welcome to the small business commission meeting called to order the 4:41 p.m. it is held in person in city hall room 400 and broadcast live on sfgovtv and available online calling 415-554-0001. by california gentleman code section 54953e and the 45th supplement to 2020 emergency procolumnation it is possible this some members of the commission may attend remote. and this event the members will participate and vote boy volve the small business commission thanks sfgovtv for televising the meeting. we welcome the publicy

participation during public comment period. there will be an opportunity for general public comment at the end and there will be an town to comment on each discussion or action item on the agenda. the commission will take public comment from people in person then from remote low. the members of the public call nothing the number is 415-554-0001. access code 2496 754 1551 ##. password 7221. when connected you will be muted. when your item come up dial star 3 to be add. if you dial star 3 before public comment is called you will be added to the woo. when you are called for comment mou the device you are listening to the meeting on. when it is time to speak you will be prompted. public comment is limited to 3

minutes per speaker an alarm will sound. speakers are requested but not required state names. sfgovtv show the office of small business slide. [inaudible]. no audio.... [microphone is not on] [cannot hear speaker] item 1 roll call.

>> commissioner carter. >> here. >> commissioner dickerson. >> present. >> commissioner herbert. >> here. >> [inaudible]. >> here. >> president laguna. >> present. >> vice president zouzounis. >> present. >> i will vote for the audience we are having mic noises we have laptops and they are all touching the microphone and this is brand-new we never had them and have not figured out not how to have them touch the microphones. >> item 1. >> sorry. we did that. distracted. sorry. >> san francisco small business commission and office of small business acknowledges we are on

the unseed home land of the recommend ram the original inhabitants of the san francisco peninsula as stewards of the land and with translations the ramaytush ohlone never ceded, lost nor forgotten responsibility as care takeers and for you all who rezooed in their traditional territory. as guests we recognize we benefit from living and working on their traditional home land. we wish to pay respects acknowledging the ancestors and relatives of the recommend ram community. call item 2. >> sf travel presentation a discussion program from sf travel introducing the programming and to potential opportunity for future claperation we have joe, ceo and cassandra, nicole.

dan, huburt and lynne perkin. come on up, guys. >> good afternoon i'm joe and i will start. it is a pleasure to be here in front of the small business commission to talk about san francisco travel the importance of tourism in san francisco and how it impacts small business and bh we are doing in the programs to do that. dealing with recovery of the industry which we know san francisco got a lot of w to do to get become to the accomplices we were before. >> we vaslides here and we am show video i will direct attention to the screen. ask questions if you do. >> so who are we? we are the official destination marketing organization for san francisco. responsible for prosecute meeting san francisco around the world. and you will find out the ways

we do temperature you may not know much about us most of our work is not here in san francisco but outside in markets we get people to come to san francisco. reason mall business in the tourism industry here is important is because ung like other cities that have theme parks or sa seenose. when a person come to san francisco what they want to see are small businesses they want to go to the restaurants and neighborhoods. that's what san francisco is about. whether they near los angeles or beijing or paris if is the same messaging what they want is experience san francisco like locals and that's the story we tell about san francisco. we have been in existence for over 100 years started after the earthquake and fire. a progressive idea san francisco is so far from the rest of the country. to think, men we can revitalize

the economy getting people to come here for activities. we started after the quake and fire to do that. our vision is to be the most compelling destination in the worlds. our mission is to promote the region as a top destination leading in performance, ino vision and assisting ability. our audiences we talk about are members, meetingly planners and travel trade the people theory tour operators that book travel. customers and media. so, this is a deia statement our board approved that is a driving force how we community about san francisco. how we operate and tell the story to the world t. is san francisco all are welcome and difference are celebrated. the san francisco travel association is committed to diversity u inclusion and accessibility to promote san francisco experiences and

elevate voices that speak to travellers from around the world we lead to be a thought leader in city and community this . is our driving mission to do that and make sure that we are telling the complete store and he making sure that san francisco is welcome to everybody who wants come here. >> you know it is one of our most important industries the staff you see on the slides here talks about the staff in 2019. the 10th year of record breaking numbers and visitations in san francisco the pandemic hit san francisco harder than any other city in the country. hit the travel industry than any industry in the city. in 2019 when you look at the top 25 markets in the country san francisco and new york remember going back and forth number one in hotel rates. during the pandemic we fell to 25.

now we are number sfaevenl we have a mrong way to go for recovery and feel thanksgiving throughout the city in every neighborhood. you then and there is not new to you. businesses are still suffering great low in san francisco and we have a long way. we don't participate we'll see 2019 numbers until 2025 or letter for a variety of reasons. this gives you an idea of the local taxes this visitors generate. 819 million dollars. 86,000 jobs. question % of spends nothing small businesses. the important stat important it all of us. >> to give you an idea where visitors go. we do surveys ask visitors where they are visiting in hotel or a key spot and ask, where are you going? what neighborhoods in san francisco do you attends. where do you shop this gives you an idea of the top. average goes to 3 opinion 1

approximate neighborhoods in san francisco. one of our key strategy system not to get more to come to san francisco but get them to stay longer. the people that be coming here if they stay longer they are like low to go out to neighborhoods and support more businesses. we try to encourage people for conventions. for the basic conventions but bringing a partner and a family member and stay longer. that is the key strategics it is in the only numbers but economic impact they have when they come. that benefits everybody. >> so these other attractions people visited where they dined. top attractions they visited in san francisco. there is no surprises. this is the same neighborhoods we go to and the same attractions we attends as locals. those visitors they want to responsibles the same thing we dom they want to be seen as

tourists but seem as visitors as locals do, the experiences this we do the same experiences going to the book store or art gallery or restaurant we like to do in san francisco. we will get in the specific programming. i will ask lynch the chief marketing officer to lead us throughout marketing portion. >> good afternoon thank you for having me. as joe mentioned i'm lynne perkins i will take you through how we market san francisco and the destination. first, brand is central it all that we do. it is our guide post for our marketing communications. so in 2019 we under went an extensive brand research do met and international to learn more how people see our brand and who we are as a destination. il take you 32 you the brand

anthem the guide post that inform our communication. recognizable as san francisco. images of the golden gate bridge. the whar and cable cars transport you to the city by the bay. the hills and coast lines. famed icons in architect nestles together in a balance of nature and humanity. all within 49 square miles by the waters of the pacific ocean and san francisco became no wonder san francisco is called the most beautiful city in the world. when visitors arrive in san francisco they discover something that transends aesthetics ynldz the icons and known creative culinary scenes.

they experience san francisco's refreshing open [inaudible] that welcomes new and different perspectives. and they discover the diversity in cultures, history and personalities. united in the belief we are free to be ourselves and all things are possible. it is this spirit of expression and optimism this makes san francisco the lead in ino vision and cultural change. opening new doors and stake fresh out looks. to visit san francisco is to do more than look, it is to be san francisco. it is to become entranced by beauty and inspired by the people. to embrace the new and experience the unexpected. to step beyond the every day. view world through a different lens and feel empowered where differences are more than

accepted. they are cell britted. >> makes me feel proud of our city every time i see that. [laughter]. thank you. >> we also than to reach our diverse audiences we have to remain irrelevant. we need to feature the diverse experiences that san francisco has to offer in all of our content. neighborhoods in small businesses are a core part of the diverse experience. people want to see themselves here. everybody in our commercials were our print adds can't be super models. people want to make sure they see people who electric like themselves and they will feel safe and welcome in san francisco. if we maintain had, it improves our conversion and people are

willing to choose san francisco as a destination because we are true to who we are. our messaging, a lot of you will not see our adds we are not promoting the city to locals and residents. we are actually messaging globalally. we market directly to leisure consumers and global markets that includes canada, mexico, uk , france, germany, chien ajapan and australia those are key markets the tourism development team you will hear from today works with airlines and the travel trade to promote the city globalally and neighborhoods and small businesses are a key selling point they qualify than i are u nobodying to who we are and deficientate us from our

competition. one of the key communication channels we use is earned media we have a vice president of public relations out pitching journalists all of the time about the stories of san francisco. we seek tourism, small businesses to help tell this store and he create the rich fabric of content and stories that the >> journalists will publish. toronto star featured small chocolate tiers to drive visitors in the small businesses. this is another example of more coverage that was featured in mexico. one of our biggest efforts now is a recovery brand campaign. the concept behind this is to take back and prosecute mote all exciting about san francisco. you are aware we received a let

of bad press in the last 2-3 years. when we have been doing in san francisco travel is creating a high roach campaign that is going to promote san francisco. in the past we never done anything like tv. we have been on digital that is because of funding. however, we have been able to raise funds from the city and visit california through an eda grant to run a high reach television campaign that will be featured in out of home and digital. we hope to launch this in q1 this year. medical dependses on the funding we are receiving from the federal government. lots of rowels are involved with had. we will be featuring the campaign in our key markets of new york, chicago, boston and houston to drive more visitation to the city and theed

neighborhoodses and our small businesses. >> this is also with the sf chamber and other stake holders in the city. this is a sample of where we shot our campaigns. we were to out the city went to neighborhoods. you see china town the mission. alamo square. golden gate park. we want to feature all unique about san francisco in all of our neighborhoods. and then we took a look at ensuring our talent in the commercials was diverse. lbgtq+, people of color. those with physical challenges were per of the talent in this spot. i'm unable to share it with you today because this is being telesunrise and we don't have the rights to do that. but we will share with you at a later date once we are able to do that. >> our marketing materials are

develops through that diversity. i talk about theed major brand but we develop content on going basis. our content is framed around our key pillars we know are driving visitation to san francisco that is iconic san francisco. golden gate. cable cars, all of those we know and love about the city our cull in scene. mitch listen star restaurants and those mom and pop small are restaurants in the neighborhoodses that people love to go and visit and experience when they are here in san francisco. diversity not only of people but of the neighborhoods and the different experience. as well as arts and culture is a pillar this drives people to visit san francisco. we have 7ist if articling that live on sf travel.com and we are sdoontly updating those and

telling the store of why people should visit san francisco. as i mentioned, when we do our photo shoots and video production we are ensure the locations we pick are diverse. they are throughout the city and the people of reflective of who people will see when than i in to san francisco. >> here is a few samples of the content that lives on our site. these are local tan san francisco residents when is tell the store of when they love about san francisco. you see we have george who is a creative director to kayla a business owner and elis who is a cable car grid man. there are the store and hes share what they love about the city to invite people to visit. a couple more, examples. ms. san francisco and ron sanders an artist and joey a you tuber. the diverse experiences and people and diverse stories to

tell. >> here are a few additional content examples and i thank you these are specific especially to small business. we have a story around exploring can san francisco legacy. lbgtq+ in san pran what to do in the outer sunset. support black owned businesses. a range of diverse content to attract multiple people. >> and i mention the perjuries of arts and culture pillar. so -- in the past 2 years we did 3 arts open cam pins they featured 17 neighborhoods including bay vow, glen park, western edition the leather district and china town. we work and have a dedicated staff member works with art's organizations and artists including creativity explored. muralists and musicians. and we like to feature parking lot of our content our wonderful

festivals and event this is help in the city. produced video about juneteenth. pride. lunar new year parade speaking to diverse experience this is san francisco has to offer. here is a sample of the photo shoots and some of the people this we have featured as a part of these so people see themselves reflect in the communications. next i will take you through the video. this is twhoon we did in the past year that republican in the uk a partnership with visit california. and i will just share. features the outer sunset. san francisco is do you feel. always something now to explore. this is a bit of everything this

makes it a unique place. another program we did as a mentioned the arts are open this is a social cut of one of the videos that played a part of that campaign. [music] >> and now i will invite my colleague up to talk about what we do in our tourism department. >> thank you. >> good afternoon. great to be here.

my colleague lynne covered a lot of the work we do as an organization i want to highlight pieces relative to our work. as relating to the international visitor market. referenced in 2019 we had 26 million visitors out of the 26 million. 4 million from international markets that is a very important segment of visitor are mix. international visitors stay long and spends more money and gravitate toward businesses across the city. especially since they stay longer. i'm going to highlight a few area of our focus that we have been working on the last few years approximate continue to work on. one big piece is marketing we are all on social media i read this 5 billion people in the world are on social media now temperature is an important channel to be active in and when we have done is really identify influencers. they are those in the social

media space that drive opinion, shape pregnancy, case makers. we have been able to identify a number of. key influencers across the world this we can work with and shape pregnancy around travel and decisionmaking around travel. when we have done the last few year system identify the influencers and key markets the uk and canada. and identify those that can help us tell the store about san (we did programs last year with airlines. where we brought groups to san francisco and worked that enabled us to craft i10 iary that enableed take the influencers in the neighborhoods thot had they are curious b. they realliment to understand how cities functionful they're don't want to go to the big box types of experience. they want to sunday and integrate themselves in the experience that make a city

unique which we are proud of in san francisco. so, really what we have done with that, we have been able to show case neighborhoods. we had the influencers interact with merchants in the neighborhood it is. we have them introduceed gallery owners and restaurants and they were able to create a lot of compelling content they then push out through their channels. we are furthering the message around what is unique about san francisco. the stories we want to tell and a lot is fuelled by the small buildingses in the city. >> we get support for these as well a lot of the cutches in the city of small businesses family owned operations. there are walk tour providers that focus on neighborhood experience. we have special site seeing companies. a lot of them or most of them are small businesses the other

area referenced before the travel trade is those are 2 operators travel agents ota online travel agencies around the world that sell directly to the consumers in their markets. we have been able to build and maintain a data base of travel partners around the world and min tain close contact with them. they are the ones who sell the destination in their marketplaces. the key when we hear from the travel trade partners time again is how their customers love san francisco the uniqueness of the city. we are unique low positioned with geography a small footprint for a major city unlike other cities. people appreciate from over seaies appreciate the fact they can navigate the city depending on mobility but relatively easily temperature is easy to walk if you can.

for to you take public transportation you don't need a car that enabled us to tell the stories about the neighborhood if you stay in union square go and explore. the work we do with the travel trade is organize trips. i can never prosecute nouns "the real world." fell lar relation trips. they are educational trips we invite travel trade professional its san francisco to responsibles the city first hand. and where we customize a schedule for the professionals. we do a number of those every year and a big part of that is intgrit and incorporate small buildingses restaurants, tour companies. site seeing companies and small

merchants. we want to convey and relate the story about san francisco to all the channels. when the travel trade professionals do is go back and incorporate the products and experiences in their offerings over seas. it helps us to further the message about san francisco. and lastly, listed the digital campaign. we did a number of these campaigns when we really focussed on the last few years is make the compains creative and look at different elements the special content this we have. through the influencers. whether we talk about the different neighborhood experiences and make these campaigns unique and very in line with when san francisco offers. xoiting stuff and had it is an aadditional smot light how we think about small businesses on

going and i have a quick little video here about one of the influencer's trips earlier this summer. [music]. there is more footage we got through these people. really exciting campaign check out the vos on our you tube channel. thank you and i will pass it to nicole rogers. in thank you. >> hello, thank you all for having us. i'm nicole rogers chief sales officer for san francisco travel. i wanted take you along -- [music]. that's okay. [laughter]. [music]. always goes wrong when i come up. did that on purpose. >> so, we started with chief

sales officer we do meetings and conventions for the city. for us, just to give you an idea of who we market toward and when we sell to, we sell to meeting planners they upon represent corporate and association accounts leasure ash counts and meetings and incent itch conferences and exhibitions. along with the meeting planners they take all types of groups. domestic when we market to the groups we take san francisco that we sell to that leasure traveller the transaction and unique venn use. hotel packages off site giving ideas about where they have an event outside. hotel. restaurants and culinary experience. and as this is nietsdzed we make san francisco local to somebody that is not local. and after we are done with the

domestic we go to interinitial and market it should them they are interested in the cull in experience they heard about it. shopping is the biggest attractions the greatest things we have in san francisco makes it more fun when you are here on business. and we also market to the so off our neighborhoods. something that not a let of cities say with the diverse neighborhoods they have throughout san francisco. the big things that our group does is bring in a legality of people that spend money in san francisco. and we -- you know you can look at everything coming in what might surprise you it looks like we have the big city wide group. that is anything in mosconi center and self containd that is not in mosconi. the way we defind it in the by [inaudible]. you will see that we have 1.2

billion dollars in 2019 was as we referenced the heyday of the highest year of 10 record breaking year in a row. we went a bit down when the pandemic came. 2020 saw few conferences in town. we hit 95 million inspect spend nothing 2021. was less we had not opened back up that 92 million dollars in total spending what is a bit off you have what you might believe the city wide spend is less than self contained. self contained in every hotel and every neighborhood and the people that are there if they are not here for a convention than i are small meeting and out in the neighborhoods spending money. so, it is just a difference in what group that am we have and cater to. a lot of in san francisco through meetings and conventions this . is a quick graph to show

you that even on business days no matter how busy or a day 80% occupancy for san francisco it was in 2019. it is always going to increase our occupancy over all we have group. it also attracts other people manage to the town. this graph shows you on an average every day you pick the same day if that occupancy is 80 percent normally if you tw 12 or 20 room night in the upon occupancy is raised 6% on average. same for 8,000 it is raised 5 and a half. and the time that occupancy the average is not affected by group

when there is less then and there 500 room nights in the city. the default is 80% the baseline. >> and if the baseline is 80% and we have i group coming in with 20,000 people, it will go up to 87%. the 20,000 people is good for a 7% boost. you got it. >> in occupancy. >> yes. >> this is done over 3 year average counting every day out of that. and done prepandemic. so that's why the numbers are in the 80s. >> i wanted show you because we have this description of when compression is. this is you don't have to read through it. it is visually if we talk about city wide group mosconi center

ridius and everything this goes out it tells you which neighborhoods tell hit based on room night in there. you see when we are compressed, which means we have hotel rooms and not a lot of availability. tell reach every neighborhood in the city. it is knob hill and financial district and civic center. a visual graphic as to what compression does to the city. jot other things is we are in touch with the group meeting planners and our -- we have a customer advisory council self containd and city wide and try on state updateod haour customers are asking for and take this and use it in various ways. one is we have done with the council we had got the information and shared it with lynne and her team as far as what they are looking for in the

website and restaurants. we had in the very late stages of the pandemic we had dea meeting with our heads of the associations that come to san francisco. to find out when we are doing right and when we could do better. it was a great experience. we had it and recorded it. learned about had we should have on our website and should not and what would take the organizations for them to come to san francisco. and we are doing this each year. touching base with the customers to tell when you say is going on. >> make sure we are doing all we can folks to san francisco and the things that developed was a group commercial we use both for

attendsees for conferences and those for self condition tain. san francisco happy you are here. meeting in san francisco are exciting. there is so much to discovery. if you are having a meeting you need space. from gorgeous open air events to intmate gathers and unique spaces and there is the mosconi center it will be an experience from epic scenery, dining and arts. it is not just me but all the other san francisco welcoming back. consider us your welcome committee. i almost forgot to mention. [music] i'll see you when you

get here. >> just to reiterate with ambassadors it has been beneficial. as people come in the city after the pandemic. one best things as you see -- they are recommending attractions, museums, local businesses. over 105 thousand these are 2022 results. 105,000 recommendations and directions to attractions, museums and 15,000 recommendations for restaurants. what i have to say i have been on the corner listen to some. you can go from one corntory other everybody has an opinion. that is their own. if you are on one corner saying what is the best place for breakfast. we are going to such and such the other will go that's not the best place. that is what i love about san francisco it is e instinct and

this program show case what is unique about san francisco. a little thoughts on the group now my colleague cassandra. thank you. good evening. happy to be here thank you for the opportunity. i'm going to close and up talk about public policy division and leave you with one left vo. we love our videos. to support my colleague's great work we represent the voifts visit ours the 26 million visitors who come asks what their experience was? would they come back? if not, why? the same feedback is the same information and the same concerns that you have as small business ordinance. employees have and perhaps resident and those that you hear from why your community the first clen and safe streets. during a time of recovery we know clean and safe streets are

essential to destination and to our city to live and work here. we are constabilityly stepping in to support different housing solutions whether with resources or programs so the most vulnerable have connections to services and housing. also solutions for those struggling with mental health and substance abuse. on the local, state and federal level and as we know all visitors take different modes of transportation every day. everyone is a pedestrian. many are using bike network or public transit system. we get excited about investments in public transit we are always at the table to talk about the investment in the roadways to make sure they are safe and efficient. destination development. new parks, open space and accommodations, new airport

infrastructure. they keep san francisco growing and make sure we remain a top visitor destination in a world class city. and lastly but not least, the areas that we value you heard from today how important the small business community is. we are here to support you on initiatives that are important. and this could be on resource allocation or guarantees or things like the shared spaces programming or prop heart attack. business permitting or ways to activate vacant store fronts. i hope you count on us as a partner and thank you for your time we will close with always welcome video and happy to answer questions that you have. we are all different. different back grouns. we like to do different things. and we come from different places. san francisco does in the just

welcome our differences we encourage them. we celebrate. we even 3 parties for them. it is who we have always been. and when we always will be. because no matter who you are or where you are from, we are always welcome. >> go where you want to go. and be who you want to be. [music] it is in the just our philosophy it is our promise. because this is san francisco. we are always open, always inviting and you are always welcome. never the same. always san francisco. [music]

>> fantastic, thank you. um -- i'm a former musician. we have another former musician/currently musician commission. i say before we get comments or questions, sf travel music game is on point! on point! really, really good. like it is river that i'm -- actively impressed. that uk spot -- those are serious players. >> i was feeling it. [laughter]. >> okay. commissioners do we have questions or comments for -- people. commissioner carter? >> great presentation i have been waiting for you to come. yea. i think i saw a lot of rep centation in the slides you showed today. i think i would like to see more when i'm visiting the website as

far as restaurants and just speaking for the of african-american community i would love to see more black owned restaurant it is. for me fiwas looking at the website i would not necessarily feel like as a place where i would i don't know, what's the word. i would not necessarily think like san francisco has a black communityism would not get that looking at the website. and i think i'm interested in knowing how are you guys marketing to black communities and other diverse communities? when markets are you marketing to. i know you said out of the country. >> so we market first i don't know if you have been to our website. i'm on it now.

>> it was just redesigned. we -- but we are currently marketing domestically we market through social modia and digital. we typically market to like adults 25 to 54. because of the way our funding is set up we can't go to very specific markets. we try to cast a wide net but have the actual content itself speak to specific audiences. >> like i would love to see marketing in may be atlanta. you know i hear a lot people coming to san francisco black people specifically, say where is the black community. where are you guys. i would love to see more rep centation in those areas as far as tourism for people that come here to know that there is black businesses here and a black community and that is represented.

even in this video, too. i want to see more diverse. i think it is great. >> thank you. >> commissioner huie. >> thank you, thank you very much for the presentation. i am inspireed visit san francisco now. um00ue know one of the initiatives i have been working on in the past year has been -- look at our neighborhoods specifically china down and doing work in the richmond district. on how travel and tourism could recover in a way which the story is told by the residents and the community themselves. are there opportunities? you had started the presentation with opportunity for partnership. where are than i for the small

business corridors to partner with your organization to share our stories. either in neighborhood or any commissioner neighborhoods to a greater audience from our own point of view? >> i did share the section on how i see san francisco. and i am san francisco. if you go to the website you will find the links. we are always consistent low inviting residents and looking for new voices to feature as part of the series. they can work with us to tell their stories through that content this we publish on our website. >> general row contacting you like the individual projects or are -- >> they can roach out to me. so i will be sure you have

contact information and i can share them the names with my team. >> thank you. we are a membership based organization. required to focus on our members which we do and work with associations, buildings groups, neighborhood business associations and that to get the stories out there. irrelevant when we need and always looking for is content. it is hard for us to create the convent. we need it to from from the businesses to provide it to include on the website. website you are looking at was launched 2 weeks ago temperature is we are still looking for more content. i would encourage anybody to give us content we can have. this is making the website and messaging robust to a wider audience. >> and prior to pandemic you had different neighborhood grant programs, one is -- how

effective were those? were you able to see any sort of positive relationships arise? would they be something you would want to continue? >> unfortunately that was the program this is wents, way had our budget we funded when people stay in hotels our budget is half behalf it was before the pandemic we had a staff of 105 now less than 50. we are in our own world recovering where we were. but the grant program is something this helped i think connect us to small buildings in a greater way. we finds and those of who you have small businesses i grew up in a family of mull business ordinance small business ordinance don't have time they are focussed on their business and deal with their business. a legality of times working with the neighborhood associations and merchant's associations does

help. they are able to provide more of the resources of will itingly this story for the neighborhood. the grant program may come back in a probust way. now we are dependsant on business associations and neighborhood associations to work with us to tell stories. >> thank you very much. >> vice president zouzounis and then commissioners just we run happening behind schedule here so -- got it. >> thank you. for the presentation. and good questions from my fellow commissioners. i was wondering the same where do we pitch you know there is so much content we could pitch. more information on how you choose your experiences that you create. what help small businesses pitch to you. i will help you with the last

video of the arabic font was brokenful we should double check that it was amazing to see member from my community you had a hi jaby woman there. help to help you with the font. >> duly noted. >> thank you. why and just i will we can talk the rest on line. thank you. >> grit. >> thank you. why commissioner carter. why i have a question. is it all online or do you have printed material? >> prisoned materials we have in not to the level this we had at one point we used to print bro sures and maps and everything. most are looking for digital versions handled held. we are focused on making it easily accessible to people and the way they want to have it. we have offices representatived offices over seas that does not trans lay combu creates now with

eye from that market. so a lot of stuff in chinese or mandarin or spanish or whatever language it is it is written from the perspective of those things but all digital that is the main distribution source. >> thank you. >> joe, before you go. one 2 quick questions. one, are you seeing any changes in the international tourism market. that visitors it is currently very fisherman's whar centric. are you exploring or sense a sense that interinitial visitorsment to go beyond the

typical tourist markets. >> yea, they other more trekkive markets because of that. not owl countriesir willing to go out. some are more focussed on staying closer with groups where they are comfortable with the language ownership whatever the case men they want to travel in groups and have guides. other 1 this is have more english ability are comfortable like short term rental in neighborhoods because that's how they experience those models. we found out after the pandemic and still not, europe came back significant way. more receive in london in 2022 then and there we did in 2019.

that international visitor is wants to get out and explore some market this is want to be on their own and upon want to find the american experience this bit on their own. i didn't mean want to reemphasize what you said for commissioners here which is this you are hung row for content. that is anning opportunity for our community we represent to help encourage people to provide that content and we can drive our own success in terms of bringing people to the different

neighborhoods. joe, last question. i notified you are going after 2020 spending. from federal government. to help drive of approximate skroengz business and so on. what can we do to help? >> that's great question. one providing content for former musicians on the commission. write manage for videos we would love that. i'm not good enough. >> you have been i think it is big thing is advocate san francisco is open we are beat up in the press. it different international low we are beat up temperature is hard. it is painful and when we do a campaign like we are ready to tlaufrn does not counter the negative press out there all the time. we have as san francisco and my grand parents immigrated here in

1909. you know we have to be able to be proudz of the city and able to tell the stories. all of us have to be ambassadors the shops we like. put it on social media. and i think if we help to at this time story when makes san francisco special to our network that convinces people to come back. it is the old addage tour furthermore you have a good responsibles you tell 2 of this 3 people bad 10 or 20. we have to tell hagood experience and let people than san francisco is a rable place. if there is anybody in the recommend for public comment in up and then people online.

>> hello commissioners i'm he were representing the glen park merchant's association and san francisco counsel of district merchant. i feel compelled to speak up for the industry i come from food retail. and for all of the 30 manage years i lived in san francisco i attended the fancy food show. put on by special food associations. and -- it is -- a real shame that has moves to the last 2 years to las vegas.

so much greater than they are than in las vegas. cost to the atendee system not a barrier because san francisco is such a compelling destination and for our industry -- it is come pelling because of our food scene. and the regional pluthera of producers and just something you don't get in nevada. i wanted to put a plug in for that. because it is makes me sad. that this great show is not here. thank you. >> thank you, janet. anyone online. >> none. >> okay. thank you again, everybody thank

you for your time we appreciate all the work do you and thank you for sharing this with us. we feel better informed and also entertained by the music and videos. thank you. next item >> item 3 introduction and discussion with district attorney brook jenkins a discussion item. >> commission will discuss on going challenges small businesses face with the san francisco da brook jenkins. presenting we have brook jenkins. >> good evening, everyone. thank you for having me to come and speak. i am of the opinion the most unique things about san francisco is the small business community. i was born and raised in the east bay. chains are -- more of the

signature big box what i loved about living in the city is having access to so many special businesses and inspect low owned businesses. as the da, i feel our responsibility as a da's office to protect that part of san francisco identity. i have gone upon around and met with members and stake holders all over this city, the thing i did after appointed was to meet with small business upon community associations. we met, you know, amongst others early on. i think my first couple of week in office. so, i wanted to make sure i was going around listen to small business owners across the city to find the challenges they had been sprngs. because while there is over limited partner in each community sometimes things are differents and some things i

heard across the board were things i did not expect i would hear. we would amount hearing theft being the big issues. but had i encountered were people saying that graffiti was the main issues they other than confronted with store fronts and neighboring store front this is might be empty and what it was doing to the community to make it look less safe and -- less friends low and inviting. i try to go down the list of priors that were in common cross the various business small business communities and take that back to my office as we meet with the police department to discuss how we were going to prioritize those issues. and graffiti the main issues mall business ordinance saying, look, when member spray paints our store front we get hit with

a notice this if we don't clean it off in a period of time we will be issued a fine. trying to make sure that we as a da's office are addressing that problem. i learned that we had ceased prosecuting that type of vandalism. which was surprising to me. and it was manage we prosecute when i had was in misdemeanors you did not put people who tag in the jail you routed them through community service program but you in trying to recreate that program and make sure we hold those folks accountable. so our business community is not being affected that is something we worked on to make sure we were supportive in this regard. the other issues would be theft and ensuring we have consequences for people when steel. of course it is one of the main,

across every time of store. big retail and mall. making sure that we protect our mall businesses who can not afford from a bottom line stand point to with stand the theft that our chains you know with stands. i met with a number of business owners. i done merchannel walks who said, look when 3-4 objects get stole then impacts the bottom line for the day. and so trito make sure we are meeting with the police department to ensure that there are more foot patrols and areas but also helping business ordinance understands how they can assist in ensuring that policing is effective. when they need to contact. making sure they have a liaison at their district asigned station. so it is not that they are placing a call for service and waiting 2-3 hours before

somebody responds. working with had the protocols and procedures will be with mall business communities with the police to ensure a quick are response and a more effective ability by the police to catch who is steeling. and of course if we can recover the items immediately this helps. hopeful low they can put become on the shelf. other issues is illegal ventzing in areas of the city that is more challenging. and this is one that upon certainly in my office i would be willing to assist in dealing with but where we have more issue is the policing side. and that the city has passed resolution this is make it difficult for if in the impublic for the police to enforce or be a part of enforce am of illegal ventzing across the city temperature is a change that

needs to be discussed. because hi have been remove friday this equation but manage as we know obstructs people from walk. they are selling items that -- have been stolen from stores and are selling items you go in a store to purchase approximate if you are cheap low on the street you are not going in the store. but one thing i want to help the city understand in the residents approximate business ordinance understands is this much of purto police that issue was removed from the sudden fran police department. in an effort i think to decrease police involvement but it pair likewised in a large way the city's ability to deal with that problem. it is something we have to address as it is a growing

problem. in the mission the main area. a lot of issues with that. i know that i think folksmented to hear more about when we are doing in the mission. i know i met with the mission merchannel's association. we had an indepth conversation myself and just only and that merchnt's association. we met more broadly with other department heads including dpw and d ph the major's office and police department and treed have another meeting this week. to discuss the state of affairs in the mission. one thing we tried to address, of course, there is the prostitution issue. trying to figure out what the strategies will be. we had a number of meetings surrounding that issue with the cap street residents and with the business owners and other

stake holders in that community. one thing i'm proud. bee are working with san francisco police to discuss how we can effectively sort of reduce the issues through law enforcement means. you know again. we try to be transparent with the challenges. we just as a state signed a bill that no longer makes loitering for the purposes of profit tugz for a crime. no longer police pull up and detain a sex worker who appear to be a sex worker on the street for loitering. it it is a challenge we work around. all of us many of us understand the spirit of what the state we were trying to do. but it creates hurdles for law enforcement to try to to address the issues that are plaguing our communities in the mission. here in san francisco but we are working close low to try to make

sure that if we believe women are trafficked to give them access to resources and of course, create strategies around dealing you know the johns coming through the nishgdz and creating traffic issues. perception issues all the other things this are happening. drug use and violence. certainly an issue with the drug dealing and use and vinyls. all around the city. soma, mission, tenderloin and so -- one the main pledge i have given the city we will have accountability across the board. i have been clear that does in the mean the same in every case. does in the mean everybody goes to jail or everybody goes to divergence it is case by case what people need if people need treatment we are trying to identify them and route them to treatment.

if we have repeat offenderers choosing not to respect the law we address them in the way they need to be addressed. but it it is something this is not just a focus for us with the tenderloin but certainly the other communities that are suffering much of the same this is where i have spent time meeting with small business musn't in the mission, in the south of market area and the tenderloin. understanding if people don't feel safe to park cars special walk a hundred feet to go to a restaurant or a business that it is going to cause our buildingses to close xup leave. i recognize the responsibility we have to this community. you know not just folks walking down the street butt business community to make sure we are creating an environment where people to come to shop but feel safe to shop and eat and did all the things we want them to do. and so, this is our focus is

trying to one by one work on the issues to ensure that we are addressing the demand. the drug dealers and also trying to cammure folks struggling with addiction and in the leave them on the street but intervene when we feel it it is necessary so that they can be route in the treatment and one of the ways we do that it is san francisco police started citing public drug use. so we have said we started off with 5 if someone was cited 5 times we would charge a case with those citations and route them to a treatment court. over the -- 5 months we watched that policy be in affect, we saw that knife appear to too high. we were not capturing anyoneful we had a number of people over 20 people who will had 3.

and a handful with 4. 5 was not capturing anyone. i went around the city people were expressing dissatisfaction with the threshold that high. i thought when i enact is thatted policy i would hear the reverse i should not do anything but people were frustrated with the fact that the threshold was high all across the most progressive of communities in san franciscoism said look i want to watch and see how this plays out. i don't want a policy for saying one i want an effective one. i reduced that threshold to 3. so we can capture and intervening in the lives of most vulnerable dying on the street and who honest low, for many business owners are struggling when sheing do we do with building lines filled by people who are slumped over. and struggling with addiction. so this is when we are doing

from the da's office to intervocabulary. i'm not trying to send folk in the positions to jail. our goal is to get them help and so i think we will see that intervention take hold. as we send them in treatment and get them on the road to recovery. that's a lot of what i have been doing to support the small business community here. lynching. lynching is half the battle. knowing when our business communities is experiencing so we can sit down with pd and map out joint priorities because if the right hand prior is different from the left we will never get the j.w. done. that's when we are doing. >> thank you. >> commissioners questions? commissioner dickerson. >> thank you. hi. thank you. for being here i appreciate it and all the effort you are doing

to make it easy for a mall business to continue to provide services for our communities. i know for me i'm in the bayview. i did not hear you mention anything about the level of violence we experienced in the bayview. i'm on third and new come. and so my experiences are literally seeing young women with the hand guns shooting -- on the corner or having people running. this morning. running this woman got pistol whip period head butt exclude a garb an inch thick on her nose. sure it was broken and a garb in her head 2 inches wide and run nothing my business for safety reasons. i can go on and on about hai have seen with people literally losing lives on the corner.

and gunshots and reckless driving. of course this all can't be controlled by a legislation. i get that. but i didn't hear it mentioned i think it statute biggest things that affects our community in the bayview. is vinyls. and so, i would love to hear and i will also have been in puknow the meetings with the chief of police and the police department. with how we [inaudible] we are low. and police staffing. i get it. am what makes me scratch my head how we have in the bayview the highest in violence at this point. i could be wrong i know what i experience. and they are in the being enough police activity or of the visual. presence of -- police there in the bayview when weer small

businesses lit irrelevant can't operate because we have the level of loitering and just the nonresponsiveness whether lack of policing. i would. think it would be a priority. being this we are at this level. affecting small buildingses literally able to be open or operate or customers not afraid to be able to come in to the businesses. of and so i would love to hear when you have to say about that. >> yes. absolutely, for mow personal low, the bayview is a focus. certainly the gun violence issue. i think you know i was just doing an interview before i came i said i think we got to the point in society people say that's what goos in that

neighborhood. right. of that being one. thap is what happens there. so it is in the a priority. and me knowing better as a black woman that my husband's family being from the bayview that -- that's not acceptable. we can't take that view. of course, a role is the prosecution side and making sure we enforce gun laws and deal with all those things. from my point thap is half the battle. what i am trying to do now is build out what are community footprint will be so that our young folks have a greater hope for access to the american dream. so that than i foal like they have something to lose by engage nothing this conduct. when you feel like have you nothing to lose this is when you do. so -- this is what society is telling you that you should do and it is okay. so, now the focus is right,

building out what that footprint will look like working with community based organizations. having our signature program. as a da's office we are committing more resources to the prevention side it get folks i have a meeting tomorrow about gun violence in the bay vow to be honest with folks from the communities. i don't want to just talk to talking heads. i want folk frgs the streets to tell when you say do we need to do to help get this situation under control? it is in the just legislation or putting people in jail. this has been my commitment i tell you every time i'm there, i'm hearing had you are saying from different points kids going to school. people saying we want to deliver meals to elder low but the people who want to go out to deliver are scared that they will get hit in the cross fire

of gunshots. stroig to take ownership of how we embed ourselves in the community to get this under control. because you are right. the zip code for hunter's point bayview contains the largest number of crimes and is one of the largest areas of victim this is we serve as a da's office and never gets talked b. never. i tried make it clear that we cannot disregard that. that stump low because some of the areas sunnydale, bayview, fillmore are not necessarily as organizeed the point they can scream the loudest with a press conference does not mean we don't be responsive to their needs temperature is a priority

for me. and every day is manage we work on levels in the office to figure out. >> the police issue. i think one thing i want top say is we need to be mindful of conflicting messages coming from our community. i think people try to speak for our community and make it statements that are not consistent with when the community is saying what i'm in the bayview i hear we don't see patrols we may during the day but in the at night which most of the shootings happen. we want to see pleaches but there are other voices saying, black people hate police and don't want mroechs don't sends the police there, et cetera . i think what we know we want

proper and fair police and appropriate policing. we don't want racial propiling and excessive fours force but understand the need for policing in communities come there are people sending mixed messages. i think having the community be clear to law enforcement about had they want for themselves will make a huge difference. you whenning is important and when you are saying is -- yea. we know what we want but when we don't want. and i think that the message what we don't want. you know of course. will there will be conflicting you know -- interests because everybody is looking out for when will be best. i mean it is scary when you deal with people walking around with guns. nights to be accountable. you know had is important top me

hearing you talk about the thing system that violence has to be on your list of things this needs to be addressed. should be with the best of the other things this is when i'ment to emphasize. needs to be there with the list. >> yea. thank you for in with the business per. for me -- it is own separate category i was vowing uniquely from -- the small business community. you helped me bridge that gap as a small business owner to seat impacts it is having on you. so much my conversations with gun violence and what is going on is the mother's bearing children. upon gunshots and waking up and going to schooling the next day

i appreciate you tieing the 2 together. >> thank you. commissioner carter. >> thanks for being here. i [inaudible] it was beautiful. >> thank you. >> actually, comborn raise in the bay vow and i can speak volumes it when commissioner dickerson just said. i think that tying to violence to the business e simultaneous in the bayview is high importance. for most i would say not feel comfortable opening up in i neighborhood i was comborn raised in. a loitering going on. foot traffic it is deterred bay vow is a big issue. how can we pitch visit sf come

to tell people top visit and as much i doll it anyway, you know i gotta be real. you know. so, those other issues and that affects black business. and our bottom line and having tourism come to bay vow and to our communities. and i'm in the tenderloin. mack dab in the tenderloin. i see a lot every day. more my concerns is more of course the open up open air drug dealing and drug use. how are we sending i message like don't come to san francisco to do drugs i think a lot is going on every day when i get out of the car, this it is what i walk through. like people literally hung over on drugs. we had someone over dose in our strom. no onements to go in there. we had to close for days. i'm from san francisco i think i

have a different level of when i can take which is not manage to be proud about but like -- and i think another issue just it is justice. with the black community. people look at us from a different side. like, you know, we want to i never saw justice. never. you know i have been a victim of a lot of things grows up in bayview. our communities want justice. thank you for being here and thank you for what you are doing you got your work cut out for you. but i think you can do it. >> thank you. >> i understand this is a part of why i fought heard for this office and the city because victims certainly victims of color were being ignored. that's every color.

you.first time i heard somebody say child murder in the san francisco i anyhow we were disadvantaged as black people as defendants you in we are when we are victims. it is unacceptable we have blocks covered 30 drug dealers at a time.

children trying to walk to school and businesses trying it stay open. it is meetings with pd and in the only from our point in the da's office. working with them to make sure that -- the operations that they are under taking are when they need to be for us to prove cases. saying what we have seen as prosecutors and wing in. i think we will get there it is a slow process. of teaching people that -- upon thereupon it is a new sheriff in town. we have rule in thes city and can be fair but have those rules. why i will say one last thing. i don't agree with the more policing. i see a lot of police out there

every day and there is, lot going on every day. more community policing. my daughter is a pd cadet and her parents are out of hunter's point. it is a lot of good officers doing a lot of great things. i will say we need measure community policing. i see a lot of officers that is just not in touch with what is going on in san francisco zoechl to do better. i think i am doing not to the police and saying we need prosecutors from the xhounlts we serve. so. i agree with that it can't be we wait for people it come to us but we extend ourselves to say, historically you minot be -- law enforcement as a career path or something you apyre to do but we need if you are going to change the way that law enforcement

exists. it requires people prosecute community to in in law enforcement. i agree. i'm from the da's office trying to make sure we are recruiting. >> i'm done. >> thank you. commissioner herbert. >> i want to say thank you. because you got the toughest job in the city, i think it it is in the a linear equation. it seems like there needs to be a network of xhoungz throughout the city. . all the different diameters because i have been in business for over 20 years and the intersection of the castro and mission. and when we complain about -- you know houseless people and

theft and stuff one department does in the talk to the other. and so i think there has to be more communication and collaboration. i do think we need more police officers, actually. but community policing and i remember coming to the city inspect my 20's and saw gay popular in the castro and like. my god this it is amazing. i think the bayview or castro or mission. if we can attract more people that the to have careers of police officers and make it more about community policing, make it an attractive career. >> one thing i will tell you i'm focussed on from the prosecutor's side. we are trying to work closely with police. is to start internship programs for high school upon students. have you to recrew young you

can't wait until they are 25. think about doing this. you have to pleasant the seed while they are young and expose them tochlt what the opportunities are. and to how you can make a difference from within. instead of right. looking at the bad. it is when we are working on and i have said we will do. in the da's office to have -- you know partner with a high school or multiple to make sure this we are bringing our kids in to this office to expose thome when we do. so they can see themselves inspect roles. because i never thought to be a prosecutor ever. mast when i died to the blow back i got but you are black why would you ever? i said look would you rather mow not. who would you rather see holding that case file?

it is helping our kids see themselves in the role in a different way. i'm invest in the and trying to recrew when i was not. i think, the first area i saw that was the mission. we are calling all of you to the table in the same room. there will not be deflection or finger pointing. because member is in the there. we will talk in this room. if so-and-so telling mow the other agency is responsible, there they are to poke and say yate or neigh. i have gone since and soing that

model i encouraged other district anded yours to do the same. that's when we need. we need everybody at the same table taking ownership of the blame. where there is intersection, talking about how will be alined. working on a strategy. >> thank you. >> commissioner huie. >> thank you so much for coming today. you know i had my name on the list earlier but wanted listen to what everybody brought and you worn thing i want to -- i guess mriek -- appreciate about you is this you know i get the sense i followed you around like i'm at the events and see and you listen and i never come up. i just am like. i'm not at all of the evans. and -- you know i get the sense that you came in the role out of

responsibility. and and i can appreciate that -- you know what you are doing in representation is important for everybody. for all of us. i appreciate you for that. now they get to talk to you in front of everybody. we had this great presentation from sf travel the heart i wrote not from their presentation when you talked about the metrics in drug use and how you addressed the behavior and adjusted behavior for your department. and i think that is irrelevant important when is come to? of these thing this is we are doing for the first time. it be able to pleas in i way that respects the humans that live here and the live this is are being affected.

that's not manage this is done in the past. and not something we will get right today. right. but manage that i think we are going to need to continualy ajust and i can appreciate this tayloring you are offering, and i'm excited see that be a play book for our city. we need to be able to recognize that we are not going to succeed every day. but we have to be able to have metrics and mechanisms for you to have feedback to adjust. so that like when we watch the sf travel video, we are not like yea that looks amazing. what is on the outside. this -- picture? we see t. and i think it not only like sometimes frightens us

or -- frustrates us but it really is heart breaking because i think the things you say you know that am you i know you experience. and that you see in your business like that should be heart bricking to everybody. so, i think you know, let's a question in this r. more like, you know thank you. and whatever our small business community can do to be a partner in that you know i would love to be a part of. >> yes, thank you, thank you t is a tough job. i will say to anyone in my office if they tell mow their job is easy then they are not doing it right t. is a tough balance to figure out what is fair. right. but how you improve communities.

in the conditions this people are live nothing. when i go to meetings and people are in tierce because they can't colerate the gun vinyls. the this, the that. right? i feel a sense of obligation to figure out how to make lives better. and without it being a strong hand of law enforcement raining down on them on people. but figure out what that balance is. which is a daunting task but one that i think we can achieve if we work together and if we are fleckable. and some might attribute to my greenness of as a politician but -- i feel like when you stick your heel in the grounds and hold your position for the sake of holding it, this is in the best for everybody. and you have to be flexible to admit when manage is in the

working and recall brat. so we can get this right and so people feel safer regardless of when community they live in and not just you believe if you live in this area the city that is more ainfluence you can feel safe but not other people. have everybody regardless of race seen and heard. right. i think you have the small business community on your side with being resourceful and being fleckable we have to adjust to our environment daily. not hourly. upon oning question that i have is i know in the asian community

we really pushed for victim services and victim services in language this i know we do provide. i wonder, do we do that cross cultures also. because i know this there are many people who when you are a victim of crime and living paycheck to paycheck, you can't afford to be a victim of crime ump don't have i bunch like -- you know somebody that worn employee had her xarp stolen. it was heart brick to help her get become to square one or her baseline. and i was really fortunate to be able to call friends to get car

seats and help her navigate the system. i could not -- not they couldn't imagine but foal there are so many people would not have somebody to call to help them get through that. i'm wondering beyond language. what help is there. >> so. we have been in public discussion about when we -- have been doing for the asian community to make sure that victim service are able to provide what is needs to for our monolingual population. one thing i have been staufrj about is that -- we understand that we have an obligation to every community. right and we can be responsive to the, you know.

when something come up come energy its we need to be responsive in this your but rescue noising we serve so many communities who are different cult sxurs different language need and making sure we remember to serve people across the board. it is a focus i have a new victim's service chief who understands that and working on cultural competency one not only we have people who are the same culture and upon r.ed but don't confine ourselves that way. we can't lim ourselves this way and should not see things that way. people who look like me i understand regardless of when culture you are when you are going through something as a

victim. so, work to have competency across the board regardless the same culture or not as we builted out making sure we have representatives from as many cultures as we can. when we are able to offer that. a way that helps our various communities around the city know that what services are available to them. so many don't know. and so -- having those presentations the language need in their language, right and but also across the different cultural communities in san francisco regardless of when they are. knowing that we are here to support you if you are the victim of a crime. where i think the biggest need is as far as economically is in

the area of property crime. we can compensate victim when is they other victim of a violent crime but no pool of funds to help people in this situation. i was raised boy a single mom lived check to check there would have been no recovery if our car was stolen. knowing we need to extend resources to victims of property crime that is a conversation for another day to find where those funds would come from. thank you very much. vice president zouzounis. >> thank you. and i know your time is demanding thank you for being here. i think the question i prompt to the da's when we have a public audience is to better help us understand when your jurisdiction is and role so i know you get pitched every

problem that exists. for us it hone the commission when we identify trends may be it it is a code that was made during the -- surge of [inaudible] laws. may be a trend we identifying from types of break in's and things we are experiencing how do we elvitae policy pitch? when is your jurisdiction in terms of a policy and how can mall business trends and issues like where do you weigh in and where can you impact them. >> i would say the easy way is obviously my jurisdiction is once someone commits i crime and you are rested you come to my jurisdiction. to a certain degree i want to see the office step outside of

this. as much as we can which is to work on preventive measures and community engage am more. to me that's how we will prevent crimes. where i have the capacity to help with advocacy outside of you know a policy in my office is this if there is a legislation proposed be it low low like at our board of supervisors or state wide is to offer my support public low. of that is something i can do. am whether related law enforcement or not i have that ability. upon one thing could be helpful to me and the small business community, too is -- you can

have so many commit xees meeting bunkham things like that. some type of advisory board to our office. will i think could be useful. as a tool to funnel information like this to mow. so this things can be presented me to participate in or support. otherwise, where it gets difficult is i'm going from neighborhood to neighborhood and each may say something different oshg poseed knowing more of what the collective feels and thinks. why thank you. yea. our testimony here i want to thank my commissioners for bringing perspectives. small businesses are first responders. it is important we identify things that are happening in the trends before than i are identified on the large scale. manage i had to experience

withlet low is how much the thieve in thes city know our laws and know than i figured out the normalization and what codes we don't finished to and know it so well. and they study us. than i know when women are wing. and i think mall businesses have, legality of -- i think they have a lot of policy and not tapped into as much. the false alarm code which has been something i know -- people on the board tried grapple be and reform i'm not sure if it is in the police code this policy need says to be changed. a lot of false alarms. because you know, it was the new

protocols that started before there was a surge of break in's. and so now there is a policy where an alarm company has to call the business before than i call the police and a lot of small businesses even ones this the police love them common the police love them 3 a.m. they get a call i don't want a fine don't send the cops this it is happening and. the burglars know this. upon

>> i'm -- that is like the first i'm hearing of that. you are right, right. for some people committing crime is a career. they understand exact low the program terse of their career they know when they are doing. they learn all this and know the tricks and so -- i'm a believer in we need to reform and improve but can't 3 the baby out with the water you can't do away with something by getting rid of it. we have to figure out if there are policies that now are affecting the police ability to do jobs revisit and think about how it needs to improved and should do that as a city. upon one is the dpw find for graffiti and now saying the businesses are victims. they other victims of a crime

when somebody tags on their up with but they receive the threat of a fine. think about that. how we shift to afford businesses a differents way. who are victims of the crimes. not to be penalized. i think it it is thinking outside of the box and made aware of the situations. so this we can weigh in. >> thank you so much for coming in. it is an honest torto have you here. this is my last meeting as commission president. i have to say in 4 years i never have been prouder to be on a commission listen to the power president truth that my fellow commissioners have been saying tonight. and i think the nuance that you

are express being it with. i want to say i'm -- alive with all of you. i'm alive with the need to approximate have better policing and better a better sense of justice in the bay vow. and the excelsior gets forgotten know and the nuance you poke i thought elegantly about -- how is the city we forget about the other neighborhoods because they are not on the news every night x. they are not in the front of the newspaper. first and foremost i want to thank my fellow commissioners. really, it is an honor to be here with you. i have over the years tried find

constructive ways to engage on the criminal justice issue and identify what where are the opportunity here for us collective low as a city and twoed make forward progress. i was reading about -- you were talking about how on street ventzing we have constraints with the ability of police it intercede with folks doing stuff. and thinking about the condition trains about smash and grab. the witness has to testify the door was locked. if the person be went it new york or illinois or as we were hearing paris or london they will not come back.

upon one thing i heard having participated in working groups is that many of the crimes i murder it from pd proves and the k, d's's office. many are funding up to theft rings. there is a smaller number of theft rings this are enabling a lot of this activity. i know your office has some xours abilities. am i wrndz if you can talk how you are looking and thinking about theft ring and when can we do as a community to tackle this. there is an opportunity to a small number of people have a large impact.

>> yes. that's true. most people don't know and watching crime evolve over time. when i started 8 years ago most of the folks from the neighborhoods who were committing crimes selling drug and this thing. at a point it shifted. most of drug dealing from outside of san francisco, actually. into san francisco. but folks realize. i can get more bank for buck fibreak into cars. you see -- 2-3 people in a car going car to car. bust window. on to the next car. and that being one evolution i saw early on in my career to now

retail theft an actual problem. when we had to do is adapt in patrol to the evolution. and when we are trying to do in the da's office with respect to the organized retail theft issue is near investigation resources. sfpd has to spread resource in upon different directions. if people are behind desks they are in the patrolling. we have investigators who are career long police officers who assist with investigations of the issues we need more this it is a now problem. fitake investigators off of other issues we got another unmanned. one thing we are doing during they budget sproes ask for a couple of the resources for investigators we can ded indict

that now we have one. wing on that. but also able to assign prosecutors to the issues because that is how you start to be aware of the players. you don't know a case come this way and this way you don't know who the repeat offenderers are as easily if this is haddure dedicated to. commit our resource in the da's office to assist weres pd and take the front line of the investigations is will out of their you know their responsibilities so that we can invest more in it then and there they can. >> thank you. >> reading in the parent other day -- been open air drug markets. and constraints that your office is having in being able to practice cute dealers.

and a constranlt that i think the public does in the seem to be awear of. i was surpriseed hear was the were judicial branch to act on change in terms of how they move forward. what is the input in your experience. the input for the judicial branch? how does the small business community peek to the judicial branch. i asked. won't can't invite them to the small accident commission. i asked. how do we get this message krsz to them you know we seat over dose sky rockets and people i doing on the street and dying in our businesses. and we don't want to see that. and what -- what is the input.

why use our rights as citizens to the public nature of criminal proceedings. oftentimes we near the crop and there are 10 in the sxrm they are all people waiting for their case and that's it. we don't readily see the public in our courtrooms. they are. p to observe and catch the decision made and argument it is happening unless it is a high profile kachls media has an interest or a movement to do so. i think judges need to understand that the community is invested in the commissions that are made. they're should be making decisions based on the law, of course. but that where they have gray prosecute area will -- that they understand that -- the community

has an interest, in the outcome of the commission making process. communities members are allowed to make public statements in certain ways depending on the nature of proceeding. and are allowed submit if you write a letter we can present to a judge if they are red to make ape sentencing determination or a release determination for somebody. that is where i think you can be helpful. but i think so often things are done in the closed crop where nobody is there. so00 eye think it affects how can affect the gray area sometimes. in the way the gray area is intercepted. i think we are seeing on the

drug dealing issue we are seeing traction. they are starting to we are -- greatly understand that fentanyl is different. people are dying. we are not talking about critic in the 80s it is lives lost every day. and need to rescue noise it presents a different danger than we have seen. i think the public needs to it can be helpful if the public took a role in the process by being present y. that's important point. >> da i know you are very short on time you have a 6:30 meeting. >> yes. >> we'll go to public comment and is there public commenter on the line? >> there are none. >> we have one in the room. go ahead remember.

janet. thank you very much. i'm janet again i'm here on behalf of the san francisco counsel district merchants and our legislative mittee meets in advance of this meeting and review third degree agenda examine my committee asked me to come and speak on behalf our members on the graffiti. issue. it it is similar to what president laguna said about a small number prolific offenders we wonder if there could be more meaningful consequences for folks who are tagging and creating a serious problem for our members. i'm also here on behalf of the glen park merchant's

association, which late last year was unfortunately the subject of media attention that was unwelcomed regarding a rat infestation this is in our neighborhood as a result of one woman's activity feeding wild animals which continues and the point i wanted make about this is that -- it is our understanding that this is an infrkz and in the a misdemeanor. and so as a result, we are not really able to submit all of the am copious video and photographic evidence that we have. of her doing this crime. it is the case after officer of needs to personal low see her enengaging newscast behavior in order to take actions.

so, it is cost my business 100 thousand dollars. and it is just a real problem, of course -- it does in the comper se to the issue this is have been brought up by violence and open air drug dealingment to bring it up. thank you. why thank you. >> i think we are good now. is there public comment on -- i don't believe so. >> public comment is closed. >> thank you very much for your time. and thank your staff appreciate you coming in. >> next item. >> item 4 office of simultaneous business budget update. a discussion and action item the commission will hear an over view of budget priors and vote on the approval of budget priors for the fiscal year 23/24 budget

process. >> director tang. >> all right. thank you, commissioners. before you is a draft resolution and basically spells out the priorities that this commissionments to encourage us to include in the 23/24 and 24/25 budgetful than i are reflective of the strategy goal and prior this is this commission or at least some form of the commission decide upon last year. they include the top priorities of want specialing small business retention and growth. easier and fasttory open a business in san francisco and vibrancy to commercial corridors. if there are other elements that you think we are missing let us know but these other top high

level priorities that are part of this commission strategy prior and goals. why vice president zouzounis. >> thank you. director for your work and this. i had a question since we are further resolving the priorities with an adoption of the budget of correct? is this like also that further resolve this adopts our office of small business budget? >> our budget is in the red. tell be submitted to the mayor's office in initial the thing we can do to meet the spirit of board of supervisors resolution that says we are supposed to budge here are our priorities and we hope to see this reflected once the budget is developed. >> okay. thank you for this clarification. because i was looking at our annual report and it was the

oewd entire budget and not like the highlights of our office. that will come. >> we have not seen that. correct. >> we will be happy to share that with this commission in may when this has been developed and right before we are going to the board of supervisors. >> thank you. >> great. >> anymoring questions? . seeing none i would like to make a motion that we adopt this resolution. >> we need public comment. >> public comment. >> you think i would know that by now. >> there are no callers on the line anyone in the room? nope >> public comment is closed. i will make my motion to adopt the resolution. >> second that. >> motion by president laguna and seconded by carter. commissioner carter. >> airyoochl commissioner dickerson. >> >> commissioner herbert.

>> aye. >> commissioner huie. >> yes. >> president laguna. >> yes. >> vice president zouzounis. >> yes. motion passes. great. >> next item. >> 5 small business commission election for p. a discussion and action item. the commission will nominate and vote on the new 2023 commission president for each office in this case president i will call for nominations. nominations require a second to be considered and nominees have an opportunity to make a statement. after nominee statements other commissioners will be provided a chance to comment following enemy neil and commissioner statements we will have public comment followed by a roll call vote. the first nom no to reach 4 votes for each office shall be deemed elected. . are there nominations for

president? you would like to make a nomination. however. this is my last meeting i hope you would allow me a couple minutes leading up to the nomination to talk about my experience and the way that i will talk about my experience is to talk about the people that i experience this with. and so -- you know when i was appointed to the commission it was a different period. i think the person left is william who is out sick today. sad. that's how i forgot. but you know i think i justmented quick low give a

shout out to the people i worked with starting with mark twriet who -- was -- incrediblely intel gent and i learn third degree thing that you do on the submission evercommission which is drafted law live in a meeting. he would word smith it and somebody is and written in law and blew my mind somebody could do that. the commission president was steven adams who -- is so thoughtful and such a vigorous advocate for small businesses and something that i don't think came through in the meetings member when mentored and fostered up and coming lead and credit create room and i

republican for president i was scared to talk to him and he was encouraging. i know he was also encourage to our vice president. i saw him the other day and nice to give him a big hug. i rein fong cho who serves on human right's commission. this woman just exudes power. just -- when she speaks the everything stops. it has been was amaze to serve on a commission and has a long history of doing all the things for the city and one thing i think is a lesson for me and a lesson for all of you is this can be the beginning of a journey and a public service and it does in the mean running for office.

irene exhibited this. cathlone duly rest in peace. had a fire cracker. >> she will i i you up. i was scared of her the whole time. she was amazing but also you know in the ends somebody when became a dear friends. from her i learned the power of irrelevant sticking to what you think is right no matter what. and she was just incredible. at the same time sing why was ash pointed we got manny who is

now on the sfmta board. continue friday this commission to other things. machiney is you in one of my a good friends of motorbike and i do a pod cast with him. i want to say things that are annoying about him just to because hoe is so screwing with me. but -- he is somebody made a huge impact on the community. i think is what the small business commission can do example he is somebody after leaving the small business commission has continued to be a forceful advocate for small businesses this has been a lesson for me i and i will continue to be an advocate for mall businesses. upon some of our new are commissioners, in my mind now probably foal like you have been on for ages but, my goodness --

lawanda, you brought tears to my eyes. you have i think really shown a light on an aspect of san francisco as we talked about during this meeting that gets glossed over it is an honor to serve with you i lost directness which you say thing its is powerful and i see yet mir appointed you to this commission and it hen an honor to become friends with you and get to know you and look forward to being friends in the future. >> rachael, we don't have enough restaurant owners on this commission. where most mall businesses, i

know most small business most of our mall businesses are in food and beverage. and i think this rep. representation of what it takes to run i restaurant, clearly you know your shit. and you have been an effective voice and i'm looking forward to what you will do with this going forward. it will be exciting. tiffany, obviously also a restaurant owner. very powerful testimony you provided a number of occasions but my gosh, you are an effective advocate across so many fronts and also member who is effective and facing all challenges and over coming them. that is something i can relate to on a deep level.

and -- it is becoming -- an honor and privilege to get a chance to work with you and get to know you i'm looking forward to working with you in the future. i appreciate everything you do. and i appreciate the advocacy you do for also -- for the bayview. it is critical it is important. honest low for me it is an honor to know you. so. i appreciate what you brought to this miriam. my fellow vice president, you are my knee. we both enter third degree realm on january 19th. 23rd of 2019.

3 years ago. and within a couple weeks the pandemic started. we spent too many hours on the phone figure out when we could and should do what might work and might not work. like everybody else on the commission you are incredible advocate. the most amadzing things become on the commission is getting a sense of the city's diversity in something i will not forget is you correcting sf travel on broken arabic. and i think that this just under scores the importance of having diverse bodies. on commissions like this. which made it all the more an honor and privilege for me to have the opportunity to work with you all the work on behalf

of all of you. that brings me and i of course, i would be remiss without talking about regina helped with the original direct. all of us i joined the commission and knew nothing about this stuff. we have to learn on the job. if you are on the job and feel like i don't know what ask happening. i don't know what is happening. tell be more of the same. but she was a really very and is

a really careful and patient teach and she is like everybodiacy stayed engaged. and i saw her wuk in the room. we had to stop being response and i have proactive i hope that is a gear this commission never lose i hope we continue to write

letters i hope we continue to nudge our elected officials and leaders and law enforcement. and to doing more and better for the sector that offers the most hope i'm a high school grut who was homeless when i moved to the city. i got fire friday every job i had. probably because i talk to long like i am now. for me small business run and owning a small business allowed mow to find financial stability. we would sit on the phone for hours what if we did this or that. try this and that. it is march of 2020. april of 2020.

may. and i would sends her on more wild goose chases. everything we did was a hundred things we were not allowed do. we were stepping on toes we tried be a productive and helpful body not just we could have been the body yell and scrolling and making everybody feel bad but way tried lift people up. and do min cawas 95% of this and i was luck tow be the five % on the other side. finally, i want to get on my nomination now. i want to talk about huie.

and when she joined she sat in your seat, and it came time for her you had to speak about manage and i will embarrass you. like a deer in headlights. like you could see like and i then and there is feeling well i had it as a performer it is like a recurring motive. eventual low you are like mind is in the in the right spot for perform and like everybody is looking at me. and i saw her do this and i said to you after don't stress. you were worried about it. and i said don't stress you got temperature tell come inform low. and listening to talk to the da

today and synthesizing everything this the commission has been talking about and everything you are hearing about in the community and seeing how out front you are. with the community. the small business community and constant low going out to events i was laughing when the da was like you were telling here how many events you have been to with that because it it is a job. that's encompassing this takes a lot and i was luck tow be president at a time you did not have to go out you were not aloed. that worked well for me. i think this next era will river a lot more out roach and walk and being visible. and knowing the level of work and the level of experience and -- how much passion you have

for the commission and how much passion have you for mall businesses and somebody said and you know the advocacy the work you have done in the commission launching the small buildings commission survey i'm await being the results to be produced which is done. we are putting the report together. that was an incredible amount of w and creating that partnership with san francisco state thrill did not say ucsf. and professor chaoary that was impactful. i was men time in conversations to use that data to talk about what small businesses meant for -- vulnerable populations. historically marginalized people and how it helped credit a new sense of promise and it was manage we needed to double down

on your work helped facilitate that. this is all the world's longest nomination but leading to it would be my honor and pleasure in every sense of the worried to nominate commissioner huie. >> i second it. >> [laughter]. >> >> were laugh landfall mic was on. >> wow she was quick on the determine. why the seat confirmed it. [laughter]. >> do any of the -- does the nominee want to make a statement? no audio. >> who knows this minot be clenched. i don't want to be prupttive you are supposed to clench it. you can't -- you have to campaign. >> do i get on say something

after. >> do what you want. why if you are elected. >> if -- that was not enough. well. you know i was probably a dear in head lights i don't remember that moment in time but you know this commission has ment so much to me and serving on a mission men so much to me. i loved all of the thing this is i'm glad he went through everybody i will not belabor everyone. with that but i think you know my passion is being a part of my community and my community is growing and growing. so you know for mow to serve as a leader of the commission,

would be an honor. and it would be i don't know like -- humbling, exciting, experience. so, you know if this is something this you want i never come pained before i never imagine mag i don't know when i would do as a pol suspicion i have no signs or nothing. i am committed to you know continuing the equity work we have done. and really continuing to amplify the voices of mall business owners that -- everybody, everybody who often times feels unseen and unheard. yea. >> i have other things later on. if things w oust my way. >> let's finds out. [laughter]. do commissionersment to comment

then public comment. >> my bad yoochl commissioner dickerson. >> yes. >> i just very simple. i could in the think of a better transition. because sing why you exude and love and compassion which is very important. because of your humanistic way. your level of emathy dp your wellingness to do what it takes to express that. i love who you are.

i had the opportunity to share times with you where i have seen you express in such i way that i can't see you doing anything else. i 100% support you. and i am excited i know i'm speaking as though everything has been voted i will that's how i feel. >> and so -- i'm excited about this. i'm so glad and excited that president laguna nominated you. i think that you are the woman of the hour. so -- i would say hat's off but i don't want to take my hat off. anyway. i'm excited for you. and i hope this works out for your good and benefit. >> thank you.

commissioner carter. >> i want to say president laguna haan honor to be in this commission with you. i'm just foal privilegeed be around great leaders will i'm always inspired and o a lot of my leadership surrounded by other great leaders. and as i love business. i all the things i do this is my favorite. i learn a lot. and yea i'm justice always very inspired by you as a leader and business machine. i could not think of i bathroom transition with commissioner huie. she is just this is grit. transition with commissioner huie. she is just this is grit.e transition with commissioner huie. she is just this is grit.tt transition with commissioner huie. e

transition with commissioner huie. she is just this is grit.r transition with commissioner huie. she is just this is grit. this commission is in great hands. >> vice president zouzounis. >> i will say thank you about the laguna for the kind words to everybody and i think this you encomp used the work we have done and the legacy that work built but i want to attribute a lot of putting small business on the radar to and you the impact you will have on this commission come this institution and hopeful low this whole system is going to be lasting you week up the city and helped us break out of a shell that this body was in and made us irrelevant voluntary and made people take our recommendations seriously and made us cool. [laughter]. and small business is in the

cool hi entered everybody was like are you like 12. do you know. like it was an old man's game. thank you for helping make us part of the public sphere. and sing why i'm looking forward it voting for you. >> love this. commissioner dickerson. >> i wanted make my address separate because i have to honest low say president laguna i have a hard time i love sharkey. i will never forget this meeting when the guy says sharkey. i don't know where this came from. you remember? >> no. >> there was anyway. ure should. sharkey, president laguna, i

would not be sitting here if not approximate been for you. i know that mayor appointed me but it was your conversations with me that gave me the confidence to move in to an your they was complete low unfamiliar with. your support, words of comfort, your candidness. sometimes i go home and gashing y'all know what sharkey said today? [laughter]. but i say thank you for and if i say, as a president of this commission board i think you did a feenemial job you within above and beyond the scope of w or expectation. of had a president should be.

and i think you irrelevant set the bar high. and i think you should be a real example of what it looks like to be a president of i board. honestly. and so i'm truly honored we are all feeling that same way and i want to give you blessings in your next venture. i know where you are going you are getting red to set this trail on fire. and so -- i know we will support you. and route for you. you and your family. and i want to encourage to you take this time off take the time off. and rejuvenate connect peculiar with where you are family you are going in a realm i don't think what is coming. but you being who you are, are going to change of where you are going i'm excited see where you are going and where your pregnant path is taking you

>> thank you. commissioner herbert. >> first i wanted say commissioner hueef i'm looking forward to vote pregnant for you and working with you and getting to know everybody and sharkey i just got here what's up with that. >> let's hang. >> [laughter]. i wanted thank you for encouraging me, too, i call and theed loyal what is this about. you were encouraging and just made me feel welcome. thank you and i hope you can stay in touch. >> of course i will. >> commissioners i had 2 other names i ment to mention i was in a rush coming in and i did in the wroit them down. of course i forgot. so -- first i want to say our concern commission secretary cary, we got -- i think regina

said we got over 100 résumés submitted to us. out of those hundred she got 8 or 9 to look at. glancing and i said, that one and said we gotta go through a press can do this and interview. no that one. that one. and then you know if you see the résumé you don't remember of the names. we had to dot zoom interviews. and when was funny we did the zoom interviews and i could noted remember when was who or which was the résumé after we finished your interview after we got on with what was woman's name on the only time i worked with her on the call with us. i think you were on the call with me. anyway we got on the call and like that one.

i was so happy that the résumé -- it was doesn't matter. but the point sill was so happy the residence miand the interview matched up. and it was i was passionate about public shared space and she had done had work. on in berkeley and done w on ebt at the state wide level? this simple -- the only mow remembering your résumé from that many years ago. i think my favorite kerry moment how are we going to replace do min ca. it it is not no way we can make this transition and winds up with the same power. and it was like the minute kerry hit the grounds, nothing

changed. and my favorite moment was we got on a zoom call and there was a presentation on behalf of supervisor steph no. me dommin caand customer and he had on the same out fit. like a striped top and same cut and same glasses. this it is meant to be. and so -- you know kerry like you have made 90% of when needs to happen, happen the rest of us look good i'm grateful for it and so glad that you are here with this commission and hope you stay for a long time and not leave like domincadid. why you are making a huge impact and anybody in the this role

would be wise to listen to your advice. you have so many irrelevant sharp and mart things to say and i'm interested. in what you have to say. and final low director tang. when we were losing the founding director of the office of mall business again, it was like now what are we going to do? and you know to be honest we had really good qualified applicants. there was people like -- okay. i can see it. the upon minute i heart director tang was interested i was like are you kidding mow. is there any chance. are you sure. we had a zoom call and i was like yes.

this will be great. the minutes you got in this role it is a joy to watch your one of the things that i think you bring to the commission this no other commission has. kwhach does it electric like to bring to initiate legislation, get it passed and get it over the finish line. you are willing there are so many things can you dotted westerlied is your oyster you are willing to put in the work because how you feel and you recognize the importance to the city and our economy and many of the issues we talk about on this

commission. i just speaks the world about you. to mow and it is trowel an honor to serve with you and friends with you and know you again look forward to working with you gwen in the future. can't believe this i forgot kerry and katie. during my speel. so. we're almost there. [laughter] commissioner herbert. >> yes. >> that was legacy. >> got temperature i think we are red for public comment. take public comment and then on line. >> the public comment, first. >> >>

>> good evening. commissioners. i'm speaking personally this evening. i have 2 minutes and will make sure it is within this amount of time. president laguna. i conditional think of combenls that i worked with that has your same level of energy. and tenacity. and -- absolute commitment to the mission at hand it was to save mall businesses. and like commissioner zouzounis said earlier, your dedication and infectiousness really lifted up mall business in a twha had

not been lifted before i say that with now years of experience in san francisco. but from what i understood, it irrelevant needed machine like you to be bruin the picture to -- put mall business back on the map. ure worked hard to bring everyone along. and that was i privilege to work with machine who -- lead in this way.

>> i'm so excited see you take on the reigns of this commission and i know this you all absolutely lead the body it an accomplice that continues to uplift small businesses and the vises are in the heard enough. the businesses this are owned by non-english speaking owners. and -- its manage i have youed about w with you in the past and i'm excited for what you will

accomplish in this next term. hopely, thank you for your time. >> thank you. >> we have one caller on the phone. >> caller, proceed. go ahead. >> hello commissioner, this is daunte from [inaudible] in bayview association. want to thank you for your heard work and dedication to small business. you know, when can i say. you are a great friends to the bayview and mall business in san francisco. and grateful to have you as a leader and looking forward to commissioner huie with her leadership as well.

thank you very much. >> thank you. daunte. >> okay. are we -- yea we are done with public comment. why ready for a vote. then. >> all right. i will call the role for the nomination. unless there are other nominations. >> [laughter]. i will call for the role howey for president nominated by president and seconded. call the roll. commissioner carter. >> yes. >> commissioner dickerson. >> yes. >> commissioner herbert. why yes. why commissioner huie. >> yes. why president laguana. >> yes. >> vice president zouzounis. >> yes. >> congratulations president huie. [applause].

>> do you want to say a few words? sure. this is my dear in head lights this happen and i had will not remember this moment. i i'm really trying not to be emotional right now. sharkey. [laughter]. you -- really kinds of no idea how to put you [inaudible]. thank you very much for your nomination and thank you very much for your mentorship. i appreciate our relationship and you know i look forward it working together and i think everything that everybody has said so for about you hen so spot on because you have been so genuine about who you are. you know and your ability to be

vulnerable and humble and open really brings us all to the table. thank you very much for everything. when i was first ash pointed to the commission i did in the understand had this meant. member who asked mow about being on the commission told mow like a merchant association meet i said i republican a lot of those i can do that. this person clearly misinformed mow this is not like a merchannel association meeting. i was confused about when i was doing on the first day. i did not understand the gravity of what it meant to serve on a commission. i didn't understand the honor it was to serve the city and county. and i think that -- i have a tendancey to dismiss many of the you know the roles of leadership

that have been you know afforded over my lifetime and i think when i was first appointed i almost did not invite my family i didn't understand. now -- i minimize so i did not come appropriated at this time and of course commissioner yek yek telewas nominatid hope you will be pisht as i settle into myself. you know. because it takes a moment. i'm a late bloomer. i did write something down i don't know i would have something to say i suppose.

so hopeful low it is okay i'm reading not like the best at being somewhere in between. so to my fellow commissioners mayor breed and board of supervisors i'm humble period appreciative of the trust and faith you accomplice in meto serve on this commission and to now serve as president. that was presumptionius today. i would like to acknowledge those who in before me my understanding of the ands well as my understanding of the role and responsibility ahead. thank you to jordana figpen the first female president of small business commission in 2006 and human right's commissioner i rein reilly who i got to know. and also served as a second female president of the small

business commission in 2010. so in 2023, today, 13 years later here i am. the third female president of the commission. so -- sorry when i read this, the gravity of the time that passed is just immense i'm so prude to serve with business owners and community leaders not only are people that serve their communities but i warm low call my friends. thank you. thank you for this all the nice things you said to me about me so far tonight. and our work on the commission

is to not only represent the royce and perspectives of small business in san francisco but also advocate for making the path of small business ownership viable and sustainable for anyone who has the slightest thought of doing this. not an easy road in the best of circumstances. but in san francisco i rescue noise we have challenges this made own and pritting a small business in our city oftentimes difficult. sharing a quote from margaret wheatly whatever the problem the answer is community. with the variety of problems our small businesses faced in the past few year its is/khrer the answer that lies before us is community. i'm grateful to have been a part of many community and know through coming together we can make things better this is as many of you know the year of the water rabbit.

in the lounar calendar. the water rabbit signifies renewal and recuperation. but gentleness, kindness and ease. for us to answer the call for change and action to support our small businesses in san francisco, we must harass this year we have been given the year of the rabbit. act with intentions of kindness, compassion and empathtow build greater community. i will conclude with a thank you to executive director tang, sect bernalbalk. staff. my friend and family. husband mike and my children clove and he cylinder for being my guides and support. if my fellow commissioners i look forward it cocreating the agenda and priorities of the commission together. thank you.

>> director tang? first of all congratulations. to president hueo this moment us occasion you are modest i said this before, a lot of the work that you dom is not taking place here in the long commission meeting theys are happening outside. and i seen time and time again when i talk to president huie about something a problem a mall business owner bruto us. you are immediately brain is spinning thinking how to solve this problem. when can i do to help this business owner. so i sewn you in action. whether putting on event in thes community or again figuring out problems we can solve collectively. but also i appreciate you talked about you want to get outside of your comfort zone and go in different communities. build your community and expand this is valuable for this

leadership role you will play. i'm excited for your leadership role and you don't give yourself credit for things you do outside of this meeting. and then of course i wanted thank i do call you president laguna now. wow i spent an her on the phone with you when i was thinking about taking on this job and -- i was so excited. i mean truly. the energy that you brought to the role. i think everybody said this:i irrelevant at a loss but there are many commissions in the city. and -- there are things that happen expect don't happen. you have truly i money brought everything to the role. and one thing i don't think enough give you credit for is something you med not happen. it is easy to say you have your

name on something i peels of policy legislation. but there was a measure proposed that voters could have voted on potential low. and would have been harmful for mall businesses. you did your home work. researched it. figured out a way to talk to people who proposed this measure. and putting eatingose aside figured out a way to get this off the ballot. if that got on the bell on the it would have passed if people don't read the 20 pages of measures. ir want it call that out an example one example of many of ways you worked behind the scenes outside of this commission meeting to will support the small business upon community. and so i will miss our hour long conversations before meetings. and -- i know we will stay in

touch because you will still be engaged in the small business community. thank you for sppth mow in this role and supporting your fellow commissioners and all of the small business ordinance across the city. thank you president and welcome president huie. >> absolutely. welcome, president huie. >> [applause]. next it is not next item it is like next section of this item >> next item j. sorry. >> item 6 small business commissioner officer elections for voip a discussion and action item. will enemy nay and vote on the new vice president. are there nominations for upon vice president. jury room i would like to nominate commissioner zouzounis. i could go on -- [laughter] i

think we all know. i know yu would make a fantastic vice president and i enjoyed w with you on so many issues and i think we are always well arhine in the terms of equity and he advocating and lynch to voices. that is i would like to put accomplice that. >> second. >> [laughter]. >> seconded. >> [laughter]. okay. does the nominee want to make a statement. >> thank you for the enemyination. yea it has been a pretty intense term.

thank you for recounting all of the w we have done in the left couple years. and i want it say thank you for the nomination i was going to take a step back and see who wanted to fill the role. i'm pretty horizontal with how i lead and empower anyone else not hold the reign fist i did in the have to. but i'm happy to which continue in this role and -- use it as a platform to further support our president goals on the commission. and hopeful leave bring more collaboration to the leadership seats and build sustain ability for female lead leadership on this commission and i think we can build that continuity and

happy to support and bring forth ideas that are newer commissioners have and you know this is a learning press for all of us. and -- i happening now that we are becoming a more action oriented commission well is so much room for everything we are trying to accomplish and eli have in our communities. thank you for trusting me in this role for another term. and i accept your nomination. >> any -- sorry. >> commissioners. any comments? >> okay. is there public comment? there is none. >> okay. should we proceed to the vote. >> i will call the roll for the

nomination of mirrium for commission vice president. commissioner carter. >> yes. >> commissioner dickerson. >> yes. >> commissioner herbert. >> yes. >> commissioner hue. >> yes. >> commissioner luguana. >> yes. >> and commissioner zouzounis. >> i vote on myself. >> yea. >> oh. >> yes. >> [laughter]. you don't know. i forgot this part. >> congratulations. >> wonderful. [applause]. i do have one more vote the exciting draft meeting minutes. [laughter]. okay. next item >> item 7 approval of draft meeting minutes a discussion and action item. >> commissioners any comments on the minutes?

i have an amendment. >> sorry. my apologies director tang. >> i have an under the meeting minutes on item 7 there was a typo for a name switching ivy to iris. after that it is fine. >> on the minutes for this meeting i will not be able to vote. i said irene fong and meant irene reilly. irene fong was my son's kindzer garren teach here had an impactful -- so -- one of the longest serving teachers at mckinley elementary. if you could correct that for the record that would be appreciative. >> okay. no commissioner comments is there public comment y. there is in comment. >> public comment is closed.

do we have a vote? >> i move to approve the minutes. >> is there a second. >> i will seconded. >> commissioner carter. >> aye. >> commissioner dickerson. >> yes. >> commissioner herbert. >> yes. commissioner huie. >> yes >> president lug guana. >> yes. >> vice president zouzounis. >> yes. >> motion passes. >> item 8 general public comment a discussion item. >> are there members of the public who would like to comment on items not on the agenda. anybody in public comment. >> no one in the room. public comment is closed. >> item 9 director's report. discussion item. >> all right. good evening, commissioners. somented to share that last friday as a result of the winter storm flooding our office

launched a special one time grant program for flood disaster relief and this was due to some left over funding from oewd's budget. applications open on friday and open for 3 weeks until friday, feb 10 at 5 p.m. we had 100 businesses apply for grants receiving up to 5 thousand dollars if you are within a flood zone or 2 thousand dollars for businesses outside of flood zones. and businesses with significant damages and within the flood zones will be prioritizes. make sure you are aware of that and we have done a lot of out reach prior to going live. want to help support the businesses that experience the damage during winter storms and then second low another reminder about third party delivery apps, any food based service,

businesses must opted in a revised contract k with companies by january 30th if you want to maintain the 15% fee cap. and opt for the core delivery service plan. so a final reminder about that given deadline on january 30th. >> and our offices is doing personal out reach to merchant corridors walking in the commercial core sdpoers visiting and talking it has been great to see the corridors through the businesses perspectives since our last meeting we visited polk street portola and the mission captain. and this week we will go out to noe valley and also haight street. >> i will keep my report short. thank you very much. >> thank you? >> i had a thought and i got distracted. about something you said. what were you starting on the

beginning there. >> flood. relief grant. >> the flood. >> is there an update on the sba jury room not at the moment. we are still awaiting federal or state resources and one was the disaster relief loans and they have a bit of press to go through. so we are probably upon weeks if not months out of knowing the status of that. >> i was a business owner today that had 80 thousand dollars in losses so. she was just trying to figure out what to do. and i said, well, there is we have a 2 thousand dollars grant. that is the 98% of the or 2% of the way there. so. you know i think that the sba thing would be helpful and keep our ice open as whether anything opens up at the state level with the emergency disaster

declaration from the governor. and i want to reminds the commissioners that we do have another resource page limp is an sfpuc flood grant. y told her. >> or if employees could receive up to 1 huh thousand dollars from the puc for flood water management improvements or the property owner could abply. there are other resources. requesting from the assessor's office of property tax reduction ruts of disaster. so. people are welcome to contact our office if they want to explore options as well. >> big shout out and thank you to the staff for keeping that page updated clear and easy to follow. usually my experience you talk to business owners that are stressed out and they get more stressed out navigating the process. this time people are like, i

can'ts apply until friday. i was like, wow i did not have to mrin that. it was on the page. thank you for collectively staff for making sure that was really clean and articulated. commissioners, any comments or questions? >> commissioner herbert? >> sorry i missed part of your um -- of your portion of the meeting. i wanted to clarify we have to reapply or renegotiate the third party deliveries. >> if you want to maintain a 15% cap on your delivery services you want to opt in the core service contract. before or by january 30th unless i think this is the left date to do so. otherwise the fee cap would be higher. >> there are 20% and 25% and

30%. crazy. >> yes. and so my understanding is you know, obviously with each different tier and type of contract then you will be able to access different types of service depending on your business needs the board and had commission supported a fee cap during the pandemic. so -- these companies are allowed raise the cap we want to out roach to as many businesses as possible. the easiest way to change the contract or make sure you are in the core service plan is to just about log in your account. and to select the most basic core service plan through your online account. can >> great. and any other comments or

questions? >> vice president zouzounis. >> yea. i still feel i need a bit of clarity on how of that direction. for the opt in. when we talked i went live and i did not see anything any options. is it like you have to be in the like marketing agreement with these companies? will it apply to certain agreements? because my our businesses is is not a restaurant we don't pay for extra marketing but i could not finds a way to opt in. and no language that was sent to me from those parties from those

companies that eludeed that so -- i don't know i would love to hear a different experience from a business owner. may be i'm missing something but i have not seen those options. >> just go ahead. >> i have not logged in yet butt third party deliveries are getting around the cap they are offering goodys if you pay more. there are 4 tier levels it is usually hard to get a hold to connect with them. you can be on the phone for hours. that is why i'm trying to understands is that our only option. >> we w can work with you off

related to the office should i ask it. i was talking to a workforce development nonprofit and mentioned osb has a point of contact that helps them with lease negotiation stuff? i was like, i don't know -- that's within our office. i wonder if this is an oewd role? >> specific low for lease negotiation there is is a contract through oewd community economic team for nonprofit partners to help with lease negotiations. >> okay. >> if anyone needs help you refer them to us and we will connect them with that resource. >> an oewd nash helped

nonprofits. >> that holds the contract with the nonprofit. our team referred people to that nonprofit or several nonprofits all the time. you can always refer to us and we will connect them to the right people. >> thank you. >> anything else? >> any public comment >> well is none. >> public comment is closed. >> next item. why item 10. commissioner discussion and new business a discussion item >> is there new business. why there has been a lot but any new business that is in the a new business we already had? >> we finished that. yes. >> was there a vote. no. it says action item but is this just a -- what says action item. iot director's report. >> i thank you is a typo yoochl that was a typo.

>> any rate that item is done we missed our opportunity to act. >> have you to do at that time your meeting. >> is there new business? vice president zouzounis. >> thank you. in the spirit of keeping us in action oriented body, i think we heard a lot of how our presenters are eager to hear our policy pitches and so i would love to explore that -- false alarm code. and see if it is something that -- we can write a resolution about or dig into and nnld the depths of that issue and if if is something we can influence to change? and i'm happy to explain it to anyone in detail.

>> i have experience with that in oakland temperature is similar than i have a specific department for false alarms >> a fine a false alarm fine. >> yes. >> now make its so they don't call the police. >> exactly. >> first. >> >> that was my request for new business find out where that code lies and explore it. thank you. >> other new business? >> >> is there public comment it is >> there are no public commenters. >> public comment is closed. foible low we are here. next item. >> item 11 adjournment. sfgovtv show the office of small business slide. >> i gotta say the thing. [laughter] we willen with the reminder the small business commission is the forum to voice opinions and concerns about

policies that affect the vitality of small business in san francisco and the office of small business is the place to get answers about doing business in san francisco during the local emergency. if you need assistance reach out to the office of small business. tonight, i will adjourn the commission in memory of former commissioner kathleen duly. who was such a force of the commission and we do continue to miss her. meeting adjourned

[music] san francisco emergency home program is a safety net for sustableable commuters if you bike, walk, take public transit or shares mobility you are eligible for a free and safe roadway home the city will reimburse you up to $150 dlrs in

an event of an emergency. to learn more how to submit a reimbursement visit sferh. >> 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.

>> i am iris long. we are a family business that started in san francisco chinatown by my parents who started the business in the mid 1980s. today we follow the same footsteps of my parents. we source the teas by the harvest season and style of crafting and the specific variety. we specialize in premium tea. today i still visit many of the farms we work with multigenerational farms that produce premium teas with its

own natural flavors. it is very much like grapes for wine. what we do is more specialized, but it is more natural. growing up in san francisco i used to come and help my parents after school whether in middle school or high school and throughout college. i went to san francisco state university. i did stay home and i helped my parents work throughout the summers to learn what it is that makes our community so special. after graduating i worked for an investment bank in hong kong for a few years before returning when my dad said he was retiring. he passed away a few years ago. after taking over the business we made this a little more accessible for visitors as well

as residents of san francisco to visit. many of our teas were traditionally labeled only in chinese for the older generation. today of our tea drinkkers are quite young. it is easy to look on the website to view all of our products and fun to come in and look at the different varieties. they are able to explore what we source, premium teas from the providence and the delicious flavors. san francisco is a beautiful city to me as well as many of the residents and businesses here in chinatown. it is great for tourists to visit apsee how our community thrived through the years. this retail location is open daily. we have minimal hours because of

our small team during covid. we do welcome visitors to come in and browse through our products. also, visit us online. we have minimal hours. it is nice to set up viewings of these products here.

>> >> (indiscernible) faces transformed san francisco street and sidewalks. local business communities are more resilient and our neighborhood centers on more vibrant ask lively. sidewalks and parking lanes can be used for outdoor seating, dining, merchandising and other community activities. we're counting on operators of shared spaces to ensure their sites are accessible for all and safe. hello, san francisco. i love it when i can cross the street in our beauty city and not worry whether car can see me and i want me and my grandma to be safe when we do. we all want to be safe. that's why our city is making sure curb areas near street corners are clear of parked cars and any other

structures, so that people driving vehicles, people walking, and people biking can all see each other at the intersection. if cars are parked which are too close to the crosswalk, drivers can't see who is about to cross the street. it's a proven way to prevent traffic crashes. which have way too much crashes and fatalities in our city. these updates to the shared spaces program will help to ensure safety and accessibility for everyone so we can all enjoy these public spaces. more information is available at sf dot gov slash shared