june 27, 2022. rules committee. june 22. rules committee.

>> chair peskin: good morning. welcome to the rules committee meeting of the san francisco board of supervisors for monday, june 27. i am the chair aaron peskin joined by vice chair mandelman and remotely by committee member supervisor chan. our first meeting in this room in a couple of years. our clerk is mr. young. do you have any announcements? >> yes, the board of supervisors are now going to meet at hybrid meetings. while providing remote access by telephone. public access is essential. we will take public comment as follows. first will be taken on each item on the agenda. those in person will speak

first. then we will take those who are waiting on the telephone line. those watching 26, 78, 99 and sfgovtv, the public call-in number is on the screen. the number is 415-655-0001. id24958144568. pound and pound. when connected you will hear the discusses and be in listening mode only. when your item of interest comes up, those joining in person line up to speak. on the telephone dial star 3 to be added to the speaker line. turn down your tv and listening devices that you may be using. we will take public comment from those in person first. you may submit in writing by

e-mailing to myself at sfgovtv. if you submit by e-mail it will be forwarded to the supervisors. included as part of the official file. you may send to mail to our office at city hall room 244 san francisco. that completes my initial comments. >> chair peskin: could you please read the first item motion approving rejecting the president of the board of supervisors of sherman walton's nomination to the.nent to the board of appeals for a four-year term ending july 1, 2024. >> chair peskin: regardless of what this panel decides at line

9 we need to strike the name darryl honda and insert alex lemberg. again at line 14. i believe that the long title should also be amended to insert at the beginning of line 5 the unexspired portion of to reflect language in the move clause so it would indicate this is an appointment for unexspired portion of the term ending july 1, 2024. i will make a motion to do that ones we deal with the subject matter at hand, which is president walton's nomination of alex lemberg to the vacant seat one on the board of appeals, a

little known but very important judicial body that receives all sorts of appeals from the health department. maybe it still gets taxi appeals and the bread and butter of zoning administrator and various building and planning issues. i have had the chance of interviewing presidentual ton's nominee mr. lemberg, and i was impressed by his background and qualifications and willing of the law and the board of appels. a practicing lawyer in san francisco and with that mr. lemberg, the floor is yours to make any comments you so desire and answer any questions this panel may have. good morning and thank you for your willingness to serve and

for appearing in person. >> good morning. i just want to thank you all for the opportunity. it is a great honor to be considered for this position. i am excited about it. i am happy to answer any questions you may have. >> chair peskin: any questions for mr. lemberg? all right. thank you for your brevity given the length of our calendar. your credentials speak for themselves. any members of the public in attendance in the chambers today to speak to this item number one. seeing none. any remote members of the public to make public comment? >> are there any members of the

public on the telephone for public comment? there is no one to speak at this time. >> chair peskin: public comment is closed. i will make a motion to amend file 220664 to remove the word rejecting in the long title at line 3 and rejects in the move clause at line 13 and to amend the long title to insert at the beginning of line 5 unexspired portion and to amend at lines 9 and 134 removing darryl honda and inserting alex lemberg. roll call, please. >> motion to amend. supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> the motion passes without objection. >> then i will make a motion to

send the item as amended as a committee report with recommendation for hearing tomorrow at the full board of supervisors so that mr. lemberg can begin serving immediately for this position that is vacant for a couple months. on that motion a roll call, please. >> supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> the motion passes without >> chair peskin: congratulations , mr. lemberg. every wednesday night of your life until july of 2024, unless you choose to and the president chooses another tour of duty and all weekend long when you get to read the packages for said meeting. mr. clerk, item 2, please. >> the motion approving or recorrects the mayor's nomface

for the appointment of paul woolford to the public works commission for a term ending july 2, 2026. line up if you are in chambers. remotely call 415-655-0001. 24958144568. pound, pound. when connected you will bless star 3 to enter speaker line. >> chair peskin: colleagues we are populating this brand-new commission. start before i go to mr. woolford to ms.allonza if there is anything on behalf of the city administrator's office you have said to the three individuals the board of supervisors has either nominated or in the case of mayor's appoint be tent confirmed. please start us out. >> thank you, chair peskin and

vice chair mandelman and supervisor chan. we are excited to have a full slate of commissioners for the commission meeting which is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. thursday july 28. it makes sense the project team is focusing 100% of the attention onsetting up these first commission meetings. we are working to host the hybrid meetings and interpretation services. we hope to public the commission web pages in the next one on two weeks. this first meeting will be jointer between the two commissions. the topics covered are identical for both commissions. the city attorney's office will review the charter and lay out the rules of engagement focusing on ethics. the executive term will review

the plan and budget and have a shared administrative services between the two departments. in august each commission will meet separately and will dive into the commission business of by-laws and meeting calendar and presentations of more details about each department division and results from the recent employee survey. as mentioned previously, we need to prepare and train staff to engage with the commission, what is in the staff report, how to write the legal resolution and present technical information in a meaningful and informative way. we have provided training to 125 of 161 identified employees. we are scheduling trainings for the new work flow system. it is a big milestone. it is best practices for chapter 6 departments about the layers of review needed for items going

to the commission. i would like to say building was like learning to build an airplane and also learning to fly. we are still learning what it will take to go to the commission. the policies and procedures before the commission exists was interesting. it is for the best. the department needs to refine these over time as they get familiar. final item 204 page code cleanup on schedule to introduce to the board clerk on friday. it will go to committee in september. i don't know which committee i hope rules because you are very familiar. that is it for me. thank you to are your time and your interest in the implementation. i will hand it over. >> chair peskin: you had the tonight to visit with mr. woolford as to the duties

and responsibilities he would under take? >> i certainly did. >> chair peskin: mr. woolford this is the seat to be held by a licensed architect which you are one both in this state and the states of new england and hawaii -- nevada and hawaii. good place to be a licensed architect. with that, the floor is yours. >> thank you for inviting me here this morning. i have been a commissioner for the past 8 years working with the city design review committee. it is a pleasure to serve on behalf of the city and county of san francisco. city and county have been very good to me. i deeply believe that public service is something that is one of the highest attributes we can do. the opportunity to serve is something i look forward to.

>> chair peskin: thank you. i appreciate the brevity. we talked on this and you talked to the city attorney about it. i want to use this opportunity because it is an important matter which is in the vast portfolio have from time to time projects with various city agencies ranging from airport to the public works department. to that end i want to hear from you that you have been briefed and that you understand where conflicts may lie and how to apappropriately recuse yourself in those instances. >> i met with the city attorney office ethics division eight years ago and it was clearly outlined to me. i had a conversation subsequently which i was

approached. we had a lengthy conversation. all materials are septotome. i understand everything that means. it would mean i will be recusing myself from any kind of public advocacy for any of these. i do not personally financially benefit from any contract with the city and county of san francisco as an employee. it is very clear and i understand that. >> chair peskin: any questions or comments from committee members? seeing none. are there any individuals in this chamber who would like to testify on item 2? ms. walker please come forward. >> thank you so much, supervisors. i am here supporting commissioner woolford. i served on the arts commission for the last three years.

in that time watching commissioner woolford really solve problems with proposals that come forward, which is often, but also it is clear he love the city and wants to move us forward. i am speaking. he is a wonder to work with. i will miss you. >> chair peskin: the arts commission is the incubator for other commissions as we are experiencing this morning. thank you for your comment. any individuals who would like to testify on this item 2 remotely? mr. young? >> yes if you would like to speak on this matter press star 3. it looks like there are five but

nobody in line to speak on this matter. >> chair peskin: public comment is closed. supervisor mandelman. all right. i will make a motion to amend the subject motion by removing the word rejecting in line 3 and removing reject in line 7. real call please. >> supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> the motion passes without objection. >> chair peskin: i will make a motion to send this item as amended with recommendation to the full board of supervisors as a committee report for consideration tomorrow june 28th. on that motion roll call, please. >> on that motion supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye.

>> chair peskin. >> aye. >> the motion passes without objection. >> chair peskin: congratulations mr. woolford. next item, please. >> item 3. motion approving or rejects the mayor's nomination for the appointment of deborah walker to the police commission for a term ending j april 30, 2024. line up or call 415-655-0001. once connected you can press star 3 to speak. >> chair peskin: supervisors mandelman and chani was around 20 years ago when the supervisor authored the charter amendment

that changed the composition of the police commission to that that we have today which has four individuals nominated by the mayor subject to confirmation by the board and three nominated by the board through the rules committee. we have before us today somebody known to us, debra walker, who most recently has been a member of the parks commission who the mayor has nominated to the seat formerly held by maria. she is here today. one housekeeping matter. the subject motion will need to be changed at line 7 to delete words cohen and replace with debra walker. with that, ms. walker, the

floor is yours. >> thank you. i am honored to be here. it is wonderful to be in the room again. i am honored to be appointed to the seat by the mayor. i love our city. i know you love our city. i am really interested and excited to engage in the dialogue about how to keep our streets safe, reforming our police department and policing on the street. hopefully discuss the problems affecting all of our districts. i have been meeting with people in the community. i feel like it is really time to connect all of these programs we have been discussing for several

years to the actual occurrence and make sure that we are solving these problems in a way that is compassionate and helps move things forward around public safety. i have been honored to serve on the building commission, as you said, chair peskin, as well as arts commission for the last few years. as i said, i love our city and i am honored to come here and ask for your support for this position. i will end there and answer any questions you have. >> chair peskin: thank you for your willingness to serve. as i said when we were having coffee. this is the last commission in the world i would accept an appointment to. i see no names on the roster from my colleagues on the rules committee. why don't we go to public comment. any members of the public in

these chambers to comment on this item number 3? are there any individuals who would like to comment remotely, mr. young? >> yes, i believe supervisor chan would like to speak. we do not have callers in line to speak. we will close public comment. supervisor chan. >> supervisor chan: thank you, chair peskin. i want to thank commissioner walker. not just for her service right now as our commissioner on the arts commission for her work in the years past. that she is willing to step up and serve in a different capacity. regretfully i will not be able to support the appointment today. i see that at this moment of law enforcement in this city and especially around public safety

issues we are in a critical juncture. i have been really wanting to see more candidates that really not only that they know the city and have the leadership skills like commissioner walker but having done the work in the years past. i think that work. i appreciate commissioner walker's leadership and experience especially in the community building and land use policy. at this moment i am seeking leaders that have been doing the work around criminal justice reform. there is a lot of policy issues and challenges we face as a city. it is putting the communities against each other. i need someone and would love to see more commissioners that have done the work and be able to

speak on it and work with all of these law enforcement agencies already in the years past coming into this role to examine the policy issues and the agencies and making sure they could work together moving forward. thank you so much, chair peskin and commissioner walker for your willingness to serve. i unfortunately won't be able to support your appointment today. >> vice chair mandelman. >> supervisor mandelman: i thank commissioner walker to step into another commission. we keep thinking you are getting out of this, but no. you have a lot to bring to the police commission. it will be nice to have a queer woman who worked on these issues. i am grateful for your service and i will vote for you. >> chair peskin: public comment

is closed. comments by committee members have been made. let me first start with a amendment which i will offer as housekeeping amendment to change cohen to walker. the other is to remove the words rejecting in line 3 and rejects in line 13. then what i will do based on the words of member chanif acceptable to you with those amendments to send the items without recommendation to the board of supervisors so we can have a unanimous vote. roll call vote on removing, rejecting and rejects and changing cohen to walker on that

motion a roll call, please. >> supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> the motion passes without objection. >> then i will make a motion to send the item as amended to the full board without recommendations. >> on that motion. supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> the motion passes without objection. >> chair peskin: next item, please. >> item 4. motion approving or rejects the mayor's nomination of appointment of mario mogannam to the sanitation and streets commission term ending july 1,

2024. we call for speakers. public comment on the phone call 415-655-0001. id is 24958144568. pound and pound be again. when connected star 3 to enter the speaker line. >> chair peskin: thank you. colleagues this is our last of five appointees to the newly created proposition b streets and sanitation commission. he is known to us in his work as a small business advocate in the city and county of san francisco with the council of district merchants. this is a seat that has to be held by a small business owner. there was a previous nomination for the seat who turned out not to fit the criteria and

ultimately was withdrawn by the mayor. mario you are welcome to come up. >> thank you, supervisors for taking time to listen to me. all of you know me. we have worked together including our city commercial streets. i am a small business owner and community leader advocating for clean commercial streets. i am here to answer any questions you may have. >> chair peskin: form 700 is impressive. that is all i will say about that. i have no questions. this is a perfect fit.

i am delighted you are willing to do it. seeing no comments why don't we go to public comment. [please stand by]

>> on the prior year. the amendment care peskin spoke

of is that we are willing to waive penalties. we believe this will help us focus on educating all businesses and individuals of their requirements under this new tax and also just us to direct our resources on vacancies with true tax obligations. thank you for your consideration. happy to take any questions . >> thank you again supervisor. >> thank you mister chair. i was under the impression we had waived the taxon so why would there not be ... i guess that was already a but not the tax fromproperty . >> the answer is on march 3 2020 14 days exactly before the covid shut down the voters of san francisco by more than a super majority acted

proposition creating the vacancy tax for commercial businesses in neighborhood commercial districts . and then covid hit and i introduced and the court unanimously voted for a one year delay in implementation so the tax became live on january 1 of this year 2022 and the first filings would be due in february 2023 so the tax is live. we delayed a year and this would delay penalties for nonfiling or late filing for this year and next year to give the department yet more time for education. it is quite generous and is a policy call. >> i guess i want to thank the chair for his judicious nest i

suppose in the rollout of this tax. i will say going back to 20/20 when this was on the ballot and there were people who were arguing that this tax wasn't necessary because the first peoples financial self-interest is in getting their space is rented out and i will just say during the pandemic and post pandemic i know in my district there are many good property owners who work with folds recognize it's not easy to get new tenants into the spaces. there are other property owners i seem to be certainly detrimental to the community. their lack of interest in getting the spaces and lack of concern for those spaces they have. i guess i'm happy to support

the legislation which i think is good and adds a little more bite to a ballot measure. i don't know if it's going to pass but it's more aggressive in terms of the penalties we're putting on folks because the impacts are pretty egregious. if the chair has noobjection i would like to ask for a response . >>. >> chair: i would be delighted. that would make a unanimous committee and we can wrestle with this languagein the future and i appreciate the words that you said . it's a policy choice and we could also limit it to this year only but we can have that conversation in a future date. why do we hope in this item public comment? are the person who would like to file item number five in this chamber you guys must all

be here. six, seven or eight? are there any individuals who want to testify remotely on thisitem ? if you're calling in first speaker please. >> speaker: good morning supervisors. this is anastasia . i like this ordinance amending the business and tax regulation code to permit the tax collector to make certain public information regarding the vacancy tax. we need more transparency and hold voters accountable. thank you. >> are there any additional speakers?

there are no other callers online to speak. >> chair: public comment is closed and i will say relevant to the amendment say that it does not waivethe tax . it only waves the penalty for late for nonfiling. but with that what i would like to do is locate file number 220540 and send the original file as presented to the old board with the positive recommendation for the hearing tomorrow as a committee report. so why don't we take that motion first and then we will deal with the duplicated five. on the motion to send to 20540 two the full board with a positive recommendation as a committee report with the cosponsorship of cosponsors chanceand mandelman, a rollcall

please . [roll call vote] >> the motion passes without objection. >> chair: then i will make a motion to amend the duplicated file by adding line 17 eight section 6.07 3.1 which is the penalties provision that exists already in the legislation but to add to that the next page line 6 on page 3 that sentence that will read for the 2022 and 2023 tax years of penalty in this section shall not apply to the failure to file a vacancy tax returns required by section

6.9 one j someone and two on thedates prescribed by those sections . that amendment we need able callpolice . >>. [roll call vote] >> clerk: the motion passes without objection .>> chair: then i will make a motion given we are on the middle of charter to continue that item is amended tothe call of the chair on the duplicate file. on that motion a rollcall please . >> on the motion to continue theduplicated matter , through the call of the chair. supervisor chan. >> the motion passeswithout objection .next item please. so just to be sure i have everything correct we have the

file that was recommended as a committee report. and then the duplicated version was amendedand then continueto the call of the chair . >> that is correct mister young . >> next on the agenda is item number six the charter amendments to amend the charter and county of the city of san francisco. commission to oversee the department of homelessness and supportive housing.that's to provide the commission to approve or disapprove criteria used to eligibility for programming services. alright.this item has been before this committee and was amended and had to sit for another meeting. it was sponsored chiefly by supervisor safai who is present. the floor is yours.>> thank you chair.before i say that i

wanted to thankyou again for the efficiency . i've already seen the effect of that.as having one of the highest rates of the vacancies in the entire city . a number of my vacancies have changed have been motivated by property owners that saw that. and were able to get one storefront still actually the entire time i can crossing the neighborhood was empty. >> thank you for those words even though i was just accused ofhaving it be anything but that's okay apparently i'm a supervisor, who knew. it's . >>it's starting off. it takes a little time to get some momentum from anything but anyway i wanted to thank you for that . >> today we're here to talk about the oversight of one of our largest city departments. the department of housing and homeless services and at the end ofthe day , i think this i

needed. while i want to make the department for working with us . over the course of last couple of months. i think that anytime we move quickly in government it takes time to put pieces together and this is the situation where we were responding to a crisis and we created the department and ultimately it has had enough time to grow but one of the biggest criticisms that we have heard in our department and i would agree with this and a lot of the people in the community that have been working in this field for a long time will say that there needs to be more transparency there needs to be more oversight and accountability so that's what thismeasure does. i think it's moves us in the right direction . create a commission but also

for the first time creates what the controller's office adding to the list of auditing and internal insight. it gives that power to the controller to audit the services and contracts and what's happening within the department. i think that's something that's been long overdue and something that we care about collectively on the sport. it will ask for more performance metrics and measures. it's something that we talk about quite often the budget committee when these items and often times their large contracts and policy matters we're often doing some of the work that the commission would do. we're asking a lot of the questions andasking for information . so i think that this isan important step .we spent the last couple of monthstalking to a lot of interested parties. we worked with our city , our own oversight committee and we

talked to hesse. we talked to the department. we talked to the mayor's offic . we've talked to advocates in thefield that have significant experience . wetalked to rescue sf . we talked to a broad spectrum of business community and neighborhood associations and at the end of the day i think where we landed ultimately is the best measure for the city . i think it's important that you have a broad spectrum of use as it pertains to this issue. i think it will be shortsighted to say that only evil that have lived experience shouldbe on this commission . i think people often interact with this community on business, neighborhood associations andthat's one of those reasons why we made the adjustment . also have heard quite often about having from supportive housing and those that are living within housing. i believe that six and seven

are broad enough. on written broad enough that someone from that constituency could be placed in the backseat. i think having a broader is better. so it allows you then the opportunity to fit people in as they come forward. took so long that i did not want to just, one seat i did not want to adjust was the board's children and families. they represent a much smaller percentage of on houston our city. and having that voice and ensuring that voice is represented is important . so we made a number of amendments as wetalked about last time. but at the end of the day , motivation for this is transparency. oversight and accountability. i think that is a direction of where this is headed. and i feel good about it. i appreciate the support of supervisor both asking for your support on this along with

president walton . supervisor known. supervisor stephanie all expressed support for this measure. so for all these reasons colleagues, i think this is in good form. ithink this is the right measure to send to the balance . i would look forward to a more robust conversation at the board thereneeds to be . i would appreciate sending this to the full board with a positive recommendation. >> thank you supervisor and i spoke to you about this last week . not about this but about the state of the charter amendment which we amended our last meeting . i was rereading it yesterday and i had one more question which we have not discussed online. and that is i noted that insofar as this follows the

formula that the police commission and planning commission and the board of appeals had with a simple majority mayoral nominees subject to confirmation by the board, and minority from the board, and it follows that of course by the mayor board.i noted that the way it works is and i want to ask why seats five and six are two-year seats.those are board appointee seat ascompared to two mayoral seeds being, when you started the commission . i was wondering why given that the board has a minority of the seats, two of them are subject to a two-year term. i think the way the others work in their initial terms was as

far as the mayor had a simple majority, two of the mayors were subject to two-year terms. >> i appreciate the question. we didn't mess with the original drafting so that was something that ... >> somethingthe city attorney proposed for you given the length of time i imagine those two seats would get reappointed . we normally do that if they're on the short term. we say the intention is for them to be a longer term and we would reappoint. by way of returning your candor withour candor i think that is generally true for both mayoral appointees board appointees which is possession is 9/10 of the law . but when we find a way where individual that is antithetical to the policy proposals ofthe

commission , it's easy for this board to get reappointed so. it's much more difficult if they are meant mayoral appointee only subjected by the mayor so what i was thinking is wegiven this is a brand-new commission and it's politically charged , that we would get a crack at the mayors every two years and let's be real, there's controversy about the seat that the neighborhood association address is in terms of thearticle submission with çwe wouldn't get a shot for four years as compared to . i guess i'm not. >> i would just ask part of what we're also trying to because this is such an important conversation is to allow to go to the board that we can then go out and have this. i want it to the last minute

campaign within the community. that's just myintention but i your what you're saying. i understand . i also feel like with board confirmation is supposed to be more thoughtful and we want the mayor's office to confirm up front . >>. >>. >> are seven colleagues are going to be less than happy about that committee as a whole class. >> it could potentially go to the board and if we amended it stays in committee or onemore meeting . andthen goes to the board . >> that's right. and i suspect the volume of

matters, tournament matters that we have today and on wednesday that we will have to have a special meeting between now and july 11 with last day this committee can't send something to the full board to be considered so there will be another, another opportunity. >> there were some other slight tweaks that i was concerned for your consideration have to do more with auditing and accountability . ultimately because i wanted to put this on schedule. i know there's going to be a whole onslaught ofconversations so i felt like having , i mean i feel like this is 99 point sent .9 percent of the way through . >> i would just by way of disclosure i suspect that probably on or about the sixth

day of july on fourth of july week we will be having a meeting to deal with all things that arebefore us now . with that why don't we go to the director of the of supportive housing, miss: if you have anything you want to say. all right. when wego to public comment on item number six ? >> members of the public were in the room, you need to make public comments you may line up to speak at this time . those memberswho called in call 415-655-0001 . the meeting id is 2495 814 456 . then press pound and pound again and once connected you can hit áthree into thespeaker line .

>> mister speaker, supervisor jan would like to see. >> chair: my apologies, i can't see your name on my roster so supervisor chad and then we will go topublic comments, my apologies supervisor chan . >> thank you chair peskin. i have set back in the last meeting and i will repeat what i said already. i think that when it comes to meaningful accountability for a commission the way i see it is perhaps for either the legislative branch for executive branch having any majority of the appointments and that we can have a more productive conversation that actually is oversight and knowing that as it currently stands is under the auspices of the mayor and to create a

commission where the mayor will have the majority of appointments i think is duplicative . i'd much rather see a commission makeupthat will have an even split . that is where i stand today. i will be voting objection in the event that this committee decides to vote this out with recommendationstoday . thank you. >> chair: understood. you are up, we will open it up forpublic comment . >>. >> speaker: i'm going to be brief because i've got abad sore throat here . but anyway i just don't want this to go out today and i agree with agreement supervisor chan's assertion . though i've been pushing for the board majority like either of boardmajority or even split with one neutral tiebreaker . i'm stillagainst numerous seats

. i'm formerly homeless. i dealt with a lot of bullshit from these neighborhood council people. they dox us, they mistreat us and i also feel that bullshit constantly from supportive housing . thankfully i'm in a better spot now but i've lived in buildings and of course i've known that they were going to write something about this but i'm just sick that a supervisor who represents a district far away from where these issues are happening and playing out in real time decides to jump the gun and decides to do something like this and just create a commission that's going to be a paper tiger . you know, this is going to do a lot of fucking damage if it goes out the way it is today

and i demand. police acontinuance right now , right now we are having hangover from pride. having a hangover from roe overturned and i just don't want this shit sneakingthrough. i'm upset about how the process is playing out and i'm someone with lived experience . anyway, i'm just fucking set up. i'm not fucking having it. this needs to be amended or imposed. >> anyone else in these chamberswould like to testify on item number six, next >> speaker: good morning, how are you ? sorry for chiming in. i'm here to oppose the oversight and accountability. being presented by supervisor

safai. >> the people are begging to be heard. they're being neglected and being killed by the system. you've seen the conditions in sro. there onlygetting worse . so please, currently the building i live inhas a lien on it a historical building . we need more than a step thumb on the weight of how people live.and function in supportive housing and low income and we need oversight and is a benefitfor the people. please do not pass this . you. >> clerk: any other members would like to item number six? any individuals would like to testify remotely? >> we have at least seven people forremote public comment

. >> clerk: first speaker please see a good morningchair and committee members . i am a policy associate for live, a proud member of the homeless services association for peskin hespa. only if there's a bounced appointment authority. the mayor appoints no more than three seats. in order to have more balanced accountability and oversight boardshould be appointed by the controller warehouse officer . in addition one of the seas should bedesignated for permanent supportive housing . we really appreciate the proposal includes space for people with lived experience and ac for someone with experience working with homeless families for you and thank you supervisor safai for emphasizing the importance of

people with lived experience . we appreciate under the amendments home oversight community will make funding recommendations to the mayor for thank you for your work and commitment to accountability . we all want transparency oversight and accountability to make the commission the most effective it can be adopt these amendments to complete appointments, continue this to make sure theseat appointments are correct . you.>> clerk: thankyou, next year . >> speaker: can you hear me now? >> clerk: please proceed. >> i'm sorry. the phone is doing something weird. i'm sorry. the phone is doing something. david pilpel again. i appreciate the amendments as

stated. we don't always need a new department or commission to attempt to solve the problem but most important tome as it's not clear what the focus of the new commission would be . is it oversight of the department? is it oversight ofthe housing arranged by contract ? is it providing services to people experiencinghomelessness ? is it all of the above, some of theabove ? it seems help and support services are somewhat differen from managing housing and other property . i think that is mostimportant to define the mandate here . if this idea continues to move forward , is really more like that of commission or more like the housing authority, is it a little bit of bothand what is it, what would it be ? i'm still not clear how this would work with the legislation as relates to contracts so

presumably members of the commission could perhaps make suggestions but i'm not sure how many suggestions they could make given the limitations and the behest of payment legislation. i think the board should continue to appoint the members of the local homeless coordinating board and be our city agency. finally the clerks very helpful memo from last week dated january 2 has governance issues that i think should also be addressed if they are dealt with today i believe that would require another continuance in committee. thanks forlistening . >> next color. >> my name is christopher. i live insupportive housing in the tenderloin and i'm a former homeless person . of course there needs to be oversight of the age commission.

i think everybodywould agree that there needs to be more accountability. i have some problems with this as written . i think the majority shouldbe given to the board. the majority of appointments to be given to the board . i think that there's a seat for merchants and neighborhood groups and is actually offensive.i don't understand the point of that. one of the things that i get concerned about is like out there is really no voice for people with lived experience in homelessness in this legislation. that happens at city hall. there's nothing, no one asks us people who experienced this what we want. for what we've been through.

we have to keep showing up for public comment and hoping people pay attention. that appointee should be somebody from supportive housing or somebody with lived experience of business. it should be somebody from a merchant or neighborhood group . anyway, i think this needs to be amended strongly. in that way. and i think it should be continuous so that should be done. thank you. >> can we hear from her next color? >> good morning supervisors. i learned the sf housing committee in san francisco and i've taken the position to oppose this charter amendment unless it is amended and calling in because supervisors

here i have also been deeply concernedwith the living conditions and sros in supportivehousing . we have to change the oversight structure over the department of homelessness in supportive housing . however the charter amendment before you leave the mayor's office in charge of oversight by allowing the mayor to appoint the commissioners and as mentioned by many previous speakers it includes a seat for a member of the merchants association or neighborhood association would have no magical expertise on homelessness and quite frankly asmany of you know many folks from the background have been very anti-homeless and purposely inflated crying with homelessness . urge you to oppose this charter a minute and continue it as necessary as the proposed commission is amended to remove the majority mayoral oversight unless then let's move forward for a merchant on member is replaced by a permanent supportive housing tax appointed by the board of

supervisors . it is surprising that there is noexplicit bses representation of the article should be explicit and not implicitly rule into another commission . directly have the best idea what their own living conditions are. please listen directly to activists and folks with lived experience and the sf homeless tens unit on what a commission should look like . thank you. >> can we have our next color? >> thank you board of supervisors. i am the directing attorney on the shelter program you see. a number of hespa. i'm taking my lunch break early so i can callin . i urge you to adopt a recommendation to conserve the providers and supportive housingtenants . someone has been homeless, has been an advocate, i've often been a front-line worker and have lived theissues that create the need for this

commission . i sincerely want thisproposal to succeed . every institution needs effective and robust oversight. checks and balances are critical to prevent abuses of power and to maintain democratic stability. it's not theoretical. the work for oversight not only with familiar people familiar with the issues which only a few weeks ago ran in-depth stories on the conditions in the cities permanent supportive housing.since the creation in 2016 hs eight as the branch answerable to themayor's office . unfortunately this proposal maintains the current set up in which the mayor of a majority ofcommission sees . the board approves or rejects mayoral appointees does not change this power dynamic. this arrangement may be good politics for the board members but it is bad policy for the people of san francisco in

particular for the people impacted by the homelessness response system. as recommends note majority appointments for the mayor san francisco homelesstens unit recommends the majority of seats the board appointed . these are informed recommendations. also the merchants association seats should be removed. as someone with first-hand experience with homelessness i find the very idea of giving businesses a seat at the table for an hsa commission incentive this may make for goodpolitics for board members but i suggest , i urge you all to let people withexperience livingand working within the system . thank you . >> and we had our next color western . >>. >> good morning supervisors. in his patricia korman and i am a member of the barney cracks committee and i'm calling today because as everybody here like

everybody i am really concerned with the living conditions and sros. especially after seeing the articles from the chronicle. clearly we have to change the oversight structure in the departmentof homeless and supportive housing . however the charter amendment before you would lead the mayor's office in charge of oversight by allowing the mayor to appoint a majority of commissioners like supervisor can i do not believe thiswould be effective unless the balance is changed . and also this charter includes a seat for a number of emergent or neighborhood association and i believe a better person on that seat to be someone who lives in the supportive housing at a former tenant could be appointed by the board. thank you very much for listening.

that's it. >> can we have the next speaker? >> good morning supervisors. members of the rules committee my name is mary k and i'm a policy director for family services as well as cochair of asp, or local board meeting for and our partners to support and oversight commission and we strongly urge balance of appointment authority between the mayor and the board and you know, we encourage that any additional seats be appointed by a neutral third-party such as the controller or health officer which particularly makes sense in the complex needs of people experiencing homelessness. we also really appreciate that the proposal includes seats for people with subject matter

expertise providing different kinds of services particularly services oriented towards families and youth services for substance abuseor mental health treatment. that's incredibly important . we finally heard that the we designate for a tenant in permanent supportive housing. that's a valuable perspective to have on the commission where contracts are impacting the lives of unhealthy peopleand their health . and finally, we appreciate the conversation that has been ongoing around these issues and i think it's incredibly important that we're a place for intersecting crisis like this which are complicated and have been decades in the making . it's really important that we get the balance right so that we are not addinganother layer of bureaucracy . so that we can be bringing into a public forum the best thinking in the field on how to

strategize and plan these meaningful reductions in homelessness and for people to rebuild their lives . >> clerk: next speaker. >> speaker: hello. my name isphyllis dori . i live in sro for more than three decades and i know that sro tenants and nonprofits are robbed or abused by management. the police won'tmake reports. there is no justice . we deserve a permanent supportive housing residents appointed to the oversight board by the board of supervisors police with experienced and the housing and hsa and that new board will be ineffective.

the mayor's and neighborhood groups are particularly qualified to oversight over cd . and that's about all i got to say, thankyou . >> next speaker. >> speaker: [inaudible] >> clerk: hello caller. we can barely hearyou , can you speak a little louder? >> speaker: my name is edna. i live in ... [inaudible] and i agree the hsh department is badly in need of oversight and i want to echo the call to include voices of live

experience and oppose this commission unlessamended . to include the three demands that are being called for . the mayoral majority of seats appointed this party has already overseen that demand is extremely important that this commission actually shipped that dynamic and also want to add to the call for a seat for a permanent supportive housing tenant and the removal of the neighborhood merchants seats. i'm also just kind of a paul that seat is not on the table. and thank you. >> that was our last speaker. all right, public comment on this item is closed. and i understand from

supervisor safai that the other amendments he was contemplating he is working on reviving so i would like to do and it may have to do with audits and others. i am interested in what i think is the compromise which i articulated a little earlier and that namely would be on page 3 line 11. to have that be changed to seats 1 and four. which would be two-year seats and strike c6 so it would read commissioners shall serve four-year terms beginning onthe 2023 provided .however the term of the initial appointee to seats one and four shall be a two-year term expiring on may 1 2025 so that's the amendment that i would like to make.

>> i see where you're pointing out what would be thereason you wanted to check out six ? >> yes, i'm sorry. one, four and six. you're right. >> suggests strike five and put in thenumber four. >>replaced five with four, my dad . >> i want to say for the record and i've said this the other day . i am 100 percent sympathetic and understanding of the desire to have a voice on permanent supportive housing.the way we this c5 in particular and six for that matter but c5 in particular is written in such a way that someone is a permanent supportive housing tenant could be appointed as well.

so we'vewritten that in such a way we've heard that voice . but if you constrain all of the seats to a specific voice is is what we've heard over and over that it shrinks the pool of applicable people that could be appointed to these seats so we brought enough. i think it's a good point. i appreciate. in we have those conversations but leaving it broad enough allows for permanentsupportive housing persons to be in that seat. so i just want to say that for the record . and i'm fine with that amendment from five to four. and if we could continue this item to later in the meeting then wecould see if we could potentially get those other amendments . all right. we will back to this item. thank you supervisor safai and

we can stick around for the next item which is mayor, you are number one on the boards cosponsorship ofthat. whatever you call item number seven . >> item number seven is the job or amendment first draft to amend the charter of the city and county of san francisco to extend library preservation fund for an additional 25 years through june 2048 to set aside funds for library services and material and operate library facilities at the main library branches on november 8, 2042. members of the public who wish to provide public comment can line up when we do call for public comment and those who are attending the meeting via telephone and call 415-655-0001. the meeting id is 2495 814 4568. then press pound and pound again once connected you will need t pressá3 to enterthe speaker

line . >> . >> chair: thank you mister young and colleagues . before we hear from supervisor safai as i stated earlier this charter amendment has been before this board and the voters on a number of occasions and this is a reauthorization of the library preservation fund being set aside. i want to start by saying i've never been a big fan of set-asides but i am a cosponsor of this measure because it falls into that and full of existing charter amendments as we know and can predict that test is set aside. and it was not a new charter set aside and occasionally i support a new charter set aside if they are a company by our own sources of revenue so i want to start by saying that i'm been pretty consistent

about that for the better part of two decades. before we start with supervisor safai i wanted to get out of the way and it is important before we undertake our deliberations the statement from the office of the comptroller as to the financial impacts of the set-aside which is a requirement for this committee to hear. so is there anybody here on behalf of the controller or the department whose presenting the one-page letter that we had dated june 23 that speaks to what the baseline impacts are. >> they are with us virtually. >> who do we have from the controllers ? >>. >> good morning.i'm the project manager for the controller's office. should the amendment be approved by the voters it would

have a minimal impact on the cost ofgovernment . it would renew existing property tax revenue usage. the amendment would require the properties throughout the amount of 2.5 out of every hundred dollars of assessed valuationused exclusively by the library for services and materials . it extends the tranny of the property tax set aside for 25 years fiscal year 4748. property tax revenue provides approximately $83.1 million annually and 2223. in addition the proposed measure extends the current baseline requirements the city maintains and increased discretionary revenues for services to the baseline amount of $112.8 million annually in fiscalyear 2223 and would change it in future years given the changes in overall revenue

. >> thank you. all right and i see before we go to the library let's now turn it over tosupervisor safai . >> that you chair. colleagues i'm pleased to present this charter amendment for the department and i think in almost every single one of the members of the board that have signed on for a sponsor to renew this preservation fund. in these times when library books are being challenged and taken off the shelf all over the country, a function of a library in every neighborhood has become that much more important. what it symbolizes and what it means to communities is one of our best defenses for pluralism we appreciate and should appreciate the tremendous work of our library leadership and director lambert and his team, chief operating officer and their entire team has done to help our education system.

to be a voice for inclusion and be a voice and a place, a safe space for people to learn and feel comfortable in ourcity . where joined bible director lambert remotely as cheap chief operating officersingleton in person so i'll turn it over to him . i just wanted to say this is so muchmore important now than it ever has been . thank you. >> it is whatdemocratizes our society. ms. singleton . >> good morning chair, vice chair supervisors chan and safai. i'm the chief operating officer for the san francisco public library. as you know the item before you for consideration is the charter amendment to renew the libraries reservation fund and put it on the ballot before our voters in november 2022.

today i'm going to provide some background information on the library preservation fund, highlight some of the benefits of the library preservation fund for our community and review the key terms for the proposed library preservation renewal . if i could have the presentation slide step that would be great. thank you, next slide please. as a way of background information we all know the library preservation fund or lpf was first approved by the voters in november 1994 . it was last renewed in 2007 and in a blink of an eye 15 years has already gone by. the last time my daughter was not quite yet to and she is a precocious teenager and here we are at this point ready to renew.

the lpf has had a transformational impact on our library services and facilities for our communities . it's allowed us weekly hours of operation from 807 hours a week in 1994 to a baseline in the 2007 visual of 1211. all of ourlibraries are open seven days a week .we have professional library services systemwide. a robust work budget that is responsive to the public needs of electronic resources as well as physical resources.it's currentlyover $20 million . the lpf allowed us to treat the library improvement program, create a state-of-the-art teen center. and then allowing us to move forward with the renovation of themission library , the chinatown library and seeking to build a new library for our

conditional neighborhood. it also provides plenty of funding for public programming both in person and virtually allowed us to go for combine three in 2019. it has also prevented us to eat some home libraries for our communities so as you can see there are great things that we can accomplish with the library preservation fund just a few of the information for you. again the last time this was renewed was in november 2007 . that 15 year term is coming to an end in june 2023. five priorities were to operate the main library and branches. have a robust library collectionservices, construct and maintain facilities as you get . at our comptroller'soffice indicated there are two key components of the library preservation fund .one is the 2.5 tents for every $100 that comes from property tax.

and then the other is approximately 2.3 percent of the annual discretionary revenue for the city. for the library the lpf represents the largest component of our revenue for fiscal year 21 22. it was 95percent of our total budget next slide please .here you just see some visual representation of all the different things we've beenable to achieve because of the library preservation fund . you see somephotos here of our teen center at the main library . our main library north beach. we have some programming aroun drive clean storytime . you see a rendering of the mission library is set to be renovated as well as just roll programming that we offer throughout the system and all

year long. our collection but it is pretty robust. as we mentioned earlier we have to .5 million material volume 1.5 edd materials. [please stand by]

>> we have outreach librarians that work with our community as well as our community partners. all of this to be one of the top-rated city departments for the city and county of san francisco. on this slide there is a comparison of the key terms and conditions between the last renewal in 2007 and if proposed renewal. largely terms and conditions remain the same. the renewal for 2022 is for 25 year term as opposed to 15 year term with the last renewal. the funding elements remain the same as do the spending

priorities. the minimum weekly service hours. we have a new baseline of 1400 up from 1211. the public hearing process for our determining hours would remain the same. what is new is the introduction of the $300 million threshold baseline that says when the mayor's office, controller's office issue joint report with the board's analyst office in may, if there is a projected short full for the city of 3 $0 million or nor -- $300 million or more it would breeze the library preservation fund. it files for snap back or return from the freeze. after the freeze is complete there is a two-year period which the library preservation fund portion would return to what it should have been as if there were no freeze.

that concludes the presentation. as you noted earlier. city library michael lambert is available as am i if you have any questions or comments. i suppose if michael wants to add anything to the presentation. >> chair peskin: anything to add? >> thank you, chair peskin, supervisors. thank you so much for this opportunity to present this charter amendment we authorizing the library preservation fund. i regreet i could not be there in person. i am in washington, d.c. for the american library annual conference where our staff have been showcasing our best practices for a national audience. our presence in d.c. is a testament to the transformation of the san francisco public

library since inception in 1994. over the past 28 years the san francisco public library is one of the premier urban libraries within novation in the field including national library of the year. in addition to service excellence the past couple years demonstrated the value of strong public library system as social infrastructure supporting resilience and recovery and anchoring the community. as city librarian i appreciate the consideration of this legislation today and appreciate mayor breed and supervisor safai and all who signed to this. this will secure the future of the library for another 25 years. i want to acknowledge chair peskin for sponsoring the 2007 renew allegelation. thank you so much, supervisors.

>> chair peskin: thank you, mr. lambert. supervisor mandelman. >> i want to thank mr. lambert for his fine work and thank all of the public library staff for their great work and thank you for taking the lead on this and request to be added as cosponsor. >> chair peskin: that is seven members of the board of supervisors. it is assured of making the ballot. supervisor safai you missed that supervisor mandelman joined as cosponsor and with that we will open. >> i think they sent it to the clerk. >> chair peskin: item 7 public comment. any members of the public in

chambers to make some comments? if come forward. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i am theresa ono. i am proud to be a san francisco public library commissioner. i have been one for 14 years. almost as old as the extended library preservation fund be. thank you for sponsoring this. during those 28 years if fund is in effect as you know the library is now expanded to 27 neighborhood branch. our system has every branch open seven days each week with professional librarians at each branch. last summer we gave san francisco unified school district students 10 free books so they can read over the summer. we have a program called fog

readers which provides k through 5 one-on-one tutoring. i am honoring to have been a fog reader tutor. i don't know how well my student did. the san francisco public library as city librarian said we were number one library in 2018. we hope to do that again with the help of the library preservation fund. all of these have been the result of library preservation. i ask for your support to move forward to the board of supervisors annual thank you all for your support and your time. >> chair peskin: next speaker, please. >> good morning. molly chin. i served on the library commission for 18 years. i am a retired school principal working in the san francisco

unified school district for 49 years. 30 of those years i was principal of the oldest public school in california, spring valley science school. science school that is very important in teaching children learning how things work and learning to appreciate facts. as an educator, i am so sad that throughout the country what has happened since maybe for the past 10 years the republicans have continually intimidated educators, librarians from doing what has been necessary to teach our school children and population to be critical thinkerings and children who have civic minded understanding of what a democracy is.

the san francisco unified school district has been fitted from the liar brarrians who have -- librarians who have supplied reviews of new books so children can understand the diversity in our country not only that, the public library provided immigrant services for many of our families who do not have the opportunity to have a rich library in their home. the services are supplied by the san francisco public library. you already heard about the 10 books that were available to our students even before that every year during the summer the public library organized a summer reading program. >> your time is up.

>> chair peskin: thank you for your half sept be tree of service to the students of spring valley. it is good to see you. i still wish you were my principal there. next speaker, please. >> i am kate lazarus on the board of public library fends. thank you to all of the members of the board for supporting this charter amendment. a little bit about our organization and why we support the amendment and my colleagues will join as well and i will share thoughts. friends of the library founded 60 years ago by those who wanted premier system in san francisco. we advocated for stable funding in 1994 it resulted in 174% increase in budget and the

nationally recognized library we have been hearing about today. in 1994 this ambush us ballot measure was for 15 years. it is renewed most recently in 2007 with 74% of the vote. they empowered the library to increase educational programs, technology and retaining a thorough extensive neighborhood branch where everyone can walk or ride to the local library. nothing more democratic than public library. in san francisco we support our library. i was a richmond branch regular as a kid and i bring my children there today. this amendment introduced by may or breed and supervisor safai we expect to be cosponsored by every member of the board to increase the weekly service hours to 1400 hours per week

ensuring the financial resources to expand services, neighborhood branch and keep up with climate change as library are cooling centers for many neighbors. as we saw during the pandemic. library staff can do anything you ask. >> timer did not appear to be working. >> this room is barely open for two years. it is okay. next speaker. >> good afternoon. i am a proud commissioner of the san francisco library. thank you for your continued support.

as owe educator, this is so important. one of the things that i know the library has done is to support the people for over decades. now with the technological divide. the library provides computers and access to internet to hundreds of people that might not be able to afford those services at their homes or even when schools were not able to provide. our libraries i don't have to tell you. those are some of the significant services. support helps hundreds of communities especially most

vulnerable as second language learners, myself included as an immigrant in that category. i benefited firsthand from the services the library provides in many of the immigrant second language learners seek the services. thank you for your support and i am pretty sure that we do not have to -- you know, the value of each library and each district. >> thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors. thank you for this opportunity.

i am connie wolf. i stand here proudly as a longstanding resident of the city of san francisco and president of the san francisco library commission. we all know our city faces so many challenges and our communities. there is no more important resource than public library to advance and support every citizen of our great city to be their best selfs, to be active participants in democracy and to advance learning in every level. we want to embrace the multiple stories that shape who we are and who we will be as a city. the libraries as you heard the main libraries are nationally recognized as the very best because of the broad commitment to every citizen. learning never stops at the library. access 24/7. all you need is a library card that is free.

the preservation fund ensuring was's every citizen has access and resources and there are no barriers for access. during the past two years the library was strength and resilience. the staff became central disaster workers. everything has been free. some of the branch opened as a safe place for essential workers' children as learning hubs when the san francisco public schools were closed. so many unknown in the the future. with the preservation fund we can be assured resources are always available to every citizen be in every district in the city of san francisco to ensure we are the best for our families and our communities. >> your time has elapsed. >> thank you very much. >> chair peskin: thank you to your service to the library

commission and your works in san francisco. you toll my line. i was going to use this as an opportunity to thank mr. lambert and his staff who went above and beyond the call of duty as disaster service workers in every field you could imagine which got some of my constituents upset. they wanted libraries re-opened faster as disaster service workers were to shelter-in-place hotels. thank you to the staff of the public library department. very much appreciated. any other members of the public who would like to testify on the 25 year renewal with some new bells and whistles to the library. we have several caller os line.

go ahead. >> first public caller, please. do i have a quorum. conny, are you there? >> yes, i am. first speaker please. >> good afternoon. i am an employee the san francisco department of technology speaking on my own behalf this afternoon. lifelong resident of san francisco. patron of the library system and former member of the board of advisings youth which saw completion of the media center which is highlighted at the conference in san francisco 2015.

it is my belief libraries are not just for books. community resource is for next generation to get skills and knowledge to be successful. the library preservation fund is accessible to all. i look forward to your support of the library preservation fund. >> chair peskin: next speaker. >> caller: i am karen stout. i am proud to spend a fair portion of my career as member of the public library staff. i have spent more years as a resident of san francisco in district 7. i am calling to urge support of the library preservation fund reauthorization and to say that as resident i am so grateful to have our libraries open and

welcoming to everyone. also as a former member of library administration to acknowledge the importance of having secure long-term funding to allow for long-term planning which puts the library in stable footing. not to have to scramble each year for funding and not to be able to plan for the multiple programs you have heard here today. thank you all for your support. >> caller: mary harris, president of all neighbors in action. i had planned to attend in person. i tested positive for covid on

friday. i thought you would appreciate it if i stayed home. we need to continue to provide significant revenue to operate the 27 branch and main libraries and provide hours and services. the library preservation fund creates books and materials and improves technology and hires certified librarians at every branch. this is a newal of the existing set aside that is critical to the city services that have demonstrated positive measurable results. i am asking that you approve the proposed resolution urging to submit to voters the charter amendment to renew the library

preservation fund. this is especially important to district 11 that has always had the smallest library in the city which we hope to change in the next few years. thank you very much, supervisors. >> chair peskin: thank you. next speaker, please. >> caller: thank you. i am a former library commissioner. i would like to just echo what everyone is saying. please approve the proposed resolution for the charter amendment to renew the library preservation fund. thank you. >> chair peskin: good to hear your voice, mr. harris.

>> caller: david pilpel. technical issue on page 5, line 24. should read months and not month. i would consider amending that section to january 1 and six months for the process to review library hours rather than just three months. this is a great example of charter set aside to limit bumming the authority at minimum i would suggest limiting extension to 10, 15, 20 years. 25 years is a long time. i would consider a smaller amount for the set aside rather than 2.5cents. perhaps two cents. no reason why the city could nod exceed the baseline. that has happened more than

once. i know the libraries are popular. i am a big fan. i have no idea what public libraries will be like in 25 years. i certainly hope they continue to all of us. the nature may change. finally if the library presentation could be posted as soon as possible that would be fantastic. thanks very much to the library staff and advocates for work on this. thanks. >> chair peskin: next speaker. >> caller: i am kathryn chair. i am a native. i grew up north beach chinatown neighborhood. i am currently a volunteer for the chinatown branch library. i wish to express my support of extension be of library

preservation fund. i can attest to you that growing up i did not patronize the library very much. after the renovation and expansion of hours i can see how much it changed my view of the library. also the library is an integral part of people's lives here. for example my son is a great resource for me as new mom to connect with other people and learn about our babies. now he went to elementary stroll and it is an extension of the school. the library is not only allowing kids to go there but the outreach. i think during the remote learning which was great i could

see also that it helps our elderly residents that might not have opportunity to go in other areas to learn about the community and connect with other people. i think it is a great multigenerational resource. i didn't have a prepared speech. the renovations are important. growing up north beach was not very welcoming library. now that the new library is built, it is a lot more friendly. thank you. >> next caller. >> caller: good afternoon. i am ashley chang.

executive director of social services. i would like to thank the supervisors who supported this item. i have witnessed firsthand how it helps low-income families throughout our city have benefited from the local library. they made summer camp and tutoring to visit the library often. it is important for students to increase reading daily at a time when the digital achievement tests are increasing. library is the critical infrastructure to our public and to our students. i look forward to seeing this item on the november ballot.

thank you very much. >> next caller. >> caller: hello. i am marie. i am the executive director of friends of the san francisco public library. i am really happy to speak on this wonderful agenda item. i am sorry i am not in the chamber. i am with michael lambert in washington, d.c. at the annual commerce at the american library association. thank you to mayor breed and supervisor safai and all members of the board of supervisors. i will not repeat all of the amazing things people said. i did want to say i think the public has made it very clear they see the library as essential public service and foundational to the prosperity of the city. during the spring of 2021,

friends conducted the community survey to assess the impact of covid-19 and to understand what role the library made in meeting the residents' needs. 95% of those in san francisco believe the libraries provide essential services. 88% believe we have a crucial role in recovery. 81% believe in expanding the college prep classes. 85% would use the library more post-covid. those earning less than $100,000 in household income are able to get support services. they lack technology that the library results. it is on our website.

the library is one of the most effective ways of addressing equity. while the reputation may be similar. it is equity every day. we are looking forward. that is it. thank you. >> chair peskin: public comment is closed. i thought this would be the one amendment to fly out of committee today. the charter is our constitution. it is treated as a matter of law. very delicately. one of the public speakers correctly brought up that one

letter is missing which we all despite the many layers of review missed. it is true at line 24 on page 5 the letter s is missing from the word month. this will it is for many decades at least 2.5 in our charter. we need to fix that. if we fix that it has to be continued. as you can tell do not worry for a majority if not supermajority of the board are cosponsors. on july 11 it will land on the november ballot. we have to get everybody to vote for it. i am going to make a motion to at page 5 line 24 amend the word month-to-months. plural. continue this item to the call of the chair.

we may have a special meeting next week and we will dispose of this. if not we have a meeting july 11 to dispose of this. you need not all come to restate your days and support for this measure. it is a housekeeping item on the amendment. roll call, please. >> motion to amend. supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> then on the motion to continue the item as amended to the call of the chair noting that it will be at the next meeting the special next week. it is too late. less than 72 hours for this wednesday special in case you were thinking of that. that thought did occur. next week or monday july 11.

>> supervisor chan. >> aye. >> mandelman. >> aye. >> peskin. >> aye. >> passes without objection. >> chair peskin: supervisor safai back to item 6? we can go to item 8. >> item 8. charter amendment first draft to amend the charter to transfer responsibility of department of sanitation and streets to department of public works to establish new seven member commission to replace the five member public works commission to eliminate the department of sanitation and streets and the five member sanitation and streets commission and set policies for the department of

public works regarding maintenance of the public right-of-way. >> chair peskin: to the two prop b commissions i expressed remorse having supported the item not that i didn't believe in additional oversight. i had concerns regarding the splitting and inefficiencies that might result from that charter amendment. i expressed buyers remorse and incorrectly stated that my colleagues joined me inputting proposition b or joined a colleague putting proposition b on the ballot. supervisor mandelman reminded me he did not support it for the same reasons that i was expressing remorse about. that is an entry into this charter amendment that would

maintain that oversight but would do so without the diminution of splitting department but would give oversight to the issue that drives us crazy streets and sanitation. the conditions of the streets and the filth that the good workers are always working to combat. i want to thank the interim director of public works and city administrator and her staff for help trying to figure this out. i want to say conversations between my office and labor local 261 are ongoing and appreciate their willingness to engage in those discussions. i want to thank supervisor chan for her cosponsorship of this matter. i do today want to offer what is

a pretty pedestrian set of amendments that i have discussed with the laborers hao represent many workers at public works and streets insanitations. namely to honor what has been going on for the last several months. rather than move from two five member commissions to seven member commissions and keep at five and change transition rules so the existing commissions we have entirely seated and are members will tip without interruption. the amendments delete a section no longer required that would have controller conduct an

annual analysis evaluations waste in administration and operations and division of d.p.w. and sas since it was no longer divided. the controller has that authority. finally and thank you for the suggestion to add a desire annual qualifications provision that would set forth desirable qualifications but not requirement bees including background or experience in cleaning and maintaining design, construction, crafts and trades, architectural landscape and engineering and performance measurement and management so that provision is himself in the amendment. i would like to invite carla

short up for statements, encouragement or whatever she wish to say. good afternoon, ms. short. >> good afternoon. interim director for san francisco public works. i did not prepare a statement. i would love to talk about 91 points of connection between public works and sas and our strong intention to try to ensure those connection points remain strong. i think that remaining one department would help ensure that we don't lose those connection points. one quick example where a stone pill lash at the entrance to --

pillar in district 7 was crumb belling. our structural engineers who are part of public works were able to inspect the items. they reached out to our stone masons in operations who were able to make repairs quickly. if we were separate departments half would have gotten caught up in other priorities. policies around how to work order funding back and forth and would not have been able to achieve that repair as quickly as it did. a quick example from your district. the broadway tunnel had tiles falling from the ceiling. that was a joint effort from public works and our operations

team. environmental services for traffic control and cleaned up tiles as well as tile fitters. because we are currently still one doesn't that was a very smooth efficient work flow. we were able to address that quickly. for these reasons i think that it would benefit to be put back to one department again. >> could you picture a scenario with the separation of the departments where a department would be less likely to contract with public works and potentially over time, not you

or us, be more likely to contract out? >> that is raised by our building trade staff. we have internal process by which they are offered the first right of refusal for projects. that mens ensure that the fol-- that helps ensure that those maintaining are involved early on in the capital projects. there is a concern that over time and we have seen this time and time again with other departments that used to be part of the department. for example building inspection. they have other priorities. when we come to them we have to get in line like everyone else. while there is great intention to keep those policies in place and ensure right of refusal for work. i can see over time they might

get dilutessed we have concern the building repair staff would miss out on opportunities for work. >> chair peskin: supervisor mandelman. >> supervisor mandelman: thank you for finding a way to get prop p work. supervisor peskin and district c1 for working together to figure out a way to improve. this is an improvement. i continue to have concerns about the notion that having departments executives over seen by commissions that do not have a majority of executive appointments. that is a battle that has been lost on these particular

commissions. i think this is a significant improvement on what is on the books now. i thank care peskin and ask to be added as could-sponsor. >> chair peskin: supervisor chan. >> thank you, chair peskin. i don't have questions. i do have comments to make why i came to this decision of cosponsoring early on. i want to be transparents. i did vote for prop p believing we can move our -- prop b. we can keep our streets clean. in conversation with city administrator and we have a committee as a whole hearing on that at that team.

supervisor roman expressed frustration. how do things work. voters have to mandane. since then i have learned a lot more information that lets me make a decision. they needed time. we want to streamline staffing and al locate our resources and funding. >> chair peskin: thank you for your cosponsorship. anything on behalf of the city administrator, an expert in this matter. >> thank you for inviting me up

higher. i think the interim director short covered a lot of the key points. i note one of the tricky things from awestruckuring perspective. the street cleaners are working with the cap stall burrows, building repair and street and sewer repair. they work closely with the architects and engineers and street use and mapping folks. because of the connections between the different type of workers, it has been challenging to disentangle that and have a neat split without changing the way people do work. we can write m.o.u.s that

govern the future rules of engagement to maintain those connections. as people move on relationships erode. psychologically people won't have the same attitudes where they work with each other. that is unique in the industry. there are silos between designers and contractors. a lot of animosity is beautiful. the design can be informed from input from construction folks at operations. if there is a problem in the field it is easy to get designers to help brainstorming and problem solve. there is less primarily.

i will mention for this record the close connections between the capital and maintain nan projects. annual streets if, curb ramps, and street structure maintenance which is more on the building repair side and tentative repriorments. we will speak to the cost impact. let's segway to that. thank you. >> chair peskin: we will go to the controller's office to speak to their letter dated june 24th. signed by natasha on before of

controller the savings of $3.5 million. a representative of the controller's office. >> project manager with controller's office. as you see in the letter in the file beginning in fiscal year 23 estimated savings $3.5 million and decrease to 2$.5 million in fiscal year 24. if the board were to authorize independent support for sanitation and streets. it would reduce staff needed for administrative functions. additionally it would create one-time ongoing cost savings reduction to add enough servicen and professional services. i will answer any questions.

>> chair peskin: let's go to public comments. any individuals in the room to testify on this item? remote public comment. >> clerk: call 415-655-0001. id24958144568. pound. pound. when connected you need to press star 3 to the speaker line. we currently have two callers in line to speak. first speaker, please. >> caller: david pilpel. page 3 line 20 and page 8 line 23. i would use the word creation rather than purpose for those since the purpose are duties of

the respective bodies are in 4.139 and 4.149. i proposed in november 2020. i support in concept this proposal to undue parts of that. i would go further and eliminate sas commission entirely folding the duties to the dpr commission. doesn't seem like we need another commission to oversee the department but review the standards for street cleanliness. something that the revised d.p.w. commission could incorporate. i hope all of rachel's good work does not go to waste and some public report or findings what she has been working on for months and months is issued.

i believe the sewer repair functions are moving from d.p.w. by 4.132 as of july 1. voters passed prop f this month over my objections. it refers to the sas commission in health code 290.6b3. you may want to check 290.15 if that could be amended. finally the clerk's june 22 memo has governance issues to be addressed in the next version of the amendments. that next version i will have more comments next time. thanks very much. >> chair peskin: next speaker, please.

>> board of supervisors, the more commissions we have more. [indiscernable] we have organizational chart right now we can go to to see who we can go to to the sanitation in our streets. now many of. [indiscernable] i do know where this is coming from. the public may want some changing to be made so that you can address the quality of life issues. that doesn't come with more commissions. we already have the commissions that we have.

you can have any commission you want. we do not want qualified people on the commission. we need to fine tune the departments. you have to follow what the public says. you have to see about quality issues. [indiscernable] added to that corruption. it has created this mess whether you like it or not. stop making new commissions. stop making commissions.

[indiscernable] >> thank you. any additional members of the public for item 8? >> that completes the public call in line. >> chair peskin: public comment is closed. i make a motion to amend as previously described. those amendments have been circulated and approved as to form by the city attorney. thank you for that. and for your good suggestions. on that -- i will ask you one question, deputy city attorney pearson. would that amendment and i did not have time because it is one of those mornings change the language in the long title?

at line 6, 7, 8 remove special qualification for members of sanitation and public works commission for the director of public works? got it. never mind. i have no questions. i would move the amendments. roll call, please. >> motion to adopt amendments. supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> motion passes without objection. >> chair peskin: motion to continue this item as amended to the call of the chair for a hearing next week or monday jul. more likely next week at the next meeting.

roll call, please. >> motion to continue as amended to the call of the chair supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> passes without objection. >> chair peskin: back to item 6 that has been previously called. supervisor safai has used that time to come forward with amendments. the floor is yours. [indiscernable]

>> chair peskin: one moment. your microphone is off. >> we make the first amendment on page 3 line 11 from 5 to 4. at your urging. remainder of the amendments are about auditing and performance standings and we have spoken with the department and they are in support of the language. on lane 18 page 3 to line 19 and 20 annual and long-term goals. establishing department performance standards. page 4 the extent to the

performance standards established by the commissioner. we feel like again based on what we talked about one of the things we heard over and over again performance standards ability to measure success and infusing to the work of the commission. colleague ifs you could take those amendments, i would appreciate it. i might get a verbal confirmation of support by one member. >> i will make a motion to accept and move the amendments and will add my name as cosponsor as amended. on the amendments. roll call, please. >> supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> motion passes without

objection. >> chair peskin: i will make the motion to -- yes. >> you have given me verbal confirmation. >> chair peskin: i have no position in this discussion. supervisor mandelman can do it at any time. on the motion to continue this item to the call of the chair with the same previously stated admonition next week or monday july 11 to continue to the call of the chair roll call, please. >> motion to continue the matter as amended to the call of the chair. supervisor chan. >> aye. >> vice chair mandelman. >> aye. >> chair peskin. >> aye. >> the motion passes without

objection. >> chair peskin: we are adjourned.

>> when i look at an old neon sign that's working or not working, i feel the family business that was in there. >> since 2009, citywide, sf shines, has supported businesses and sites like the ones that receive new neon signs. >> you know, sf shines is doing an amazing job to bring back the lighting and the neon glow of san francisco. >> sf shines is such an amazing program, and i can't think of another program in another city that gives matching gunned funds to store owners, mom and pop owners, and if they've got a neon sign, they've really got

a great way to advertise their business. >> this is a continuation of the sf shines program. >> focusing other neon signs is relatively new to us. of the seven neon signs, we've invested about $145,000. >> a good quality sign costs more, but it lasts infinitily longer. as opposed to lasting five years, a good neon sign will last 15 to 20 years. >> in san francisco, the majority of neon signs are for mom-and-pop businesses. in order to be able to restore these signs, i think it gives back to your community. >> part of the project has to do with prioritizing certain signs in the neighborhood based

on their aesthetics, based on their current signs, and base on the history. in the time that we've been here, we've seen a number of signs restored just on eddy street. >> there are a number of signs in the tenderloin and many more that are waiting or wanting to be restored. i have worked with randall and al, and we've mapped out every single one of them and rated them as to how much work they would need to get restored. that information is passed onto sf shines, and they are going to rank it. so if they have x budget for a year, they can say all right, we're going to pick these five, and they're putting together clusters, so they build on top of what's already there. >> a cluster of neon signs is sort of, i guess, like a cluster of grapes. when you see them on a corner or on a block, it lights up the neighborhood and creates an

ambient glow. if you havy got two of three of them, you've created an atmosphere that's almost like a movie set. >> some of the hotel, we've already invested in to get those neon signs for people to enjoy at night include the elk hotel, jefferson hotel, the verona, not to mention some we've done in chinatown, as well as the city's portal neighborhood. >> we got the fund to restore it. it took five months, and the biggest challenge was it was completely infested with pigeons. once we got it clean, it came out beautiful. >> neon signs are often equated with film noir, and the noir genre as seen through the hollywood lens basically depicted despair and

concentration. >> you would go downtown and see the most recent humphrey bogart film filled with neon in the background. and you'd see that on market street, and as market street got seedier and seedier and fewer people continued to go down, that was what happened to all the neon strips of light. >> the film nori might start with the light filled with neon signs, and end with a scene with a single neon sign blinking and missing a few letters. >> one of my favorite scenes, orson welles is chasing

rita hayworth with neon signs in the background. >> i think what the office of economic and workforce development is very excited with is that we'll be able to see more neon signs in a concentrated way lit up at night for visitors and most especially residents. the first coin laundry, the elm hotel, the western hotel are ones that we want to focus on in the year ahead. >> neon signs are so iconic to certain neighborhoods like the hara, like the nightcap. we want to save as many historic and legacy neon signs in san francisco, and so do they. we bring the expertise, and they bring the means to actually get the job done. >> people in tenderloin get really excited as they see the

signs relit. as you're driving through the tenderloin or the city, it pretty much tells you something exciting is happening here. >> knee an was created to make the night more friendly and advertise businesses. it's a great way of supporting and helping local businesses. >> there's so many ways to improve public safety. the standard way is having more eyes on the street, but there's other culturally significant ways to do that, and one those ways is lighting up the streets. but what better way and special way to do that is by having old, historic neon signs lighting up our streets at night and casting away our shadows. >> when i see things coming back to life, it's like remembering how things were. it's remembering the hotel or the market that went to work seven days a week to raise their money or to provide a service, and it just -- it just -- it just

>> we are right now in outer richmond in the last business area of this city. this area of merchants is in the most western part of san

francisco, continue blocks down the street they're going to fall into the pacific ocean. two blocks over you're going to have golden gate park. there is japanese, chinese, hamburgers, italian, you don't have to cook. you can just walk up and down the street and you can get your cheese. i love it. but the a very multicultural place with people from everywhere. it's just a wonderful environment. i love the richmond district. >> and my wife and i own a café we have specialty coffee drinks, your typical lattes and mochas and cappuccinos, and for lunches, sandwiches and soup and salad. made fresh to order. we have something for everybody >> my shop is in a very cool part of the city but that's one of the reasons why we provide such warm and generous treats,

both physically and emotionally (♪♪) >> it's an old-fashioned general store. they have coffee. other than that what we sell is fishing equipment. go out and have a good time. >> one of my customers that has been coming here for years has always said this is my favorite store. when i get married i'm coming in your store. and then he in his wedding outfit and she in a beautiful dress came in here in between getting married at lands end and to the reception, unbelievable. (♪♪)

>> the new public health order that we're announcing will require san franciscans to remain at home with exceptions only for essential outings. >> when the pandemic first hit we kind of saw the writing on the walls that potentially the city is going to shut all businesses down. >> it was scary because it was such an unknown of how things were going to pan out. i honestly thought that this might be the end of our business. we're just a small business and we still need daily customers. >> i think that everybody was on edge. nobody was untouched. it was very silent. >> as a business owner, you know, things don't just stop, right? you've still got your rent, and

all of the overhead, it's still there. >> there's this underlying constant sense of dread and anxiety. it doesn't prevent you from going to work and doing your job, it doesn't stop you from doing your normal routine. what it does is just make you feel extra exhausted. >> so we began to reopen one year later, and we will emerge stronger, we will emerge better as a city, because we are still here and we stand in solidarity with one another. >> this place has definitely been an anchor for us, it's home for us, and, again, we are part of this community and the community is part of us. >> one of the things that we strived for is making everyone in the community feel welcome and we have a sign that says "you're welcome." no matter who you are, no matter what your political views are,

you're welcome here. and it's sort of the classic san francisco thing is that you work with folks. >> it is your duty to help everybody in san francisco. >> we think over 50 thousand permanent residents in san francisco eligible for citizenship by lack information and resources so really the project is not about citizenship but really academy our immigrant

community. >> making sure they're a part of what we do in san francisco the san francisco pathway to citizenship initiative a unique part of just between the city and then our 5 local foundations and community safe organizations and it really is an effort to get as many of the legal permanent residents in the san francisco since 2013 we started reaching the san francisco bay area residents and 10 thousand people into through 22 working groups and actually completed 5 thousand applications for citizenship our cause the real low income to moderate income resident in san francisco and the bayview sometimes the workshops are said attend by poem if san mateo and

from sacking. >> we think over restraining order thousand legal permanent residents in san francisco that are eligible for citizenship but totally lack information and they don't have trained professionals culturally appropriate with an audience you're working with one time of providing services with pro bono lawyers and trained professionals to find out whether your eligible the first station and go through a purview list of questions to see if they have met the 56 year residents arrangement or they're a u.s. citizenship they once they get through the screening they go to legal communication to see lawyers to check am i eligible

to be a citizen we send them to station 3 that's when they sit down with experienced advertising to fill out the 4 hundred naturalization form and then to final review and at the end he helps them with the check out station and send them a packet to fill and wait a month to 6 weeks to be invited in for an oral examine and if they pass two or three a months maximum get sworn in and become a citizen every single working groups we have a learning how to vote i mean there are tons of community resources we go for citizenship prep classes and have agencies

it stays on site and this is filing out forms for people that are eligible so not just about your 22 page form but other community services and benefits there's an economic and safety public benefit if we nationalize all people to be a citizen with the network no objection over $3 million in income for those but more importantly the city saves money $86 million by reducing the benefit costs. >> thank you. >> i've been here a loventh i

already feel like an american citizen not felt it motorbike that needs to happen for good. >> one day - i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, for liberty and justice for all. >> you're welcome. >> (singing). >> (clapping.) >> introduce the san francisco field officer director ribbon that will mirror the oath raise

your hand and repeat the oath i hereby declare on oath repeating. >> citizens cry when they become citizenship to study this difficult examine and after two trials they come back i'm an american now we're proud of that purpose of evasion so help me god please help me welcome seven hundred and 50 americans. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> she wants to be part of the country and vote so much puppy. >> you know excited and as i

said it is a long process i think that needs to be finally recognized to be integrated that is basically, the type of that i see myself being part of. >> out of everybody on tv and the news he felt that is necessary to be part of community in that way i can do so many things but my voice wouldn't count as it counts now. >> it's everybody i hoped for a bunch of opportunities demographics and as you can see yourself

there's a good life for everyone. >> that's why. >> you have people from all the walks that life and they're standing in water 8 hours to be an american citizen and contribute to the city and that's really what makes this worthwhile. >> ♪♪ ♪♪

>> the market is one of our vehicles for reaching out to public and showing them how to prepare delicious, simple food. people are amazed that the library does things like that. biblio bistro is a food education program. it brings such joy to people. it teaches them life skills that they can apply anywhere, and it encourages them to take care of themselves. my name is leaf hillman, and i'm a librarian, and biblio bistro is my creation. i'm a former chef, and i have been incubating this idea for

many years. we are challenged to come up with an idea that will move the library into the future. this inspired me to think, what can we do around cooking? what can i do around cooking? we were able to get a cart. the charlie cart is designed to bring cooking to students in elementary students that has enough gear on it to teach 30 students cooking. so when i saw that, i thought bingo, that's what we're missing. you can do cooking classes in the library, but without a kitchen, it's difficult. to have everything contained on wheels, that's it. i do cooking demonstrations out at the market every third wednesday. i feature a seafood, vegetable, and i show people how to cook the vegetable. >> a lot of our residents live in s.r.o.s, single resident

occupancies, and they don't have access to full kitchens. you know, a lot of them just have a hot plate, a microwave, and the thing that biblio bistro does really well is cook food accessible in season and make it available that day. >> we handout brochures with the featured recipe on the back. this recipe features mushrooms, and this brochure will bring our public back to the library. >> libraries are about a good time. >> i hired a former chef. she's the tickle queen at the

ramen shop in rockwood. we get all ages. we get adults and grandparents and babies, and, you know, school-age kids, and it's just been super terrific. >> i was a bit reluctant because i train teachers and adults. i don't train children. i don't work with children, and i find it very interesting and a bit scary, but working here really taught me a lot, you know, how easily you can influence by just showing them what we have, and it's not threatening, and it's tasty and fun. i make it really fun with kids because i don't look like a teacher. >> in the mix, which is our team center, we have programs for our kids who are age 13 to 18, and those are very hands on. the kids often design the menu. all of our programs are very

interactive. >> today, we made pasta and garlic bread and some sauce. usually, i don't like bell pepper in my sauce, but i used bell pepper in my sauce, and it complemented the sauce really well. i also grated the garlic on my bread. i never thought about that technique before, but i did it, and it was so delicious. >> we try to teach them techniques where they can go home and tell their families, i made this thing today, and it was so delicious. >> they're kind of addicted to these foods, these processed foods, like many people are. i feel like we have to do what we can to educate people about that. the reality is we have to live

in a world that has a lot of choices that aren't necessarily good for you all the time. >> this is interesting, but it's a reaction to how children are brought up. it is fast-food, and the apple is a fast-food, and so that sort of changes the way they think about convenience, how eating apple is convenient. >> one of the things that i love about my program out at the market is the surprise and delight on people's faces when they finally taste the vegetable. it's been transformative for some people. they had never eaten those vegetables before, but now, they eat them on a regular basis. >> all they require is a hot plate and a saute pan, and they realize that they're able to cook really healthy, and it's also tasty. >> they also understand the importance of the connection that we're making. these are our small business

owners that are growing our food and bringing it fresh to the market for them to consume, and then, i'm helping them consume it by teaching them how to cook. >> it connects people to the food that they're buying. >> the magic of the classes in the children's center and the team center is that the participants are cooking the food themselves, and once they do that, they understand their connection to the food, to the tools, and it empowers them. >> we're brokering new experiences for them, so that is very much what's happening in the biblio bistro program. >> we are introducing kids many times to new vocabulary. names of seasonings, names of vegetables, names of what you call procedures. >> i had my little cooking

experience. all i cooked back then was grilled cheese and scrambled eggs. now, i can actually cook curry and a few different thing zblz . >> and the parents are amazed that what we're showing them to cook is simple and inexpensive. i didn't know this was so easy to make. i've only bought it in the market. those comments have been amazing, and yeah, it's been really wonderful. >> we try to approach everything here with a well, just try it. just try it once, and then, before you know it, it's gone. >> a lot of people aren't sure how to cook cauliflower or kale or fennel or whatever it is,

and leah is really helpful at doing that. >> i think having someone actually teaching you here is a great experience. and it's the art of making a meal for your family members and hope that they like it. >> i think they should come and have some good food, good produce that is healthy and actually very delicious. >> cooking is one of my biggest passions, to be able to share, like, my passion with others, and skills, to hel welcome to the bridge to excellence scholarship awards ceremony. please, give it up. what a beautiful day we've been blessed with. it's warm. it's sunny. and we're going to give out some amazing awards to some tremendously talented and

perseverance students. the bridge to excellence scholarship is awarded to seniors who are highly dedicated to their academic success. the award is giving to students so they can overcome the financial barriers that come along with attending a four-year university. and so today, i would like to introduce mayor breed. i would just like to say a couple words about mayor breed. she was born and raised in plaza east public housing by her grandmother. fast forward to 2018, she was elected to be the first african american woman to serve as mayor of san francisco. in 2019, she was re-elected and

her and her administration have worked very hard and tirelessly to focus on some of the most crucial issues in san francisco including homelessness, public housing, workforce development, and, of course, covid-19 recovery. we all remember 2020 and we want to thank mayor london breed for taking a leadership role in recovery. the vaccination point was very scary times. but she set up many vaccination sites all around the city. and, today, over 89% of eligible residents are vaccinated, so let's give it up

for that. not only did she help the public health, but she also helped the businesses, the small businesses recover. she gave over $65 million in grants and loans to 3,000 small businesses around san francisco. since 2020, she's been working on a homeless recovery act where over 6,000 units are being created as we speak to help house unhoused individuals. i can go on and on about mayor breed. she was the executive director of the african american art and culture complex for over seven years and it just goes to show how much effort and how much

she cares about the youth in san francisco and that's why she created this scholarship in 2019 to help youth overcome the hardships and barriers that come along with attending college. these students have maintained a very high gpa. they have overcome some of the toughest situations of being a young person in san francisco and these students have been dedicated to going to a four-year university and being one of the first people in their family to go to university. so let's give it up for them. once again, i would like to introduce one of my personal

heroes, mayor london breed. all right. how are you doing? >> good morning. come on. the first thing i'm going to say is obviously i'm not mayor london breed. so we got that out the way. my name is murell green. my name is dr. murell green. i am the newly appointed board of trustee for city college of san francisco by mayor london breed. and she asked me to come here this morning, today to express a couple words to the scholarship recipients. first of all, i'd like everybody to clap for our scholarship recipients and i think you can do a little better than that. please. there you go. secondly, it wasn't too long ago, well, actually it was that

i was sitting in your place. a product of the san francisco unified school district, george washington high school off going to clark atlanta university and received a scholarship from various organizations. now, let me tell you what that did for me. if it wasn't for those scholarships, i would have been able to afford to go to the college of my choice. someone somewhere believed in me. and, so this is what i did while i was in college. so this is the first lesson for the recipients. college is a time where you're going to have options some good, some bad. you're going to have to make decisions. whatever you do, remember who was that invested in me to get here and i have to make them

proud. i have to follow through with what was delivered to me. as you think about the scholarships, it's more than money. it's a privilege. and i want you guys to take advantage of that privilege as you go on to your universities. i've looked over the list of outstanding universities. we have the cal state university system. university of california system. one of my favorites historically black colleges and universities. but, congratulations to all of you. but remember there's somebody somewhere that's invested in you whether you know them or whether you don't know them. none of you know me. i'm invested in your future. there are people here today that are invested in your future and there are people who are not here that are invested in your future. so go forth, do well. we are so proud of you. thank you. [applause]

and, with that, i will introduce the mayor of the city and county of san francisco, the honorable mayor london breed. [applause] >> i'm so -- testing, one. two. i'm so really excited to be here with all of you today. i know it's been a long journey to get here and i want to thank murell for joining us and murell and i are still friends despite the fact i want to gal and he went to wash. are those rivalries still going on? kind of. a lost generation back in the day. anyway, i am really excited to be here because i started this program when i first became mayor. and i started it along with opportunities for all where young people can access to a paid internship and also folks

who are first in their families to go to college can have access to a scholarship. and i've got to tell you, you know, i'm the mayor here of san francisco today because i had people who believed in me because i had support and even though i had a lot of challenges growing up, i'm here. and i was able to attend college. and so when i started this scholarship fund, i wanted it to be something that really focused on kids who kind of grew up through similar challenges like i did. because i will tell you that people who i grew up with, are they didn't in some cases make it. sadly, they've ended up on drugs. they've ended up in jail. they've ended up dead. and, i remember going to more funerals as a teenager than i

can even count and thinking to myself what can change? what can we do to make a difference? and i remember being in college and getting the phone calls of people that i loved and i care about who we had lost. there was a lot of pain and a lot of suffering to the point where i felt like i wanted to give up. i didn't always have all the financial resources i needed. my grandmother who raised me in public housing, she didn't have the money to help. she did what she could. every now and then she'll send me a card in the mail with $20 and say stay focused and do good and $20 was a lot. and, what i am so excited about today is with my story knowing that regardless of my circumstances that i could be here with you all today and be in a position as mayor and to tell you directly if someone like me can grow up in the most

challenging of circumstances, then you all can grow up in the most challenging of circumstances and you can still overcome that and you can still succeed in life. and, i don't want you to tell anyone -- i don't want anyone to tell you what you can't do because the fact that you were able to maintain a high grade point average. the fact that you were able to graduate from high school. the fact that you were able to focus on applying to major universities in this country. and the fact that all of you, each and every one of you has a story that probably most people wouldn't even believe that you've gone through these extraordinary obstacles to be here today. and so i wanted you to know how

important you are. how hard it was to make a decision to receive this scholarship. more importantly, this is really about making sure that money is not a barrier to your success. and that's what it means to make sure that we provide scholarships, that we provide resources, that we provide support. and, today, i have a special surprise. yes, you're still getting your scholarships, but you're also getting something real special because i also think what you see is what you know you can be. the reason why i brought all these special people here today is because i want you to see yourself in them. i want you to know that there are people who have experienced the same challenges you have experienced and have become successful in life. so today i have a very special guest. this person grew up in san francisco just like all of you.

he graduated from lowell high school. he participated in various programs including project level where he received a stipend because of the opportunities for all the programses. all these great things and he went on to be this multi-platinum artist with 1.6 million, you know that stuff on spotify, streams. thank you. ya'll know i'm old. but here's the special thing about him, he continues to give back to the community. and so ladies and gentlemen, i want to platinum recording artist 24k golden.

where's the walk-up song? ♪ oh, baby you you got what i need, but you say i'm just a friend ♪♪ ♪ oh, baby you, you got what i need ♪♪ >> so let me just say, i wanted to invite him here because not only did he participate in some wonderful programs in san francisco, he's really a star. he's performed on the grammy's. he performeded here at what was that concert here? yeah. outside land in front of thousands of people, but he's not just a talented singer and recording artist. he worked so hard to perfect

his craft. ment he worked so hard to do everything it is that he's doing and because of his hard work, he's a success and he's right here from the city and county of san francisco. so you should be proud. so i wanted to do something special and i asked him to come talk to all of you and he said yes without hesitation. he gets paid a lot of money to show up. so when we asked him to come and talk to all of you about his experiences he said without hesitation, yes. but i wanted to do something special for him because he's been doing a number of things. he has not forgotten where he came from. when he had an opportunity to give to any charity he wanted, someone else's money, he chose project level and i see big rich in the back. thank you for having here. big rich works with project level who works with young

people through a number of things, not just using their talents, but their skills and choreography and graphic arts and all these things that you all do and he chose this organization to not only give back, but he continues to be actively engaged in the community in some capacity. he knows that it's meaningful to ensure that regardless of your success and how successful you become in life, it's so important that you give back and you provide opportunities to other people. so he's here to talk to you today, but before he does, i wanted to do something special to welcome him back home with all of his success to give him something that i hope would be beneficial, something he can be privileged and honor to carry around the world. today on behalf of the city and county of san francisco, we're going to officially declare it

24k golden day in san francisco. >> thank you so much. oh, my god. yo, can ya'll hear me all right? i'm a little more familiar with this one. first of all, thank you so much, mayor breed. i didn't know that this was going to be happening coming in today. this is a huge surprise and i just want to say that this city made me who i am today. you know, it wasn't so long that i was in all your guys' position right there applying for college, trying to get scholarships and i know how crazy it is to grow up in this city, how beautiful it is, how special it is to all of us and even though you've put in a lot of work in the last 12, 13 years in the public school system, that's just the beginning. what ya'll are about to do now, that's the real beginning of your story. that's the real first step.

so wherever you're going next whether it's college, university, community college, just make sure that next step is a stride and sorry to my mom because she probably wanted to be here to see this happen but i forgot to tell her. so my bad. congratulations to all the talented scholars for your excellence that you demonstrated. >> let's make some noise for 24k golden. 24k golden day. right on, bro. so i'd like to just say that this is a very special moment for our young people right now. and i just want to say give yourself a round of applause once again, please. i'll be mcing and i'll be

awarding, not awarding, but i will be telling the young folks to come up here. but before we do all that, are i'd like to introduce a special guest. mike hill gregory. someone who i think is just an amazing person. i just have a few remarks to say about mikel. i've known him since i think he was a freshman in high school and he's always been such a hard worker, great leader and just a dedicated and motivated individual. i'm very praud of him. he went to u.s.f. getting his b.a. in communications, kept it going. he got his miner in african american studies and was on the pre-med track to go to columbia. he's getting his medical degree

at columbia university. he's striving to help folks that are not usually comfortable going to the medical office or comfortable with doctors. he wants to change that. he wants to intersect communication and medicine. he's super interested in medicine and that's what keeps him going. that's what keeps him motivated. mikel, i'm really proud of you and i would just like to say, you're going to do great things and i know it and i've seen it from the very beginning. so please come up here. mikel is so happy that his family, spiritual parents, his parents have all come to support him and it takes a village and that village. yes, sir. thank you so much. >> give another round of applause for nico.

i'm from a baptist church. so i like call and response. amen? amen? thank you. i am a village project. my name is mikel gregory. i am a village project. that means 100% college prep. that means more magic. that means collective impact. opportunities for all. college track, seo scholars, the list goes on. i can definitely acknowledge i'm not where i am right now by my own merit without my parents and my community, it would not be possible. again, good morning. ya'll playing. i'm call and response. good morning. there we go. my name is mikel gregory. and i'm the first in my family to attend college and now a proud graduate of the university of san francisco. yes, sir, clap it up. where i majored in communication studies and biology on the premedical

track. i know that was a mouthful. but each of those identities and i'm talking to you 15 and those accolades were so pittal to my success up until this very moment. i know this time is many speeches and overdone messages so i'm not going to stand before you here long. i want to recognize as a peer, as a peer graduate who stood in your shoes a little over four years ago, i know those emotions that you are currently feeling. excitement about the new journey ahead. anxiety over how you're going to pay for it. nervousness as to how it will work out and lastly, fear on whether or not you should be the one that's chosen or if you're capable of doing the work. let me be the first to say although i understand, i know you can do it. if i can do it, that if the individuals sitting here with degrees can do it, then by golly, you can too. and not to mention, you have us here to support you as well. i'm going to leave you with

three critical aspects to success. if you remember anything from my words that i've given you, i want you to remember this, own your story. your full authentic self is needed in that classroom, at that university. don't filter it. don't hide it or for the fame. don't filter it, don't hide it, the real you because of shame. stand proud of your story even the painful elements because it was the accumulation of that story that brought you to this very place. it's not about where you start, but about where you're going. and, fail forward. and what i mean by that is i always like to tell people their story about me in my biology class and how i failed two tests and how i was asked to leave the major. but trust yourself and your journey enough that even in the times of perceived failure, you can still make it. if i didn't grow to believe that the valleys in my life were necessary to my development, i wouldn't be preparing to attend columbia university in the fall.

and, finally, remember to give back and share gratitude about what you've learned. to let people -- to let the people know who've poured into you thank you. the teachers, the relatives, the mentors, the friends. they were individuals that poured into you on nights you didn't want to pour into yourself. so be careful enough to offer your deepest appreciation and thanks on this day and forever more. i promise you it will go a long way. but also, your words of wisdom and expertise being shared to the generations coming after you is almost required at this point. because after all, the more you know, the more you owe. again, i'm going to say that for you one more time. the more you know the more you owe. it's not stopping with you. thank you, congratulations bridge of excellence scholars. i wish you the best. please use me as a resource in the future.

[applause] >> okay. let's give it up for mikel one more time. please. [applause] so i would like to bring up mayor breed to issue the certificates and i will be announcing the names. students will be coming up. d.j. carlos will be playing their song. >> i'm going to ask some special guests to join me to issue the certificates. first of all, 24k golden, he's going to issue you your certificates. so he's going to be joining me as well as the president of the board of education, jenny lam. and then there's also a member of the board of education who's here, ann chiu. and finally the people who will make magic happen for students shgts the director of the

department of children, youth, and families, maria sue and the human rights director cheryl davis. and, last but not least, when we're done issuing the certificates, we're going to take a group photo and then you all can also take your blow-up photographs with you. something you can walk away with. all right. let's get started. you're going to use that microphone. >> yeah. sure. okay. our first recipient of the bridge to excellence scholarship is ayindi hamilton. [applause]

[♪♪] ayindi attended mission high school. graduating from mission high school and is going to u.c. berkeley. [♪♪] next, we would like to introduce amy woo who graduated from galleleo high school. next, we would like to introduce chris yang.

he graduated from lincoln high school and is attending the university of california berkeley. [♪♪] >> next, we would like to introduce diani dillard who graduated from soto high school and is attending [ indiscernible ] [♪♪]

. >> next up is hayley. [♪♪] >> please make some noise for jayden degree who's graduating from miss high school and is attending u.c. davis. [♪♪]

>> please make some noise for jasmine bailey. [♪♪] >> jasmine is graduating from galileo. she's attending san jose state university. [♪♪] >> index is joanna lam. [♪♪] >> jasmine is graduating lowell high school. and she will be attending u.c. berkeley. [♪♪]

>> let's give it up for john huwin. [♪♪] >> john has graduated from balboa high school. john will be attending u.s.c. [♪♪] >> johnny linn, come on up

here. johnny graduated from george washington high school. [♪♪] >> now he's attending u.c. berkeley. [♪♪] >> folks, make some noise for jordan nicholson smith. jordan has graduated from mission. he will be attending southern university. [♪♪]

>> please welcome constance ford. constance has just graduated from lincoln high school and she'll be attending cal state los angeles.

[♪♪] >> give it up for shayla dubose. shayla has also graduated from lincoln high school and she will also be attending cal state los angeles. [♪♪] >> please, give some applause to vanessa perez. [♪♪] >> vanessa has just graduated from gateway high school. she will be attending colorado college. [♪♪]

>> and, last but certainly not least, let's give it up for wynona [ indiscernible ] [♪♪] >> wynona just graduated from burton high school. she will be attending san francisco state university. [♪♪] congratulations, wynona. [♪♪]

>> all right. let's give it up for the class of 2022! [cheers and applause] [♪♪♪] >> 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. [♪♪♪]

>> there is a lot of unique characteristics about visitation valley. it is a unique part of the city. >> we are off in a corner of the city against the san francisco county line 101 on one side. vis station valley is still one of the last blue color neighborhoods in san francisco. a lot of working class families out here. it is unusual. not a lot of apartment buildings. a lot of single family homes.

>> great business corridor. so much traffic coming through here and stopping off to grab coffee or sandwich or pick up food before going home. >> a lot of customers are from the neighborhood. they are painters or mechanics. they are like blue color workers, a lot of them. >> the community is lovely. multi-racial and hopefully we can look out for each other. >> there is a variety of businesses on the block. you think of buffalo kitchen, chinese food, pork buns, sandwich. library, bank of america with a parking lot. the market where you can grab anything. amazing food choices, nail salons. basically everything you need is here. >> a lot of these businesses up and down leland are family owned. people running them are family.

when you come here and you have an uncle and nephew and go across the street and have the guy and his dad. lisa and her daughter in the dog parlor and pam. it is very cool. >> is small businesses make the neighborhood unique. >> new businesses coming. in mission blue, gourmet chocolate manufacturing. the corridor has changed and is continuing to change. we hope to see more businesses coming in the near future. >> this is what is needed. first, stay home. unless it is absoluteliness scary. social distancing is the most important step right now to limit spread of virus.

cancel all nonessential gather everythings. >> when the pandemic litly land avenue suffered like other corridors. a few nail salons couldn't operate. they shut down. restaurants that had to adapt to more of a take out model. they haven't totally brought back indoor seating. >> it is heartbreaking to see the businesses that have closed down and shut because of the pandemic. >> when the pandemic first hit it got really slow. we had to change our hours. we never had to close, which is a blessing. thank god. we stayed open the whole time. >> we were kind of nervous and anxious to see what was going to come next hoping we will not have to close down. >> during covid we would go outside and look on both sides of the street. it looked like old western town. nobody on the street.

no cars. >> it was a hard eight or nine months. when they opened up half the people couldn't afford a haircut. >> during that time we kept saying the coffee shop was the living room of the valley. people would come to make sure they were okay. >> we checked on each other and patronized each other. i would get a cup of coffee, shirt, they would get a haircut. >> this is a generous and kind community. people would be like i am getting the toffee for the guy behind me and some days it went on and on. it was amazing to watch. we saw a perfect picture of community. we are all in this together. >> since we began to reopen one year later, we will emerge stronger. we will emerge better as a city

because we are still here and we stand in solidarity with one another. >> when we opened up august 1st. i will not say it was all good. we are still struggling due to covid. it affected a lot of people. >> we are still in the pandemic right now. things are opening up a little bit. it is great to have space to come together. i did a three painting series of visitation valley and the businesses on leland. it felt good to drop off the paintings and hung them. >> my business is picking up. the city is opening up. we have mask requirements. i check temperatures. i ask for vaccination card and/or recent test. the older folks they want to feel safe here. >> i feel like there is a sense of unity happening. >> what got us through the pandemic was our customers.

their dogs needed groomed, we have to cut their nails so they don't over grow. >> this is only going to push us forward. i sense a spirit of community and just belief in one another. >> we are trying to see if we can help all small businesses around here. there is a cannabis club lounge next to the dog parlor to bring foot traffic. my business is not going to work if the business across the street is not getting help. >> in hit us hard. i see a bright future to get the storefronts full. >> once people come here i think they really like it. >> if you are from san francisco visit visitation valley to see how this side of the city is the same but different.

>> if youuuuuu >> my background is in engineering. i am a civil engineer by training. my career has really been around government service. when the opportunity came up to serve the city of san francisco, that was just an opportunity i really needed to explore. [♪♪♪] [♪♪♪] i think it was in junior high and really started to do well in math but i faced some really interesting challenges. many young ladies were not in math and i was the only one in some of these classes. it was tough, it was difficult to succeed when a teacher didn't

have confidence in you, but i was determined and i realized that engineering really is what i was interested in. as i moved into college and took engineering, preengineering classes, once again i hit some of those same stereotypes that women are not in this field. that just challenged me more. because i was enjoying it, i was determined to be successful. now i took that drive that i have and a couple it with public service. often we are the unsung heroes of technology in the city whether it is delivering network services internally, or for our broadband services to low income housing. >> free wi-fi for all of the residents here so that folks have access to do job searches, housing searches, or anything else that anyone else could do in our great city. >> we are putting the plant in

the ground to make all of the city services available to our residents. it is difficult work, but it is also very exciting and rewarding our team is exceptional. they are very talented engineers and analysts who work to deliver the data and the services and the technology every day. >> i love working with linda because she is fun. you can tell her anything under the sun and she will listen and give you solutions or advice. she is very generous and thoughtful and remembers all the special days that you are celebrating. >> i have seen recent employee safety and cyber security. it is always a top priority. i am always feeling proud working with her. >> what is interesting about my work and my family is my experience is not unique, but it is different.

i am a single parent. so having a career that is demanding and also having a child to raise has been a challenge. i think for parents that are working and trying to balance a career that takes a lot of time, we may have some interruptions. if there is an emergency or that sort of thing then you have to be able to still take care of your family and then also do your service to your job. that is probably my take away and a lot of lessons learned. a lot of parents have the concern of how to do the balance i like to think i did a good job for me, watching my son go through school and now enter the job market, and he is in the medical field and starting his career, he was always an intern. one of the things that we try to do here and one of my takeaways from raising him is how important internships are. and here in the department of technology, we pride ourselves

on our interns. we have 20 to 25 each year. they do a terrific job contributing to our outside plant five or work or our network engineering or our finance team. this last time they took to programming our reception robot, pepper, and they added videos to it and all of these sort of things. it was fun to see their creativity and their innovation come out. >> amazing. >> intriguing. >> the way i unwind is with my photography and taking pictures around the city. when i drive around california, i enjoy taking a lot of landscapes. the weather here changes very often, so you get a beautiful sunset or you get a big bunch of clouds.

especially along the waterfront. it is spectacular. i just took some photos of big server and had a wonderful time, not only with the water photos, but also the rocks and the bushes and the landscapes. they are phenomenal. [♪♪♪] my advice to young ladies and women who would like to move into stem fields is to really look at why you are there. if you are -- if you are a problem solver, if you like to analyse information, if you like to discover new things, if you like to come up with alternatives and invent new practice, it is such a fabulous opportunity. whether it is computer science or engineering or biology or medicine, oh, my goodness, there are so many opportunities. if you have that kind of mindset i have enjoyed working in san francisco so much because of the diversity.

the diversity of the people, of this city, of the values, of the talent that is here in the city. it is stimulating and motivating and inspiring and i cannot imagine working anywhere else but in n n n n n n n n n n n n >> good morning everyone. [speaking spanish] act one, scene two. thank you so much, eric. i'm the ceo of tndc. it's great to be here with you to celebrate this ground breaking of 70 affordable homeses at 180 jones. today a