>> this meeting is being held by tele conference pursuant to the governor's order declaring the existence of a local emergency dated february 25, 2020. before we proceed, i would like to ask the commissioner and staff member to explain procedures. >> the minutes of the meeting will reflect that due to the covid-19 health emergency and to protect commission members, city employees, and the public, the meeting rooms will be participating remotely. this is pursuant to the various local, state, federal orders declarations and directives and will participate in the meeting to the same extend as if they were physically present.

please know today's meeting is live cable cast on sfgov tv and streamed live online at sfgov.org/ethics live. once again steamed live online. >> the number is 415-655-0001 and access code is 2485 128 0118. 24851280118 followed by the pound sound. then press pound again to join as an attendee. you will hear a beep when you

are connected. when the item of interest comes up, you will hear, "you have raised your hand" to ask a question. wait until the host calls on you. the line will be silent as you wait your turn to speak. ensure you are in a quiet location. before you speak, mute the sound of any equipment including television, radio or computer. it is important that you mute the computer if you are watching via the web link to prevent feedback and echo when you speak. when the system message says your line has been unmuted, this is the turn to speak. you will hear staff say, welcome, caller. we encourage you to state your name clearly. as soon as you begin speaking, you will have three minutes to provide public comment and six minutes if you are online with an interpreter. a bell will go off if you have 30 seconds remaining. if you have changed your mind and wish to withdraw yourself,

press star 3 again to hear the system say you have lowered your hand. staff will thank you and mute you. you will hear your line has been muted. attendee who is wish to speak during other public comment periods may stay on the line and listen to the next public comment and raise their hands to enter the public comment line by pressing star 3 when the next item of interest comes up. public comment may be also submitted in writing and will be shared with the commission after this meeting has concluded and will be included as part of the meeting file. written comments should be sent to ethics.commission@sfgov.org. thank you, commissioner. >> have we resolved the technical difficulties with chair lee? >> a let me see.

>> good morning. success. good morning, everybody. my apologies to our newest member. this is usually not the way we start our meetings, but every day is an adventure for us. and if we can ask the moderator to begin agenda item one which is roll call please. >> commissioners, please unmute your microphones. [roll call]

>> i want to madam chair, with five members present and accounted for, you have a quorum. >> thank you, moderator. i want to take the opportunity to welcome commissioner who are joining us. you made this commission complete for the first time in over half a year. we have a wealth of expertise and experience in transparency and governance. i would like to welcome you and see if you would like to take a

moment to introduce yourself to our commission family as well as the san francisco family. >> thank you, madam chair. i do briefly want to introduce myself not because it is terribly interesting but may help the fellow commissioner, member of the public and staff have a perspective to where i am coming from. about 15 years ago i worked at the fair political practices commission and while there i was involved in writing regulations and advice letters to public officials throughout the state and an advocate for common cause which is the group and i was working on the point of contact for the ethics commission as a

public defender and investigate to the extent there were criminal things to investigate and ran the investigate so i have a decent idea of the laws we promulgate and i was the city employee for five years and i have taken a lot of training that the commission provides for. i like forward to working with the committee. >> thank you and welcome again. do my fellow commissioners want to speak as well?

>> i am looking forward to you with your experience and the recipient of the ethics commission training or participant will bring welcome and needed insight into the work we do now and the prosecutor and will be really invaluable. as we consider today's ordinance measure and others going forward. welcome. >> thank you, commissioner chiu. >> i want to express mu appreciation for your willingness to serve on this commission because i think there is no doubt that you add value from the experience you had and the values you represent.

welcome and i look forward to working with you. >> okay. with that agenda item two which is public comment on matters of hearing or not appearing on the agenda today. >> thank you, madam chair. the other commissioners have received public comment and each member will have up to three minutes to provide public comment. now is the time to be in line to speak as pressing it again will go out of public comment line and prompt you when it is your turn to speak and it is important to call from a quiet

location. address your comments to the commission as a whole and not to individual members. we are checking to see if there are callers in the queue. if you have just joined this meeting, we are on agenda item two, public comment on matters appearing or not appearing on the agenda. you will have three minutes to provide public comment, six minutes if you are online with an interpreter. we will hear a bell go off when you are done speaking. for those on hold, wait until the system indicates you have been unmuted. please stand by. madam chair, we have a caller in the queue. please stand by. welcome, caller. your three minutes begins now.

welcome, caller. your three minutes begins now. caller, if you can hear me. you are unmuted. >> hello, can you hear me? >> your 3 minutes is now. >> i am mar cass major and i appreciate the opportunity to connect with you all amid the communication challenges. i appreciate that. i am a former city employee of several agencies and currently a

nonprofit director that partners with four or five agencies and i applaud the ethics commission for taking on the challenges that need to be addressed and one of the partners was public works and the water department and it is challenging to continue the relationship in my ways with those agencies. i will say that i am concerned about this type of legislation being proposed and as a person working directly with grantors and grant making staff, my concern is that i wonder if we are targeting the right intention here. and obviously there's been problems that need to be i a

dressed and i don't know that fiscal penalties for small potatoes nonprofits is really the way to go and i don't think penalizing our partners that support small community-based organizations is a way to go either. i em mror you to think about the ethics deeper than what we all want and to look at the real problems that will awe rise over analyzing and penalizing folks for acts as individuals and city staff that should be supporting what small organizations do and the reporting that will be required for this proposed

legislation. and so much reporting to do which is valid and state grant this is year that were easier to turn in because of the extensive challenges faced by our city with the intern challenges and are you going to push it down to the small nonprofits or target the right folks and move up the ladder instead of penalizing folks down the line and specifically -- >> your 3 minutes is expired. >> thank you, all, so much. >> please stand by. >> i would encourage mr. majors

to call back on agenda item number 6. >> thank you for your comment. >> we are checking to see if there are any other callers in the queue. stand by. madam chair, there is no further callers on the queue. >> an agenda item number 3, consent calendar approval of staff minutes for december 10. do i have a motion to approve? >> so moved. >> public comment please.

>> please stand by. >> thank you, commissioners. each member of the public will have up to 3 minutes to provide comment. now is the time to get in line to speak. if you have not already, please press star 3. it is important you press star 3 only once to enter the queue as pressing it again will move you out of the public comment line and back into listening mode. understand you are in the queue and standing by t system will prompt you when it is your turn to speak, and it is important you call from a quiet location. madam chair, we are checking to see if there are callers in the queue. please stand by.

we are currently taking comments on agenda item number 3, draft minutes of the commission's december 10 meeting. madam chair, we have no callers in the queue. >> okay. public comment is closed. the motion to approve the minutes was moved and seconded. roll call please. [roll call on item 3] >> four votes in the affirmative

and 0 opposed, the motion is approved unanimously. >> thank you. consent calendar item number 4t resolution on the continuation of remote commission meetings. commissioners, this is the same resolution that has come before us since the covid situation. so do i have a motion to approve this? >> so moved. >> moved by commissioner chiu. seconded by commissioner bush. >> a let's go for public comment. >> each member of the public will have up to 3 minutes to provide public comment.

you will hear a bell go off when you have 30 seconds remaining. if you joined earlier to listen to the proceedings, now is the time to get in line to speak. press star 3 only once to enter the queue as pressing it again will move you out of the public comment line and back into listening mode. understand you are in the q2 and standing by, the system will prompt you when it is your turn to speak, so it is important you call from a quiet location. please stand by. if you have just joined this meeting, we are currently taking comment on consent item 4, resolution on continuation of remote meetings. if you have not done so, press star 3 to be added to the pub luck comment queue. standby. >> a welcome, caller. your three minutes begins now. >> a commissioner, ept you to pay careful attention to what

i'm saying. this is the ethics commission and everything has to be done in order. first of all, you had mishap with the sfpuc and you trying to arrange for this meeting. we understand that. but for the longest time, even though i was on the line, i had to contact somebody at city hall so that something could be added to that the public could know about the numbers so that we could participate. now, too early speaking this is the ethics commission so you all have to be doubly, create a checklist. adjust the system so we can

participate in these deliberations. passing the resolution on the continuation of remote commission meetings is fine, but are we participating, we, the public? i, for example, haven't given my comment on the first three items. so do we have to have a continuation of the first three items? we have to have the fair political commission practice joining you all and may have to give the orientation on the brown act and other really laws that pertain to public comment. public comment in san francisco is sacrosanct. i understand there will be problems and i understand about

an emergency. but i am asking you all to be vigilant and show your leadership. there is leaders who show the way and go the way. thank you very much. >> thank you, caller. >> please standby. there is another caller in the queue. please stand by. >> welcome, caller. i am a former ethics commissioner from long ago. i wanted to state that the sound is intermittently cut out such as when commissioner chiu was commenting as well as when other people, so we can't really know what exactly you are saying and what is going on. that is an ongoing problem.

it took me a while to find the phone number because it was not initially at the bottom. well, the point is that going back to approval of the minutes, the sunshine ordinance specifically forbids, prevents and great recusal -- i'm sorry, it forbids -- it forbids an abstention. that is possible for the state agencies but not for the city. parliamentary procedure does allow for somebody to say, because other people felt this was okay, i will go along and agree, but you cannot abstain for any pedestrian agency subject to the sunshine ordinance. please keep this in mind because you're going to wind up with problems down the line if you let this use of a state option continue into a city option that is forbidden. and again, try to deal with getting the sound made available

all throughout this meeting. thank you. >> excuse me, ronald, i don't think any of us can hear you right now. or at least i can't. >> sorry, foi torth unmute. >> thank you -- i forgot to unmute. >> yes, i want to ask a question about abstaining which has been raised by former commissioner. what in if instead of abstaining, it was a recusal? couldn't you argue for a recusal on the basis that you remember

not? >> thank you for raising that commission. >> commissioner planthold is correct. the charter does not allow commissioners to generally abstain for items before them. and there are limited occasions in which a commissioner can recuse. obviously if a commissioner has a conflict of interest and can't vote in the matter to requirements under state and local law, the commissioner shouldn't participate. the commission can also ask the leave of his or her colleagues on the commission to allow them to recuse from a specific item, but commission planthold raises a valid point. i apologize. i must have missed it before, but if the commissioner did abstain on the approval of meeting minutes, to be technical about it even though testifies not in attendance at the prior meeting, he should vote on the matter and cannot abstain. my apologies about that issue. so under this charter

requirement, it would be best if the commission went back, rescinded the vote and revoted on it and commissioner fin-lab, i realize it is awkward, but if you could vote yes or no on that matter, that would be appreciated. >> can we finish voting on the agenda item 4 and then go back? and go back to agenda item 3? >> right. that would make sense. finish up this item and quickly go back and take care of that housekeeping matter and hopefully keep going. thank you very much. >> okay. commissioner bell, your hand is up. is this in response to this agenda item? >> yes, this item, because when i first joined, i did the same thing. i tried to abstain. i was feeling the commissioner's pain, and i was told i could not abstain at that point, but i don't remember what we did, but i want to say i did the same thing when i first came on and

was instructed that that was not an option. so i don't remember what i voted, but the minutes will reflect that whatever happened at that time, and i think we should proceed as suggested by mr. chen. >> okay. commission, your hand is still up. unmute please. >> i'm sorry. i lower my hand. off from >> okay. let's finish on agenda item 4. see if we have anymore public comment. >> please stand by. >> madam chair, there are no callers in the queue. >> let's proceed to vote on agenda item number 4. we already have the motion and

second. roll call please. i will now call the roll. commissioner bush? >> aye. >> commissioner chiu? >> aye. >> chair lee? >> aye. >> commissioner binlab. >> aye. >> a commissioner bell? >> aye. >> with five votes in the affirmative, the motion is approved unanimously. >> per our legal counsel's advice, we are going to go back to agenda item number three, and deputy city attorney, do we need the motion to extend the vote. >> we need a motion to rescind her entire vote and approve the minutes again. >> do we have a motion to rescind the earlier vote to approve the draft minutes?

>> the motion made by commissioner bush and seconded by me. do we have to go back to go back to public comment? >> no, we have already taken public comment on this item. >> thank you. >> roll call please. >> i will now call the role. commissioner bush? >> chair lee? >> the motion is approved unanimously. >> thank you. and now i would like to entertain a motion to approve the draft minutes of the december 10, meeting.

>> roll call please. >> a motion has been made and seconded. i will call the roll. >> commissioner bush? >> a commissioner chiu? >> chair lee. >> five votes in the affirmative and zero votes opposed, the motion is approved unanimously. >> thank you. and thank you. now we go to regular calendar agenda item 5 which is the discussion and approval and possible action to adopt ethics commission regular meeting schedule for calendar year 2022.

>> thank you, chair lee. item 5 was continued from the december meeting. we did make one correction on the calendar and the date stated in error for the proposed date. and pursuant to the commission's bylaws, you will recall that the commission has established a regular meeting schedule that indicates the day, date, and time and location of the regular meetings. and so that's in the bylaws and pursuant to that to help with the public's engagement and planning purposes over the course of the year. the commission's practices and the coming calendar year every january or february of the year. this document considers to keep meeting on the proposed current schedule of the second friday of each month starting at 9:30 a.m. as the proposed schedule notes

the commission continues to be meeting remotely as identified as the online remote meeting when should that change based on further guidance from the city administrative office and others about the resumption of on site meetings, the commission may wish to amend the calendar at that time to confirm that as well. we have a proposed schedule based on the current bylaws for your consideration and discussion today. thank you. >> thank you, director. any comment on the commissioners? commissioner bush? >> unmute please. >> all right. i would like to let me fellow commissioners know that i will be seeking a change in the bylaws and the approval of my colleagues to start our meetings

at 10:00 rather than 9:30. i think that's what works better in general. and i can elaborate on the reason for that at that time that i make the motion to add it to the agenda in the future for a bylaw change. as a result of my belief that the 9:30 meeting doesn't provide sufficient time for the public to participate to vote no on this schedule. i also know that to the keeping of the practice of providing with the agenda. i think three days in advance of

the meeting. i don't think that is sufficient. that is legally all we are required to do. but i think an agenda that is a week out would be better and more likely to be prepared a week out and be subject to changes because we're taking up issues that require some deliberation on the part of the public, and we want to encourage greater participation. a three-day advance especially with a weekend in there makes it hard to get the kind of participation that i think we want to get. so i am making that statement as we prepare to vote on this. >> thank you, commissioner bush.

>> chair lee, a point of information. >> i wanted to clarify the commission meetings agendas are regularly posted a week before the commission meeting. as you know, commissioner bush, the requirement we provide them no less than three days in advance to comply with meetings and as for next week's meetings the documents will be posted online at close of business today. and there may have been a recent exception and the regular course of things and for precisely the reason you mention. thank you for that opportunity and feedback. >> shall we entertain a motion to approve the proposed calendar for the new year? >> so moved. >> so moved. >> thank you.

moved by commissioner bell and seconded by commissioner chiu. mr. moderator, go for public comment please. >> thank you, madam chair. we are checking to see if there are callers in the queue. for those already on hold, wait until the system indicates you have been unmuted. we are on agenda item 5 and discussion to adopt ethics commission and regular meetings scheduled for calendar year 2022. if you have not done so, press star 3 to be added to the public comment queue. you will hear a bell go off when you have 30 seconds remaining.

>> madam chair, we have a caller in the queue. thank you, caller. your three minutes begins now. this is bob planthold and i wanted to respond to commissioner bush's suggestion of the bylaws change and this is just information because, again, your screen stops in providing sound and/or freezes. so i don't know whether i will be able to join in the future. it is worth considering altering the starting time and the reason is simply that some people with disabilities who need a personal care attendant cannot get ready in time to call in at 9:30. beyond that, if you are a single parent trying to get your kids to school, you may not be able to get back home in time for a 9:30 start. there are different

constituencies that normally may not participate in ethics meetings but considering some of the agenda items and some of the stories about san francisco corruption and ineptness and there could be more people wanting to call in in the future. so keep in mind constituencies unlike yourselves and people with disabilities and a person care attendant and single parents have to get their kids to school. those are groups that also ought to be able to easily call in and at a timely start which 9:30 is not. thank you. >> thank you, caller. please standby. madam chair, we have another caller in the queue. please stand by. >> thank you, caller. your 3 minutes begins now.

>> my name is francisco decosta and i have been paying very careful attention to what is happening to our city having participated for many years with the sunshine task force, the ethics commission with the controller's office, and i am saying this because people are fed up more with this pandemic and with all the corruption that is going on in the city and county of san francisco as part of the ethics commission are concerned, i have been kicking the can down the street. for example, when a whistleblower goes to the

controller's office having filed with the sunshine task force and the ethics commission, the controller's office has chosen to give the empirical data that the whistleblower gives to the controller's office to the city attorney. today this city should be ashamed of itself that the former city attorney now is a general manager of the sfpuc, the intam entity that he should have met some justice with but has failed. and then we got another person from sacramento. now he is a city attorney and we have the mayor in the cockpit singing the blues. and at this commission you have no clue what is happening to our city. the timing as one of the persons

who are talking said should be around 10:00. and one of your commissioners said it, too. you are very lucky that we have one commissioner who is astute and i know him and he knows me, so i am not going to say his name. but he is watching and i am watching and i have a blog. and i send some of my articles to the ethics commission. i don't know if the ethics commission distributes it to all the commissioners. but we are in dire straits, commissioners. we used to be a city where there was some semblance, but no more. we are in dire straits. this is the most corrupt city in

the nation on par with -- >> your three minutes has expired. >> -- on par with chicago and los angeles. thank you very much. >> please stand by. >> checking to see if there is any other callers in the queue. >> madam chair, there are no callers in the queue. and qualify until the bylaw and we can still change the meeting time and meeting date as long as we give a seven-day notice, so

technically if we want to move next friday's scheduled commission meeting to a later time, we can certainly do that and i would suggest that we do that for the next meeting until we can fully address future meeting starting times to the bylaw discussion. so we can take a vote on this item please. >> i am going to ask to clarify, is this a motion to adopt the calendar for regular meeting schedule as shown with the amendment that the january 21 meeting will start at 10:00? we need an amendment? >> i just want to be clear if the 10:00 time frame is the

commission's action that we reflect that there. and perhaps city attorney chen can weigh in. >> i think it would be better to make the amendment that was just suggested and one meeting on the 21st and will start at 9:30. commissioner chiu with the commissioner that made the motion. >> i will amend the motion to i a prove the calendar as proposed except for the start time for the january 21 meeting would be 10:00 a.m., not 9:30. >> thank you. seconded by commissioner bush. roll call please. >> o motion has been made and

seconded. i will now call the roll. [roll call on item 5] >> five votes in the affirmative and zero votes opposed, the motion is approved unanimously. >> thank you. now to agenda item number 6, which is discussion and possible action on proposed -- proposal regarding a possible june 2022 ballot measure and regulation amendment contained in report to enact recommendations contained in report on gift laws part a, gifts to individuals, dated august 2, 2021, report on gift laws part b, gifts to city departments dated september 29,

2021 # and report on strengthening basic ethics provisions dated december 6, 2021. before i ask for staff report, i would recall at the last commission meeting the deputy city attorney chen laid out the legal timeline for a ballot measure to qualify for the june election. also, before we have the staff presentation and discussion, i would like to ask deputy city attorney chen to remind us of the ballot measure time fraim if you could please. >> of course. just briefly for the benefit of the public and the commission and another reminder that if the commission wishes to place this measure on the june primary ballot of this year, the ethics

commission is required to submit to the department of elections at least 95 days in advance. that 95-day deadline would have to commit it by friday, march 4. >> thank you. commissioner bush, your hand is up. from the last agenda item. >> it was for the last agenda item, but i would like to weigh in on this one as well. >> would you like to wait -- okay. would you like to wait until the staff presentation? or you want to make a comment now? >> i can wait. >> you will never hear me say that again. >> let's have the presentation.

>> good morning, commissioners and we are delighted to have you on board and looking forward to you as well. i think i just wanted to write a bit of a context setting since our last commission meeting if i could before turning it over to michael and pat on some of the additional substance of where we are on this issue and more detail. i thought it would be helpful to take a few moments especially for the benefit of the new commissioner and the policy work. we attached to the memo and the documents that were previously provided an update to ensure that the commission is aware of substantive feedback we have received since the last commission meeting about issues that have been noted by folks who have been sharing feedback with us and how we believe those

issues d k be addressed constructively and make sure we have that information as well. and after the last commission meeting and i had the opportunity to meet with department heads at the request of the mayor. held on december 15 and they asked to provide an overview of the project and the proposals that we are engaged in as this process is gone along. a rather and lengthy the comments. two main substantive comments and several spoke conveying the view that the laws we currently have are sufficient already laws were on the books that enabled those who were found to be engaging in corrupt actions to be caught and penalized.

those comments suggested that the current laws are purposed by the indictments and consequences that happened for individuals. several others and department heads stated a concerned that was currently written and the proposals we have offered would have unintended consequences that would negatively impact organizations that are benefitting from departmental and staff report for the work that they are engaged in. i wanted to take the moment engage in new approaches and examining new thinking and new takes on where the law needs to be strengthened. and respond to other comments with the impact of the organizations that have been

conveyed. the ordinances and the longs from the governmental process from section 3.200. and maintain public trust and governmental institutions. as you know the purpose of this project has been to take a really close look at examining whether current law adequately identifies and prohibits conduct that can give rise to conflicts of interest and undermining the objectives of the city and might fair to fully support laws and programs and have been demonstrated in our view and the research to be insufficient, we have taken steps to remit and implement improvements that we think will strengthen the systems that operate going forward. and i think from feedback that i have heard that the department head meeting that we engaged in

following the december 15 meeting and widespread ethics laws are important and necessary. and to be strong and workable and at the same time the argument has been put forward that violate the law have been caught and that has sent a signal to the current system. and internally, we have talked about what that argument reflects and in some ways is a bit like a series of fires that happens, once they are open we don't talk about fire safety and multiple city officials to have violated the public laws and because of the recent public investigation and clearly and ask ourselves and continue to

see what we can do to make sure the systems are operating. and elevating the work and reflect the trust that we are working hard to learn and that do lead to fair and equitable outcomes. i think it's important to assess where systemic change might be needed. it is important to question whether the status quo was the best that we can do and is that the standard we hold ourselves to? and the better standard and engaged in this discussion about what the standards need to be. and it will be continuing and looking systemically at the issues. and there may be bad actors who take bad actions individually and there are also questions about how to strengthen with what they operate in and the corrupt kinds of practices that have been elevated and escalated

into an investigation and penalties for individuals who engaged in those practices. the argument has been made that there are equity concerns that ensuring equitable policy and equity and delivering our city services is essential and we couldn't agree more. there is no question about it. pay to play in my view is an inequity. when people lose out on opportunities to participate, they don't make certain payments and feel compelled to make payments to do the work and complete in the work, those are the kind of concerns that fall into the question of how to do better and we know inequity perpetuates himself and fighting the own concern and is not opting out of participating. so undue influence on the radar

at government favors those and resources who don't have and choose those things to do better. ethics laws promote equity and corrupt practices destroy it. so it's also within the mandate as the commission from san francisco voters to give the commission the authority to place things directly before the voters. that is a recognition that san francisco voters have uniquely recognized how hard culture changes and deep culture runs and the exact appropriate tool if necessary to accomplish needed change. these are conversations that are engaged and i wanted to set a bit of context more and a process that we have been engaged in since the december meeting and has been about listening and responding to try to strengthen and clarify laws in the best way possible so that the laws we have do reflect a

healthy system and an environment with the government service and public service and government so we do have the ability to serve integrity and with equity in a way that builds trust. that is a bit of an update from the december meeting and busy several weeks and pat and mike are here to share further informs about the substance of the recommendations and others on the line who will have additional feedback for you. i wanted to prevent that from the outset of the discussion today. thank you for that opportunity. >> madam chair, can i ask a question? >> please. >> thank you very much for that. you mention the concerns with the unintended consequences and is that part of what pat and michael will be talking about? and the consequences hearing

from the department and the question and concern and if that is and started doing with the language and thank you. >> michael canning. give the update this month.

and the recent update from yesterday and staff pushed with the municipal organization and as part of the meet and confer process and were unable to conclude which means the commission is unable to take action today on this item. and i would like to start by briefly reviewing the timeline of the meet and confer process and what will be happening in the last month since the last meeting. we also have invited representatives from dhr to attend today's meeting to speak generally about the meet and confer process should you wish to hear from them and which

could be valuable for the confidentiality and meet and confer process in open session. but first at a high level process that began on november 10 of last year when dhr contributed the text of the measure and regulation changes to mea and other unions. and then on november 17, staff presented the package of reforms to the m.e.a. and then on december 9, dhr distributed a close out notice for the meet and confer process stating because no questions or concerns had been raised since the previous month's presentation at the november 17 meeting, the process could be concluded in which case that would have allowed the commission to act on this matter at the december 10 meeting last month. however, later that day on

december 9 the mea notified dhr of the desire to continue the meet and defer process which is why action was not able to be taken last month at the meeting. there were several departments that spoke asking for the continuation of the item with the departments and the asian art museum and the fine arts commission and recreation of park and then on the 17th of december, there was a second meet and confer with the mea. that did not lead to a closeout of the meet and confer process, but issues were identified and the response was sent to the mea on december 27 which is the letter that is attached as exhibit attachment three. that proposed amendments to address the concerns raised by

mea. there was no response received to that letter, and then on the 13th of january, which is yesterday, we had an additional third meet and confer meeting and we are not able to close out meet and confer and the commission was unable to take action at this point. and i believe that dhr director is in attendance and is available to speak generally to the commission about how the meet and confer process works and maybe explain why the commission is unable to act at this time. and a conditional meet and defer process in more detail and move on to more general questions about the measure covered. >> we could ask her to speak to give us more information.

>> good morning, president lee, members of the commission. i am happy to answer any questions generally that you might have about our obligation under state law to meet and confer in good faith over any matters that affect wages with the terms of employment and conditions which can t proposed measure certainly would. i am not sure what orientation this commission has had about it. i can generally say in the city charter the dhr director, which is myself, and through my employee relations director is responsible to carry out this obligation under law on behalf of all the city, the agents and commissioners, boards and so forth. and we provide this service from

the executive branch as well as the legislative branch and all the constituent commissions. this is important work for the whole city and i am not here so comment in terms of policy one way or another to simply on the commission's obligation and can with brief and can be lengthy. at this point it would not be easy to predict how it will go. we do appreciate the policy work and support that we over gotten from your staff to engage our labor unions in discussion on this measure. i am happy to answer any questions that i can.

i should just also know that if you do want a more detailed briefing about the positions of the parties, i would have to do that in closed session. >> because? >> i'm sorry, commissioner lee, is there a question? >> why is it that we have to go to closed session if we want a briefing from you? >> i can't provide you with a position on the party of the union or unions that are engaged in meet and confer without full permission of those parties. we have not sought that. i was not aware that the commission might be interested in it if it is, but it would be quite a typical thing to meet in closed session. it is a very specific provision within the brown act to be able

to brief any policy body on progress in labor negotiations. i would be prepared to do that either myself directly or in conjunction with our employee relations director. >> okay. thank you, director eissen. >> commissioner bush? >> you are muted, mr. bush. >> thank you. if i understand correctly, the meet and confer obligation is that we reach out and seek and meet and confer on proposals, but it is not obligating us to come to an agreement with the other parties. in fact, after a meet and confer

we can declare that we are satisfied that we have met that and move forward. is that your understanding? >> yes, it is. >> so we don't have any obligation to reach a conclusion with the departments. we just have to have met with them and we have done that. correct? >> you have not completed the process, so that last portion of your statement would be incorrect. >> what is the portion we have not completed? >> very broadly, meet and confer your obligation under state law and the myers-brown act and to meet and confer it and the wages and term of employment and any

affected and evaluate the counterproposals and at the end if with cannot be divided over one or more matters and at that point the impasse is reached. and the union or unions can make a decision that it would like to access the the fact finding provisions in state law and engage this commission in a fact finding process. a fact finder would be employed and a fact finding panel would be seated and we would engage in that fact finding process. i have been through this many, many times over a long time. it can happen very quickly or it

can go on for months up to a year. it's hard to predict at this point. >> as i understand it, there have been three meetings and three meetings and not reached a resolution that says to the unions. >> i am not sure of the nature of the inquiry. i can only provide with general discussion and from what i know, you are in process in the early stages of meet and confer and which ideas are exchanged and proposals are exchanged and information is being answered. this is an exercise that we are required under law to engage in. we have to do it fully and

fairly and take it to the natural conclusion. >> as i understand what was said from the staff, a presentation was made and the meet and confer and the department did not respond until the last day. >> i would have to review and that brief history and from the meet and confer process. it tells me there is a lack of urgency to respond in a meaningful way with this commission on a matter that

affects their members and it comes down to dragging this out and cannot be on the june ballot. the earliest it could be on would be november. i am ashamed on that part of the process. thank you. >> thank you, commissioner. i have been hearing directly from the stakeholders is very important and welcome the opportunity to be briefed in closed session and based on that as soon as it can be done and

very valuable to hear concerns directly and not that we're going to agree with all the concerns. i think it's important to hear them out. directly if possible. to be with the proposal and express interest in this process and the obligation only extends to that bargaining unit. >> it would extend to all bargaining units and i am happy to discuss that matter in closed session.

>> for those on hold and indicate that you have been unmuted and on the motion of agenda item six. discussion and possible action on proposal regarding the proposal june 2022 ballot measure and regulation amendments to enact recommendations contained in report on gift laws part 8 and gift laws to individuals, 2021 and gift laws part b. dated september 29, 2021. and report on strengthening basic ethics provisions data provisions. and press star 3 to be added to the public comment queue. you will have three minutes to provide the public comment and six minutes if you are with an interpreter. you will hear a bell go off with 30 seconds remaining. please stand by.

>> public comment. >> they have a new director and a shift officer that has retired after many, many years and they have a financial -- a chief financial officer who is jumping ship and going to another identity. i am asking you at this commission, do you know of this situation? do we have people in the cockpit that really know where we are going?

secondly, if you look at the cases that have come before the sunshine task force regarding gift laws, we the people know

there are various levels of corruption. the city departments are corrupt. the main department and a change in the city administrator's office. the former assessor is now the administrator and 33,000 employees under her care or jurisdiction, and i have been saying many peoples to the ethics commission you cannot go do the job because, simply put, you do not have the talent or the resources. to call upon the city attorney,

who said something, but it meant nothing. you call upon your staff t director. she says something, but it means nothing because they're speaking in generalities. >> your three minutes has expired. please standby. welcome, caller. your 3 minutes begins now. >> good morning, commissioners. and first of all, i appreciate this commission's actions to address the recent corruption scandals and prevent similar violations in the future. however, we urge you to take careful and balanced approach that protects beneficial activities. first, i want to say that hsn supports the municipal exemption

request to accept free attendance to nonprofit fundraisers. attendance at these events are necessary for city employees to evaluate the departments contractors. this attendance benefits nonprofits and the city in other ways and particularly in health and human services typically underfunds the cost of true programs and expects nonprofits to raise substantial additional funds. and it's crucial that the nonprofits have support and asi the answer in raising the necessary private funds that ensure the sustainability of the agency and its programs by their very presence at fundraisers, city officials build relationships and nonprofit staff and donors and provide credibility sending the message

to donors is a good city partner and how they fit into the big picture of city strategies to address homelessness and behavioral health treatment. second, i want the measure to include overly broad, restricted source language that was also problematic in the original behest and contribution legislation on contributions specifically around the exemption of nonprofit board members and more specific language for those who attempt to influence legislation. and the requirement of the supermajority ethics laws is troubling with the first amendments rights and are subject to unintended with the

simple changes aloft. and the proposed measure to get ballot. thank you, caller. >> madam chair, can i make a comment? >> it is relevant to the last public comment. >> thank you for your indulgence. i know the director is no longer on the line, but i believe the staff made comments and which to me seem reasonable and the

things that don't accomplish the goals. thank you for allowing me to make that comment. with the ballot measure or more specifically? i would say sort of generally many of the laws that are within the ethics commission's jurisdiction because they were and the voter adopted measures. future amendments require supermajority approval by the ethics commission and the board of supervisors. large portions of the city's campaign finance laws are subject to the amendment provisions as are large portions of the city's ethics and gift

laws. one aspect that it would incorporate the supermajority vote requirements to the totality of all sort of ethics related laws in that commission's jurisdiction. there is this broader approach and the supermajority approval with the board of supervisors. does that answer your question? >> an it does because in the absence of the supermajority and by simple majority can change laws. that is correct. and there are some chapters of the campaign by the majority vote and for example, portions of the lobbyists committed in such fashion and the whistleblower ordinance as an example. that is why it's critical this provision remain in the ordinance and be approved by the voters. so the legislation and rules

that the ethics commission crafts and cannot be undone by a simple majority vote which is part of the regulated community who may or may not be acting against their own self-interest in doing so and acting in the self-interest in doing so. >> my colleagues have raised their hand out of respect for the public callers and they have been waiting to entry. let's finish ub the public comment and then we will go back to commissioners' comments. if that is fine with everybody. mr. moderator, do we have anymore callers? unmute please. >> you are muted.

>> hello. >> welcome, caller. your 3 minutes begins now. >> hi. i am the manager of development and community partnerships for the san francisco department of the environment. good morning and thank you so much for your efforts to foster transparency and city government. and the proposed legislation and first is how many and the city staff this will impact to cost the city and how many in administrative time and the opportunity costs and work on climate change and how much time is taken away from my work in that area to deal with the administrative tasks required in this legislation. and another question, how many of the partners is going to impact and will have an

additional layer of admin tasks and to the already burdensome requirements we ask of them. that needs to be looked at. and then which of these partners is the most burdened by dealing with this legislation and in most departments we have to look at the proposed policy, campaign through the equity lens and i think that needs to happen here that we have to look at who is going to be the most impacted and most impacted are going to be the graduate organizations who really don't have a legal and administrative staff to deal with the requirements of the legislation. which could possibly impact the possibility to partner with the city. foors foors i serve the public in almost all of the area here today and in order to fully serve the public and we have to

show up and support and have to be out there collaborating in coordinating and i do think this legislation as it's written is going to have a chilling affect on our ability to do that and continue building the relationship and partnership that are crucial to addressing the pressing issue whether it's climate change, providing access to the arts and green space and providing access to educational workforce development and dealing with homelessness and city staff can't do it by themselves. cbos can't do it by themselves. we have to do it together and as written, one of the unintended consequences of the legislation is going to make it harder for us to do that. the this may have a chilling effect on people's ability to participate in government. if we can't show up, if we can't talk to people and how to get

the specific engagement to know is necessary to move forward as a city. and that is ul i wanted to say. >> three minutes has expired. >> please standby. >> we have other callers in the queue. welcome, caller. your three minutes begins now. >> the commitment and we believe

that we can always improve on ethics to the executive director pelham's comments earlier and screen on ethics and i reject the fire training analysis because that would be analogous to if there was arson in a building and there are arson laws to take care of arson. and there are ethics laws to take care of ethics complaints. and that is equivalent to arson, not just fire safety. ethics violations, that is what we are talking about. and i want to say this is overly broad, overreach, and is arbitrary and completion, and a solution in search of a problem. and ethics things that we need to tighten in the city and to tighten and with the comments

later with that advice. >> thank you, caller. please standby. >> welcome, caller. your 3 minutes begins now. this is bob calling again and contrary to what the previous certain said, no all the guilty parties are the guilty parties are apprehended and charged from the statements from the u.s. department of justice and this is still an ongoing process and therefore, we should not assume that things have been resolved adequately regarding ethics compliance. as far as meet and confer, here is the problem that one administrative agency is

blocking the ethics decision process for an ethics charter commission. however, if you exceed to that, the person said that she cannot reveal the positions of the parties except in closed session and from the public from the list of the topic to be considered and adequately addressed. all of this in silence is not in fair confidence and i am going to say in h.r. and in those who the hammer to thwart better government. and i want to address the question request from an earlier commissioner about interceding in public comment. you are not supposed to do that. and you are not supposed to

respond to public comment and beyond that, the potential request for anybody else to come back, again, you are making that person an equal party to you folks as opposed to a member of the public because the request was get a chance to speak again. no, public comment is one time only. one time only on each agenda item. and you got to be fair to the public who aren't in power. separate from the work in ethics and i have been on four grand juries and the sunshine task force, and i've got, if you will, a wealth of local good government experience. that is why i keep bringing up you got to do better with your own performance and not allowing somebody to have a second bite at the apple. but at least if you are going to defer action, get a list of the topics so the public knows what is being discussed. that doesn't reveal the position

and what has been addressed and this has been addressed and this has been resolved. >> thank you, caller. please standby. thank you, caller. your three minutes begins now. >> i am the director of partnership of recs and parks department and honestly welcome anything that makes government better, fair, and more transparent. i do have some concerns about this legislation. i personally came to government

late in my career from the private sector and once saw the people who ran city services with faceless bureaucrats and understand the professionalism, from office staff like myself to painters, gardeners and other bots on the ground. i firmly and honestly believe it is in the public's interest to meet and interact with people and to show support fur our community partner. i have concerns of this law would have a chilling effect on some of that interaction. the rec and park department gives out over 100,000 permits a year and have thousands of contractors. most of which, most staff are not even aware of. and more importantly and allow city staff and community interaction and there is no

intent to influence, so a couple of my remaining questions are what is the definition of administrative awarded permit? and having this be a gray area would be very concerning for staff trying to do the right thing. similarly, what is the definition of necessary to do one's job. staff need a clear definition of this so they are not nervous to participate in public events and sports games and conferences. and what about community celebrations and there might be food on offer for everyone. and do we not participate in those? and not participate fully with the community. why are there no exceptions for small gifts? a husband who is a gardener who

receives a gift and the parent is a restrictive source, is that a violation of the rule? no matter how small is gift. i believe many questions remain that create a troubling gotcha potential with the definition and time for further analysis and numerous and far reaching changes. and people like me continue to deliver good customer service and best of government to san franciscans. thank you very much. >> thank you, caller. >> thank you. >> please standby.

>> welcome, caller. i am charles head, the president of the coalition for san francisco neighborhoods, coalition 4 neighborhoods, not just of some neighborhood. we are very much in favor of this ballot measure. these are minutia meant to delay. we need to address the 800-pound gorilla in the room. the mayor does not want this ballot measure. the mayor does not want independent commissions putting things on the ballot. the mayor does not want independent board of supervisors putting things on the ballot. the mayor wants to rule by the mayor's whim. and this is something that needs to be addressed in your deliberations. but is something that impels us to proceed asap. and we can't let the good be the -- excuse me, we can't let the

perfect be the enemy of the good. and we need this f ballot haye. thank you very much. >> thank you, caller. please stand by. >> welcome, caller. your three minutes begins now. >> hello. i am the managing director of the war memorial department and i want to thank the ethics staff and commissioners for other diligence and to solve the real problems that face the city. i would like to make sort of two comments. one is just regarding process and give breathing room to the entire process because it isn't really a wholesale and sweeping

overhaul of ethics and rules and commissioners on the june ballot is a false deadline. we should get this right and not fast. it is important that that process be adhered to and the ethics commission set a standard for the process and take time working with the community partners. and regarding the substance of the measures and agree to address the 800-pound gorilla in the room which is bribely and it is clear with the ballot measures that are addressed and quite smart about restricted source and all of that, and relatively thick and the chilling affect about making any change. the other issue with the ballot measure and how i don't think it's addressing the root problem is that clearly timely and effective oversight is necessary

for effective regulation and at the october meeting of the commission, some commissioners expressed exasperation with the timeliness of oversight from ethics commission staff namely regarding former supervisor's camping violation and i am not implying that the ethics commission staff aren't working hard and diligently. but they might be underresourced. [please stand by]

>> :private partners as well as nonprofits and those that work with marginalized amenities are

wary of working with the city. adding morebureaucratic barriers and overbroad, unreasonable and vague requirements would dissuade partners from coming to the table to work with local governments . this legislationproposes to build walls when we should be building bridges . h sh is committed tocontinuing to work with all our city partners to adhere to ethical practices that support transparency, accountability and partnership . h shwould like the opportunity to participate in an authentic dialogue against this and hope the commission will consider providing the opportunity for dialogue and feedback from city partners and the public before advancing this legislation further . thank you. >> operator, do you know how many people are in the queue welcomewaiting to speak because

it is now approaching noon and some of us need a bathroom break >> we currently have three more . >> okay. please stand by. welcome, color. your three minutes begins now. >> caller: i amlisa oregon, director of policy and planning of the office of economic and workforce development . our department has conducted a review of the proposed ballot measure as originally shared for us those amendments were quite sweeping but given that there is additional discussion around other amendments within the department and through the meet and conferprocess we need more time to work with our

stakeholders, all of our stakeholders would be restricted sources . all our businesses have permits with the city. many of the permits we do including legacy business certification are not ministerialeven though they probably shouldn't fall under this . so there's a lot of questions we are putting togetherthat we will be submitting to the commission . it was challenging with staffing and our holidays to put together something comprehensive but we are working on that and that will be forthcoming so thank you for your time and i do think we should pass timelines related to this andjust take the time that is needed for us to understandthe impact . iq again and take care . >> thank you color. please stand by. welcome, your three minutes

begins now. >> hello ethics commissioners, this is galena executive director of senior and disability action. we are a small nonprofit business community organizing around housing, healthcare and other issues and i just recently heard about this proposed legislation and we share a lot of concerns about the impact on canadian organizations like ours especially small ones which are also more likely to be led by black people and people of color. lgbt fuel people and people from other marginalized communities so this is an equity issue to make sure we are not setting up groups from marginalized communities for unintentionally violating the law and getting statepenalties. for starters, it's hard to understand . i've it's more than 100 pages. it's a lot and i really urge you to just take more time at

least a lot of these things that are in effect. city contractingorganizations . my own experience as the senior disability action has gotten contacts from the department of disability services and a couple other city departments and we work with staff that departments a lot. we have department analysts that we've met with multiple times a year for many years. we also work with people on coalitions like working on reframing aging so we get to know people. we share valuesin terms of wanting to improve lives as seniors and people with disabilities .and so i become friends with some of them and there are a lot of people in city departments that have come from community groups so there's some in particular i'm thinking of our responses. we go out for a drink and then she gets hired by the

department. so that means when we go out for drinks do i have to be wary of can i not pay for her drink. can i buy her a birthdaypresent . i don't know the answers to these questions . maybe it's in there, that's part of i don't understand all the details but it certainly makes me really nervous and with senior and disability action we do a annual celebration every year as a grassroots fundraiser and a lot of staff from the department attend because it's the time to assess what we'redoing and they care about the work we're doing sometimes they buy tickets . sometimes we offer tickets . it's afundraiser so there are tickets . so that sounds like that could be an issue as well is what does that look like. these are just some of the concerns. and of course we all share the desire to make sure that things

are fair and that people are not violating ethics in general. >> your three minutes has expired. >> please stand by.welcome, color. your three minutes begins now. >> good afternoon, my name is marilyn green. i've been in florida for 20 years now. i and other people came here and i love the work i do because every day i get to help improve things. i get to see how my hands help make things better and it makes it feel like the city and my community belongs to me as much

as i belong to it. as part of my work i managed the community crisis program for reckoned park and ido this work because i believe in the power of humidity building and i want to make my home better for myself and my neighbors, all ofus working together . before covid-19 we had an incident unity barns where members would bring culturally important things to share with our neighbors . i hold responsibility forpart of the permit review and also for community safety at these events so i've got to be there . if the county is trying to offer me, i'm going tooffend her. i don't want to offend my elders . [inaudible] i have to refuse that. i want a broader community trust and because i see myself as a fellow community member i usually bring something that i

make it home to share with a potluck. can you imagine if i'm standing there and i refused to eat anything except for the cake i made at home ? how is it going to look for people that are trying to build trust. they're going to think i'm judging their food or their culture or that i don't trust them. if they think i don't trust him or not going to be as open and clear with me. it will be harder for me to do my job . i know this squeaky is the wheel isn't always the neediest wheeled but the people who know how to come and find us are always usually better resource than the ones that we are going out to meet . other speakers have highlighted the language and legislation is not clear. it's not easy to understand. i urge you to consider how our city workers balance it and ensure this legislation passes

and doesn't have a negative impact on the ways that we participate in civic engagement. thank you for your time. >> thank you color.please stand by. not a chair, thereare no further colors . >> thank you mister moderator. the public comment period is closed. please we are approaching noon. i suggest that we take a 15 minute break and come back at 11:55 to continuethis agenda item . if there's noopposition , let's reach out.

>> we need to do this. the staff can do it today or tuesday. we need to get these things done. if one part of our community is not informed this is not going to get you. we continue to have this discussion five or 10 years from now and the f.b.i. will continue to investigate us. >> chair lee, i would like to ask the partners that we are

dealing with, department heads and others if they could provide us with examples of penalties of people in their departments of failing to comply with existing rules such as filing on time for form 700s, complete form 700s, how many times have they actually acted to penalize department heads or department staff who report to them as well as when they have been informed that something is wrong that needed to be corrected, whether they have acted to make the correction? i know in the past we have seen department heads who refused to act when commissioners would act

to interfere in the hiring process to see that a relative was hired. they were well aware of that. it was certainly in the newspapers. they just declined to act. we have other examples. that is a very telling one. i would like them to provide us with information since they are talking about the fact they are doing a good job already. what does that good job consist of? i think that will help build public trust as well in their departments. the extent they are monitoring the community benefits, part of a community contract. following up on what the controller just issued with regards to rec and park, planning or anyone else.

i would like them to explain if the proposed rules apply to city union was separate agreements outside of nea like the police have a police bill of rights. i am not sure to what extent our proposals meet up against the police bill of rights. for example one thing in our proposal is when city employees misrepresent information in the course of an investigation. we have seen examples from the public defender's office of police misrepresenting information. is that covered by us or not covered by us? as you can see where i am going with this is that we have obligations on both sides, not

just our side. our side is correct. we need tonight clear what the problems are and if we addressed them or if we decided those are not problems we are going to address and move on. you can do that in the process. or if these are to delay or appeal action by ethics because they don't like the concept where we are going. thirdly, if they are hiding what they are not doing and making outside claims what they are doing rather than actually showing us what they are doing. thank you.

>> staff recommended no action on this agenda item. let's move to agenda item 7. we look forward to the session next friday. >> thank you for having me. >> thank you. agenda item 7. discussion of executive director's report. >> thank you, commissioner and members. there are a number of reports to provide this month as we start another busy year at the commission. we want to welcome our new commissioner and look forward to providing additional work that we do including procedural items

we handle at commission meetings. my apologies for not having that done sooner. sorry for commission and look forward to providing the briefing as fully as possible to avoid confusion in the future. i want you to know we have posted our ethics at work training and outreach program manager position on our job page. we are accepting applications for that. working to finalize the job application announcements for the three remaining positions. technology, two others are training and outreach communications specialist. we look forward to having those posted in the coming days. we have launched our he files. we stopped to celebrate the

january date, we know it will continue as we lead to the first annual filing period in which all conflict of interest code designated borrows will file statements of economic interest the first time in economic process to help comply with the requirement. we have the policy team. the payment law takes effect january 23rd. we are preparing what that new law would require. in the last conversation your points are well-taken. we will try to provide as much information as we can and we know there is a lot of discussion over the past year about this. that new law takes effect

january 23rd. i also provided information update on our changes that seem to happen quickly over the last month due to the growing presence of omicron and city's guidance for telework for all staff. we temporarily closed offices for physical visits. we still provide services online through phone calls and e-mails with individuals. we are seeing movement about on site resumption of commission meetings. policy body meetings. the latest information that we have had is that the city has been targeting february 28th to be the date on which all bodies start meeting in city hall. that is information that may be subject to change depending on what is happening with the prevalence of omicron, but we are working and started meeting

with other policy bodies to make sure we are aware of the logistics and any support we may need to provide you and the public how those meetings work back when we resume on site commission meetings in the coming months or so. i have attached to this report two substantive items. staff are on hand for questions. one overview of the case data we have been looking at over the last six months with the whistleblower activity. there is interest on the part of the commission to look at that. we provided that data and observations and how we are using that to inform our ongoing whistleblower investigative activity. we wanted to share that with you. we will continue to report in the annual report about more in depth information from the course of year. we are instituting practices to

look at investigations and issues. that helps the outreach going forward. i provided list of the audat this time team of the lobbying audit. we are in implementation. when the january 15th disclosures are filed the team will be using that to pull the selection of the audits to be conducted in the coming months. we will be happy to provide further information about that. the slides here are the work that has gone into the process of planning, audit work and timeframe for what we anticipate over the coming months. that will continue in implementation phase. i think two last items to note. as you know, we do have a meeting next week. the first of our public hearings

on departmental budget priorities for fiscal year 23 that starts july 1st of this year. the mayor issued department instructions to departments on december 14th. due to the budget surplus the city has seen over $100 million in surplus at there time the mayor is not asking for any cuts. the mayor asked departments to retain the work within existing budget level. in any event you will see our agenda posted with materials later today so you and the public have access to that information for the public hearing next week. the commission meeting will involve a hearing on the budget priorities, closed session items you asked for earlier and the last item and any other regular

items we have for the meetings such as that. there is some hiring news. this month's executive directors report good news. we completed the process for hiring of new enforcement be director. it will take effect on february 7th. i am pleased to announce the new enforcement director will be pat ford who is the legislative affairs council. pat has extensive experience to draw upon in this new role. a go-to person on a lot of matters to help us wade through policy and be thoughtful about our new processes. we are delighted he is he is stg

in the new role. you will hear from him. he will be playing a key role with michael phone major policy work efforts. as we talk about in the budget items. we will talk about how we get through work that we have in front of us with the policy team of two. we also will acknowledge that we know we have a very strong michael who will contribute to work in this area. we will need to juggle as best was can until we are able to fully staff that unit. i congratulate the new capacity starting next month. i am happy to answer any questions if you have them for me. >> happy news. congratulations director ford. comments from our fellow

commissioners. commissioner bell, then commissioner bush. >> thank you for that report. congratulations to mr. ford, who has been putting in so much work on this. i feel very confident his work around enforcement and i think it is great. congratulations. i don't have any more to say than that. >> thank you, commissioner bell. >> i want to echo that congratulations, mr. ford. that is great news. i look forward to working with you. we have two enforcement vacancies on the website. i wanted to say i just used the electronic filing form. it is fantastic, glitch free,

easy. congratulations to staff. that used to be a huge pain. congratulations. thank you. >> i am delighted to hear we have technology working well this week. >> investigator positions are in the application review phase. the window closed. we hope to get more forecast out shortly. they are active. we look forward to having more information potentially at the february meeting for you on that. >> thank you. >> commissioner bush. >> thank you and my congratulations to pat ford as well, who has been the go-to guy for many of the issues that i have found that i needed answers

for. director, i have a few questions related to the report that you have done which are easy questions. the report breaks out the different elements that you are following. i didn't see one on public outreach. i am concerned that public outreach be elevated to an area as important to us as rewriting the laws and so forth. public outreach plan to include targeted audiences, not just general audience, but based on language, facility with internet searching, media, community organizations and including the goals and timetables and outcomes that are

sought. that is an important element, i think, to our work. i think we need to spell out so the people can see that is something that we need to look at. secondly, i am glad to see you are doing a lobbyist review. when i looked at the lobbyist plan attached to the document that we got from the commission meeting today, it follows the traditional things of money in and out. it does not include one of the elements that required and that is to file the outcome that they sought. the outcome is the while point of lobbying to get a certain outcome. but yet most lobbyists are

leaving blank what it is the outcome they seek. i hope that the review will pinpoint that as an issue and remain lobbyists that needs to be completed. i would like to see that expanded just by one area. that is to say what is the outcome sought and the value to the client so that he could say we are seeking permits for x, y, z developments which have a value to the client of bla, bla, bla. one of the reasons i say that is because we know of many times in which a permitted piece of property is traded away for some other benefit. that happens a lot on the south

of market area. i would suggest we look at adding that in addition to having people fill out the what it is the outcome you are seeking. finally, i note that all lobbyists are to re-register by february 1st. i hope that after the february 1st reregistration you can give us a thumb nail sketch what that shows. how many lobbyists increased from prior years. what departments are primary interest of lobbyists and that kind of thing. as part of that we ask within

our provisions to ban people from giving gifts or contributions in many cases specifically targeting the members of a commission that they are lobbying. san francisco doesn't operate its approves in a silo. you might start off with planning then go to permit appeals after you got a planning permit or go on to the assessor's office because you are changing the value and how are you going to do that. i would prefer if what we had

was an approach that looked at city approvals and not just a specific commission. i don't know what anyone else's views are on that. my experience is that things move through a number of chairs to get to an ultimate outcome. i would think we would want cover all of our bases with that. that is my comments. thank you. >> commissioner chu. >> thank you, chair lee. i want to congratulate the team on the form 700 e-filing project. i know that was a huge effort and a long one. many challenges and the fact we are here now on january 22 and it is live and you have worked.

congratulations on terrific work. secondly, congratulations to mr. ford. what a well deserved role. i think you will be terrific. i look forward to working with you in the future. i know you will bring all of your passion and dedication to it. i think it is really great for the commission. congratulations. >> let's open up for public comment, please, moderator. >> i am sorry. i wanted to say one more thing before we went to public comment, if that is possible. >> please. >> since this is my next to the last meeting, i wanted to weigh in on something that

commissioner bush said that stimulated this kind of appreciate your indulgence. the sentiment i tried to express earlier around the frustration of getting stuff done that i feel and also having communities understand and that stuff. the notion that commissioner bush said about outreach for director pelham. i think it is really important because so many community-based organizations see as their power base the supervisors that represent them in their district. i think it is important for us as ethics commission to have a presence. we may not have that power but we should be present for those community-based organizations that feel bike that we are

hearing what we feel so we can get it right. this is really important for the black community, which is shrinking and disappearing in san francisco. other communities that are feeling that they don't have access to power and that these rules and regulations put them in more of a bind and strand them further away from power because they may not understand them. this whole outreach piece is something that i talked about during my shorten urhere. whatever we come up with it is important for people to understand it because we want them to understand that this isn't something that is out to get them. we heard in the comments

800-pound gorilla is powerful people. now rules and regulations are going to putter the little person. i know that is not what our staff and team is trying to do. it is through an ongoing outreach strategy that we can actually hear from people so that we know about this stuff on the front end rather than having to be frustrated dealing with it in the middle and on the back end. that wasn't as articulated as i wanted it to be. i want to associate that i believe it is important to structure the outreach so that we get it so we have understanding more at the beginning than trying to garner understanding and explain that we are on your side at the back end. i leave it there. i thank you for giving me a moment to extend the meeting with those comments. >> thank you, commissioner bell.

it was perfectly communicated. we heard you. i want to attach my thoughts to your comments. i think that the city, communities are ever changing and instead of reaching out we really need to build the trust first. i think that is that we need to go up there ourselves instead of telling them what we are doing we need to hear from them what we ought to be doing. thank you very much. we can go to public comment right now. moderator. >> we are checking to see if there are callers in the queue. for those on hold please continue to wait until the system waiting you have been unmeets. we are on the agenda item 7. discussion of executive

director's report of the activities since the commission's previous meeting. if you have not done so press star 3 to be added to the public comment queue. you have three minutes, six minutes on an interpreter. you will hear a buzzer for 60 seconds remaining. stand by. >> we have callers in the queue. >> welcome, caller. your three minutes begins now. >> commissioners, i was listening to the director and she touched on maybe 30 issues plus. i want to pick one issue so that one of the commissioners who is saying that he is talking about outreach. i want to enlighten this commissioner and others about this business about which you

have the san francisco public utilities commission that kept the sewer system improvement project to $6 billion. it is now $12 billion. think about that. when it was $6 billion, 5% of that was outreach. $200 million. $150 million of that outreach. dwayne jones for work force. now, i am going to remind you it started with $6 billion. it is heading towards $12 billion. [please stand by]

i appreciate the outreach to cbo and further opportunity for dialogue around the previous agenda item and i will look forward to participating and will also submit written comments in advance the next time disappears on the agenda . secondly i want to comment in general around public engagement. we all do our best to participate. this is the 146 page document on your website and i still have not been able to read all of it. i think we're all doing the best we can as cbo's to understand the work of this commission and to to participate and we do appreciate all the attempts you make at outreach toour sector .

i also want to express appreciation for something in the executive directors report, the creation of an ethics training program that includes citycontractors . i've spoken to this need for this type of program for severalyears . a lot of ethics laws are very complicated and confusing and can result in doctor equations if somebody doesn't understand them and isn't careful. city employees do receive ethics training. the contractors also subject to several ethics laws are much less likely to be fullyaware and first in the details of these laws . in past human services network has partnered with the office of labor standards enforcement to arrange training for health and human services nonprofits around labor laws and we would be more than pleased to assist this commission in any way possible to help ournonprofits

ensure that they are in compliance with ethics laws as well so thank you for creating that program . >> thank you. >> thank you caller, please stand by. not in chair, there are no further colors in the queue. >> thank you very much. now to agenda item number eight, discussion on other items for future meetings. commissioner bush. >> thank you chair lee. i wanted to make sure that it's on record that i'm going to request a bylaw amendment to allow us to begin meetings at 10 rather than 9:30 in the future. i know we are doing that for the next meeting. january 21 meeting but

thereafter, after 9:30 and i'd like to give us an opportunity to discuss making that at 10:00. so that's one thing i'd liketo see on the agenda . thank you. >> commissioner. >> i think one thing that would be helpful would be an enforcement update . i've been flipping through old minutes and previously obviously nothing confidential but there may have been a summary ofenforcement matters and how many are open . what state are they in? it would be helpful to have an overview of that process. for me as acommissioner but probably for my colleagues as well , thank you . >> thank you. anything else? okay.

agenda item number nine, additional needs for public comment. >> did you want to take comments on agendaitem number eight ?>> thank you for the reminder. >> we are checking to see if there are callers in the queue for those already on hold please wait until the system indicates you have been an muted. if you joined we are currently on public discussion of agenda itemnumber eight, discussion of possible actions for future meetings . if you've not already done so pressá3 to be added to the queue. you will have three minutes, six minutes if you are with an interpreter. you will hear a bell go off . please stand by. metal chair, we have a caller in the queue. thank youcaller. your three minutes begins now .

>> caller: [inaudible] >> your three minutes begins now. >> caller: [inaudible] >> apparently looks like the caller was onanother phone call . i did meet them . madam chair,there's no further colors in the queue . >> commissioner bush has his hands up. >> i do because i would like to add to the discussion of the controllers report on community benefits and whether they're being monitored . that was a reportthat came out in the last 72 hours i think . and in close relationship to that is an ftp see report on

statements that shows a sharp increase in payments for government purposesas opposed to nonprofits . and i think it would be good for us to have a briefing on that at the same time as we look at the controllers report. so i'm adding thoseto my request . thank you. >> we have next friday's meeting to address the budget so for the february meeting, we would have the bylaw for the contractors report, controllers report as well as the behest in

payments and i just want to remind my colleagues that that would be our last meeting to take action on a possible ballot measure. so we need to keep that in min . of course, we can act on a new meeting and check in as needed those are the items that we have before us for the next couple of months. okay. agenda item number nine, opportunities with public comment and members appearingon today's agenda .>> please stand by.madam chair, we are

checking to see if there are callers in the queue. please continue to wait until the system indicates you have been under muted. if you are joining we are on public discussionof agenda item number nine, additional opportunity for public comment on matters. or not. on the agenda pursuant to ethicscommission bylaws .if you have not already done so restá3 to be addedto the queue . youwill have three minutes to provide your comments, six minutes if you are online with an interpreter . you will hear a bell gooff when you have 30 seconds remaining . madam chair, we have a caller in the queue . welcome, caller. your three minutes begins now. >>. >> caller:i want to go back to humidity benefit . i served in the federal government for a law

enforcement agency. i was six armies last congressional liaison familiar with the freedom of information act. i am ashamed at this committee when they were given a clear path in an investigation with empirical data and i'm zeroing in on the controllers office. took all the information and gave it to thecity attorney . who gave it to somebody that led in the indictment of colin kelly. and julia dallas. and some others are being investigated now . you commissioners must understand and you have a judg among you .

she understands it more than most of you all. you haveanother gentleman that i know . he understands it. it's very difficult for the public to go to the sunshine task force and win 9 to 0 and yet no action is taken linked to the opera house.it's very difficult for the public to go to the controllers office and talk to the head of the controller and the deputy controller and get no results for two years. where are the timelines on the whistleblower ? and what you all do is talk in generalities. we have no leadership. no accountability whatsoever. no transparency.

what i see is that none of you all can do a needsassessment based on an. all data . empirical data? so for 15 years if you all cannot resolve the situation that somebody has tocome from outside , take my information and do the indictment? shame on you all. and i'm not blaming the ethics commission because you have no resources. you have no manpower. you had one investigator and when i was stopping you said i can't disclose this but all that the mayor did was disclose in the newspaper that she paid a fine of 24,000. >> your three minutes has expired. please stand by madam chair,

there are no further comment callers in the queue. >> agenda itemnumber 10 is adjournment . with no discussion.i wanted to thank everybody for your patience and again for putting up with my tech challenge. monday is a holiday so stacy and i wish everybody a happy three-day weekend. thanks everybody. >> have a great weekend. >> happy mlk day.

[♪♪♪] ♪ homelessness in san francisco is considered the number 1 issue by most people who live here, and it doesn't just affect neighbors without a home, it affects all of us. is real way to combat that is to work together. it will take city departments and nonprofit providers and volunteers and companies and community members all coming together. [♪♪♪] >> the product homeless connect community day of service began about 15 years ago, and we have had 73 of them. what we do is we host and expo-style event, and we were the very force organization to do this but it worked so well

that 250 other cities across the globe host their own. there's over 120 service providers at the event today, and they range anywhere from hygiene kits provided by the basics, 5% -- to prescription glasses and reading glasses, hearing tests, pet sitting, showers, medical services, flu shots, dental care, groceries, so many phenomenal service providers, and what makes it so unique is we ask that they provide that service today here it is an actual, tangible service people can leave with it. >> i am with the hearing and speech center of northern california, and we provide a variety of services including audiology, counselling, outreach, education, today we actually just do screening to see if someone has hearing loss. to follow updates when they come into the speech center and we do a full diagnostic hearing test, and we start the process of taking an impression of their year, deciding on which hearing aid will work best for them.

if they have a smart phone, we make sure we get a smart phone that can connect to it, so they can stream phone calls, or use it for any other services that they need. >> san francisco has phenomenal social services to support people at risk of becoming homeless, are already experience and homelessness, but it is confusing, and there is a lot of waste. bringing everyone into the same space not only saves an average of 20 hours a week in navigating the system and waiting in line for different areas, it helps them talk, so if you need to sign up for medi-cal, what you need identification, you don't have to go to sacramento or wait in line at a d.m.v., you go across the hall to the d.m.v. to get your i.d. ♪ today we will probably see around 30 people, and averaging about 20 of this people coming to cs for follow-up service. >> for a participant to qualify for services, all they need to do is come to the event. we have a lot of people who are at risk of homelessness but not yet experiencing it, that

today's event can ensure they stay house. many people coming to the event are here to receive one specific need such as signing up for medi-cal or learning about d.m.v. services, and then of course, most of the people who are tender people experiencing homelessness today. >> i am the representative for the volunteer central. we are the group that checks and all the volunteers that comment participate each day. on a typical day of service, we have anywhere between 40500 volunteers that we, back in, they get t-shirts, nametags, maps, and all the information they need to have a successful event. our participant escorts are a core part of our group, and they are the ones who help participants flow from the different service areas and help them find the different services that they needs. >> one of the ways we work closely with the department of homelessness and supportive housing is by working with homeless outreach teams. they come here, and these are the people that help you get into navigation centers, help you get into short-term shelter,

and talk about housing-1st policies. we also work very closely with the department of public health to provide a lot of our services. >> we have all types of things that volunteers deal do on a day of service. we have folks that help give out lunches in the café, we have folks who help with the check in, getting people when they arrive, making sure that they find the services that they need to, we have folks who help in the check out process, to make sure they get their food bag, bag of groceries, together hygiene kit, and whatever they need to. volunteers, i think of them as the secret sauce that just makes the whole process works smoothly. >> participants are encouraged and welcomed to come with their pets. we do have a pet daycare, so if they want to have their pets stay in the daycare area while they navigate the event, they are welcome to do that, will we also understand some people are more comfortable having their pets with them. they can bring them into the event as well.

we also typically offer veterinary services, and it can be a real detriment to coming into an event like this. we also have a bag check. you don't have to worry about your belongings getting lost, especially when that is all that you have with you. >> we get connected with people who knew they had hearing loss, but they didn't know they could get services to help them with their hearing loss picks and we are getting connected with each other to make sure they are getting supported. >> our next event will be in march, we don't yet have a date set. we typically sap set it six weeks out. the way to volunteer is to follow our newsletter, follow us on social media, or just visit our website. we always announce it right away, and you can register very easily online. >> a lot of people see folks experience a homelessness in the city, and they don't know how they can help, and defence like this gives a whole bunch of people a lot of good opportunities to give back and be supported. [♪♪♪]

bayview. >> a lot discussion how residents in san francisco are displaced how businesses are displaced and there's not as much discussion how many nonprofits are displaced i think a general concern in the arts community is the testimony loss of performance spaces and venues no renderings for establishes when our lease is up you have to deal with what the market bears in terms of of rent. >> nonprofits can't afford to

operate here. >> my name is bill henry the executive director of aids passage l lp provides services for people with hispanics and aids and 9 advertising that fight for the clients in housing insurance and migration in the last two years we negotiated a lease that saw 0 rent more than doubled. >> my name is ross the executive directors of current pulls for the last 10 years at 9 and mission we were known for the projection of sfwrath with taking art and moving both a experiment art our lease expired our rent went from 5 thousand dollars to $10,000 a most. >> and chad of the arts project pursue. >> the evolution of the orientation the focus on art education between children and

patrol officer artist we offer a full range of rhythms and dance and theatre music theatre about in the last few years it is more and more difficult to find space for the program that we run. >> i'm the nonprofit manager for the mayor's office of economic workforce development one of the reasons why the mayor has invested in nonprofit displacement is because of the challenge and because nonprofits often commute technical assistance to understand the negotiate for a commercial lease. >> snooechlz is rob the executive director and co-founder of at the crossroads we want to reach the disconnected young people not streets of san francisco for young adults are kicked out of the services our building was sold no 2015 they let us know

they'll not renew our lease the last year's the city with the nonprofit displacement litigation program held over 75 nonprofits financial sanction and technical assistance. >> fortunate the city hesitate set aside funds for businesses facing increased rent we believable to get some relief in the form of a grant that helped us to cover the increase in rent our rent had been around $40,000 a year now $87,000 taylor's dollars a year we got a grant that covered 22 thousands of that but and came to the minnesota street project in two people that development in the better streets plan project they saved us space for a nonprofit

organization national anthem and turned out the northern california fund they accepted us into the real estate program to see if we could withstand the stress and after the program was in full swinging skinning they brought up the litigation fund and the grants were made we applied for that we received a one thousand dollars granted and that grant allowed us to move in to the space to finish the space as we needed it to furniture is for classes the building opened on schedule on march 18, 2016 and by july we were teaching classed here. >> which we found out we were going to have to leave it was overwhelm didn't know anything about commercial real estate we suggested to a bunch of people to look at the nonprofits

displacement mitigation program you have access to commercial real estate either city owned or city leased and a city lease space become available there is a $946,000 grant that is provided through the mayor's office of economic workforce development and that's going to go towards boulder the space covers a little bit less than half the cost it is critical. >> the purpose of the organization trust to stabilize the arts in san francisco working with local agency i go like the northern california platoon fund that helped to establish documents of our long track record of stvent and working to find the right partner with the organization of our size and budget the opportunity with the purchase of property we're sitting in the

former disposal house theatre that expired 5 to 10 years ago we get to operate under the old lease and not receive a rent increase for the next 5 to 7 years we'll renting $10,000 square feet for the next 5 to seven years we pay off the balance of the purpose of this and the cost of the renovation. >> the loophole will that is unfortunate fortunate we have buy out a reserve our organization not reduce the services found a way to send some of the reserves to be able to continue the serves we know our clients need them we were able to get relief when was needed the most as we were fortunate to arrive that he location at the time, we did in that regard the city has been - we've had tremendous support

from the mayor's office of economic workforce development and apg and helped to roommate the facade of the building and complete the renovation inside of the building without the sport support. >> our lease is for 5 years with a 5 year onyx by the city has an 86 year lease that made that clear as long as we're doing the work we've been we should be able to stay there for decades and decades. >> the single most important thing we know that is that meaningful. >> it has been here 5 months and even better than that we could image. >> with the economic development have announced an initiative if ours is a nonprofit or know of a nonprofit

looking for more resources they can go to the office of economic workforce development oewd.com slashing nonprofit and found out about the mayors nonprofit mitigation program and the sustainability initiative and find their information through technical assistance as much as how to get started with more fundraising or the real estate assistance and they can find my contact and reach out to me through the circles of the city through the >> what we're trying to approach is bringing more diversity to our food. it's not just the old european style food. we are seeing a lot of influences, and all of this is because of our students.

all we ask is make it flavorful. [♪♪♪] >> we are the first two-year culinary hospitality school in the united states. the first year was 1936, and it was started by two graduates from cornell. i'm a graduate of this program, and very proud of that. so students can expect to learn under the three degrees. culinary arts management degree, food service management degree, and hotel management degree. we're not a cooking school. even though we're not teaching you how to cook, we're teaching you how to manage, how to supervise employees, how to manage a hotel, and plus you're

getting an associate of science degree. >> my name is vince, and i'm a faculty member of the hospitality arts and culinary school here in san francisco. this is my 11th year. the program is very, very rich in what this industry demands. cooking, health, safety, and sanitation issues are included in it. it's quite a complete program to prepare them for what's happening out in the real world. >> the first time i heard about this program, i was working in a restaurant, and the sous chef had graduated from this program. he was very young to be a sous chef, and i want to be like him, basically, in the future.

this program, it's awesome. >> it's another world when you're here. it's another world. you get to be who you are, a person get to be who they are. you get to explore different things, and then, you get to explore and they encourage you to bring your background to the kitchen, too. >> i've been in the program for about a year. two-year program, and i'm about halfway through. before, i was studying behavioral genetics and dance. i had few injuries, and i couldn't pursue the things that i needed to to dance, so i pursued my other passion, cooking. when i stopped dance, i was deprived of my creative outlet, and cooking has been that for me, specifically pastry. >> the good thing is we have students everywhere from places

like the ritz to -- >> we have kids from every area. >> facebook and google. >> kids from everywhere. >> they are all over the bay area, and they're thriving. >> my name is jeff, and i'm a coowner of nopa restaurant, nopalito restaurant in san francisco. i attended city college of san francisco, the culinary arts program, where it was called hotel and restaurant back then in the early 90's. nopalito on broderick street, it's based on no specific region in mexico. all our masa is hand made. we cook our own corn in house. everything is pretty much hand made on a daily basis, so day

and night, we're making hand made tortillas, carnitas, salsas. a lot of love put into this. [♪♪♪] >> used to be very easy to define casual dining, fine dining, quick service. now, it's shades of gray, and we're trying to define that experience through that spectrum of service. fine dining calls into white table cloths. the cafeteria is large production kitchen, understanding vast production kitchens, the googles and the facebooks of the world that have those types of kitchens. and the ideas that change every year, again, it's the notion and the venue. >> one of the things i love about vince is one of our outlets is a concept

restaurant, and he changes the concept every year to show students how to do a startup restaurant. it's been a pizzeria, a taco bar. it's been a mediterranean bar, it's been a noodle bar. people choose ccsf over other hospitality programs because the industry recognizes that we instill the work ethic. we, again, serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. other culinary hospitality programs may open two days a week for breakfast service. we're open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner five days a week. >> the menu's always interesting. they change it every semester, maybe more. there's always a good variety

of foods. the preparation is always beautiful. the students are really sincere, and they work so hard here, and they're so proud of their work. >> i've had people coming in to town, and i, like, bring them here for a special treat, so it's more, like, not so much every day, but as often as i can for a special treat. >> when i have my interns in their final semester of the program go out in the industry, 80 to 90% of the students get hired in the industry, well above the industry average in the culinary program. >> we do have internals continually coming into our restaurants from city college of san francisco, and most of the time that people doing internships with us realize this is what they want to do for a living.

we hired many interns into employees from our restaurants. my partner is also a graduate of city college. >> so my goal is actually to travel and try to do some pastry in maybe italy or france, along those lines. i actually have developed a few connections through this program in italy, which i am excited to support. >> i'm thinking about going to go work on a cruise ship for about two, three year so i can save some money and then hopefully venture out on my own. >> yeah, i want to go back to china. i want to bring something that i learned here, the french cooking, the western system, back to china. >> so we want them to have a full toolkit. we're trying to make them ready for the world out there.

welcome to the january 11th meeting of the san francisco county transportation authority board. i chair this board. our vice chair is aaron peskin. our clerk is britney milton. madam clerk, will you please take the roll. >> clerk: of course. [roll call]

we have quorum. and before the next announcement, i'd like to make an announcement about public comment. public comment can be reached by dialling (415) 655-0001. and then access code 24969897349 pound and then pound again. dial star three to be added to the queue to speak. do not press star three again or you will be removed from the queue. when the system says your line

has been unmuted, you will be allowed two minutes to speak. when your two minutes are up, we will take the next caller. the best practices are speak clearly and slowly and turn down any television or audio streaming. >> chairman: thank you, madam clerk. please call item two. >> clerk: item two is a final approval on the first appearance approve the resolution making findings to allow teleconferenced meetings under california government code section 54953e. this resolution allows public agencies to continue to exclusively meet via teleconference. the agency must make certain findings including that it has considered the state of emergency and that conducting in-person meetings and public

health and safety. this resolution applies to the transportation authority board, community advisory committee and the advisory committee for the next 30 days and then that concludes my statement. >> chairman: thank you, madam clerk. we should open this item to public comment. >> there's no public comment at this time. >> chairman: all right. public comment on item two is closed. is there any motion to approve item two. first by ronen and seconded by preston. thank you, commissioner preston. madam clerk, please call the roll. >> clerk: thank you. on item two, [roll call]

we have eleven ayes. the motion passes. >> chairman: thank you, madam clerk. please call item three. >> clerk: item three, approve the minutes of the december 14th, 2021, meeting, this is an action item. >> chairman: i don't see comments or questions from colleagues. let's open this item to public comment. >> there are no callers. >> chairman: all right. public comment on item three is closed. is there a motion to approve item three, the minutes?

ronen and seconded by peskin. madam clerk, please call the roll. >> clerk: item three, approval of minutes, [roll call] we have eleven ayes. the minutes are approved. >> chairman: thank you, madam clerk. please call item four. >> clerk: item four election of chair and vice chair for

2022. this is an action item. >> chairman: thank you, madam clerk. we will begin with chair nominations are in order for the office of chair and i see commissioner melgar in the queue. >> commissioner: thank you, chair mandelman. i want to start by saying i have so admired your chairmanship of this board this past year. i have found you to be so thoughtful in and outside the meetings. you know, we have had great conversations about everything transportation related and how we're approaching all of the planning issues that we have both the local and the regional level. so, for that, i'm just proud to nominate you for another year as chair and i'm excited to have you in this leadership position and look forward to all the things we'll do together. >> chairman: thank you for the

kinds words and the nomination. is there a second? thank you, commissioner ronen. let's see. are there further nominations? i'm not seeing any further no, ma'am nominations. we should open this to public comment before we vote. >> there's no public comment. >> chairman: public comment on the election chair is closed. madam clerk, please call the roll. >> clerk: of course, on the motion in favor of electing commissioner mandelman as chair, [roll call]

we have eleven ayes, the motion passes. >> chairman: thank you, madam clerk. thank you, colleagues. we have big things to do this year in renewing prop k and moving downtown extension forward and getting beyond we hope the pandemic supporting with and holding accountable our department transportation agencies. so i look forward in doing that with all of you. now, our nominations are ordered for the office of vice

chair and are there any nominations for vice chair? i see commissioner chan in the queue. commissioner chan. >> commissioner: thank you, chair mandelman. i think that, you know, just seeing that vice chair peskin as a former chair and now continuously playing that role very supportive of your leadership especially this year, i would really like to nominate vice chair peskin again for the vice chairship to contain just supporting you but also helping us as a body to move many things forward like you said, especially the renewal and downtown extension. and thank you, vice chair peskin for all your service. >> chairman: thank you, commissioner chan. is there a second? seconded by ronen.

i will echo commissioner chan's comments. i have appreciated vice chair peskin, aaron's support and guidance. he has a wealth of relationships within san francisco across the region and across the state that have been invaluable and i have also very much appreciated his council on a number of difficult issues. so we should open assuming he's willing to accept the nomination. >> vice chair: i accept the nomination and look forward to continuing vice chair into the new year. >> chairman: thank you. let's open the election of vice chair to public comment. >> clerk: okay. members of the public, we are taking public comment on the nomination for vice chair.

there's no public comment. >> chairman: all right. public comment on the election of vice chair, and, with that, item four is closed. madam clerk, please call the roll. >> clerk: of course. on the roll electing commissioner peskin for vice chair, [roll call]

we have eleven ayes, the motion passes. >> chairman: thank you, madam clerk. thank you, colleagues. please call item five. >> clerk: item five, appoint up to two members to the community -- >> chairman: let's go back. commissioner walton. >> commissioner: thank you so much, chair. i want to thank both of you. i appreciate working with both of you as you know we have a lot of opportunity to have conversation about all things here in san francisco and i appreciate working with both of you. so i'm excited about you both continuing on. so thank you. >> chairman: thank you, commissioner president walton. and now we can go on to item five. please call item five, madam clerk. >> clerk: item five, appoint

up to two members to the community advisory committee. this is an action item. >> chairman: mike pickford is here senior transportation planner. >> all right. good morning. the transportation authority has an eleven-member community advisory committee with each member serving a two-year term. the board appoints any individual to fill the open seats and neither staff nor c.a.c. may make religiouses on appointments. applicants must be san francisco residents and must appear before the board to describe their interests and qualifications. in the packet is a list of applicants and the enclosure has details on information. district nine and district six danielle so. a third vacancy due to the expiration of district five representative stephanie lou's term will be agendized next month as we continue to take

applications. i can take any questions and i believe mr. ortis and at least one more candidate is here if you're ready to hear from them. >> chairman: yes. let's hear from district 6. >> hello chair and commissioners. my name is eric rozell and i've lived in the tenderloin. since first moving to the city, i've relied on biking, walking, and taxis.

the first three years i lived in the city it provided me a great opportunity to learn about transportation in the city. and market street was an from fisherman's war of to salsalido. ensuring safe and reliable transportation of cargo throughout the country and into canada. as an added bike rider, i've been involved in several crashes involving vehicles quickly backing out of driveways or pedestrians bolting into the bike the

mental and fiscal toll on people is often overlooked and something that needs to be considered in street safety designs. and my task force, i work with supervisor haney's office to lower the speed limit in the tenderloin to 20 miles per hour and implement no turn on red throughout the neighborhood. i also work closely with t.l. community, svmentd m.f.t.a. and golden gate, levinworth and jones. i also helped in the creation of street projects that in the

city. to improve transportation funding, paratransit and street traffic safety projects in the region. also, i've participated and assisted with community outreach. as a pedestrian safety manager, i regularly ordinary care on the front lines in the tenderloin, leading a team of safety captains and outreach for street projects throughout the community. this provides me with the lived experience and the opportunity to speak with people on a regular basis about the importance of the flexible, affordable, reliable, and safe transportation. my primary objectives for serving on the c.a.c. is to provide the transportation authority board feedback on transportation projects and communicate these projects to district six residents, businesses, community based oralers and businesses.

initially, my objective is to strengthen capacity building with neighbors, seniors, and disabilities and other agencies and groups to improve citywide transportation. i know district six is a diverse place that includes the tenderloin, yerba buena. my goal is to reflect the diversity of the district. therefore, my objective is to reflect c.ta funding and communications are shared throughout the district and city. i look forward to the opportunity in bringing in my personal profession and passion and knowledge of transportation to the community advisory committee. thank you for considering me for this position and for your time. thank you. >> chairman: thank you, mr. rozell. i see commissioners ronen and haney in the queue. did you want to speak now or after the applicants?

>> commissioner: i was going to speak about eric, but i can speak about after. >> commissioner: likewise. >> chairman: okay. do we have any other district six applicants? sounds like we don't. let's hear from kevin ortiz. is kevin ortiz here? >> chair, i don't see kevin. >> chairman: commissioner ronen will likely be speaking on his behalf. all right. we can -- then we can hear -- we can open this to public comment. let's open this to public

comment. >> okay. hello, caller. >> caller: hi. my name is -- sauod prodan and i'm one of the applicants as well. i live and work in the east cut. i'm one of those people that moved to san francisco just as covid was starting and i would love an opportunity to speak about why i want to join the c.a.c. and i heard the person before me speak about their qualifications and while i don't have 15 years of living in district 6, i've in the short time that i've been here, i have loved this place and i've tried to get as much out of it as possible which means

using the bikes that we have. buy my own bike eventually using muni and b.a.r.t. to get around and love living in this district and the next step of that was to get involved in some way with the community and, you know, i really -- i want to be here for the long term and that means getting involved and making it a little bit better. i think that i can do a good job of getting other people that are now seeing san francisco as maybe another opportunity for where they want to start their career or their lives and making district 6 be the place that they want to do that. that they see it as not just the headlines we get

misrepresented with, not just district 6, but san francisco as a whole and really show as a young person who is eager to start their lives and their career that our community here is the place and a big part of that is transportation. i was born and raised in europe and bulgaria and europe and greece and moved here for college and stayed here for work and i've seen what functioning and useful public transport can do for a community and i think that i can work with you and work with the, you know, just the others in city government to make district 6 even better and to represent the people that are not here that want to move here that don't have the opportunity to and don't have a voice yet. and i do work in the company, but i'm really -- i want to

give back to the community and that's why i wanted to apply for this position. thank you. >> thank you, caller. hello, caller. are you calling in regards to the c.a.c. appointment or did you just want to make a comment? >> caller: no. actually, i am also calling in regards to an applicant for district 6. my name's tre ely. >> okay. >> caller: excellent. thank you. i appreciate it. hello, board. and everyone who is on the line today and thank you for your consideration. my name is tre ely pronounce he, him, his, and i'm also applying for the community advisory council for district 6 as well. district 6 is on fire parentally today, all good. i am very active, engaged and

enthusiastic in san francisco. i've been here for 11 years. i moved here from mobile, alabama, and where there is no transit whatsoever there. i did not realize the level of impact and influence like having equitable access to public transportation has on individuals' lives and my liveded experience over my more than a decade here in san francisco has really changed the way that i think and approach my overall community and transportation throughout the metropolitan area. i am employed kind of in the south bay and i meet a team of five. i understand the mechanisms of

scale and consider myself somewhat of an expert on learning, behavior change, awareness, and i'm hoping for an opportunity to be able to contribute those skills to san francisco. i weigh in quite a bit on quality efficiency. i actually joined or actually when i moved to san francisco, i remember taking the 22 filmore on kind of a tour around the city to learn a little bit more about the lay-out. i fell in love with muni, bart, and cal train. i started using them on a regular basis. i started using cal train to and from work in cupertino. after being in san francisco for about a little over two years, i got rid of my vehicle and relied on public transportation exclusively and when i have people visit from alabama, i use public transportation to kind of show

them around the city. i have tons of ideas about what i think that we could be doing. i have a huge appreciation for what you all are giving an opportunity. i want everyone in san francisco to take public transit. i do feel we should be doing our darnest to create a for every man, woman, and child to feel safe getting from destination a to z and to have equitable access to all of the bay area. so i really appreciate the consideration and that's all for me. thank you. >> thank you, caller. hello, caller. are you calling in regards to c.a.c. appointment or did you want to make a public comment? >> caller: i wanted to make a

public comment in support of one of the applicants. >> okay. well, your two minutes begins now. >> caller: perfect. hi, my name is evan and i'm calling in support of the candidacy of eric rozell. i can't think of a better candidate for the transportation authority community advisory board. i currently chair a task force that works with city staff to advance street safety projects. for the past 18 months, i've worked very closely with eric as the vice chair of the task force. his commitment to his community is admirable and the breath of his knowledge is considerable. he's also an incredible person. his work has made streets safer and i'm confident he'll make the c.a.c. stronger and a safer city for everyone. thank you for listening to the comment and i truly hope that you appoint eric rozell. thank you. >> thank you, caller.

hello, caller. are you calling in regards to public comment or did you want to discuss your c.a.c. appointment? >> caller: yes. i would like to discuss my application. good morning. >> go ahead, caller. >> caller: hi. my name is sauod alzahrani. i live in district 6. this is my first attempt to actually engage in my community as a u.s. citizen. i became a u.s. citizen one month ago. i moved to san francisco bay area about 17 years ago. 12 years ago in san francisco tenderloin have been in the same building since then. i work here and i got educated here. this is my people. this is where i live. this is where i belong.

i have -- sorry. i'm nervous. this is my first time. but i have so many ideas and i would like to bring them to the table. one of the things i would like to talk about is admitting the big truck delivery hours, the busy hours in my area. first of all, i would like to improve the reliability of transit in my area, like the 27 to 38 traffic, 19 folk. so i would like to talk about -- excuse me, sorry. one second. >> caller? >> i'm sorry. somebody was coming in.

so i would like to [ indiscernible ] the reliability of buss and bike lanes. and would like to have more bike. one of the things i would like to talk about here with you guys to teach people about how to ride safely, how to ride muni safely. i have about three years of transit appearance as a transit operator and i'm here on the capacity of representing myself and not anybody else. i also would like to more people using pub