definitely enthusiasm. people definitely want protected time, they want resources and find that it's important, but many people are scored, and they have not just racial equity but overall workplace needs. one last thing that i will say is our staff have been reporting to work throughout this entire pandemic when we didn't know if it was spread by sneezes or how it was spread, so i would say that staff are really ready for tea action and consistency from our teams and leadership on many different levels. thank you for the question. >> no, that's great, and in terms of you showed some of these things that are in progress, some things that are happening. for the biggest things that are not happening, what are the biggest barriers for things

that have not started? >> i would say -- so a couple of things. [please stand by]

. >> so, you know, i think our first step, our first step,

really, is to look at the data. first thing we have to do is to make sure that what we're looking at is accurate, so we're trying to make a determination that instead of this being a specific process that's handled at in a specific division, that's going to make sure that it's coming directly into e.o.r. the second is it's not going to be siloed within the division. there's going to be controlled in play so the upper management is going to be starting off with reviewing it, so they can see, okay, i'm an operator in woods, and i want a red light today. some operator hits yslais creek, we're going to give it to them, too. so you're enabling the

management to look at from a macroperspective. it's kind of the same way we do management. if we're looking at silos, you can have one classification that's separate from another classification. so i think that one, we're making sure that there's consistency, that we're having the accurate information, we're making sure that there's management review and sign off, which is very important. there isn't going to be guessing about what violation, which number, what date is current, who is the supervisor. that is the date of the complainant's claim, and that will be the data that's used to report on. the second thing is if we have the data fully there, we can clear the data for the

management team to say now, these are the managers that gave the notice violation. let's look at that. what does that mean? what are the -- who received what? who received what discipline for the particular violation, so i think that this is a really good first step to really make sure we have a good structure in place. once we know that we have accurate data, we can then take that data, look at it, and see what changes we need to make. so as josephine and i talked about, i think, yesterday, we still have a lot to do, but i think structurally, i think this is a very good, solid step, and i think it's important we not just do it in transit, but we also do it in maintenance. that'll be safe, too, because i think employees know that it's the same system that everybody

is going to be able to use. maybe the rules will be different, right? because we've put all the different rules for [inaudible], so i think that's a good, solid first step. i think we still have a ways to go, but i think this september, with the first phase, we're in a good place. >> i just wanted to add a few more notes. i think that director ackerman hit it on the nose. she said we have a lot of great work happening, but we have a ways further to go. a couple other things i want to point out. this is probably the same challenge across many city

departments. it's a way that discipline data is not being tracked. so we do need more consistent sharing assessment of data and also a strategy for how we share that data, so we're working closely with h.r. and e.e.o. on that, but there is room for growth when it comes to our policies and procedures. so we need to take a deep dive in understanding what is absolutely mandatory by our safety standards and what might be barriers that are causing for disciplinary actions toture, so i think that bigger work is a commitment to systems reform, understanding if they can be inducing harm. we have a lot of work to be done. as director ackerman mentioned, there's a lot happening within our transit division. a couple of things that i'll

add. training is really important. it's really important that we overlay racial equity training with our supervisor support. things like surveillance. if you think about even manager behaviors, am i checking this, you know, surveillance material because i can or because i actually have to? so because i check on josephine because i'm able to or because i have implicit biases or because i have to? there's a lot of ways that implicit biases play into the equation. i've only been in two city departments so far. i haven't seen that level of training in those departments, and only that close kind of understanding and discussion when i took a history of racism class in college. it's all levels of society that

can play out, so that really speaks why we're working to have, like, custom racial equity training, why we're working to pair it with racial systems, actions, and needs. it's not just how we keep managers and directors accountable, as well, for their actions, that's also a culture of connection period. for many staff assessing our large divisions, you may have one supervisor for hundreds of direct reports, so you can imagine the opportunity for direct communication and connection are smaller than for a smaller team. many people are, like, i never talk to management unless i'm in trouble. that's mostly tied to discipline but it's one of the ways that we're trying to improve relations is having on going spaces to connect outside of when disciplinary actions

are taking place. skbl that's really great to here. the other thing i think related to that is you talked about pipeline and pipeline planning. i think what's really hard is, you know, i always have to convey -- we live in a world where white people are told fight for your rights, and black people are told, follow the rules. we work in a concept system where people of color keep their head down. they're not trying to overly communicate and getting at the head of the room and having ambition, and then, they're penalized for not getting out there. these cultural things are really misunderstood and i think we're looking at and unpeeling those things. i think the people that work really hard and aren't vocal don't get the opportunity

because the cultural dominance doesn't recognize that. the person that talks a lot and thinks they're great will get the recognition because they'll put themselves out there in a way that people think they know what they're talking about. if you can do smaller groups, there's pipeline programs to help mentor people, and there's an understanding of how culturally people are brought up differently and how they're able to survive in the workplace, then we can start to get ahead, so i'm really encouraged by the work that you're doing, and i'm thrilled that we're starting to unpeel the onion, so i'll stop and move onto director brinkman. >> that's it exactly. i'm encouraged and i'm thrilled, and one of the things that i always feel a bit nervous about is that i'm sensitive to the fact that the burden of addressing racial

inequity not fall exclusively on our black and brown employees, so i'm really incredibly encouraged and really pleased to hear you talking about this. we can't -- we can't make fixing racism another job for our black and brown employees. i don't really have a question in there. that's my concern, and i'm always so concerned about that. justin, you did a fantastic job, and kimberly, thank you for being a fantastic leader along with josephine on this, and just trying to be thoughtful about it and not nervous about it, but you've helped me be less nervous about it. thank you. and that's all, chair. >> thank you, director brinkman. i'll just add, i think it's really important.

we need everyone talking about this and in fact, we need to talk about this. we need people learning. [inaudible] think -- this is about everyone leveraging their power and no one can help white privilege that they're born with, but they can help what they do with it. i'm looking forward to working with our senior managers and level of staff. we want everyone talking about it, and everyone more comfortable and informed when they do, so thank you for that, director brinkman. >> thank you. that's it, exactly. it's everyone's work to carry, and we have to remember that. >> thank you, director brinkman, and i just wanted to add, talking with a colleague

yesterday, we get focused on the recommendation we want to achieve, we've got to get this many actions, but the bottom line is there isn't really a finish line with this work. there isn't a finish line. we do have to continually work on it, and there isn't a finish line, and i think it's really important to keep that in mind. i just want to make sure that i can say that to my team and keep moving forward. >> thank you. thank you both. director lai. >> am i unmuted yet? >> yep, you're unmuted. we can hear you. >> okay. thank you. teams is so slow. i apologize for the late hour, but i do have some questions. well, first of all, i mean, thank you to both of you.

this was an immense amount of work and these last two quarters, i have to admit, just purely out of ignorance and not having enough appreciation of the whole mass of work that this really is, i see, based on all your reporting that there's a lot of working done, but to be honest, i don't have a good feel, like, how well it's all good and whether or not all of this is actually working and addressing the racial inequities that we had in our agency? i very much appreciate the comments made about the need for data. that is definitely step number one. it's very familiar to us in every area of discussion, as well, so very glad to see that happen. maybe i'll just ask a simple question there. i heard it very clearly stated

in the presentation will be done, rolling out live in september of this year, and there was a mention of phase two, phase three. just wondering how long will it take before all the phases roll out? >> yeah, thank you for that question, director lai. i'd have to go back and look at the information in our racial equity action plan, but i think we had a year or two years for this. we have the template, we have the process. all [inaudible] so i think from there, it's going to be much easier to finish phase two and complete two and three. and i think a year is reasonable. i think that's very reasonable. >> okay. well, thank you for that. i mean, i do find that very impressive, anyone who's dealt with process in government would appreciate how difficult

it is to implement new system innovation, especially when it requires access reporting on the employees -- active reporting on the employees, and we have a large employee base. so i will wait to see because, obviously, without that data, i feel like i wouldn't really fully understand how well or not well we're really doing. i had a question about the ombud office and the new hire. congratulations on the hire. just curious about, you know, we don't have the employees here to off their perspective, but i'm curious about the e.o. and there's been some concerns around the e.o. practices and i'm wondering how that's going and whether or not, you know,

you as the director feel like the employees are responding well to the tire? >> thank you for that question, director lai. i see that [inaudible] our ombudsperson is here on the call, as well. i think tony has excellent expertise, excellent reputation and credibility in the organization. i think when you hear issues about e.e.o., i don't think that it's everywhere -- i think a lot of this is focused on the city d.h.r. and e.e.o., and i think that tony has an excellent representation, and i think she has a very good rapport with employees. they trust her, and they

appreciate are guidance and support. -- appreciate her guidance and support. so i think they're appreciative of her, and i think the employees are supportive of her. and tony, i don't know if you'd like to say a few things and introduce yourself. >> hello. good evening to the directors, and i am a san francisco native, born and raised in bayview-hunters point. also was a product of the public school system and catholic school system here in the city. granddaughter of [inaudible] that was migrators from the south here to san francisco in 1940, and my background is beyond e.e.o. it's in race and equity work. i have probably a good 15-plus certifications in indigenous

methodology and also partner nationally with descendants of lynching history. i'm a descendant of three lynching victims and worked in montgomery, alabama with trauma work and bringing them to the table in the most difficult work and circumstances in today's time. utilize story telling, and engaging with employees in conflict around how to come to the table but also realizing that some conflict is not always resolved but it can be managed. so i will be partnering with numerous people within the agency along with a lot directors around what that ends up looking like so that people

with sfmta understanding what the process has been, the historical context, but also engaged with meeting employees where they're at. >> thank you. good to meet you -- or your voice, actually. you have a very big and important job, and it's such a relief to hear that you have so much conflict resolution mediation type of experience and with a lot of lived appreciation for very difficult -- navigating very difficult circumstances. we certainly need someone with your background here. i think, you know, my last question related to the equity action plan really is on, well, this is a mix of a question-comment. i'm, first of all, very excited to hear about all the fellowship opportunities that

are being created. it sounds like a fantastic opportunity. i'm excited to see just how the response would be, you know, whether staff will really welcome this and really want to participate or not. it will be telling for us and maybe just a question/plug whether we will be in all of the upcoming hires that the office will be doing. are we focusing on hiring staff based on language and cultural competencies because that is one of the comments that i at least have personally heard from various staff members when i have met them, and i'll take that question muted.

thank you, chair. that's it for my questions. thanks. >> thanks for the question, and director lai, you were speaking to the office of race, equity, and inclusion, or were you talking about the office of hiring? >> oh, to your office, yes, thank you. >> thank you for the question. that's a great question. i would say we don't have any requirements, and secondly, it's not listed as a desired qualification, either, so it's not something in the screenings that would give extra points when assessing if people are eligible. there's a lot of assessments on working with cultural engagement and underserved communities. i'm working with sfmta for the component of the test, but the test is actually a citywide test, and a lot of that across every single position highlights racial equity, cultural competency, and

consult engagement, as well. it's an attract tiff trait both for this department but across the agency for all of our hires, and as director ackerman mentioned, there's some work that people are being assessed for racial equity across all our jobs, as well. language is not a requirement for the roles, but cultural competency is and expected. thank you for the question. >> great. are there any final questions? seeing none, i want to thank you both for this presentation, and we look forward to future presentations. maybe in the future we can drill down on some of the issues and be more supportive as a board in helping you execute and for us, the number one issue is we know our staff have worked so hard particularly during covid, and you brought up a really good

point how during covid, people were still going to work and they didn't have a circumstance to be allowed to stay home, and we're now seeing a resurgence of the virus, and people's feelings about the vaccines. for me, the most important thing is we can't be successful as an agency if everyone doesn't have a place here and doesn't feel like it's the place for them, and so we have to do everything possible to make sure that we take care of our people and improve the culture, right? the culture of the agency, where the agency looks out for people and people can have a wonderful career and flourish and move up the ranks, and the diverse leadership that represents the san francisco that we all want it to be. i can't thank you enough for this work, and i look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting involved in any way that i can. at this so much for this thorough presentation. >> thank you, chair borden.

thank you, directors. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> so i will close this item number 14, and we have no further questions items on our agenda, and we'll be closing and adjourning in the memory of peter wu and saying good-bye to our dear friend director brinkman, and our next meeting will be scheduled for august 17. so for those that weren't aware, we are meeting on august 17, and we'll see you then. .

>> shop and dine the 49 challenges residents to do they're shopping with the 49ers of san francisco by supporting the services within the feigned we help san francisco remain unique and successful and rib rant where will you shop the shop and dine the 49 i'm e jonl i provide sweets square feet

potpie and peach cobbler and i started my business this is my baby i started out of high home and he would back for friends and coworkers they'll tell you hoa you need to open up a shop at the time he move forward book to the bayview and i thinks the t line was up i need have a shop on third street i live in bayview and i wanted to have my shop here in bayview a quality dessert shot shop in my neighborhood in any business is different everybody is in small banishes there are homemade recess pesz and ingredients from scratch we shop local because we have someone that is here in

your city or your neighborhood that is provide you with is service with quality ingredients and quality products and need to be know that person the person behind the products it is not like okay. who

valencia has been a constantly evolving roadway. the first bike lanes were striped in 1999, and today is

the major north and south bike route from the mission neighborhood extending from market to mission street. >> it is difficult to navigate lindsay on a daily basis, and more specifically, during the morning and evening commute hours. >> from 2012 to 2016, there were 260 collisions on valencia and 46 of those were between vehicles and bikes. the mayor shows great leadership and she knew of the long history of collisions and the real necessity for safety improvements on the streets, so she actually directed m.t.a. to put a pilot of protected bike lanes from market to 15th on valencia street within four months time. [♪♪♪] >> valencia is one of the most used north south bike routes in san francisco. it has over 2100 cyclists on an

average weekday. we promote bicycles for everyday transportation of the coalition. valencia is our mission -- fits our mission perfectly. our members fall 20 years ago to get the first bike lane stripes. whether you are going there for restaurants, nightlife, you know , people are commuting up and down every single day. >> i have been biking down the valencia street corridor for about a decade. during that time, i have seen the emergence of ridesharing companies. >> we have people on bikes, we have people on bike share, scooters, we have people delivering food and we have uber taking folks to concerts at night. one of the main goals of the project was to improve the overall safety of the corridor, will also looking for opportunities to upgrade the bikeway. >> the most common collision that happens on valencia is actually due to double parking in the bike lane, specifically

during, which is where a driver opens the door unexpectedly. >> we kept all the passengers -- the passenger levels out, which is the white crib that we see, we double the amount of commercial curbs that you see out here. >> most people aren't actually perking on valencia, they just need to get dropped off or pick something up. >> half of the commercial loading zones are actually after 6:00 p.m., so could be used for five-minute loading later into the evening to provide more opportunities or passenger and commercial loading. >> the five minute loading zone may help in this situation, but they are not along the corridor where we need them to be. >> one of the most unique aspects of the valencia pilot is on the block between 14th street. >> we worked with a pretty big mix of people on valencia. >> on this lot, there are a few schools. all these different groups had concerns about the safety of

students crossing the protected bikeway whether they are being dropped off or picked up in the morning or afternoon. to address those concerns, we installed concrete loading islands with railings -- railings that channel -- channeled a designated crossing plane. >> we had a lot of conversations around how do you load and unload kids in the mornings and the afternoons? >> i do like the visibility of some of the design, the safety aspects of the boarding pilot for the school. >> we have painted continental crosswalks, as well as a yield piece which indicates a cyclist to give the right-of-way so they can cross the roadway. this is probably one of the most unique features. >> during the planning phase, the m.t.a. came out with three alternatives for the long term project. one is parking protected, which we see with the pilot, they also imagined a valencia street where we have two bike lanes next to

one another against one side of the street. a two-way bikeway. the third option is a center running two-way bikeway, c. would have the two bike lanes running down the center with protection on either side. >> earlier, there weren't any enter lane designs in san francisco, but i think it will be a great opportunity for san francisco to take the lead on that do so the innovative and different, something that doesn't exist already. >> with all three concepts for valencia's long-term improvement , there's a number of trade-offs ranging from parking, or what needs to be done at the intersection for signal infrastructure. when he think about extending this pilot or this still -- this design, there's a lot of different design challenges, as well as challenges when it comes to doing outreach and making sure that you are reaching out to everyone in the community. >> the pilot is great. it is a no-brainer. it is also a teaser for us. once a pilot ends, we have

thrown back into the chaos of valencia street. >> what we're trying to do is incremental improvement along the corridor door. the pilot project is one of our first major improvements. we will do an initial valuation in the spring just to get a glimpse of what is happening out here on the roadway, and to make any adjustments to the pilot as needed. this fall, we will do a more robust evaluation. by spring of 2020, we will have recommendations about long-term improvements. >> i appreciate the pilot and how quickly it went in and was built, especially with the community workshops associated with it, i really appreciated that opportunity to give input. >> we want to see valencia become a really welcoming and comfortable neighborhood street for everyone, all ages and abilities. there's a lot of benefits to protected bike lanes on valencia , it is not just for cyclists. we will see way more people biking, more people walking, we are just going to create a really friendly neighborhood street. [♪♪♪]

you're watching san francisco rising with chris manors. today's special guest is dr. steven zutnick. >> hello. the show is focused on restarting, rebuilding, and reimagining our city. the director of the therapy center of san francisco and he's a professor in counseling psychology at usf. he's here today to talk to us

about resocializing, and returning to the office. welcome to the show. >>. >> thanks, chris. good to be back. >> as we re-open, people are having different reactions. some are embracing the recent shifts while others are having a hard time readjusting. >> yes. i think it's an excellent question. my basic bias on this i think to give you a general overview is we ought to be following cdc suggestions and requirements, what they say, because that's where a lot of the things come. should i wear a mask. should i not wear a mask. my answer is, yes, absolutely. i think we should wear a mask. i think we should social distance. it not only makes an impact on covid, it makes an impact on other diseases as well.

as you and i were chatting, the deaths from flu usually average 30,000 a year. we've had 2,500 deaths from the flu so far this year, but at the very least, you need to be vaccinated. >> going back to the office is also an issue. there are some people are thrilled returning to work, others are nervous about it and there's a group of people who've been working onsite all along. let's start with those who are worried about returning to the office. what can be done to relieve their concerns? >> i think identifying a cohort of colleagues, fellow workers who you can just talk to and share experiences with. you know, when you look at the advantages of groups, the major one is when we sit and talk to other people, we suddenly discover, oh, this isn't just me, i'm not some strange guy here. so everybody else i'm talking

to is worried about the same thing. i think that will raise awareness among people. to say, oh, i don't know, what are we going to do? do we have fresh air in here? can we open some windows? does the boss care if i wear a mask? >> how about those who've been going to work all along. possibly the most traumatized. how would you talk to them about managing the possible stress and resentment they may have been feeling. >> the most at-risk population is the essential worker who because they are also one of the lowest paid populations, have taken the biggest hits and the most risks. they're still at high risk. so they're dealing with a lot. they're dealing with depression, anxiety, insomnia

quite a bit. and you've got a lot of ptsd by the way one last point on the health care workers. that's the tip of the iceberg. these are also the people who often have the least access to therapy. so we've got all these people out of there who've been in the trenches the entire time, never had a break, suffering a lot of trauma, and there are no services available for them. >> lastly, let's talk about management. with varying attitudes towards the lifting of restrictions, there may be some struggles in the work place. how would you advise management to ease the transition? >> management can encourage vaccination or require it. they can keep masks, physical distance, hand washing, all of these things. and hopefully management will be responsive. i think, you know, given the title that the series, this is all new.

we're all just moving in to a whole new phase. we haven't begun to see the research that's going to come out of what we've just been through. we've been through a terrible pandemic. there's been a huge toll and i don't think we've seen the tip of the iceberg on the impact. >> do you have any final thoughts to share? >> yeah. i think this pandemic has highlighted a lot of things. for me, certainly, is mental health professional and a behavioral scientist. it's clear to me, we need to educate people about science. this is not unknowable to people. the basic of science is constant questioning. when you ask a question in research, you get one answer and about five new questions. things evolve continuously. so, yeah, when the cdc first

came out a year and a half ago, they said, no, we don't need masks and then they said oh, we do and then everybody went crazy. oh, look how bad the sciencetists are. that's exactly what science does. we thought we didn't need it. then we discovered it was air born. i think we're seeing we have huge holes in the health care system and conversely, i think we're finding with the vaccination, what it means for everyone to have access to health care without worrying about how am i going to pay for it. so i think this is really forcing us to look at everything. it's been a very difficult time. it's going to continue to be a difficult time for people, but i think that's also getting us to look at some really critical issues in health care. >> well, thank you so much for coming on the show dr. zlotnick.

well, thanks again. we'll be back with another episode of san francisco rising shortly. for sfgov tv i'm chris manors. thanks for watching.

>> good afternoon and welcome to the san francisco public utilities commission meeting. i am president sophie maxwell. madam secretary, take the roll please. [roll call] commissioner paulsen is excused from the meeting. and given the health and mayor breed have lifted the restrictions and this meeting is sell vised by sfgov tv. and for those watching on live stream b aware there is a brief lag between the livestream and to extend the sfgov staff for their assistance during the

meeting. to make public comment, dial 415-655-0001, meeting i.d. 146 434 0611 pound, pound. and limit your topics to the agenda item and to be with the public comment made in a civil and respectful manner to refrain from the use of the manner and not to individual commissioners or staff. >> thank you. before going on, we talked earlier this year about acknowledging the first people and today is going to to be one of the acknowledgments we might have different ones at times,

but that is something that we will do. so i am going to start. the san francisco puc acknowledges that it owns and the stewards of the unseated lands located within the historic territory of the ohlone tribe and other descendants of the historically federally recognized mission citizens, barona band of alameda county. the san francisco puc also recognizes that every citizen in the greater bay area has and continues to benefit from the use and occupation of the ohlone tribe of aboriginal land. since before and after the san francisco public utilities commission founding in 1932, it is vitally important that we not only recognize the history of

the tribal lands on which we reside but also we acknowledge and honor the fact that the ohlone people have established a working partnership with the san francisco puc and are productive and flourishing members within the many greater san francisco bay areas communities today. madam secretary, will you read the next item please? >> the first order of business is item 3, approval of minutes of july 13, 2021 regular meeting and jug july 16, 2021 special meeting. >> colleagues, are there any corrections or additions to be added to the july 13 and july 16 minutes? seeing none, madam secretary, will you open this up to public comment please. members of the public who wish to make two minutes of public comment specifically on item 13 the minutes dial 415-655-0001,

meeting i.d. 146 434 0611 and press star 3 to speak. limit to the topic of the agenda item being discussed and the chair can interrupt and ask you to limit the comment and be made in a civil and respectful manner and refrain from the personal comments. please address to the full staff. do we have any callers? >> madam secretary, we have one caller in the queue. caller, go ahead. you have two minutes. >> caller: can you hear me okay? >> yes. >> caller: great. david pillpal. i communicated a couple of incredibly nonsubstantive edits to secretary hood before the

meeting. i submit they will all be incorporated. i want to make very clear that donna is doing a great job under all of this craziness that continues to happen, and so i thank her on behalf of the public for all that she does. we did have outstanding issues about thousand resolve chosed discussions are reported and reflected in the minutes. i am sure that will get worked out. in the future it would be great to find a way to post presentations that come in late or are put together at the last minute by staff so that the public has access to those after the meeting. but otherwise the minutes are great. and donna is doing a great job and thank you very much.

force >> thank you, caller. there are no other callers in the queue. >> public comment on the minutes are closed. awe thank you. may i have a motion and second to approve minutes of the regular meeting on july 13? >> so moved. >> second. >> [roll call vote on the minutes] >> you have four aye's. >> a motion and second to approve minutes of the special meeting of july 16. >> i'll move. >> second. >> roll call please. >> [roll call vote on july 16 meeting minutes] >> you have four yay yays. >> thank you. next item please.

>> a next order of business is item four, general public comment. members of the public who wish to make two minutes of general public comment on matters within the commission's jurisdiction and are not on today's agenda may do so by dialling 415-655-0001, meeting i.d. 146 434 0611. pound, pound. to raise your hand to speak, press star three. we ask public comment be in a civil and respectful manner and refrain from the use of profanity. please address your remarks to the commission as a whole and not to individual commissioners or staff. mr. moderator, do we have any callers? >> we have one caller in the queue. >> thank you. >> caller, i have unmuted your line. go ahead. >> caller: the information as -- the information that i wanted to

talk about the bio solids and the digested. the public was promised initially -- and i'm going back to the year 2016 -- that they would be informed what is happening. and as you know, commissioners, this is not about running our mouth. this is about action. we, the people, haven't been informed about the timeline and the goals. we hear that that goal and won $1 billion plus. if you commissioners think that

you can waste taxpayers money that has been wasted for $300 million that the community deficits, you are sadly mistaken. i'm watching you all like a hawk. i have been watching you like a hawk since the year 2002. thank you very much. next caller? >> caller: david pilpal here. my only item for general public comment i assume since there is an item in the closed session that the general manager contract negotiations are continuing in closed session and

ultimately an employment agreement and start date will be discussed and voted upon in open session. thanks very much. >> thank you for your comments. madam secretary, there are no more callers in the queue right now. >> thank you. general public comment is closed. >> next item is item five, communications. any discussion on communications? >> seeing none, we open up for public comment. >> member who is wish to make two minutes of public comment on item 5, communications, dial 415-655-0001, meeting i.d. 146 434 0611, pound, pound, and

press star 3. limit your comments to the topic of the agenda item being discussed and remind you if you don't stay on topic, the chair can interrupt and ask you to limit to the agenda item. we ask public comment be in a civil and respectful manner. please address your remarks to the commission as a whole and not to individual commissioners or staff. >> mr. moderator, do we have callers? >> madam secretary, we have one caller in the queue. caller, go ahead. you have two minutes for item number 5 communications. >> good afternoon, commissioners. i am addressing you regarding communication and previous communication. specifically the letter and allegations of misrepresenting mr. dennis herrera's history, background, and experience. i don't know why no one is

responding to it. if you have been informed that there is allegations, at least respond to it. i am not asking you to confirm it or deny it. i am asking him to respond to it. i'm also still baffled as to why he would go to a job site when he has not been confirmed to be the next general manager. that is a fact. is he the general manager or not the general manager? these allegations are serious and there is no one in the city except the commission and room 200 that will ever and forever bring in the fox to guard the hen house. i advise you humbly to please

read the newspapers, the western observer, the mission local. we are not crazy, commissioners. we are the real thing. he shows up on tv saying don't believe the crime rates and we see it every day. people are leaving the city because of this crap, so i'm asking you again, i know you are in a binder right now between abiding what you have been told -- >> sorry, caller, your time is expired. >> next caller. i have unmuted your line. you have two minutes.

>> commissioner, we are given two minutes to wax our opinion. and those of us who are interested want something progressive to happen. in order for something progressive to happen, we have to follow the laws. we cannot tolerate people making their own system or ways in the middle of nothing. as far as i know, you were supposed to pick a candidate and in the middle of the process, someone through a wrench in the