april 11, 2022. rules committee.

>> good morning. welcome to the rules committee san francisco board of supervisors for today, monday, april 11, 2022. i am the chair of the committee aaron peskin joined by supervisor mandelman and committee member co n nie. our clerk is mr. victor young. do you have any announcements? >> yes, the board of supervisors and committees are allowing in person attendance and providing public comment by telephone. equitable access is essential. we will take public comment as follows. first on each item on the agenda. those attending in person will speak first. then we will take those waiting on the telephone line. those watching channel 26, 78 or 99 and sfgovtv.org. the call-in number is on the

screen. the number is 415-655-0001. id is 24938610602. press pound and pound again. when connected you will hear discussion and be in listening mode only. when your item comes up and public comment is called line up to speak and those on the telephone dial star 3 to be added to the speaker line. if you are on the telephone, please turn down your tv and/or all listening devices you may be using. as indicated we will take public comment for those in person first. then to the public comment on the telephone line. you may submit in writing. e-mail to myself rules committee clerk. at sfgovtv.

public comment by e-mail will be forwarded to the supervisors and included in the file. you may send comments through mail to our office at room 244 city hall. items acted upon today will appear at the board of supervisors -- i did not read the correct date. board of supervisors agenda april 19th unless otherwise stated. that concludes my initial comments. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, mr. young. we are joined by supervisor ronan. please read item one. >> clerk: item 1. ordinance amending administrative code to prohibit departments from uploading or storing dna profiles belongs to

crime victims that is not subject to the federal and state rules governing the index systems, databases and from storing dna profiles from crime scene evidence in any nonsealed dna database for longer than 60 days to require 15 days after the date of this ordinance the police department purge the databases evidentiary profiles stored for longer than 60 days and victim profiles stored for any length much time and limit city departments to used the databases only for quality assurance purposes. not for any investigative purposes. members of the public who wish to comment on this item may line up to speak after we -- when we call for public comment. they may call on the number at

415-655-0001. id is 24938610602. pound, pound. once connected the meeting you will each press star 3 to enter speaker line. system prompt will indicate you raised your hand. wait until public comment on this item. when the system indicates you are unmuted begin public comment. supervisor ronan. >> supervisor ronen: thank you so much, colleagues. today i am asking that you send this to the full board with positive recommendations. the legislation would prohibit the san francisco police department from storing victim dna profiles in the database.

there is in response to the district attorney's discovery that a rape victim dna was used to identify the victim herself in the robbery case. the fact the crime lab is using victim's physical evidence against victims came as a shock to most of us in the city. the police chief ordered an end to this. we are working on state legislation prohibiting this fis practice. one u.s.a. today article cast doubt on storing victim's dna. it is unclear whether a state law will pass. we need to clarify that we will never allow this practice in the administrative code to ensure it never happens again. furthermore, it is already extremely difficult for a rape

victim to report this crime. the widespread news coverage will make it more likely victims will choose not to come forward. we need a clear message this violation of victim privacy will never happen again in san francisco. the legislation does three things. prohibits police or city departments from storing victim dna in a local database beyond 60 days. during that period it prohibits the use of that data for any purpose other than quality control. 3. it requires sfpd to purge all past data by july 1, 2022. in addition, i have two amendments that i would ask you to include today. neither is substantive. first requires controller to enact audit of the crime lab

evidentiary dna database and report on whether or not and how dna profiles were used in past cases. two. within two months of going into effect requiring the crime lab to publish a public notice giving details how the victim dna evidence is handled and stored so the public is well aware of the law and the privacy that will not ever be miss handled again. i hope you will join me supporting this legislation. i note very last comment the police department did submit amendments. i don't find the amendments that important or essential. i also don't have a problem with the amendments. the city attorney wasn't able t review the amendments in time to include in the legislation today. it is unclear to me whether or not they are substantive. i would love this legislation to

move forward. i don't think we should have any delay. if it turns out they are not substantive we can add at the full board. i don't have an issue with the amendments. i am not going to suggest that we include them because they are not -- >> supervisor peskin: they seem to be resighttals more than -- they don't seem to be substantive. i am not an attorney. i will defer to deputy city attorney pearson. they seem to be statements i will defer to deputy city attorney pearson. >> supervisor ronen: i agree and to try to get the attorney to sign off today and she wasn't able to. >> deputy see ann pearson. i agree with your assessment they resite what the state and federal law do. we weren't able to confirm those representations were accurate which we need to do before

approving to form. i think they will not be substantive. >> supervisor ronen: i move this forward and include them if they are not substantive at the full board. go from there. i don't want any more delay and ensure crime victims evidence is safe and won't be used against them. >> supervisor peskin: no questions on the roster from committee members. let's go to the san francisco police department. we have a number of potential speakers from forensic services director powell to the technical leader, shawn, captain of investigations and diane olivia from public policy and achfairs.

the floor is yours however you wish to proceed. >> do i take questions? >> supervisor peskin: i don't see any questions. >> quickly i will talk about how the database used to be. i am mark powell forensic services director. database used to be anything we would generate in the lab would go to the database. it was contamination. there was no timeline at all because our turnaround times could be as long as 4,000 days to get a case from the time it was submitted. fast forward to today. we are with the longest case 55 days last year. we are able to put a timeline on the evidence samples in the

database. just moved to a new facility to rethink the workload. we are from compliance. one moment. just to our people logging in. item 2. go ahead and mute your microphones and turnoff cameras. it would be appreciated. thank you very much. >> so we are the profiles in our contamination assessment database are only evidence samples, no reference samples. a known ample are not contained in the database. we are purged of any reference samples. we are in compliance. we have a policy only 60 day

retention time to monitor for contain nation. cases are out the door quickly. no need to have unlimited timeframe. that is where we were and where we are at right now. >> supervisor peskin: supervisor chan. >> supervisor chan: thank you the, chair peskin. my question is that you mentioned that it is already purged. with what you have already stored. it is interesting that it takes this ordinance to prevent the practice. i would like to understand that the practice that brought this legislation to us today now is because of the case that supervisor ronan was mentioning.

is that started practice of sfpd previously or isolated incident? if you could walk us through what happened, i would appreciate it to help us and educate me at least. >> once our standard practice was to put anything prepared in house along with samples from lab visitors, lab staff, personnel, all of those were in the database. the whole purpose to monitor for contamination to make sure we as a lab didn't make a mistake. we spilled dna from one sample in another case and it contaminated another case. that purpose was to prevent misleading investigators putting wrong samples in the matching database. as that grew bigger we were seeing matches not due to contamination. the lab didn't know what to do. notify on those, keep it to

ourselves? out of that question came this policy to notify on anything that was seen in the databasena wasn't contamination. that is where we were at in around 2019. that is how the policy went into effect. it was never meant to be investigation. the lab had information. what do we do with it? >> thank you. additional comments on behalf of the police department? >> good morning. i am the director of policy and public affairs for san francisco police department. the only comment i would conclude with is stating that we are moving forward with the protocol to make sure it is in alignment and changes have been suggested.

we want to thank supervisor ronan for commitment to continue to move this issue forward. we are fully committed to make sure victims feel they can come back to the department and have the trust to work closely with us on any investigation. that is the purpose of the brought to colto make changes in our department. we want to balance public safety and make sure that we are moving forward with the role and responsibility for the city. on behalf of the chief i thank the committee and supervisor roman for her leadership in moving this forward. >> supervisor chan: i think what is the amendments you are proposing to the legislation? >> we propose five amendments. you might have a copy if it hasn't been distributed. we can share a version. one of them is to be able to

provide clarity on our language to be what we are actually proposing in current be policy and protocol. really the biggest piece is that we want to make sure that we align some language which it comes to expectations of moving forward with dna samples now proposed in the state bill that is the second biggest change. more for transparency when we can collect the sample. final is on the fourth page towards the end. you will see that we are underscoring we have federal requirements. we want to make sure there is alignment with the ordinance language in the legislation in place today. >> thank you. >> supervisor peskin: no other representative the police department for this morning, why don't we move to public comment.

any members of the public who would like to comment on this item 1? >> yes, members of the public to speak on this item are joining us in person should line up to speak now along by the windows. remotely call 415-655-0001 and enter id24938610602. press pound and pound. you will need to press star 3 to enter speaker line. in the queue continue to wait until you are unmuted to begin your comments. there does not appear to be anyone in the room lining up for public comment. we have one person in line for public comment on remotely. >> supervisor peskin: first speaker, please.

>> hello, supervisors. what i want to bring to your attention is that we once had this lab in a very dispickcable and contaminated area. in order to understand what happened, you have to go to the source which you haven't gone to. no lab had to deal with that contamination and the new lab and director and i believe there used to be a director who was selected by the board in new orleans. this is a new director. what i want to bring to the attention of supervisors not all of you know about criminology, nor do i have an understanding of the dna.

the district attorney's fiasco upon this. it is a very rare something comes up. one in 100,000. making a big deal about it. the gentleman from the lab stated our measure to put things in place. you, supervisors, should be more interested in serving the interest of the constituents which you are not. thank you very much. >> supervisor peskin: any other members for public comment on item 1? >> any additional callers? >> that completes the queue, mr. >> supervisor peskin: public comment is closed. while there are amendments yet to be approved by the deputy city attorney and in so far as

those amendments appear to be nonsub tantive and could be incorporated by the sponsor of this legislation, supervisor ronan at the full board, i would make a motion to send the item as presented with recommendation to the full board of supervisors. supervisor ronan. >> two things. i also introduced amendments. >> supervisor peskin: why don't we start by taking a roll call on the amendments of mine by supervisor ronan that are before us on that motion a roll call, please. >> clerk: on the motion to adopt amendments. supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> the motion passes without objection. >> supervisor peskin: then on the item as amended to send to

full board with positive recommendation subject to future amendment by supervisor ronan. row call please. >> clerk: on the motion. supervisor charge. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> the motion passes without objection. >> next item. >> clerk: item 2. hearing to consider appointing one member, term ending january 15, 2023, five members term ending january 15, 2024, and one member term ending january 15, 2025. >> thank you: >> supervisor peskin: some 30 years ago the board of supervisors established health authority to create an efficient delivery system for medical

beneficiaries. we have a number of individuals up for almost all cases reappointment. there is one vacant seat. these are seats recommended by various authorities as set forth in your board packet. with that why don't we go to the individuals in the order that they are listed. i will add that a residency waiver is not required. we will dispense with that. >> board members are invited applicants keep your cameras off and your phones muted until you are called to speak. turnoff any other devices you have on in the room such as

televisions or radios to avoid feedback. thank you very much. >> supervisor peskin: everybody who has been nominated will be appearing remotely. we will start although she is in a conference and might appear later is dr. jian qing zhang for seat two. >> thank you, supervisor peskin. i am dialed in from phoenix. i am with the hospital council to the seat number two. i am a healthcare innovative healthcare executive with progressive leadership experience in hospital and medical group development and management with more than 20 years of success in hosting

performances to people centered healthcare administration. i have been serving on the board member for four years. i sit on other association boards or medical groups. i have also taken care of san francisco members for almost 20 years. when i was a family practitioner. san francisco health plan is very important to the populations that we serve. i believe i can bring leadership and clinical experience in taking care of medical patients for more than 25 years. once appointed i will work with colleagues or members.

the management team to address the post pandemic healthcare issues. somehow impacted san francisco members such as the behavioral health, substance abuse, healthcare disparity and many more issues. thank you very much. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. we will go to roland pickens for seat number 3. >> thank you, chair peskin. i am roland pickens was with the department of public health joining you from lagouda hospital. since my appointment to the board doing business as san francisco health plan i have had the opportunity to represent the san francisco health network, the integrated delivery for the department of public health including hospitals, san

francisco general and various clinics. primary care, specially, mental health and substance abuse clinics in the city. it is a pleasure being on the board serving currently as vice chair of the san francisco health plan board. the ability to be a voice on behalf of the department of public health in the city to inform medical beneficiaries in san francisco to receive the best care possible. we have been through san francisco health network proud to be the largest provider within the san francisco health plan. we think that we do a good job contributing to the highest performing local health plan providing services to medical

beneficiaries in san francisco. i submitted buyback ground another -- my background information and respectfully request your consideration for reappointment. >> supervisor peskin: we will go to seat 4. emily webb. ms. webb. >> good morning, supervisors. thank you so much for considering my reappointment to the san francisco health authority board this morning. my seat represents the seat for st. luke's hospital. now as you are well aware it is part of the c.p.m.c. network. they have along standing commitment to working with the plan to collaborate with local health providers to provide comprehensive access for medical managed care members in san francisco. currently we have approximately

40,000 members that we work with two different medical groups to provide comprehensive care to san francisco health plan members. we find that being on the board is helpful to ensure providing care and coordinating care with the plan and those critical safety partners. i am proud to have served in this for the last four years. i look forward to being appointed for another four. i started my career in public health at san francisco health plan. i worked in the provider relations department at the time healthy san francisco was formed and i have a longstanding history of working in the safety plan over the last decade in san francisco. i have also served on a number of other community boards, family resource centers, trauma providers and working with community clinics. i have a vast knowledge of the

safety net and am proud to be a thought leader from the hospital side in the ways to more effectively serve this very important population in the city and county of san francisco. i hope to continue in this role and representing better health on the board. the plan is very important to how the safety net runs in san francisco. it is highly effective and collaborative. it is very unique. i am privileged to represent and work with these amazing colleagues on the board. looking forward. there is quite a bit of opportunity be for this plan as we see medical membership grow with expanding populations to additional age categories, undocumented people in san francisco and across the state. also with the state rollout of

more coordinated approach to safety net service delivery. the plan will be an important leader in those efforts as we move healthcare forward for this population. i hope to be able to serve in that capacity to provide input and guidance toward that end. happy to take any questions. you should have my application and resume for the seat. thank you so much for considering my reappointment this morning. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. we will move to seat 6. eddie chan. good morning, mr. chan. >> did morning, supervisors. thank you for meeting with us today. my name is eddie chan, current president and c.e.o. northeast medical services serving 50,000 san francisco residents. most vulnerable as you are aware. i have been on the san francisco

health board for 13 years. i have been a member of the finance committee during my entire tenure here. we are probably second be largest provider of medicaid beneficiaries in san francisco. my colleagues from the department of public health is the largest. we are probably the second. i do also serve on a number of other boards outside. more on the national level and very happy to say that we have provided a lot of services during covid times. we are providing about 90,000 vaccinations to date. i don't have the exact number of tests that we have done but it is very large as well. again, it is most of the most vulnerable populations in san francisco.

if you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask. i do ask for your consideration for my appointment on the board. thank you. >> supervisor peskin: next we will move to the only seat where we actually have a new potential member and that is joseph woo for seat number 7. good morning. >> good morning. i am dr. joseph woo. i am a new applicant. in a role recommended by the san francisco rural medical society where i serve on the board. i have had many roles. i am currently director of the healthcare association and president of the all american medical group, both of which serve the medical community to

san francisco health plan and blue cross. as i mentioned. i am an emergency physician by trade. i served a decade on quality improvement and physician advicement. i am advocate for underserved. i seek your appointment. i am open to any questions. thank you. >> supervisor peskin: next we will go to seat number 8. steven fugaro succeeding himself. >> there is dr. steven fugaro. practicing physician in san francisco practices 35 years as primary care. i have cared for underserved during that time and proud to have been a physician.

my seat is like dr. woo's seat on behalf of the san francisco medical society. i have been past president before. i have been affiliate for 20 years. probably what i am most proud of board of the san francisco health plan for the last 12 years. served as chairman for the last six years. as you heard this is an extra and collaborative board, individuals from all different aspects of healthcare, hospitals, pharmacies and clinics and physicians working together to really do the best job they can for the underserved of san francisco. our organization has grown enormously in the last five to search year was the expansion of medical through the aca obamacare. we do anticipate fairly

significant growth in the next few years as more and more responsibilities are being placed on us by the state. you heard emily mention california advancing medical. basically in the hope of offering those in california more person centered approach. that is a big challenge as well as taking care of dual eligibles and doing even more cover age of home healthcare. we are very proud also of the fact we have a brand-new c.e.o. several individuals who you have heard from including roland pickens and eddie chan and steve fields you are about to hear from serve on the committee with me. we were able to find an outstanding new c.e.o.

former state secretary and treasure government operations and chief operating officer at the san francisco health plan back in 2005 and 2006. she is extra ordinary and we are thrilled to help us guide us through big changes. i ask consideration for reappointment. it is my honor to be a member of this board and chairman for the last six years. thank you very much. >> supervisor peskin: thank you, doctor. we will go to the mr. steven fields for seat 12. also succeeding himself. good morning, mr. fields. >> i believe you are logged on twice. that is why we are getting the echo from your line.

log out of one log in, it would be appreciated. go ahead and unmute. he logged off completely.

>> clerk: mr. fields, are you there? we hear you. please proceed. >> good morning, supervisors. steve fields. i have been on the board of the health plan probably the longest before it was yet comprised of an official board. one of the great professional pleasures of my life to bring behavioral health services to the deliberations and to the planning for the expansion of medicaid services, medical to services in san francisco. you know the ongoing two plan model has struggled with the process of including persons with severe mental illness in the specialty care area. there are a lot of reasons for that. when i joined the board to provide perspective in the

discussions and deliberations about the impact of medical policies on persons with severe mental illness. we are entering a time of excite mend of the possibility of improving and expanding care to persons facing those challenges. i am looking forward to a chance to work under the new executive c.e.o. yolanda richardson and with the policies and practices that are expanding to include more responsive necessary to persons with mental illness, and it looks like an exciting time to be on this board. i look forward to continuing my partnership with other members on expanding medical services and improving services with behavioral health challenges. i ask consideration for

reappointment. thank you. >> supervisor peskin: thank you for your long many year commitment to this body and its work. any members of the public who would like to comment on this item 2? >> clerk: members of the public to comment are joining us in person join up along the side by the windows. remotely call 415-655-0001 id is 24938610602. pound and pound again. when connected you will need to press star 3 to speak. for those in the queue please continue to wait until you are unmuted. that will be your queue to begin comments. first in person public commenter, please. >> good morning, supervisor, san

francisco health plan. i want to let you know on behalf of the san francisco health plan we are grateful for the current board members seeking reappointment. they are all volunteers. to provide tremendous input and just value on behalf of our 150,000 low income medical members. we are grateful for the doctor for deciding to join our board, dr. woo. thank you for your consideration of their appointments and reappointments. >> supervisor peskin: thank you. any remote members of the public for comments? >> clerk: remote public comment. we have one listener on the line but nobody in line to speak. can i confirm that please? >> mr. clerk no caller in the queue. >> supervisor peskin: public comment is closed.

colleagues, i will reiterate appreciation to the search seven individuals and make a motion to forward all seven applicants with a positive recommendation on that motion a roll call, please. >> clerk: on that motion. supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> clerk: the motion passes without objection. >> supervisor peskin: next item, please. >> clerk: resolution appointing dennis j.

herrara director of the san francisco bay area regional water system financing authority for the remainder of the four-year term ending june 30, 2023. call 415-655-0001. id24938610602. pound, pound. when public comment begins press star 3. the prompt will indicate you raised your hand. wait until we take public comment. when the system indicates you are unmuted begin your comments. >> supervisor peskin: good morning, general manager herrera. i will start by saying i remember when the state legislator created this authority 20 years ago. the san francisco seat has generally if not always been held by the general manager of

the public utilities commission. in so far as this falls under the jurisdiction of the board of supervisors this would be a good opportunity to check in with our relatively new general manager of p.u.c. some 20 years ago there was concern from customers and partners about the seismic stability and redundancy from fromthe sea ara to to pay. -- see ara. in the early 2000s the successor to to creation of the bay area regional water system financing authority. i thought would be a good opportunity to check in on what we call the program, where it is

at today and to what extent the financing authority which has now the extended ability pursuant to senate bill 699, which is law to issue bonds through the end of this decade through 2030, whether or not using that finance authority is being contemplated. if so for what kind of projects? with that good morning, general manager. >> good morning. general manager of the san francisco public utilities commission. thank you for considering my appointment as director of the san francisco bay area regional water system financing authority. as chair peskin alluded to and as you know the sfpuc provides drinks water to 2.6 million customers including retail in san francisco and wholesale

customers in alameda and santa clara counties. sb1870 created the regional water system financing authority when we were getting the program improvement with a way to collaborate on financial decisions related to the regional water system. the financing authority is regional organization that raises money if needed to help improve the san francisco bay area regional water system. this appointment served the remainder previously approved term ending on june 30, 2023. previous general managers served. as new general manager i look forward to serving in this position as well. before questions about my potential pending appointment to respond to supervisor peskin. rest assured in terms of overall

completion it is well. we are about 95% completed. very few projects left. a big part of my first five months in office has been getting out and seeing the extent of the system, improvements that have been made and marveling not just at physical infrastructure but two other things. one, incredible dedication of sfpuc employees in the field every day ensuring the system is properly updated and maintained. it is an incredibly come mex system their professionalism is something to marvel at and to compliment be our partners. not just willing net but eager necessary to collaborate with p.u.c. to make sure the system

is up to enough. doesn't necessarilytate intervention supervisor peskin alluded to 20 years ago. there was a reason that happened. i think that we are all the better for it. we have a system that like i said is about 95% complete in terms of work done. it is a testament to what can happen when you work collaboratively and have tremendous expertise. that system now like i said is a marvel and is seismically protected as possible due to the good work and good efforts of people at the sfpuc and our partners. with that i am happy to take questions that you have and i look forward to continuing to serve in this position. thank you, supervisors. >> mr. general manager my initial question whether or not the bonding authority of this

entity is contemplated for use in the coming foreseeable future. any response to that? >> not to my knowledge. it has that authority as you are well aware. it hasn't been been necessarytated. to my knowledge it is not contemplated at this time. i think what you will find is the collaboration that is going on with this authority in the event it is called for. >> supervisor peskin: how often does the authority meet? >> once a year. annually in january. >> supervisor peskin: any questions from committee members? any members of the public? any remote members for public comment on item 3?

>> clerk: for those listening remotely call 415-655-0001. id24938610602. pound, pound. once connected you need to press star 3 to enter speaker line. if you are in the queue wait until you are unmuted. that will be your queue. we -- two speakers. >> eileen. speak has taken a neutral position on this appointment. that being said we would like to follow up on the comments at the capital planning committee on april 4th. the emergency firefighting water

system also known as a wash was brought into service 1913 under the jurisdiction of the fire department. in 2010 it was transferred to the p.u.c. for the purpose of balancing the city budget. since 2010 there are a number of misguided policy decisions. it is now using a wash to replace water mains using the funds which is inconsistent with prop 218. due to the p.u.c. policy decisions, speak and others are advocating to transfer to the new department under the city administrator with engineering to d.p.w. which would still be a direct report to the city administrator even after the upcoming restructuring. regarding the remadelyn payne

.[indiscernable] they had a hearing on p.g.e. and how it affects p.u.c. operations. supervisor peskin asked p.g.e. if they accepted $2.5 million offer from the city for infrastructure. p.g.e. would not have to be addressing this issue. same to a wash. if it were transferred out of p.u.c. they would not have to deal with this issue any further. thank you. >> supervisor peskin: next speaker, please. >> this appointment is once a

year. the issues we have the real issues we have is with the san francisco public utilities commission. we are not about the project amount of money spent is over the amount budgeted. we need to have a hearing on the project so that san franciscans understand what is happening. while we are on that subject, we need to have a hearing again on the sewer system improvement

project. that is important. there is a lot of corruption still going on within the sewer system improvement project. they are not permanent members. we need to find out who are permanent members who we serve and why are we pandering? given an opportunity to become a permanent member and it did not. these are questions to ask so that san franciscans can be enlightened. the people who really should know the facts are kept in the

dark. thank you very much. >> supervisor peskin: any other public comments on this item. >> clerk: that completes the queue. >> supervisor peskin: public comment is closed. i will not ask about the vice president of the united states and make a motion to send this to the full board with a positive recommendation. mr. clerk on that motion a roll call, please. >> chan. >> aye. >> mandelman. >> aye. >> peskin. >> aye. >> motion passes without objection. >> supervisor peskin: we are adjourned. >> thank you, supervisors.

>> shop and dine in the 49 promotes local businesses and challenges residents to do their business in the 49 square files of san francisco. we help san francisco remain unique, successful and right vi. so where will you shop and dine in the 49? >> i'm one of three owners here in san francisco and we provide mostly live music entertainment and we have food, the type of food that we have a mexican food and it's not a big menu, but we did it with love.

like ribeye tacos and quesadillas and fries. for latinos, it brings families together and if we can bring that family to your business, you're gold. tonight we have russelling for e community. >> we have a ten-person limb elimination match. we have a full-size ring with barside food and drink. we ended up getting wrestling here with puoillo del mar. we're hope og get families to join us. we've done a drag queen bingo and we're trying to be a diverse kind of club, trying different

things. this is a great part of town and there's a bunch of shops, a variety of stores and ethnic restaurants. there's a popular little shop that all of the kids like to hang out at. we have a great breakfast spot call brick fast at tiffanies. some of the older businesses are refurbished and newer businesses are coming in and it's exciting. >> we even have our own brewery for fdr, ferment, drink repeat. it's in the san francisco garden district and four beautiful murals. >> it's important to shop local because it's kind of like a circle of life, if you will. we hire local people. local people spend their money at our businesses and those local people will spend their

money as well. i hope people shop locally. [ ♪♪♪ ]

the tenderloin is home to families, immigrants, seniors, merchants, workers and the housed and unhoused who all

deserve a thriving neighborhood to call home. the tenderloin initiative was launched to improve safety, reduce crime, connect people to services and increase investments in the neighborhood. as city and community-based partners, we work daily to make these changes a reality. we invite you to the tenderloin history, inclusivity make this neighborhood special. >> we're all citizens of san francisco and we deserve food, water, shelter, all of those things that any system would. >> what i find the most fulfilling about being in the tenderloin is that it's really basically a big family here and i love working and living here. >> [speaking foreign language]

>> my hopes and dreams for the tenderloin are what any other community organizer would want for their community, safe, clean streets for everyone and good operating conditions for small businesses. >> everything in the tenderloin is very good. the food is very good. if you go to any restaurant in san francisco, you will feel like oh, wow, the food is great. the people are nice. >> it is a place where it embraces all walks of life and different cultures. so this is the soul of the tenderloin. it's really welcoming. the. >> the tenderloin is so full of color and so full of people. so with all of us being together and making it feel very safe is challenging, but we are working on it and we are getting there.

>> how i really started my advocacy was through my own personal experiences with discrimination as a trans person. and when i came out as trans, you know, i experienced discrimination in the workplace. they refused to let me use the women's bathroom and fired me. there were so many barriers that other trans folks had in the workplace. and so when i finished college, i moved out to san francisco in the hopes of finding a safer community. >> and also, i want to recognize our amazing trans advisory committee who advises our office as well as the mayor, so our transadvisory community members, if they could raise their hands and you

could give a little love to them. [applause] >> thank you so much for your help. my leadership here at the office is engaging the mayor and leadership with our lgbt community. we also get to support, like, local policy and make sure that that is implemented, from all-gender bathrooms to making sure that there's lgbt data collection across the city. get to do a lot of great events in trans awareness month. >> transgender people really need representation in politics of all kinds, and i'm so grateful for clair farley because she represents us so

intelligently. >> i would like to take a moment of silence to honor all those folks that nicky mentioned that we've lost this year. >> i came out when i was 18 as trans and grew up as gay in missoula, montana. so as you can imagine, it wasn't the safest environment for lgbt folks. i had a pretty supportive family. i have an identical twin, and so we really were able to support each other. once i moved away from home and started college, i was really able to recognize my own value and what i had to offer, and i think that for me was one of the biggest challenges is kind of facing so many barriers, even with all the privilege and access that i had. it was how can i make sure that i transform those challenges into really helping other people.

we're celebrating transgender awareness month, and within that, we recognize transgender day of remembrance, which is a memorial of those that we have lost due to transgender violence, which within the last year, 2019, we've lost 22 transgender folks. think all but one are transgender women of color who have been murdered across the country. i think it's important because we get to lift up their stories, and bring attention to the attacks and violence that are still taking place. we push back against washington. that kind of impact is starting to impact trans black folks, so

it's important for our office to advocate and recognize, and come together and really remember our strength and resilience. as the only acting director of a city department in the country, i feel like there's a lot of pressure, but working through my own challenges and barriers and even my own self-doubt, i think i've been try to remember that the action is about helping our community, whether that's making sure the community is housed, making sure they have access to health care, and using kind of my access and privilege to make change. >> i would like to say something about clair farley. she has really inspired me. i was a nurse and became disabled. before i transitioned and after i transitioned, i didn't know what i wanted to do. i'm back at college, and clair farley has really impressed on me to have a voice and to have

agency, you have to have an education. >> mayor breed has led this effort. she made a $2.3 million investment into trans homes, and she spear headed this effort in partnership with my office and tony, and we're so proud to have a mayor who continues to commit and really make sure that everyone in this city can thrive. >> our community has the most resources, and i'm very happy to be here and to have a place finally to call home. thank you. [applause] >> one, two, three. [applause] >> even in those moments when i do feel kind of alone or unseen or doubt myself, i take a look at the community and the power of the supportive allies that are at the table that really help me to push past that. being yourself, it's the word

of wisdom i would give anyone. surely be patient with yourself and your dream. knowing that love, you may not always feel that from your family around you, but you can >> good afternoon, everyone. thank you for joining us today. we're happy to host this event with mayor breed and our iconic downtown partners to show our support and commitment to the economic recovery of the city. we are committed to this effort and are thrilled to welcome back people to downtown. i'm honored to introduce our

steadfast leader during a challenging time, but we're turning the corner. mayor breed, we look forward to the continued partnership of the downtown recovery plan, and welcome back to s.f. [applause] >> the hon. london breed: thank you, neela, and it's great to be here at selhurst park in the city, let me tell you, if you don't live here, you would want to. this is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it's great because the weather is nice, but there's been something missing for sometime, and that's the people. yes, the diversity, the folks from all over are what make san francisco so amazing. so when i reached out to

members of the business community and asked them to work with me and join us in returning to work from march, so many businesses stepped up and said yes. so part of what we know is businesses don't just open up, and restaurants open up, and people move about, we've been cooped up for two years. a global pandemic has kept us apart like never about, and now that we're emerging, we have so much to do. we were the first country to shutdown, san francisco, and we saved thousands of lives because of it. and now, 83% of san franciscans

are vaccinated and counting. [applause] >> the hon. london breed: so we have something to be proud of, but no one likes to have a good time more than san francisco. no one takes fun more seriously than san francisco, and so part of the fun means when we come back, we need to see some amazing gatherings. i welcome our salesforce and c.b.d.s and others who came together with places like the flower mart to say basically that not only are we coming back, but we're going to come

back. if you have not been to club fugazi and have seen the show, boy, are you missing out. that show is extraordinary, and so we're bringing a little sneak peek out for everyone to see and enjoy. make sure you go and see the bigger show because boy, it makes you feel good about san francisco. it makes you feel good being a part of this extraordinary city. thanks to lyft -- to lyft who are providing free bikes and

scooters to get around the city, and make sure you visit places in the city that are going to host some of these activities because we are back. we are back, and now, it's time to appreciate life like never before. thank you to so many of our partners, and now, i want to introduce kip to make some remarks. he has put a lot of this together, and we welcome his advocacy and his leadership and answering the call when we needed it. before i do that, i just want to give a shoutout because i know what's been on the top of everybody's mind.

our community ambassadors in the orange jackets all over the city, we have retired police officers who are working as ambassadors, and so we are going to do everything we can to make sure that san francisco continues to be this extraordinary place that keeps a smile on your face, and thank you all so much for coming here today. and with that, i want to introduce kip from east cut. >> thank you, mayor breed, and thank you to you and your team for your tireless efforts in trying to bring people and businesses back to the city. so what i thought i'd do is just share a few remarks about how our group came together and why we came together, and it's really no secret that covid has been a huge challenge

cities. there's not a lot more that can be done to encourage people to come back to downtown, and if you recall, we started the process at the end of last year before omicron, and the chronicle had an interview with a small business owner, and he said it's great that restrictions are being lifted, but we need to show that things are different, and it was that concept, that don't just tell me, show me, that things were different to bring this s.f., this bloomsf at the end of march. and so in conjunction with the mayor's recovery team, we sat down and said what can we do to

help? and the decision was let's put together a celebration, let's give people a reason to come back downtown. and a vibrant downtown is not only critical for our recovery but for the long-term health of this city. this is where serendipity happens. these things happen unscripted and unplanned when we're down here, and this is where we come to eat, to shop, to be entertained. we know that precovid, technology can serve to isolate us, and covid has exacerbated that, so these events are so critical for us to be together. so bloomsf at the end of this month will be a celebration.

our group determined that that event would be more compelling. we'll see a wine walk, outdoor deejays. we'll have the launch of the outdoor cinema at the crossing. that'll be complemented by art installations at b.a.r.t. and muni stations. it's going to be a really fun weekend, so if you're a business, don't just encourage employees to come back, encourage them to come out. if you're a worker who's hesitant, come back and rediscover what it is you love about your co-workers and what you love about downtown. we hope you all come back this weekend and help in getting downtown back on its feet. with that, i want to introduce

robert tibbetts with an architecture firm, one of the businesses that's committed to bring people back in the month of march. rob? [applause] >> thank you. i do just want to take a moment to thank the mayor for her leadership. two years ago, you made a difficult decision in the face of fierce opposition from other levels of government, and steered us through this, and i don't know that we've said we appreciate you for that. all right. coming back to work, we're all going to wear pants and shoes. we have 200 people coming back to work, and we're a design firm, so we need to work together. we need to see each other.

there's a certain magic and collective creativity that just isn't possible on zoom, and that's just real exciting. on the way to work, we'll stop and get coffee and doughnuts, and on the way home, we'll stop and get our shoes repaired, get soup and salad for dinner, and we'll start to gather. we are going to be making our community a better place, and we are committed to doing that. we have a great city, let's make it even greater. thank you. [applause]

>> all right. next up, going to recognize and introduce -- just say as a san francisco native, i'm proud to introduce denise tran, owner and founder of a small business eatery in san francisco. [applause] >> hi, everyone. i just want to thank mayor breed for this opportunity to speak on small businesses in downtown. i am the founder of a bhan-mi sandwich eatery, two locations, one at the airport, and one on market stleet, just a few weeks from here. i have to -- street, just a few weeks from here. i have to say three of my

locations have reopened, except for the one on market street. the small mom-and-pop businesses in downtown san francisco that make san francisco so unique desperately need folks to come back to work. my shop, my little sandwich shop, relies on catering and office business and office lunches, and unfortunately, we're still closed, so i'm so excited for this opportunity today, for the mayor to call businesses back to work because this gives us an opportunity to open our shop again and do what we love best. san francisco, we're all, under the leadership of mayor breed,

have done such an amazing job of keeping everyone safe during such a hard time. let's continue to work together to bring back tourism to our city, to bring back conferences and businesses. let's bring back all the great things that we love about this city again, so thank you for this opportunity, and i look forward to what's coming our way. thank you so much. [applause] >> all right. next up, we're going to have the mayor come back and introduce one of her favorite groups. >> the hon. london breed: i am? >> yeah. >> the hon. london breed: okay. well, just to top it off and give you a bit of a little bit of a taste of what you can expect from all of the great activities that we're going to be adding to san francisco,

right now, we have a performance from seven finger circus. they perform at club fugazi, and here's just a tidbit of here's san francisco. [♪♪♪]

[applause] >> the hon. london breed: big round of applaud for seven finger circus. [applause] >> the hon. london breed: whoa! goodness, doesn't that make you nervous? do i clap? i don't want to mess them up, right? well, this is what you're going to be seeing all over san francisco, and we want to thank all of you for coming, all the businesses who committed to bringing their employees back during the month of march. i've already seen some of the lines at some of the businesses downtown, so we want our businesses reopened, we want our economy going again, we want to be out and about, enjoying our beautiful city, so again, it is not too late. it is still the month of march, so bring your folks back two, three, four, five days a week or bring them back for dinner,

bring them back to see san francisco at club fugazi, bring them back to the flower mart. it is time to takeoff those pajama pants and go down. we are open for business, san francisco. thank you all so much for coming today. [♪♪♪] [applause]

>> this is one place you can always count on to give you

what you had before and remind you of what your san francisco history used to be. >> we hear that all the time, people bring their kids here and their grandparents brought them here and down the line. >> even though people move away, whenever they come back to the city, they make it here. and they tell us that. >> you're going to get something made fresh, made by hand and made with quality products and something that's very, very good. ♪♪ >> the legacy bars and restaurants was something that was begun by san francisco simply to recognize and draw attention to the establishments. it really provides for san francisco's unique character. ♪♪ >> and that morphed into a request that we work with the city to develop a legacy business registration.

>> i'm michael cirocco and the owner of an area bakery. ♪♪ the bakery started in 191. my grandfather came over from italy and opened it up then. it is a small operation. it's not big. so everything is kind of quality that way. so i see every piece and cut every piece that comes in and out of that oven. >> i'm leslie cirocco-mitchell, a fourth generation baker here with my family. ♪♪ so we get up pretty early in the morning. i usually start baking around 5:00. and then you just start doing rounds of dough. loaves. >> my mom and sister basically handle the front and then i have my nephew james helps and

then my two daughters and my wife come in and we actually do the baking. after that, my mom and my sister stay and sell the product, retail it. ♪♪ you know, i don't really think about it. but then when i -- sometimes when i go places and i look and see places put up, oh this is our 50th anniversary and everything and we've been over 100 and that is when it kind of hits me. you know, that geez, we've been here a long time. [applause] ♪♪ >> a lot of people might ask why our legacy business is important. we all have our own stories to tell about our ancestry. our lineage and i'll use one example of tommy's joint. tommy's joint is a place that my husband went to as a child and he's a fourth generation

san franciscan. it's a place we can still go to today with our children or grandchildren and share the stories of what was san francisco like back in the 1950s. >> i'm the general manager at tommy's joint. people mostly recognize tommy's joint for its murals on the outside of the building. very bright blue. you drive down and see what it is. they know the building. tommy's is a san francisco hoffa, which is a german-style presenting food. we have five different carved meats and we carve it by hand at the station. you prefer it to be carved whether you like your brisket fatty or want it lean. you want your pastrami to be very lean. you can say i want that piece of corn beef and want it cut,

you know, very thick and i want it with some sauerkraut. tell the guys how you want to prepare it and they will do it right in front of you. san francisco's a place that's changing restaurants, except for tommy's joint. tommy's joint has been the same since it opened and that is important. san francisco in general that we don't lose a grip of what san francisco's came from. tommy's is a place that you'll always recognize whenever you lock in the door. you'll see the same staff, the same bartender and have the same meal and that is great. that's important. ♪♪ >> the service that san francisco heritage offers to

the legacy businesses is to help them with that application process, to make sure that they really recognize about them what it is that makes them so special here in san francisco. ♪♪ so we'll help them with that application process if, in fact, the board of supervisors does recognize them as a legacy business, then that does entitle them to certain financial benefits from the city of san francisco. but i say really, more importantly, it really brings them public recognition that this is a business in san francisco that has history and that is unique to san francisco. >> it started in june of 1953. ♪♪ and we make everything from

scratch. everything. we started a you -- we started a off with 12 flavors and mango fruits from the philippines and then started trying them one by one and the family had a whole new clientele. the business really boomed after that. >> i think that the flavors we make reflect the diversity of san francisco. we were really surprised about the legacy project but we were thrilled to be a part of it. businesses come and go in the city. pretty tough for businesss to stay here because it is so expensive and there's so much competition. so for us who have been here all these years and still be popular and to be recognized by the city has been really a huge honor.

>> we got a phone call from a woman who was 91 and she wanted to know if the mitchells still owned it and she was so happy that we were still involved, still the owners. she was our customer in 1953. and she still comes in. but she was just making sure that we were still around and it just makes us feel, you know, very proud that we're carrying on our father's legacy. and that we mean so much to so many people. ♪♪ >> it provides a perspective. and i think if you only looked at it in the here and now, you're missing the context. for me, legacy businesses, legacy bars and restaurants are really about setting the context for how we come to be where we are today. >> i just think it's part of san francisco. people like to see familiar stuff. at least i know i do.

>> in the 1950s, you could see a picture of tommy's joint and looks exactly the same. we haven't change add thing. >> i remember one lady saying, you know, i've been eating this ice cream since before i was born. and i thought, wow! we have, too. ♪♪ - >> shop & dine in the 49 promotes local businesses and challenges resident to do their showing up and dining within the 49 square miles of san francisco by supporting local services within the neighborhood we help san francisco remain unique successful and vibrant so where will you shop & dine in the 49 san francisco owes must of the charm to the unique characterization of each corridor has a distinction

permanent our neighbors are the economic engine of the city. >> if we could a afford the lot by these we'll not to have the kind of store in the future the kids will eat from some restaurants chinatown has phobia one of the best the most unique neighborhood shopping areas of san francisco. >> chinatown is one of the oldest chinatown in the state we need to be able allergies the people and that's the reason chinatown is showing more of the people will the traditional thepg. >> north beach is i know one of the last little italian

community. >> one of the last neighborhood that hadn't changed a whole lot and san francisco community so strong and the sense of partnership with businesses as well and i just love north beach community old school italian comfort and love that is what italians are all about we need people to come here and shop here so we can keep this going not only us but, of course, everything else in the community i think local businesses the small ones and coffee shops are unique in their own way that is the characteristic of the neighborhood i peace officer prefer it is local character you have to support them.

>> really notice the port this community we really need to kind of really shop locally and support the communityly live in it is more economic for people to survive here. >> i came down to treasure island to look for a we've got a long ways to go. ring i just got married and didn't want something on line i've met artists and local business owners they need money to go out and shop this is important to short them i think you get better things. >> definitely supporting the local community always good is it interesting to find things i never knew existed or see that that way. >> i think that is really

great that san francisco seize the vails of small business and creates the shop & dine in the 49 to support businesses make people all the residents and visitors realize had cool things are made and produced in san

>> i don't want to be involved in the process after it happens. i want to be there at the front end to help people with something in my mind from a very early age. our community is the important way to look at things, even now. george floyd was huge. it opened up wounds and a discussion on something festering for a long time. before rodney king. you can look at all the instances where there are calls for change. i think we are involved in change right now in this moment that is going to be long lasting. it is very challenging.

i was the victim of a crime when i was in middle school. some kids at recess came around at pe class and came to the locker room and tried to steal my watch and physically assaulted me. the officer that helped afterwards went out of his way to check the time to see how i was. that is the kind of work, the kind of perspective i like to have in our sheriff's office regardless of circumstance. that influenced me a lot. some of the storefronts have changed. what is mys is that i still see some things that trigger memories. the barbershop and the shoe store is another one that i remember buying shoestrings and getting my dad's old army boots fixed. we would see movies after the first run. my brother and i would go there.

it is nice. if you keep walking down sacramento. the nice think about the city it takes you to japan town. that is where my grandparents were brought up. that is the traditional foods or movies. they were able to celebrate the culture in that community. my family also had a dry-cleaning business. very hard work. the family grew up with apartments above the business. we have a built-in work force. 19 had 1 as -- 1941 as soon as that happened the entire community was fixed. >> determined to do the job as democracy should with real consideration for the people involved. >> the decision to take every one of japan niece american o

japanese from their homes. my family went to the mountains and experienced winter and summer and springs. they tried to make their home a home. the community came together to share. they tried to infuse each home are little things. they created things. i remember my grand mother saying they were very scared. they were worried. they also felt the great sense of pride. >> japanese americans. >> my granduncle joined the 442nd. when the opportunity came when the time that was not right.

they were in the campaign in italy. they were there every step of the way. >> president truman pays tribute. >> that was the most decorated unit in the history of the united states army. commitment and loyal to to the country despite that their families were in the camp at that time. they chose to come back to san francisco even after all of that. my father was a civil servant as well and served the state of california workers' compensation attorney and judge and appellate board. my parents influenced me to look at civil service s.i applied to police, and sheriff's department at the same time. the sheriff's department grabbed me first. it was unique. it was not just me in that

moment it was everyone. it wasn't me looking at the crowd. it was all of us being together. i was standing there alone. i felt everyone standing next to me. the only way to describe it. it is not about me. it is from my father. my father couldn't be there. he was sick. the first person i saw was him. i still sometimes am surprised by the fact i see my name as the sheriff. i am happy to be in the position i am in to honor their memory doing what i am doing now to help the larger comment. when i say that we want to be especially focused on marginalized communities that have been wronged. coming from my background and my

family experienced what they did. that didn't happen in a vacuum. it was a decision made by the government. nobody raised their voice. now, i think we are in a better place as country and community. when we see something wrong we have change agents step up to help the community affected. that is a important thing to continue to do. you talk about change and being a leader in change and not knowing whether you have successes or results. the fact of the matter is by choosing to push for change you have already changed things. through inspiration for others, take up the matter or whether it is through actual functional change as a result of your voice being heard. i think you have already started on a path to change by choosing that path. in doing that in april of itself

creates change. i continue in that type of service for my family. something i hope to see in my children. i have a pretty good chance with five children one will go into some sort of civil service. i hope that happens to continue that legacy. >> i am paul, sheriff of san francisco. [ music ]

[♪♪♪] >> i really believe that art should be available to people for free, and it should be part of our world, you shouldn't just be something in museums, and i love that the people can just go there and it is there for everyone. [♪♪♪] >> i would say i am a multidimensional artist. i came out of painting, but have also really enjoyed tactile properties of artwork and tile

work. i always have an interest in public art. i really believe that art should be available to people for free, and it should be part of our world. you shouldn't just be something in museums. i love that people can just go there, and it is there for everyone. public art is art with a job to do. it is a place where the architecture meets the public. where the artist takes the meaning of the site, and gives a voice to its. we commission culture, murals, mosaics, black pieces, cut to mental, different types of material. it is not just downtown, or the big sculptures you see, we are in the neighborhood. those are some of the most beloved kinds of projects that really give our libraries and recreation centers a sense of

uniqueness, and being specific to that neighborhood. colette test on a number of those projects for its. one of my favorites is the oceanview library, as well as several parks, and the steps. >> mosaics are created with tile that is either broken or cut in some way, and rearranged to make a pattern. you need to use a tool, nippers, as they are called, to actually shape the tiles of it so you can get them to fit incorrectly. i glued them to mash, and then they are taken, now usually installed by someone who is not to me, and they put cement on

the wall, and they pick up the mash with the tiles attached to it, and they stick it to the wall, and then they groped it afterwards. [♪♪♪] >> we had never really seen artwork done on a stairway of the kinds that we were thinking of because our idea was very just barely pictorial, and to have a picture broken up like that, we were not sure if it would visually work. so we just took paper that size and drew what our idea was, and cut it into strips, and took it down there and taped it to the steps, and stepped back and looked around, and walked up and down and figured out how it would really work visually. [♪♪♪] >> my theme was chinese heights because i find them very beautiful. and also because mosaic is such

a heavy, dens, static medium, and i always like to try and incorporate movement into its, and i work with the theme of water a lot, with wind, with clouds, just because i like movements and lightness, so i liked the contrast of making kites out of very heavy, hard material. so one side is a dragon kite, and then there are several different kites in the sky with the clouds, and a little girl below flying it. [♪♪♪] >> there are pieces that are particularly meaningful to me. during the time that we were working on it, my son was a

disaffected, unhappy high school student. there was a day where i was on the way to take them to school, and he was looking glum, as usual, and so halfway to school, i turned around and said, how about if i tell the school you are sick and you come make tiles with us, so there is a tile that he made to. it is a little bird. the relationship with a work of art is something that develops over time, and if you have memories connected with a place from when you are a child, and you come back and you see it again with the eyes of an adult, it is a different thing, and is just part of what makes the city an exciting place. [♪♪♪]