director heinicke: i was surprised again. i saw these cabdriver's all take the same position on an issue. it was not in my day planner today. [laughter] >> can we get a photo? director heinicke: i would love a photo. we might need a wide lens. these are important changes. it is important to recognize that a great deal of the industry input on them was positive. many are geared to make the industry work better. i will say that on one of the more contentious issues, the board of appeals process, i have seen, in my experience, the really deleterious effect that lengthy permit revocations can have. it hurts faults on the prop k ist. if someone is waiting to get his medallion and he has to wait longer because of an unfounded appeal, that is a problem. we have heard some very strong proponents of prop k, that it is not a good idea and does not save time. similarly, there is questions about the single operator permit, which i am a big advocate of. one question i have come to revisit is whether we should be going from a-card security

director heinicke: in summary, we would adopt 14 today. we would continue item 15 with the idea that all of the issues would be open for discussion within the industry. added to that bucket of issues, to be discussed, is what sort of appeal process permitting we have within the transportation code. >> correct. director heinicke: ok. i am for that. vice chairman brinkman: let's go ahead and -- >> i think mr. toronto indicated that i indicate my assent on the record. >> he is a ray of sunshine. vice chairman brinkman: is there any more board discussion on this item? do i have a motion to approve? do i have a second? all in favor. the aye's have it. director heinicke: a motion to continue 15? or do we need to do that? vice chairman brinkman: i want to thank all of the speakers who spoke up about this. i know that this has been a long process. cleaning up the administrative code is a long process. she has done a fantastic job. you have all hung in there for a long time. we are going to get this cleaned up. i assure you that everyone sitting up

director heinicke: we have had discussions about this as a board before. i do not want to purport to speak on behalf of everybody. my view is that the way we're going to reach the primary goal one markets -- on market is to limit traffic, limit private traffic, or eliminate private traffic. we need to recognize there is a lot of surrounding streets that can accommodate private traffic. let's look at history. when the mayor implemented the little sound with no traffic with automatic right turns, there were fears that would be the end of the world. it was not. push further. if we can continue with an agency to test for their automatic right turn zones, a test no-cars ounczones. let's do that. we are already on the way on van ness. market street is a far better candidate for that because there is not the need for private traffic on that street that there is on van ness. i think that is the view of this board. if you all want to leverage the agency and suggest pilots or test programs we can implement please call on us. >> i will echo that sentiment. i was on t

director heinicke: i have some questions. how you respond to the question that maybe we should follow the nilson report and let the companies decide. are we trying to create a uniform access for all customers? >> it comes from the board of supervisors asking our staff, our agency, what we have done as we go to regulatory changes to try to make improvements for the benefit of the industry. the public is not always at this table for the conversation. next time you get into a san francisco taxi, i advise you to look at the rate card and see if you can read it at all and if you can get any information that is useful to you as a passenger. if not, you might think about the benefits of signs to tax the customers. a consistent problem in the taxi industry is that one gets into a taxi. one does not know what taxi one is in. many things can happen -- something as small as getting away from a stolen. you do not know how to respond to that situation. one was taken from the headlines of last week. >> we would impose it across the board r

heinrich -- heinicke, i am asking you to leave the board please. other commissioners, i would like to ask you to consider my thoughts and encourage him to leave. we all talk about wanting a world-class taxi system in this world-class city. there will never be won if we have an abused and demoralized work force. ever since director heinicke has come into this arena, he has state -- he has called for medallions to be taken from permit holders. he has created a poisonous relationship between the regulatory agency and the work force, many of whom are afraid to come into this building. the idea that the sfmta would take $20 million per year, tried to take $20 million per year, from some of the poorest-paid, blue-collar workers in the city, and use it to pay for the salaries and benefits of some of the best-paid, blue-collar workers in the country, is just unthinkable to us. we have no overtime, sick pay, vacation pay, no health care. we have no retirement plans, no paychecks. that this money would be extracted from lost to go elsewhere is unthinkable. i

asking members of the board to concur in adjourning the meeting this morning in memory of chris heinicke. thank you. ok. >> item 7, directors report. >> we are going to present a plaque to a very special person. he has just arrived. he will have to set the timer for his remarks, of course. 15 seconds is enough. you serve with great distinction for a number of years in all kinds of way. you did a great job. he was part of the paratransit council, the citizens advisory council. bruce always spoke the truth. he was a passionate advocate on behalf of all citizens of san francisco, particularly those with disabilities. i would like to invite anyone who would care to say anything to do so. anybody? >> thank you so much for all of your years of service on the mta board. thank you so much for everything i learned from you. it was an honor to serve with you. we are going to miss your words of wisdom, your perspective. i know you will go on to do more great things. director ramos: i wanted to thank bruce, really got a warm welcome from you. i enjoyed the conversations that we had. i felt like we a

director heinicke: i had the pleasure of serving with you on this board and also on the taxi commission. i could go on at length and say a lot of things, but if you were still up here next to me, that would be the point for you would kick me and tell me to shut up. i will focus on one thing which has impressed me over the years. some have spoken about your passionists -- your passion and your willingness to speak out. the thing has impressed me is your energy. never tired of going up against long or short odds. knew the importance of showing up and losing your opinion. -- and a voice in your opinion. he attended all of the meetings, you attended the subcommittee meetings. he attended all the events. everybody knew you and a respected your energy. that made you a very able advocate. i think some people in this game get respected for good speeches or good ideas. at the end of the day, the hardest thing to do is to go day after day with the energy and a lack of bias and the passion. you did that every day. >> [inaudible] he is san francisco's only dodgers fan. he had a san francisco at gia

director heinicke had brought up the question at that point, will there be a time when it makes more sense to wait for the new process? i do not remember what the change was called. >> that transportation system and a bill latifi was introduced this month. or maybe -- the transportation system was introduced this month. or maybe last month. depending on when we are ready to launch into environmental review, it is possible we could hit that point where it would make sense to delay. we will do the federal process as well. that may change the equation a little bit, although ceqa is the long straw. we will be watching for projects that come up with the next year or two. there will be a point where we may want to make that determination. market street will have -- the two things that drive the environmental review process are transportation and -- the transportation system of the latifi change. market street may have some historic issues that need to be dealt with. i am sure there will be a lot of people -- a lot of things people will find to be historic. chairman nolan: thank you very mu

director heinicke: i he some questions. how you respond to equestion that maybee shouldfollow e nils port anlet the companies deci. are trying to crea a uniform access for all customers? >> it comes from the board of supervisors asking our staff our agency, what we have done as we go to regulatory changes to try to make irovements for the benefit of the industry. the blic is not alys at this ble for the convertion. next time you get into a san francisco taxi i advise you to look at the rate card and see if you can read it at all and if you can geany information that is useful t y aa passge if not, you t thinkabt thefits of signs to taxhe custers. a consistent problem in theaxi indtristt e ge into a taxi. one do not know what axone isn. my thgs can ppen -- something small asgetting away fm sten. you do not know w torespond that situaon. one wa taken from the headlines of last we. >> wwould impose iac e board raer than lettinthe cor schemes jews as ey go? >> the a s compromises in crafting this policy. it is wired to the mete

director heinicke: that money would not count -- chairman nolan: the biggest single was $21 million. >> $22 million. chairman nolan: if we were to get to a major claim against us, we have 10 years to pay it. >> we would negotiate with the other party. in some instances, we would want to push it out. in other instances, we would want to pay it up front. chairman nolan: we all understand that in no one here will we be paying $22 million. we would have the right to negotiate for that. >> installments, that is the state code. chairman nolan: i support it. questions or comments? lawyers, financial people? >> a motion to approve? chairman nolan: let's have a roll call on this. >> [roll call vote] 6-1. >> thank you for the diplomatic way you approach that with me. it was very respectful. chairman nolan: -- >> i will not remind us what happened. chairman nolan: next topic. >> item 15, discussion and vote as to whether conduct a closed session. chairman nolan: we are now in closed session. thank you. supervisor avalos: good morning. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.

director heinicke: the most interaction i have had with you were with labor negotiations for you did a fantastic job. of all the things that have impressed me about you, in this era of the new ground rules under the new proposition, as you could go through those very contentious interchanges an audience of all of that, he kept your poise, but advocating free strenuously for the agency. everyone is still held great respect and admiration for you. i think that is a real testament to your abilities as a person and a leader. you can go through a process and have everyone still love you at the end. if e-mail would have come to me, i would have been upset. but yes, i am very proud of you. you were going to do great things and i wish to the best. >> i would like to congratulate you. i think you have been phenomenal and i wish you all of the best. i am sure we will see many things from you in the years to come. you live all the attributes to do very well. thank you for your leadership. >> it has been a real pleasure working with the. -- with you. you were the consummate professional. any tim

director heinicke, please leave this job. you have failed this entire system.let us get back to the points. $104 for a 10 hour shift. that covers insurance, credit card fees, everything. half the money goes to the medallion holder. the collect only 1500. now it is a $3,000 check from the cab companies. cab company ponies are sitting in warm taxi houses. drivers are sitting in a dirty, ugly place. 2% fees -- why 3% or 4%? the staff sitting in the cab company office -- why do we give them the $104 feedbacks

director heinicke, please leave this job. you have failed this entire system.let us get back to the points. $104 for a 10 hour shift. that covers insurance, credit card fees, everything. half the money goes to the medallion holder. the collect only 1500. now it is a $3,000 check from the cab companies. cab company ponies are sitting in warm taxi houses. drivers are sitting in a dirty, ugly place. 2% fees -- why 3% or 4%? the staff sitting in the cab company office -- why do we give them the $104 feedbacks -- fee ? the owner of the cab company -- the bottom line is we do not need veriphone. it has been working fine. it cost $3.40 million to install credit machines in the front. we do not need a machine in the back. what is the convenience? it will bring the prostitutes. i have only one time in 10 years one blind person. it has never been a problem. there should be 0 fees. thank you. >> i am barry toronto. i want to give a shout out to dominick, who helped me at the front office. i do not think you are being very helpful. in the cab industry, there is a lot of ps