Transcripts For SFGTV Public Utilities Commission 20240712

Good afternoon. This is a reimbursement for cal training to relocate two poles they are putting into electrified cal trains. We have an easement. We dont own the property and the fee. We have the three and four line in the easement and want to be able to preserve in the future to run the four lines. We relocated the pole and were able to successfully come up with a way to do that. This is to reimburse them for their time and effort. Ill be glad to answer any questions. Commissioners. Any questions . Comments . Could we call on Public Comment. Members of the public who wish to make two minutes of Public Comment on item 17, please call the number an follow the instructions to be added to the speaker line. Mr. Moderator, do we have any callers . Madam secretary, there are no calls in the queue. Thank you that closes Public Comment on item 17. May i have a motion for item 17. Move item 17. Ill second it. And then the roll call for item 17. roll call thank you. Five ayes. The motion carries. Madam secretary could you please read the items for closed session. Yes. Closed session item 20 is an existing inmitigated claim investigating city of San Francisco for unmitigated claim for all claims and the city to pay the claimant. Item 21 anticipated mit mitigatn at plaintive. Members of the public who wish to make a two minute Public Comment on items heard during Public Comment please call the number on your screen. Please follow the instructions to be added to the speaker line. Mr. Moderator do we have any callers . Madam secretary, there are no call nz ths in the queue. Thank you. Public comment is close. Ill move it assert. Second. We need a roll call vote on this. roll call five ayes. The motion carries. We will now enter into closed session. Count off for closed session will begin shortly. hello. We have reconvened from closed session. We have made a motion for a settlement. No action second for the second ielitem. May i have a motion not to disclose. Motion. Second. Madam secretary. May i have a roll call vote. roll call five ayes. The motion carries. The business at this meeting has been concluded. Im announcing adjournment at five forty seven. [ ]e forty seven. I am the supervisor of district one. I am sandra lee fewer. [ ] i moved to the Richmond District in 1950 mine. I was two years old. I moved from chinatown and we were one of the first asian families to move out here. [ ] when my mother decided to buy that house, nobody knew where it was. It seems so far away. For a long time, we were the only chinese family there but we started to see the areas of growth to serve a larger chinese population. The stress was storage of the birthplace of that. My father would have to go to chinatown for dim sum and i remember one day he came home and said, there is one here now. It just started to grow very organically. It is the same thing with the russian population, which is another very large ethnic group in the Richmond District. As russia started to move in, we saw more russian stores. So parts of the richmond is very concentrated with the Russian Community and immigrant Russian Community, and also a chinese immigrant community. [ ] i think as living here in the richmond, we really appreciate the fact that we are surrounded three natural barriers. They are beautiful barriers. The presidio which gives us so many trails to walk through, ocean beach, for families to just go to the beach and be in the Pacific Ocean. We also also have a National Park service. We boarded the Golden Gate National Recreation Area so there is a lot of activity to do in the summer time you see people with bonfires. But really families enjoying the beach and the Pacific Ocean during the rest of the time of year. [ ] and Golden Gate Park where we have so many of our treasures here. We have the tea garden, the museum and the academy of sciences. Not to mention the wonderful playgrounds that we have here in richmond. This is why i say the richmond is a great place for families. The theatre is a treasure in our neighborhood. It has been around for a very long time. Is one of our two neighborhood theatres that we have here. I moved here when i was 1959 when i was two years old. We would always go here. I love these neighborhood theatres. It is one of the places that has not only a landmark in the Richmond District, but also in San Francisco. Small theatres showing one or two films. A unique they are unique also to the neighborhood and San Francisco. Where we are today is the heart of the Richmond District. With what is unique is that it is also Small Businesses. There is a different retail here it is mom and pop opening up businesses. And providing for the neighborhood. This is what we love about the streets. The cora door starts on clement street and goes all the way down to the end of clement where you will see Small Businesses even towards 32nd. At the core of it is right here between here and 20 tenth avenue. When we see this variety of stores offered here, it is very unique then of the any other part of San Francisco. There is traditional irish music which you dont get hardly anywhere in San Francisco. Some places have this long legacy of serving ice cream and being a hangout for families to have a sunday afternoon ice cream. And then also, we see grocery stores. And also these restaurants that are just new here, but also thriving. [ ] we are seeing restaurants being switched over by hand, new owners, but what we are seeing is a vibrancy of clement street still being recaptured within new businesses that are coming in. That is a really great thing to see. I dont know when i started to shop here, but it was probably a very, very long time ago. I like to cook a lot but i like to cook chinese food. The market is the place i like to come to once a year. Once i like about the market as it is very affordable. It has Fresh Produce and fresh meat. Also, seafood. But they also offer a large selection of condiments and sauces and noodles. A variety of rice that they have is tremendous. I dont thank you can find a variety like that anywhere else. Hi. I am kevin wong. I am the manager. In 1989 we move from chinatown to Richmond District. We have opened for a bit, over 29 years. We carry products from thailand, japan, indonesia, vietnam, singapore and india. We try to keep Everything Fresh daily. So a customer can get the best out a bit. Normally during crab season in november, this is the first place i hit. Because they have really just really fresh crab. This is something my family really likes for me to make. Also, from my traditional chinese food, i love to make a kale soup. They cut it to the size they really want. I am probably here once a week. Im very familiar with the aisles and they know everyone who is a cashier cashier here i know when people come into a market such as this, it looks like an asian supermarkets, which it is and sometimes it can be intimidating. We dont speak the language and many of the labels are in chinese, you may not know what to buy or if it is the proper ingredients for the recipe are trying to make. I do see a lot of people here with a recipe card or sometimes with a magazine and they are looking for specific items. The staff here is very helpful. I speak very little chinese here myself. Thinks that im not sure about, i asked the clerk his and i say is this what i need . Is this what i should be making . And they actually really helped me. They will bring me to the aisle and say this is battery. They are very knowledgeable. Very friendly. I think they are here to serve not only the Asian Community but to serve all communities in the Richmond District and in San Francisco. [ ] what is wonderful about living here is that even though our july is a very foggy and overcast, best neighborhood, the sleepy part outside on the west side is so rich with history, but also with all the amenities that are offered. [ ] today we have madame mayor london breed, Health Director grant colfax. Director of the department of Emergency Management Mary Ellen Carroll and abigail here do you to the bad air quality due to the wildfires. You can submit up to two questions by chat only. Submit them as clearly as possible and include your name and outlet. Well do our best to take your questions in the order received until the q a begins. Well be happy to take your emails. Welcome, madame mayor. Thank you, very much and good afternoon, everyone. Fire season unfortunately has begun in the state of california. And with that here in San Francisco comes challenges with our air quality. In a normal year wed be able to focus entirely on the air quality challenges but as you know we are not in normal years. Were living in covid. Even as we have been focussed on responding to the Covid Public Health emergency, we havent lost sight of the need to respond to other emergencies. Whether thats an earthquake or air quality event due to wildfire smoke. In San Francisco we know we have to be prepared. Now, i want to start first by recognizing that while our air quality here in the city is a challenge, we have to focus first on those communities that are being impacted by the fire. When peoples lives are at risk and their homes are at risk, that has to be the top priority. We all have friends and family all over the bay area in california. Our communities are connected and we are there to support each other during these very difficult times. As weve provided hospital beds for counties overwhelmed by covid, San Francisco is proud to offer mutual aid for other jurisdictions battling fires. Recently we sent the San Francisco Fire Department to assist with the river fire and we will send the personnel wherever we can in the weeks ahead. We do this because we care for our neighbors and we know that when the San Francisco in the eye of the storm, theyll there be for us. With that being said, we are still 100 focussed on keeping the people of San Francisco safe and healthy. Unfortunately, weve been through this before. In 2018, following the camp fire when our air quality was severely impacted for days, i issued an executive director to strengthen San Franciscos response to future air quality emergencies and other weatherrelated events. As a result, we revised and improved our air quality emergency plan. This plan includes specific strategies to reach out to our most vulnerable residents especially our seniors, including working with existing Community Networks to get the word out and make sure people have the information they need. We all need to look out for one another and make sure our residents know what to do to stay safe. Right now, our air quality is red, which means the air is unhealthy. Que know this can we know this can shift and we will continue to update the public as things change. The best thing you can do is avoid smartphone to outdoor air by staying indoors with the windows and doors closed. And for those unfortunate enough to be able to work from home, please continue to stay home as much as possible. It is important both for the slowing of the spread of covid19 and minimizing your exposure to poor air quality. We know not everyone can stay home and we need to take steps to protect our unhoused residents. The department of homelessness and Supportive Housing will provide an update on what we are doing for our homeless residents but we are prepared to do everything we can to keep people safe. As with covid, our ultimate goal was to keep the public informed. When we have information to share, we will share it. The affects of Climate Change are already being felt and sadly we know events like these are only going to become more common with dryer weather and hotter temperatures. But we will do everything that we can in this city to keep people safe and healthy. Well be providing updates throughout the day online and will continue to notify the public in the coming days and weeks with more information. If you have questions and concerns and dont have access to the internet call 311 and id like to thank the people of San Francisco for continuing to listen to our Public Health guidance. To be clear, were still on the state watch list around covid. We anticipate hopefully tomorrow we may no longer be on the state watch list but in the midst of these wildfires and everything were dealing with, we have got to use common sense and Good Behavior if we want to beat the virus and make sure we make it through this challenging time with this poor air quality. Please, dont forget, wear your masks, keep your distance, cut back on your social engagement, make sure you are taking care of yourself, your family and your community. We all play a role in ending covid in our city. And now id like to take this opportunity to introduce dr. Koufax who will talk talk more specifically about the facts of covid as well as air quality. Dr. Grant koufax is having technology difficulties. We can take another update for now. If someone wants to start the video im ready to go. Thank you so much and thank you madame mayor. Today, as weve already stated were experiencing poor air quality with smoke and ash visual throughout the city. We have faced hazard after hazard in this year in 2020 and the city has been prepared to respond to the incident we faced during this time of covid. In the past seven days weve dealt with a heatwave, rolling power outages, rain, thunderstorms and now poor air quality as a result of the wildfire. We have been and will remain prepared to tackle multiple hazards while continuing to respond to the global covid19 Public Comment is closed. San franciscos Covid Command Center will lead response to the multiple simultaneous hazards. The air quality will vary depending on the amount and impact of smoke particles in the air. If the situation gets worse our response will increase. Weve been fluctuating between earning and red air quality levels index just today. Red is considered unhealthy. That means we already initiated city wide coordination for widespread Public Information and messaging through our social traditional media and our Emergency Alert notifications, alert s. F. Through the incident well continue to push out messaging to the public so everyone stays up to date on the risk level in the city and knows how to protect themselves. If the air quality in San Francisco remains unhealthy or gets worse, were prepared to respond by protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring the public gets the information they need to stay safe and will issue personal protective equipment as the air quality continues to be healthy were distributing n95 respirators to the unhoused and those in shelters. Well evaluate our officering outdoor operation our existing outdoor operations. If we reach the high range we may pull back some of our outdoor operations such as Neighborhood Outreach and distribution of door hangers and sliders. Well activate respite sites. If we reach an air quality level of purple, which is considered very unthe, well activate unhealthy well activate centers. The locations will be based on a neighborhood approach that focuses on the areas of highest need and promoted through community use. We will keep the public informs. Multiple times a day well issue updates on the current status of air quality in San Francisco and the actions the public should take to protect themselves. This professional will be conveyed through our Emergency Notification system and alert sf and our traditional social media outlets. We prepared due to planning and we have learned lessons from previous heat waves and power outages. After back to back years of devastating wildfires and resulting poor air quality, we embarked on a regional effort to make sure each area, city and county were coordinated in our response for air quality. The resulting effort ensured we are all communicating with the same health and safety guidance to our residents. Im proud of our regional efforts as they have laid the groundwork for successful response in San Francisco. Were also better coordinated because city departments and our partners have been united in our fight against covid19. Here at the Covid Command Center we overcome the challenges of the global Public Comment is closed. This helped us in times of additional challenges like air quality and extreme weather. Finally, please remember whenever smoke is unpredictable as weve seen today were going back and forth between air quality index levels and residents should be aware. If you smell smoke, keep windows and doors closed, if possible. Stay up to date by signing up for for instance emergency text alert by texting the zip code where you live or work to 888777. The department of Emergency Management will continue to share information via these alerts and alerts to sf72 dot important we all know people from San Francisco are resill interand have taken care of each other during the Public Comment is closed and i know no matter what emergency is layered on top of this one, well get through this together. Thank you. Thank you, dr. Mary ellen carroll. I present to you dr. Grant koufax. Director of Public Health. Im director of health for the city and county of San Francisco. Thank you, director carroll for your cooperation and collaboration and leadership during covid19 and now during the speak events. Theres smoke events. Theres multiple fires burning throughout california including in Northern California and santa cruz county. Today, for instance is experiencing unusually hazy and smoky air as a result. The air quality index is currently at level red which means unhealthy. In other words, everyone may begin to experience Adverse Health effects and members of sensitive groups may experience more serious affects. That includes people with lung disease including those who have asthma and copd and asthma and children. These groups are particularly susceptible to elevated air pollution levels and should take extra precautions to avoid exposure. These individuals should avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion and people should limit Prolonged Health guides. If you have an respiratory illness, chronic or acute make sure you have an adequate supply of meds and contact your health care provider. People should be cautious when they choose to go outside and wear a mask and always be aware of whether youre having an challenges breathing. The air quality in our area changes daily and throughout the day as it is dependent on wind speed and direction. Air quality may improve at times or worsen very quickly and weve seen that even today where weve varied between levels of red and orange. Now we must manage both air quality in the context of the covid19 pandemic and as we said with regard to covid19 for many months now the best thing you and your family can do, if youre able to, is to stay at home. Even during days of poor quality conditions we must protect our community from covid19. During poor air quality condition and covid19 the intersection of these concerns, the healthiest thing for everyone to do now is avoid exposure to outdoor air and the virus by staying indoors as much as possible. If you must leave your home and go outside for essential activity, remember to bring your face coverings and socially distance from people outside your household to protect yourself and your community from covid19. We continue to live in unprecedented times and air quality is another challenge to address as a city. Please, again, stay at home if you can. And through social media please check on your friends, family and neighbors and,0 those pregnt or have respiratory illnesses these are people at risk and should take precautions to avoid exposure. The reality is that as we enter whenever season and changing wind patterns well be living with both the intersections of covid19, poor air quality and likely heat events for some time. We must stay vigilant and resilient as we take all actions to protect ourselves and our community from the elements. We continue to find ways to protect each other and our community and we will continue to rise to the occasion as we continue together to work to slow the of covid19. Thank you. Now the director of homelessness Abigail Stewart kahn. Thank you for your partnership and leadership through these complex, multi faceted events. We have learned for instance has heart. Weve always known this and we as a city need to continue to pull together to be nimble, compassionate and responsive. Civil servants and many are rising to the occasion today and for that we are grateful. As you heard covid is still the number one priority for all of us in Public Health. We need to ensure were caring for those most vulnerable due to covid, heat, air quality and other in clement weather events. During our heat emergency our Homeless Outreach team who were heroes even before the pandemic have been activated for their lower level extreme heat response. At this level that activation included increased wellness checks, providing appropriate resources and guidance on how to stay safe during covid and the heat. We continue that support. Our department is working closely with the command center to monitor air quality and as director carroll shared we strongly encourage everyone, housed and unhoused to activate your alerts because it is changing by the moment. As you heard from the experts, we are partner at red level of air quality. Based on this and pos policy decisions distribute nonmedical grade n95 masks and water and other resources. This is in addition to look for those most vulnerable to covid and bring them indoors and continues to partner with hsoc and well didnt distribution of n95 masks so have access though theyre such a scarce resource. San francisco is living its values by dedicating these resources to unhoused neighbors where we all know every Civil Servant at mayor breeds leadership wishes everyone to be inside the shelter in place. I want to pause and particularly this many the members of the Homeless Team and hsh and providers for adding work on top of work to take care of those most vulnerable in our community. The city is exploring what to do and the next stages should air quality deteriorate further. The Services Agency is responsible for mask care and shelter and evaluating alternative sites where people may come inside if we reach higher levels of air quality challenges. As you can see, many departments, many Civil Servants, many leaders and many citizens are coming to the aid of our unhoused neighbors. While you should stay inside if you are housed, if you are outside and encounter somebody who is sheltered, encourage them to mask and ask them how their day is, say good morning and good afternoon. The Homeless Outreach team we hope will be there soon to provide mask. Well continue to provide updates through our boards, governance authorities and website and encourage all of you to stay connected through the various ways to get up to date information. Thank you to mayor breed and the city for continuing to find another year in which to keep san franciscans safe and cared for. Thank you. Thank you, director stewartkahn. Well now begin our q a portion. The first set of questions are for dr. Colfax. We are not currently planning to close any covid19 testing sites at this time. Were assessing the situation and obviously testing and identifying those infected is and remains a top priority. We will continue to assess the air quality as things go forward with regard to changes in our testing sites but at this points our Testing Centers will remain open and we will provide updated information if that changes. A followup question is what is the threshold for making such a decision and how close is s. F. Air quality to that point now . Again, we are assessing the situation, testing sites remain open and if there are any changes well certainly make sure people know that. Thank you. The following question is for maryellen carroll. If the city opens respite sites how will they mitigate the risk of covid at those sites . We will follow all the social distancing guidelines that already exist. We will see an Additional Health screen for anyone coming in many other jurisdictions having high levels of temperatures have been doing this and we have a plan and feel we can do it safely should we need to. Thank you very much. It seems there are no further questions at this time and this will conclude todays press conference. Thank you, everybody, for your time and please stay safe