small business administration. the small business administration covers not only san francisco proper but the bay area. the severed his third district is responsible for a business loan portfolio of 12,000 loans worth $4.2 billion. in 2009, the sba approved $500 million in lending. next, we have the executive director of the san francisco small business office. she was in san francisco in 1986 to open the buffalo exchange limited store, and in the 13 years she worked for buffalo exchange, tennis district manager, she held her open the company from four to 11 stores. in 2009, the mayor appointed her as executive director to the office of small businesses. next, we have the ceo of opportunity funds. he has combined his background as a community organizer with an education from stanford to develop an innovative, not-for- profit financial incision that uses market principles to affect systemic change. it operates one of the nation's largest individual development, programs, a leading provider of micro loans in californ

small businesses. we have more nonprofits that are funded through micro lending here in the city from sba programs. some are expected to be looked at for budget cuts. some will continue. but we have more of those programs in san francisco, really, in any other city in california. we also have a small business commission. that is unique. the folks who are here, who have been supporting small business for many years are the reasons why san francisco's small business community has a voice in ways that other cities and businesses in those cities do not. i think we have, in san francisco, the benefit of a lot of good resources here, some of which are here because of federal funds, some of which because folks in this room have been an advocate for small business. we are hoping the impact of tight budgets all levels still allows us to have the tools we have been able to use for small business. it is an important piece. >> [inaudible] >> there have been a cut in the budget. he wanted to know how that would cut

a local small-business as part of the small business recognition program. >> it really is my honor this month to introduce a couple of people from the fillmore neighborhood. i would like to be joined by meghan, and from the fillmore cbd, [unintelligible] from me -- from the sheba piano lounge. every once in awhile, a person just needs a good piano lounge. we will talk about why she is deserving of this honor. >> i am really happy. i feel she deserves this award. she is a real community member. she does a lot for the district. she is very generous. she is wonderful all around. when you walk into the piano lounge, she is very nurturing and very smart about how she does marketing. if you walk in, you will see her paging through a recipe book. she is always finding new recipes for people. i am so sorry. net is one of my favorite people in the fillmore district. she is one of my favorite people. she always gives me a hug when i walk through the door. if you are a waiter or server in the fillmore district, you are going to she broke -- to sheba piano lounge at the end of the evening. we are a

and i ran a small business. and i had independent contractors for whom under erisa you cannot buy health insurance. i tried my best to get this dong and president to approve an associate system, form large risk pools so they could compete for insurance. that was rejected instead for an exchange and for a simple system that says small business must provide health insurance to their employees but if they don't provide it, they will pay a modest fine that's much less than the cost of the insurance. that one statement forces people sm small business to leave health care coverage from an insurance corveer who gets it through their employer and instead they have to be forced to go to a government exchange where choice is limited and mandates are many. so i just want to commend the distinguished chairman of the small business and the ranking member of the small business for the effort they're making on this bism but also commend senator hutchison on the volume of the waivers being filed. why are they being filed? they

for a very small program, apparently it has really helped some people. thank you very much. >> next item, please. >> item 14, president's report on recent small business activities and announcements of interest to the small business community. >> i do not have any announcements. i do have something for new business but i will bring it up in that section. >> item 15, of vice-president report. >> i do not have anything new. daylight savings time started this weekend, so the neighborhood farmers markets are starting this week. in castro, we have ours in the evening at 4:00. the sisters of perpetual indulgence are having a ribbon cutting at 5:15. i know the date is also -- the haight is also starting there's and you guys on the visit iraq -- on divisadero starting next sunday. i know that really does help small businesses. it really does attract and have people shop local. those are all starting this week. >> what ours is that? >> ours is from 4:00 to 8:00 in the middle of the week. it is different from other farmers markets. >> thank you. >> item 16, commis

we are small.

but with many small businesses, they do not have this. what our departments have done is come together to try to fill this particular role. what we have taken a look at is how we can easily explain the federal ada, the california building codes, and the enra act. you have a packet of information we have recently put together. this is a one-page sheet that outlines the laws, talks about the inspection, which i will get into in a bit, and ways they can afford to bring their business into compliance. part of our education right now is focused on, because there is a rash of lawsuits, what businesses can do to prevent a lawsuit. but i think ultimately our message and what we want to focus on is that access is good for business, and that it is something that is, in many times, readily achievable. we really want to encourage businesses to do this well in advance, so there is no need to be concerned about lawsuits. a corps -- one thing that has transpired that i think has been really helpful for our department and our businesses -- when i first s

i talked to elaine jennings from small small potatoes. just a lot of the other business owners in my community and everybody seemed to feel the same way. a lot of us, like me renterred commercial space that's mixed use and upstairs residence whfment they come to me, i can recycle them the same day. but the residents for upstairs that sits for weeks and customers stepping over them and for my restaurant it created an issue because it clogged the opening. so it's pretty -- it's pretty bad. and it's kind of like if i started a business selling t-shirts with ads on them of sports wear makers and just threw them all over san francisco. it seems like that would be littering but it's kind of the same thing the phone book does. it's just accepted for some reason and i think it shouldn't be. so i support the legislation. thanks. >> thank you. next speaker. >> good evening, commissioners. commissioner o'brien, i will try not to make you nasty guy here. i'm peter dylan representing the yellow pages association tonight, speaking on behalf of the pres

one government agency here that mention anything about small business other than the small business commission said there would be minimum impact. how do they know? there was a poll done -- they talk about the harris poll -- who did they talk to? individuals. i do not know how many small business owners their work, but i doubt there were any, and if there were, they certainly were not acknowledged. i think at a time when we have the economic struggles we have an unemployment, and as you know, small businesses are decreasing. i think this type of proposal is very dangerous. i have to remind you that the backbone of this country is small business and san francisco. if we do not make it, people lose jobs. government people lose jobs. salaries are not paid. i think there needs to be more input from small businesses, and i would urge you not to go in this direction. thank you. supervisor chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> i am a director of sustainability, parks, recycling, and wild life legal defense fund. we are actively engaged in putting an end to cut rate mega dumping, and we are potentially li