♪ ♪ until victory is won ♪ [applause and cheering]

>> thank you, gary. if it's okay, i'm going to go back and reshare my screen now. commissioners, i wanted to let you know that the art installation was improved by the arts commission. and the timing of this installation is actually interesting because the arts commission is currently in a process of re-evaluating all monuments in the city, coming up with a plan. so the two years sort of pines into that plan coming up with a process to re-evaluate monuments. so the monumental reckoning by dana king -- and you can see some images here of it and her -- i've asked her to

come speak about this as part of my presentation. so if she could join in on the call, that would be great. >> okay. i'm here, dana. >> and i'm trying to stop sharing my screen again, but i'm not finding it. give me one second. this technology -- there we go. there she is. she is literally hoping this will go through in the process of delivering 100 statues for golden gate park. why don't you talk a little about your vision. >> thank you so much. commissioners, staff, commission chair, thank you so much for this opportunity, and thank you, dana. we're dana squared. i'm dana part two. monumental reckoning is so necessary. i didn't learn about

francis scott key until last year. one of the protestors toppled his sculpture. and that's part of the issue. we're not taught the history of african descendents to any depth of degree in our schools. and i'm a product of public education. and so what i do for a living is to put our memories and our histories and our stories out in the public realm because they're free, whether you're intentional about coming upon them or you come upon them accidentally. the learning is the same. and that learning is so vital to american history. i am so grateful to be able to participate in this because the impact of slavery on africa descent

descendents is generationally. people say it was so long ago. but for me -- i'm 61 years old. my great grandparents were enslaved. my father's grandparents were enslaved. and so that history is not that far away, even though it looks that way on paper. the prints that held francis scott key existed in the park for a very long time, 133 years. and since 1976, or '77 -- '76, in its current location. even though francis scott key has been taken down, and it might seem that the harm has come full circle and it is taken away, it is really not so. because that plan exists and continues to carry

that racist history. it resonates and has the energy of that racist history. and i feel it is very important to, as a sculpture to take up that space. because space is power. and 350 ancestors staring down on behalf of justice, over time, is, i think, vital to our history. and then when we look down the concourse and can see "lift every voice" on the spreckels temple, i can't tell you how that resonates -- well, with me, certainly. it is a song i have sung countless times, as many times as i have sung the national anthem, i have sung "lift every voice and

sing." it is sung at family reunions. it is sung at church. it is sung at weddings. it is sung at celebratory events. quite honestly, it is the only song i can see acappella on key because i have sung it so many times. it is a beautiful, uplifting song. it brings us together. it is about inclusion. it is about liberty and freedom and justice. and it is not about war. it is about love. it's about working together to overcome our differences, and not to be divided by those who press to divide us. and i'll close by adding that systems of oppression still exist in our country, in every realm, be it food insecurity, corporate discrimination, job discrimination, be it

mass incarceration, criminal justice, but if we succeed in eliminating those, and yet, for example, after the der derek chauvin jury decision, if we walk outside and have to encounter a confederate monument, then the circle of justice isn't closed. equity and art is part of the restitution and resolution and overcoming oppression. and that's how i see "monumental reckoning," as equity and art in our beautiful golden gate park. so i thank you for this opportunity. and i thank the park and rec entire team for the effort that they have put forward to make this happen. i said i was going to end

with that, but i want to add one more thing so you understand the depth of work we have done to create these pieces. they have all been found structurally -- well, they accommodate all of the structural regulations of the state, be it earthquake, be it wind, be it rain. they have been designed to withstand whatever the standards are. so i want you to know that as well. so it is an art piece, but it is a very strong art piece that isn't going to go anywhere for two years. so thank you. >> thank you, dana, very much. i am just going to briefly go back to my presentation and allow, as she spoke, to see the close-up image of the carefully sculpted

statues. i've got four different screens -- oh, there we go. and just an image of what the "lift every voice" would look like. and that is the -- the staff supports approval of this installation. that's the end of my presentation. thank you. >> thank you, to both of the danas. if anyone is here on the line who would like to speak on item 7, you can dial *3 to be added to the queue to speak. paul, has anyone raised their hand to speak on this item? >> we currently have 17 people on the line and one hand raised. >> okay. great. caller, you'll have two minutes. state your name when

you're unmuted. >> caller: hello. i was just listening to that presentation. i'm an artist. and i just think it is a wonderful idea to put these sculptures up. and i wanted to voice my support and approval of that. but, also, just a question to you guys. i had difficulty getting into the queue before when some comments were made about the great highway and walkway. and i'm wondering if i would have an opportunity to talk about that either now or later? >> yeah, you will. we'll have general public comment again. and so i'll call that and you'll have time to speak. >> caller: can you just tell me so i don't get cut off again, do i need to completely redial before i'm able to make a comment and hit *3, or can i just stay on as i am now? >> you should be able to

just stay on and dial *3, but paul will make note of your phone number -- paul, can you make note of their phone number, and make sure we give them a chance to speak. >> yes. >> thank you. >> i took up some of your time. did you want to say anything else about that item? okay. i guess not. all right. paul, did anyone else have their hand raised to speak on item 7? >> no, there are no other hands. >> seeing no further callers, public comment is closed. >> chairman: commissioners? commissioner mcdonald? >> i'm sorry. i can go next. >> chairman: i see your hand up, commissioner mcdonald. go ahead and then we'll go to the next one. >> okay. thank you so much. so is i just wanted to, i guess in some ways, acknowledge this moment.

as i see it, it is a -- such an important moment. i really appreciate dana squared, both of their leadership, and davis and illumina and their leadership, in capturing this moment. as we all know, it has been a really challenging few years, and certainly these last couple have been especially challenging on many fronts, both in terms of social justice and racism that is permeating and surfacing in ways that are more pronounced and certainly captured by camera and video. and so this moment of the department and ideally and hopefully the city pausing to, as the name suggests, reckon with the implication, the impacts, the devastations of, and the opportunity to come out on the celebratory side of things, to center

all voices and have the opportunity to celebrate all voices, and taking yet another step forward to living -- towards living out our shared creed of all human beings, in fact, being created equal. so i really appreciate this moment, and i'm hopeful that we cannot only approve it, but also really generate both focus and attention and reckoning, as difficult and uncomfortable as that is. it is, in my view, part of our path towards all men being valued, all women being valued, all people being valued, and lifting, in fact, every single voice. at the appropriate time, i look forward to voting to approve. thank you. >> chairman: thank you. commissioners, other comments? >> i think i'm in. so, you know, i've worked in community activism and

art -- we call it artivism, for the past 20 years. i'm so excited to be able to merge that world with my other love of our rec and parks department, and our parks here in the city. i need to express how excited i am about this project, and i'm really grateful that this department has really taken the time to celebrate and honor first the power of the people and activists to create change, right? because that statue toppling last year is kind of what set us forward, and also the power of artists to heal and restore and move us forward. and this project and this installation is such a shining example of that. and i'm so proud that we're going to be able to support this work. and i'm very excited, and i can't wait to bring my family to come see it and enjoy it. so thank you, everyone,

for working on this important project. >> chairman: thank you, commissioner. are there other comments? i don't see any. let me agree completely with both commissioner mcdonald and commissioner jupiter jones. i find this to be a very, very moving installation, and very much look forward to the dedication of it and the promotion of it to a broader audience. and with that, the chair would entertain a motion. >> i am happy to move approval. >> so moved. >> seconded. >> chairman: is there a second? >> second. >> chairman: it has been moved and seconded. all those in favor? [collective aye] >> chairman: any opposed? hearing none, so moved.

>> clerk: we are on item 8, san francisco parks lands memorandum of understanding. >> hello, commissioners, i'm lisa bransson with the recreation and parks department. i'm here today for discussion and possible action to approve a memorandum of understanding between the recreation and parks department and the san francisco parks alliance. i have a presentation to take us through this. so let me just share my screen. see if i can make sure this works. okay. can everyone see my screen? >> yes. >> we're here today for discussion and possible action to approve a memorandum of understanding between the recreation and parks department and the san francisco parks alliance, setting forth the terms of the operational relationship between the organizations, including protocols for

communication and coordination and financial reporting and disclosure for a period of one year, with extensions of up to three years. this m.o.u. comes out of the executive directive issued by mayor breed in which she directs all city departments to, quote, "form lies lieu a memorandum of understanding any relationship the department has with a non-city organization that reced donations on behalf of the department where such agreements are not already in place. they shall be prepared in consultation with the office of the city attorney and the controller. in preparing these memorandum of understanding, the departments shall work with the city attorney and controller, to ensure transparency, accountability, and adherence to city laws. these mem understanding

shall be approved by the attorney general, the controller, and if ap applicable, the department's board and commission and posted on the department's website." so this m.o.u. has been approved by both the controller and the city attorney, and that's why we're here before you today for your approval. i did want to note we made two small changes to the document in response to a late clarification from the controller's office and a public comment. and i'll get to those in a moment, when i go into the terms of the m.o.u. but i did want to start with an overview of the long and very important history of philanthropy, of the type of philanthropy that this m.o.u. will cover. san francisco has a really rich history of civic generosity to san francisco parks and really to the city overall. we tallied hundreds in significant donations to the department, including the earliest donations,

such as the parcels of land that are now washington square, union square, and spring grove, and even the crates of grass that created the conservatory of flowers. up coming work with partners includes san francisco park, to be delivered later this year, and india basin parks coming over the next few years. philanthropy has touched so many corners of our city, but there is an argument to be made that this history is a fundamental factor in why san francisco has such an extraordinary parks system, and why every resident lives within a 10-minute walk of a park. and on top of that, we have a 50-year relationship with the parks alliance and its predecessor organizations that have specifically helped the department add a layer of excellence to programs and facilities. from the restoration of the dutch windmill, and

the renovations at the playground, the department departmenthas been lucky to have partners interested in stepping up to benefit all san franciscans. current work with the parks alliance includes three of the most important park projects in the portfolio. lisa and golden gate park, the 13 playgrounds in the initiative, and the coming park at india basin. all of these special projects are governed by their own sets of m.o.u.s and agreements as necessary, but going forward, all active projects will be governed by the terms of this m.o.u. i also want to highlight some of the things the annual support covers -- excuse me. i wanted to cover some of the things the annual support covers. just to share a few examples, the support has helped us put on citywide community programs and events, like having

holiday trees in parks around the city, and supporting seasonal events, such as the golden gate park tree lighting, scare grove, and extravaganza. the funds also allow some sometimes last minute community events, such as the screening in the bay view in 2019. grant funds and private donations secured by the parks alliance also support volunteer and youth development programs. pictured here are two examples. the green ages program, which provide environmental stewardship students for san francisco high school students, and the tennis learning center after school program which uses tennis as a hook to provide academic and emotional and wellness skills to elementary

students. [inaudible] also materials and supplies to assist the department in mainetaining in mg these benches. and it also supports staff development programs and activities, including training professional developments, strategic planning, and employee recognition and appreciation programs. pictured are some of the valued award winners, who won for embodying the department's values of respect, relationships, results, and responses sieveness. responsiveness. this program and these sorts of investments are very impactful. the graph shows between 2015, when the newest employee recognition program was launched and today, job satisfaction at the department has increased 10%, from 76% to

86%. in addition, employees who say they feel recognized and appreciated for their work has increased 19%, to 86%. and our workforce retention is 95%. and so now on to the details of the m.o.u. so as i mentioned before -- sorry. i wanted to emphasize while some of this agreement is new, these funds have always been covered by city processes, most importantly the annual expense we bring to the commissioners and on to the board of supervisors. this adds transparency, which we really welcome. so as i mentioned before, the term of the agreement is one year. we opted for that term because it will allow us to get something in place quickly, while we work together to refine some of the processes around

reporting. and then rules and responsibilities. these create more transparency for the partners and the public, which is the shared goal as we negotiated the terms. the document creates a timeline for the department and parks alliance to develop and jointly approve the annual support budget. it improves internal r.t.d. processes around support from the parks alliance and adds the reporting on how the support from the parks alliance advances the department's strategic plan. and it requires the parties to report quarterly to each other and reconcile accounts. the agreement also solidifies the partnership in several ways, including standardizing the administrative fee and creating increased coordination on

fundraising activities. and, as i mentioned, the partners also agreed to new terms drafted by the office of the controller, and included in the m.. m.o.u. almost unchanged as exhibit "a." this exhibit contains closure, record keeping, and auditing provisions that will apply to the annual support in all joint fundraising projects. current active projects listed in exhibit "e" will be covered, and the terms of exhibit "a" will be included in all future agreements with the parks alliance as deemed appropriate by the cityattorney's office, which approves all of these agreements for us. the agreement as posted was approval by the city attorney and the controller. but as i mentioned when i started, there were a few suggested changes in between that time and now. so we didn't want to incorporate two things

into the document as we finalize it. number one is in section 3.7, the city attorney and the controller suggested adding the sentence "for the avoidance of doubt, exhibit "a" shall apply to all annual support, as well as to all special project support listed in exhibit "a"." and, second, "although the m.o.u. was developed to address fundraising projects, the question of the sky star wheel was raised by the member of the public and brought to the city attorney who said it could be approved as a project cover by these terms. so we're doing so for the sake of full transparency. we're also going to add a new active project, which is the new mcclarren bike park, which did not include the updated terms.

i'll summit a document after this meeting, and going forward we'll include these terms in all agreements where the city attorney deems it appropriate. we look forward to implementing this agreement with the san francisco parks alliance and continuing this relationship, which has so benefited our city. staff does support the approval of this m.o.u. and with that, i'll say thank you and take any questions. >> chairman: thank you, lisa. >> clerk: okay, for those who are on the line, if you're here to speak on the parks alliance m.o.u., please dial *3 to be added to the queue to speak. paul will let me know if anyone raises their hands. >> hi, ashley, there are 17 callers on the line, and many hands raised. so i'll start with the first. >> clerk: okay. caller, you'll have two

minutes. please state your name. >> caller: good morning, commissioner and general manager. my name is drew becker, the c.e.o. of the san francisco parks alliance. thanks for your time today. i'm calling to support the m.o.u. between the parks alliance and the rec and park department. the relationship between the rec and park department goes back 50 years. this year we're celebrating our 50-year anniversary. we've been able to work together to transform our beloved park system into one of the best park systems. i don't think it is an accident that two city departments, the rec department and library, which are continually rated best, push each and every day to deliver for every citizen of this great city. over the past 50 years, the parks alliance invested in supported new playgrounds, garden training programs, day camp scholarships, rebuilt

the conservatory of flowers, outfitted ni rec centers with needed amenities, and many, many more. parks alliance is committed to transparency in every aspect of our work. we welcome the opportunity to add a layer of transparency on to all of the good work that we do together through this m.o.u. we strive every day to be a good partner to the city and also advocate for all of the citizens and its public spaces. we look forward to another 50 years of working together to make san francisco city parks the envy of the world. thank you for all of your hard work on this, and we appreciate everything rec and park department and its staff does. and thank you for your time, commissioners. >> chairman: thank you. >> clerk: thank you. next speaker. >> caller: good morning. i'm calling to share my support, and also calling to share my appreciation for the rec and parks department and the parks

alliance. this partnership and constituents have made more impact on the city, reaching every single s.f. resident. how would we have navigated this pandemic without safe and accessible parks. we need to focus on giving more money on those who are making change in the city that desperately need it. thank you. >> chairman: thank you. >> clerk: next speaker. >> caller: hello, commissioners. my name is richard rossman, and i represent district 1 on the advisory committee. and i did not hear staff or drew talk about the richmond playground. what is the status of that? the last is we got a letter from him saying he wasn't going to fund it.

so why isn't this in the m.o.u.? i found out when i talked to staff that the way this contract was written, it was written that park alliance has the contract with the vendor. so he controls the contract. this isn't right. the rec and park should control the contract. if he doesn't pay the vendor, then the work isn't getting done. if they want to give money- to rec and park, fine. but rec and park staff should control the contract. what is going to happen with richmond playground? can you either ask staff or park alliance? are they going to paid the vendor? you know, the longer this delays, the more inflation goes up. this issue needs to be rewritten by the commission to that rec and park staff has control over the contract.

and if park alliance doesn't want to give them money, let rec and park find another vendor who will give them money. maybe the community needs to raise the $2 million. so i want to know what is happening with the status of richmond playground. and how are we going to fix this problem? thank you. >> chairman: thank you, richard. we'll get back to you. the richmond playground is moving forward, but continue on with the speakers. >> clerk: okay. next speaker. >> caller: good morning, president bule. my name is kelly knight. i've been a volunteer at the park alliance since 2001. in the 20 years i've been a volunteer, our parks and spaces have never been better thanks to the leadership of the rec and park commission and the many volunteers and staff

of the san francisco park alliance. i'm proud of the many projects we've collaborated on to keep san francisco the most beautiful city in the world. thank you. >> chairman: thank you. >> clerk: as a reminder, if you're on the call and you would like to speak on this item, please dial *3 to be added to the queue. next speaker. >> caller: hello, commissioners. this is philip wynn, and i serve as the director of parks and place at the san francisco parks alliance. i'm calling to voice my strong support for the pro supposed m.o.u. the partnership between the park alliance and rec and park has been responsible for the projects throughout this city over the course of this last 50 years. i'm truly excited for the updates that this m.o.u. will bring. i've seen the incredibly positive impact of

partnership (indiscernable) between parks alliance and rec and park, and it brings direct benefits to san franciscans. as other callers have mentioned, our work together makes major capitol improvements, such as the indian basin and the japanese tea garden, and 13 playgrounds possible. and also skate in place, and friends of the woodlands possible. it brings new opportunities through projects like the renovation of the spreckels temple, and our sundown cinema. [inaudible] the tennis learning center program, and community shuttles to gold gate park. it deepens and strengthens

a resource that we all share and that we all should be able to help improve. i strongly support adoption of the m.o.u.s proposed, and i thank the commissioners for their time. >> chairman: thank you. >> clerk: next speaker. >> caller: good morning, commissioners, this is areda downs, the secretary of the friends of alta park. speaking on behalf of our board, we wish to endorse the m.o.u. for your approval today. specifically since we are a park partner of san francisco parks alliance, we can feel confident in assuring our supporters and our donors that their dollars are being well-managed and in a transparent manner. and we heartedly endorse

the frequency of audits, and hope you will take this under consideration, that friends and groups need to have this verification of the high accounting, financial, and ethical standards that the m.o.u. will provide between san francisco rec and park and the san francisco parks alliance. thank you very much for your consideration. >> chairman: thank you. >> clerk: next speaker. >> caller: greetings. i'm calling in today to support the m.o.u. and to express my appreciation for the 50-year public/private partnership that has happened between parks alliance and the recreation and parks department. and thank you to all of the staff in both organizations who worked so hard to memorialize our partnership and for your good work the rest of the time to improve our city's amazing parks over the

last 50 years. thank you for your leadership and for guiding our collective work on behalf of san francisco. i've been working for parks for 10 years, and i've been through three general managers and for directors, and i can proudly say our partnership is stronger before. this m.o.u. brings transparency and accountability. it allows us to move forward together, continuing to improve the confidence of the public and the best parks system anywhere. on a personal note, the tangible outcomes of our partner in this m.o.u. are these 13 new "let's play" playgrounds. they've become essential to my life as the parent of a young children, especially over this last year. i'm so proud of the work we do, and i'm so excited to see what we're going to do over the next 50 years. please accept this m.o.u. as proposed. >> chairman: thank you. >> clerk: next speaker.

if there is someone unmuted that would like to speak? >> caller: hi. this is mary cowel speaking, and i'm calling to support the agreement for the alliance between rec and park. my checkered career has included being the foreperson of the civil grand jury, and i've been on the youth board that i presently served. i have worked as a management consultant for the last 10 years, but the independent work that i have done with different individuals, supporting the great work of helen ray, raising the money for san francisco park, and

also the various activities with park and rec has really convinced me of how important this memorialization of this document is. most recently i was involved in a bench dedication, which involved other long-time residents of the city who had never been exposed to the parks alliance. that included a woman who was the former chairman of the san francisco foundation, as well as is someone whose grandfather signed the note that created san francisco opera. the whole experience was seamless. it resulted in a $10,000 gift, thanks to paula martin's good work. and we would just like to see that kind of opportunity continue and be managed so well.

>> clerk: thank you. next speaker. >> caller: thank you. good morning, commissioners and general manager ginsburg. hopefully you can hear me. i'm headed home and on the side of the freeway. i'm in support of parks alliance (indiscernable) and the commemorative bench program. i am the carpenter parks supervisor. that program means a lot to me from the sentimental point of view and also from the operational point of view. i'm able to keep material in the pipeline and keep equipment updated and keep my crew highly trained, making us a much more relevant shop, and it makes us better at maintenance all the way

around. this is one of the few things my crew -- we actually get direct feedback from the community. we get notes of thanks. we get stories. and it means a lot to us. and i just love the relationship that we have with the alliance through that program. and, like i said, i can't say enough about it from a sentimental point of view and the operation point of view. they're a huge help to us. all right. thank you. >> chairman: thank you. >> clerk: next speaker. >> caller: hi, commissioners. my name is tracy pawn. i'm the green program manager. i am calling on my own time today, and i want to express my support for the proposed m.o.u. [inaudible] with their support, we were able to provide green

interns and stipends. and in the past years, we have experienced excursions, such as kayaking to angel island. these challenges allowed for personal growth while connecting to nature and bonding with their peers. i'm very grateful for the support from the san francisco parks alliance with their programs. this partnership will allow us to continue providing these experiences for san franciscan youth. thank you for your time. >> chairman: thank you. >> clerk: next speaker. >> caller: good morning, commissioners, my name is liz farrell. i'm actually standing right now outside of the "summer together" kickoff event. i'm excited for that opportunity. and rec and park has been such a great partner for that. i'm calling in support of the m..

m.o.u. between rec and park and the san francisco parks alliance. this partnership has allowed us to accomplish so much for the residents in san francisco over the past 50 years, including renovating 13 playgrounds all over the city as part of our "let's play" campaign. over this past year, when there were so many trying times due to the pandemic and for our city, we have seen a new appreciation for parks, and we have seen our parks thriving. some personal things for our family during this time have been those playgrounds. these are just two examples, and also the golden gate tennis center, of what this partnership can chief. i'm grateful and hopeful that formalizing this partner will bring more transparency and trust for the amazing work that we can accomplish together. thank you for your time.

thank you to everyone who worked on this m.o.u. to make it possible. and thank you for your consideration of it. have a wonderful day. >> chairman: thank you, liz. >> clerk: next speaker. >> caller: hi. i just wanted -- hi. i just wanted to say i support this m.o. m.o.u. i could say tons of stuff about the parks alliance over the years and how i've watched them change and become this great organization that has built such great playgrounds and other things in the city. but i do have to mention that this is a great m.o.u. to show transparency and accountability, and that is something everybody should stand up and be behind. for any department on anything, transparency and accountability is huge. and having this m.o.u.

will do that. so i fully support that. i fully support the parks alliance. thank you, and have a great day. >> clerk: thank you. next speaker. >> caller: yes. good morning, commissioners, general manager, and staff. this is lined linda schaeffer speaking. i'm a former committee member of prosac. i represented district 10 at the time, and i now live in district 1. i'm calling to say a couple of separate things. first of all, i'm very, very glad to see that such an m.o.u. is being presented and has been worked on. i think that this can lead to good results. secondly, since i now live in district 1, i wanted to just echo the comments

made earlier by my former colleague, mr. rossman, about the richmond playground. i should also say i have worked in the past with members of the parks alliance. i have worked on helping to right bond initiative language and supporting bond initiatives. so i think you can well imagine how very disappointed i was to hear about the communication regarding the richmond playground that came from mr. becker of the parks alliance. i'm delighted to hear that the richmond playground is going to move forward. and i look forward to hearing more about that. thank you very much. >> chairman: thank you. >> clerk: next speaker. >> caller: hi there. i'm calling in from s.f., and i'm calling on behalf

of myself as an individual. i just wanted to support this m.o.u., and thanks parks alliance with their work with rec and parks to improve our city. again, just supporting this m.o.u. and thanking everyone involved. thanks. >> clerk: okay. is anyone else on the line? if anyone would like to speak, please dial *3, and paul will let me know if there are any other callers with their hands raised. >> yes, ashley, one more hand popped up. >> clerk: okay. you'll have two minutes. >> two hands. >> caller: hello. hello. >> clerk: you have two minutes. go ahead and speak. >> caller: this is james cortney with the labors union. and i just wanted to call

today about this m.o.u. what we wanted the listeners to know is that we probably represent the most workers, field workers, at recreation and parks, and how they work closely with the parks alliance, the general manager, the commission, and staff that we don't represent for well over a decade. what excites us most about the m.o.u. is the commitment to accountability and transparency that we think is missing, and a lot of other organizations with a lot of other agreements that the city has with non-profits. we're excited to move forward, but we're also proud of our past relationships. they work closely with my union, the alliance board and staff have always been respectful of the workers, their careers, their commitment to the parks and the parks system. and we feel like there is a ton of common ground. and it's the kind of thing

that we'd like to see moving forward citywide in other city departments. so an overwhelming support from the laborers union 261. thank you. >> clerk: i believe we have one final speaker. >> caller: hi. i just want to be short and brief and say that this m.o.u. seems a great step forward in terms of transparency between these two organizations. and i'm very excited to see more opportunities for private investment in all of our public spaces. i'm thrilled to hear about all of the great things i didn't know before that have resulted from private investment. thank you. >> chairman: thank you. >> clerk: okay. paul, are there any other hands raised? >> no, there are not. >> clerk: okay. seeing no further callers, public comment is closed.

>> chairman: thank you. commissioners, comments, observations? commissioner -- let's see -- did commissioner anderson have her hand up? >> i did not. >> chairman: okay. sorry. mr. ginsburg, did i see your hand up? >> no, other than to thank staff and parks alliance and the controller's office and the city attorney's office and all of the members of the public who have offered comment. this is a good, important step, and it strengthens and supports philanthropy and we're excited to move forward. >> chairman: commissioner mcdonald, i do believe i see your hand up. >> yes, sir. thank you so much.

i just wanted to (a) thank all parties for, again, the work on developing this and strengthening this m.o.u. and partnership. we've heard all of the public and other comments around the value and importance of the partnership and more broadly the investments of philanthropy that have enabled so many great things to happen in and across our whole parks system. so i think that is fantastic. and just a footnote, a personal perspective i would add to this discourse: while there were many kind of challenging dynamics that led to this moment, and that sometimes pitted the value of philanthropy versus, you know, the value of our parks, questioning the kind of integrity across all, and what often gets lost in these moments is, in fact, what i believe we all share in common, which is

the strengthening the parks, while also ensuring that we are doing all that we can to strengthen how we operate in terms of visibility and transparency and accountability. and i think we all agree on that. and so i am, i guess, pleased that we have come to this place, and i'm excited to move forward so that we all can continue to do the great work, and certainly in partnership where it has, and continues to be, valuable. and a thank you to lisa and her team's work. and, more importantly, the long-standing work to drive investments in for the strengthening of our parks system. so thank you, lisa. and if there are no other comments, i would certainly move it. >> chairman: thank you,

commissioner. and let me just add to that, and i appreciation the motion and echo that philanthropy in the public sector is a very challenging situation, primarily because, understandably, the public sector has a variety of opinions about what are priorities and where money should be spent and how it should be spent. having said that, over the 50-year history of the alliance, it has evolved from multiple organizations into one. it has evolved into an organization with an excellent board of directors and an excellent staff. and on the other side of this issue is a very understandable desire on the part of the public, and i believe all of us, that transparency be the hallmark of such arrangements. having said that, i think this m.o.u. goes a long way in satisfying all of those requirements.

i congratulate the park alliance. i congratulate the staff. and i appreciate the controversy or the challenges that have surrounded creating this kind of document. with that, we have a motion by commissioner mcdonald. is there a second? >> second. >> chairman: moved and seconded. any comments? all those in favor? [collective aye] >> chairman: any opposed? hearing none, it is unanimous. thank you very much. >> clerk: thank you, commissioners. we are now on item 9. this is the second time we're going to be on general public comment. so for those of you who were on the line who didn't get a chance to speak during item number 4, this is an opportunity. at this time, members of the public who are not able to address the commission on item 4, may address the commission on items in the jurisdiction of the recreation and park commission and do not

appear on the general calendar. if you would like to make public comment, please dial *3 to be added to the queue. paul, do we have any hands raised? >> yes. one just popped up. i will unmute. >> clerk: go ahead, speaker. >> caller: hi, commissioners. i just wanted to encourage you and thank you all for your work with the great walkway, and i encourage you to work with the m.t.a. board and their staff to expedite an approval of an extension of those spaces, while continuing to do outreach and studies and improvements of those spaces. there have been concerns raised by sunset residents, as you heard earlier, regarding traffic in outer sunset, and it would be great to see

m.t.a. and you to work together so everyone can enjoy that space. i want to emphasize that people are loving those spaces, and that it would be great to see you take a step to extend those spaces prematurely before the 120-day countdown that sends this into a nail-biter. thank you for your leadership in creating those spaces, and to all staff that have helped make those spaces great, and, again, urging you to approve an extension, rather than later, so that people know those spaces will continue to exist as outreach and studies and improvements will continues to be made. thank you so much. >> clerk: just as a reminder to our callers, the reason i ask you to state your name is so i can keep track of speakers. callers are only able to comment once during general comment, so even though were have the item come up twice in the

meeting, you'll need to reserve your comments to the first or second round of general comments. i couldn't tell if that was the same speaker as before. no worries, but if you're going to comment on general items, only once during the meeting. i believe we have one other caller. go ahead and please state your name. >> caller: good morning. my name is you'd degorski. i'm a resident into lives in front of the upper great highway for the past 40 years. i'm here to advocate for it to be reopened to allow the traffic back on to it because of the way it has overwhelmed my neighborhood and en endangered the health of my and my friends and neighbors. we had a rally at lincoln at the great highway, and we have a petition that has been sent out to all city agencies, including this one, with 7,500

signatures on it that supports the opening of the highway. the traffic consists of big rigs, dirt bikes, motorcycles racing a few feet from our doors, instead of on the highway, along the coast, where they were able to drive non-stop with timed lights. we don't even open our windows anymore due to the air and noise pollution caused by the closure. also, by passing the necessary steps that are outlined in the ocean beach master plan, which has been oddly ignored, has caused and will continue to cause destruction in escalating erosion to our beautiful sand dunes that are being trampled, killing the sea grasses and ice plants that anchors them. these dunes are sanctuaries for endangered species, and a barrier to the storms and high winds that blow towards the homes and condos and

apartments of the residents who live by the highway. unlike the other great sections of the highway that are north of lincoln and south -- [audio breaking up] -- are in harm's way that are in front of the other areas of the great highway. here you've got 20,000 vehicles that were once driving far away that are now really, really up close. and, also, the great highway is a multi-use highway, which has always -- >> clerk: sorry, your time is up. hi, judy. judy, by the way, is my neighbor. nice to hear you. paul, do we have any other callers on the line? >> no, we do not. >> clerk: okay. seeing no further callers, public comment is closed. we are now on item 10, commissioners matters.

commissioners? >> yes, if i may. thank you so much. wanting to, again, continue our practice of centering our commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to have a brief equity moment. as i announced last month, i am pleased to hand the mic, so to speak, if you'll allow, over to commissioner halisi. >> thank you. thank you, commissioners. during our december 17th meeting, commissioner mcdonald brought up the possibility of having racial equity moments at our future meetings. about a week after that meeting, kacey jones passed away. it was actually on christmas day. he was 88 years old. shortly after the new year, i contacted

commissioner mcdonald and asked him if he thought it would be a good idea for me to include kacey jones in a racial equity moment. he said it would be a good idea. since then we've had so many racial equity moments, which is a great thing, that we're now just getting to kacey jones here five months later. but it is very fitting that it is this week, which was also the opening week of the nba playoffs. now, much of casey's history was cited in an moment. he grew up in san francisco. he is a president of sfusd histories. he headed up folton street

to the university of san francisco to continue his education. and he was a starting guard on the two naacp championships. he then moved on to the boston celtics, where he won eight rings as a player and two as a coach. he is a member of the basketball hall of fame in springfield, massachusetts. he is a member of the u.s. f. don's hall of fame and a member of the san francisco prep hall of fame. as we all know, the playground at third and armstrong was named in his honor in 2003. these are facts that many of you know about kacey jones.

but i'm going to share with you a couple of facts you may not know about him. in 1955, u.s. f. was the first school in the history of the naacp tournament to start three black players in a tournament game. and kacey jones was one of those players. in the 1963/'64 nba season, the boston celtics were the first time in the history to start five black players. again, kacey jones was one of those starters. it is these last two facts that i felt qualified kacey jones, among many other things, for a racial equity mention today because he was a pioneer in not only the world of college basketball, but

pro basketball as well. he was a great man. we had many conversations over the years, and i really appreciate the opportunity today to mention him and to keep him alive in our memories. thank you, commissioners. >> chairman: thank you, commissioner halisi, and as a member of the board of trustees at the university of san francisco and a graduate of the university, i more than appreciate those comments. he was a real hero to many, many people. thank you. >> chairman: thank you, president bule. thank you. >> clerk: okay. any other commissioners' matters that folks would like to bring up. okay. is there any public comment on item 10, commissioners' matters. if so, please dial *3 to be added to the queue.

paul, are there any hands raised? >> there are seven people on the line and zero hands raised, ashley. >> clerk: seeing no callers, public comment is closed. we're now on item 11, new business setting. commissioners, is there anything you would like to bring up. >> clerk: okay. is there any public comment on item 11? >> there are no hands raised. >> clerk: okay. seeing no further callers, public comment is closed. we're on item 12. communications. is there any public comment on this item? >> still zero hands raised. >> clerk: okay. seeing no callers, public comment is closed. we're now on item 13. adjournment. >> chairman: the chair

would entertain a motion. >> so moved. >> seconded. >> chairman: moved and seconded. all those in favor? [collective aye] >> chairman: thank you one and all. i appreciate it very much. >> thank you, and bye, everyone. >> thank you, ashley. thank you, phil. thank you, dana. thank you, lisa.

>> everything is done in-house. i think it is done. i have always been passionate about gelato. every single slaver has its own recipe. we have our own -- we move on from there. so you have every time a unique experience because that slaver is the flavored we want to make. union street is unique because of the neighbors and the location itself. the people that live around here i love to see when the street is full of people. it is a little bit of italy that

is happening around you can walk around and enjoy shopping with gelato in your hand. this is the move we are happy to provide to the people. i always love union street because it's not like another commercial street where you have big chains. here you have the neighbors. there is a lot of stories and the neighborhoods are essential. people have -- they enjoy having their daily or weekly gelato. i love this street itself. >> we created a move of an area where we will be visiting. we want to make sure that the area has the gelato that you like. what we give back as a shop owner is creating an ambient lifestyle. if you do it in your area and if

you like it, then you can do it on the streets you like.