Transcripts For SFGTV Disability And Aging Services Commission 20240712

Process is not going to be used against them. So im wondering if we can do some followup. I know that director arntz and simle will do followup. But i would be happy to be involved in the conversation and see how we can maybe get a few more organizations that have the trust and the relationships with the latin x and africanamerican communities in San Francisco because for different reasons, those are the two communities that are underrepresented in their voting and to not have at least a number of organizations focused on those hardesttoreach communities, i think, is a problem. And so, maybe we can figure this out and this can be some of our followup. That would be great. Well, thank you so much and if theres no other questions, or comments, thank you again for the excellent work and presentations. I look forward to this one point of followup and the more extensive followup that director simle will do to do race is Equity Analysis of the plan and looking forward to voting in the extremely important election of our lifetime. With that, i am happy to make a motion to file this hearing. I think if we have a new hearing on this issue, it will be focused on that, race and equity. I make a motion to file this hearing and we can have a role call vote. On that motion to file the matter role call . The motion passes without objection. Thanks again, everyone. Any other item . That completes the agenda for today. The meeting is adjourned and have a good day, everyone. Employee president knutzen this Commission Meeting is conducted in pursuant to the brown act to reduce risk of covid19 transmission. Ordinarily, the brown act has strict rules for teleconferencing. The executive order does require that we continue to distribute notice to the meeting in advance. Of noted on the agenda, members of the public may observe this Conference Meeting via sfgovtv. Org and sfgov tv channel 26 and they may make Public Comment by calling the Public Comment phone numbers. Like to welcome the members of the president and stuff watching us live on sfgov tv. The Commission Asks and thank you for your patience during these unprecedented times. We ask the public to have patience and expect delays and gaps during the meeting. Please call the roll. [roll call] commissioner lum she dropped off. She was caller three. I dont see her. I dont see her number. Please note that executive director Shireen Mcfadden is present. We have a quorum. Next item is through communication. Public comment will be available on each item on this agenda and during general Public Comment. Both channel 26 and sfgovtv. Org are streaming the number across the screen. Each speaker will be allowed three minutes to speak. Comments are opportunities are speak during the Public Comment period are available via phone call. During each Public Comment period viewers and callers can call the number on your screen. When connected you will hear the meeting discussion. You will be muted in listen only mode. When your item of interest come up, dial star three to be added to the speaker line. Best practices is to call from a quiet location, speak clearly and slowly and turn down your television or radio. You will have three minutes to speak. After 30 seconds you will be muted and placed back in listening mode. Public comment can be submitted by email. If you submit Public Comment via email it will be forwarded to the commission and to be included as part of the official docket. President knutzen thank you. Im going to be making a Commission Committee announcement right now. Im pleased to announce joint legislative committee. I have appointed myself to the dignity fund and oversight committee, Vice President spears will continue to serve on the finance committee. Commissioner sklar agree to serve on as needed basis also expressed interest in joining the legislative committee. I want to thank our commissioners for agreeing to serve on these subcommittees. Are there any other communications . No other communication. President knutzen Commission Er next agenda item 4, approval minutes of the tuesday july 14, 2020 meeting. Are there any comments or questions regarding the july 14, 2020 Commission Meeting minute . Seeing none, not hearing anything. Is there a motion to approve the july 14, 2020 d. A. S. Commission Meeting Minutes . I think we have a move by commissioner sklar and second by commissioner spears. Secretary, please take the roll call vote to approve the july 14, 2020 d. A. S. Commission meeting minute. [roll call vote] the vote is unanimous. President knutzen thank you so much. We will move to directors report. Welcome executive director Shireen Mcfadden. Sorry about that. Thank you president knutzen and commissioners. I want to make sure that you can hear me if the quality of the sound isnt good. I can turn off my video. Is that okay so far . President knutzen okay. Its fine. Thanks. I will start with the federal landscape. At this Moment Congress still has the budget and the house and senate has yet to an agreement. Other Groups Asking Congress to add money to the budget to support older american act programs especially given all the covid. [indiscernible] [audio breaking]. President knutzen youre breaking up. [indiscernible] [audio breaking] can we have everyone else go on mute while shes speaking. Maybe we can get better connectivity. [indiscernible] president knutzen i dont think the executive director can hear us either. Keep talking. Start again . Yes. I can hear you now. Sorry about that. I will start from i left off. As you know, im a board member representing california for the National Association of area agencies on aging known as n4a. N4a usually hold its conference in july. Because of pandemic, it will be held in september. San francisco usually does really well in the awards categories. This year is no exception. Im really excited that were getting four awards this year. Weve receiving awards for technology and connections at home, a program run by the coding senior center. We are also receiving an aging innovation award. This spearheaded by a campaign, metafund. Last but not least, were receiving Achievement Award for our Sexual Orientation and gender identity Data Collection training program. Which was led by tom mullen from d. A. S. At the state level, most of the work ive been doing concerns the master plan for aging. I was named master plan aging stakeholder advisory committee. Many recommendations come in from subcommittees and individuals and organizations and its helping to direct the California Department of aging on the finalizing of the recommendations that will go in the plan. Theres an increasing realization of the plan needs to be both immediate due to all the things happened related to covid and far reaching which was the original plan. This has created some complications for the group. Locally, the big news for us is the budget. This year the d. A. S. Budget which is now in the final stages, will be 434,986,000. Initially, it would be flat budget. We have a lot of budget issues and Financial Issues in the city now. Theres a lot of theres basically close to 47 million added into our budget which is really for the Covid Command Center feeding operations. Since in d. A. S. Because the Human Services agency is responsible for mass caring and feed and retain that responsibility even though the Covid Command Center has become its own operation. That is the big change in our budget. In the process, were a number of small addbacks. Notably some to bridge the Digital Divide and also to provide support for a number of our community organizations. The biggest addback was 1 million which again will support the Covid Command Center feeding operations. Last but not least, the department has been working with the Covid Command Center on being ready to handle smoke and heat issues. Obviously, im not in San Francisco right now, i know that the air quality has been really bad and were concerned about making sure that we are doing all we can to ensure the safety of seniors and people with disabilities during this time. The department has been very active in that process. That is the end of my report. I hope you can hear me. Thank you. President knutzen thank you executive director mcfadden. Item 6 is the d. A. S. Employee recognition. President knutzen this is the fist time weve had an employee of the month who we recognized virtually. Niquelle, youre on first for this. Its really exciting to me to be able to along with president knutzen, to announce that you are employee of the month for september. Oh, thank you. Really excited today for you. Niquelle, what i want to do and read what people have said about you, what your coworkers have said about you and bridget can make sure you get a copy as well. They said some great things and all of them are true. Niquelle warren joined Human Services agency in 2015. Joined the office of Community Partners, daous d. A. S. In 2019. Any equelniquelle is a team pla. Niquelle is one of the many reasons why the Emergency Response efforts of the city and county of San Francisco has been met with unbelievable amount of willing workers and enthusiasm to help serve the public affected by the pandemic. Niquelle was employed as Disaster Service worker twice. She helped clean one of the covid hotel sites. During her time at the Emergency Operation center. Tiffany kearney, o. C. P. Program analyst stated, the Nutrition Team had an opportunity to work with niquelle on a project that ran into march. At a time our environment was unpredictable and uncertain and changing, niquelle not only couldnted to work on the project from our home, she took on extra and did so with enthusiasm and a smile. Her work was extremely helpful to all of our nutrition parks and provided Nutrition Team with information that we may not have been able to gather if the covid19 climate. Niquelle has been great to work with. There were couple of groups or projects we needed help with. She jumped right in. She never complained and proactive and thoughtful. All of which went a long way toward making our Community Members and consumers feel included and respected. I really enjoyed working with niquelle. Shes a delight to work with. Ms. Warrens willingness to take on new tasks makes her that go to and reliable employee that we count on. Niquelle is positive and go getter attitude is very inspirational and infectious to all her peers. Her personality uplifts the morale. It is a pleasure to work with niquelle in the office of Community Partnership. Niquelle congratulations on being our employee of the month for september. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for your excellent work. If i could as commission president. I usually will be standing by you along with your colleagues. Its been nice for us and members of the public and anyone watching this to meet want of the many Unsung Heroes of this pandemic and it sounds like what director mcfadden articulated is exactly that. I think that we really appreciate everything you do anyway and for all of what you did to step up during this time and make a critical difference for people. We just appreciate that so much. Thank you for your work. Very happy to share this with us today. Congratulations. Thank you. Can i say a few words . Of course. I want to thank the commissioner, executive director of d. A. S. And director mcfadden. Im really happy and i appreciate being employee of the month. Im so grateful to work with a great group of people at d. A. S. I want to say thank you. I really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. I want to show you guys this too. I got this in the mail. [laughter] thank you so much. I really appreciate you guys. I love working here with a great group of people. Thank you so much. Moving on to item 7. General Public Comment. An opportunity for members of the public to address the commissions on matters not on todays calendar. Please open the phone line for Public Comment. Members of the public that are already dialed in and wish to provide comment, please press star 3 to enter the question in queue. For those already on hold, please continue to wait until the system indicates you have been unmuted. Well wait 30 seconds for callers to submit their request. Do we have any callers in the queue . We have no calls in the queue. Thank you. Commissioners, your next item is item seven, old business. Im not aware of any old business. Please indicate by raising your hand if theres any old business that you like to discuss. Seeing none. Next item. Agenda item 5. Items ae are action items that require a vote by the commission. President knutzen thank you madam secretary and moderator today. Thank you for your assistance with Public Comment and helping to manage the meeting. Commissioners your first agenda item is a. Review an approval of fiscal 2021 California Department of aging Supplemental Nutritional Program snaped. Tiffany kearney will present. Good morning commissioners and executive director mcfadden. Im seeking commissions approval to into contract with the California Department of aging so we continue to participate in the state snaped program. Overarching goal of the program is to encourage and support healthy and active lifestyle. It promotes good nutrition, provides suggestions on how to stretch food dollars and offers individuals the opportunity to participate in evidencebased physical Activity Programming. Selfhelp for the elderly is our Community Partner who administers the program. The evidencebased physical Activity Program offers through snaped includes tai chi for arthritis, walk with ease and bingo. With inperson gathering suspended at this time, these programs are or planning to be offered on virtual platforms. Congregate meal providers use snaped funding to purchase educational materials that promotes Healthy Eating habits. Thank you, im happy to answer any questions you might have at this time. Are there any comments or questions from the commissioners . I dont hear anyone indicating a question. I have one about handling during the covid time. Anyone being interested in these programs should be able to access them virtually. At this particular moment in time, tai chi is out one thats offered on zoom. The walk with ease and bingo, theyre working on the license agencies are working on getting them on virtual platform. That is the plan for this year. President knutzen participan ts in the Congregate Meal Program are learn being that through the outreach. Correct. President knutzen thank you. [indiscernible] please open the phone line for Public Comment. Members of the public that already dialed in and wish to provide Public Comment please press star 3 to enter the queue. Members of the public can wish to provide Public Comment and have not, please dial [indiscernible] when connected you will hear the meeting discussion. When your item of interest comes and it is very important to dial star 3 to be added to the speaker line. Do we have any callers in the queue . There are no calls in the queue. Thank you. President knutzen well close Public Comment. Is there a motion . Commissioner lum first motion and do we have a second from Vice President spears . Thank you. Please take the roll call on agenda item a. [roll call vote] president knutzen Commission Ers, next item is agenda b, [agenda item read] im going to be amending whats in the written agenda to might correction make the correction. 10 contingency for total of 753,599. Hello again commissioners and executive director mcfadden. Im seeking approval for Grant Agreement to plowshares to provide a communitybased program for older adults and adults with disabilities who are military veterans living in support of housing sites. Support of services and Service Connection program was a new program funded by d. A. S. In fiscal year 1718. The program has been very successful in engaging that trend in d. A. S. Services. Swords offers the program at six Supportive Housing sites. One of which now includes new apartments. There are two program components. The first is Service Connection which provides one to one assistance in connecting with Service Providers and programming in the community. All example of this might include assisting of that trend in making and keeping a medical appointment. Another example might be providing a veteran with information about Supportive Services in the community. The second component is Community Engagement which offers the opportunity to gather for social events and activities. Some examples last fiscal year prior to covid19 included Monthly Community breakfast, tech support classes and a womans veteran group. They also provided off site field trips such as bowling and miniature golf. At this time inperson Community Gathering remains suspended. Swords has been able to modify their programming to continue Ride Services just in different ways. They are connecting with clients through telephone calls and emails and sometimes Video Conferencing when they can. Swords continuing to see clients in person as needed using the appropriate p. P. E. Swords are anticipating that much of the Services Provided this fiscal year will continue to be modified because of covid19 and the service unit reflect that if fiscal year 2021. Swords has met or exceeded service and outcome objectives each and every year since this program launched and we are looking forward to working with them ongoing to serve that trend living in the city. Thank you, im happy to answer any questions you might have at this time. Anyone has question or comment . Vice president spears i have a question. Looking at the budget, this is kind of in general, seems like the operating expense stays the same. Can talk to us in general how is that done assuming the price will stay the same. Is that why we have the contingencontingency of 10 . Thats a great question. I think historically, the city has issued cod b. When cod b is provided that takes into account increasing expenses. Were waiting to see if cod b is going to be available. In terms of the budget process is a flat amount for the couple of years. Some providers are able to offset some of those increases with Fundraising Efforts and leverage other sources. Im hopeful theres a cod b. Its hard to say. Historically thats how it gets handled. Vice president spears if cod g is approved it changes that expense. Yes. President knutzen if youre an acronym for that i think its cost of doing business increase. President knutzen i thought so. Just to make sure. We all love our acronyms. President knutzen thank you. Any other questions or comments from other commissioners . Commissioner lum i want to make a comment that having worked and experience the highly professional organization here, i know personally how much the veterans appreciate the kind of work and kind of service that the organization has provided. I highly recommend that we continue this funding. President knutzen thank you very much. Thats good to hear from you. Commissioner lum is designated commissioner representing the veteran community and especially appoint to that. We appreciate your comment. Do we have anyone from the public who wishes to comment on agenda item b . Please open the line for Public Comment. Members of the public that are already dialed and wish to provide Public Comment, please star 3 to enter the queue. Members of the public who wish to provide Public Comment and have not dialed in, please call number on your screen. When connected you will hear the meeting discussion. You will be muted in listening mode. Do we have any callers in the queue . There are no calls in the queue. Thanks. President knutzen hearing no further request to speak on the item. Well close Public Comment. Is there a motion from are the commissioners to approve this agenda item b . So moved. Second. President knutzen i think thats commissioner sklar and second from Vice President spears. Moved by commissioner sklar and seconded by Vice President spears. Please take the roll call on agenda item b. [roll call vote] the vote is unanimous. President knutzen thank you so much. Commissioners, your next item is agenda item c. [agenda item read] we have Ofelia Trevino presenting . Ofelia trevino is on the phone line. President knutzen welcome. Good morning commissioners director mcfadden. I apologize for the technical difficulties im having with my web cam. Im an analysis with the office of Community Partnership. This morning seek your approval for Grant Agreement with arriving in place for the Palliative Care work group. The program learning journey will provide Education Resources on a advanced Care Planning and access to Palliative Care to serve older adults and adults with serious illness in San Francisco. The San Francisco Palliative Care task force was created in 2014. The Palliative Care you task force identifies gaps in Palliative Care in the community with barriers to Access Services among africanamericans, chinese and latinx population. To address these challenges, the grantee will provide services to underserved communities. It include research and engagement, focus groups to help develop culturally sensitive tools and resources and access in Palliative Care. Outreach and activity with focus targeted at reach africanamerican, chinese and latinx community. Seeks participants by providing information and resources they may need to make important decisions surrounding the healthcare treatment they may receive and ensure that the treatment is consistent with their wishes. Thriving in place support adults with disabilities who need education Palliative Care and caregiver support. Thank you, im happy to answer any questions you may have. President knutzen Commission Ers have any questions around this agenda item . Hearing none, i want to note, congratulations on this especially to the program thriving in place. Starting a Model Program like this. Always pleased and proud of San Francisco leading the way in another area thats so necessary. I was excite to read about this and hope its the best especially during this complicated time to roll Something Like this out. Vice president spears . Vice president spears it was very nice to see this. Thats a great thing to move forward. President knutzen good model to have that. As cochair of the Palliative Care work group in San Francisco, this work has been exciting to be part of this work group. The work group part of Long Term Care council. Based on what i know thats happening in Palliative Care across the country, this is really it. Its really exciting that well be able to learn from specific communities and really figure out exactly what it takes to make sure that people get access to Palliative Care and utilize tools for advance Care Planning. One of the thing were aware of, especially for people of color who are older, its hard for them to think about going to the doctor much less thinking about how to ask for care when theyre in pain and things like that. I think were going to learn a lot. Its going to be really exciting to be able to take those learnings and advance Palliative Care work in general in the practice of it. President knutzen thank you for those comments. We did wan wanted to in any othr commissioners . Do we have anyone from the public who wishes to comment on this item . Justin, please open the line for Public Comment. Any callers in the queue . We have no callers in the queue. Thank you. President knutzen thank you. Hearing no further reason to speak on the item. We will close Public Comment. Is there a motion from the commissioners to pass agenda item c . So moved. President knutzen thank you commissioner lum made motion to approve agenda item c. Do we have a second . I think we got commissioner sklar. Thank you very much. Please take the roll call for agenda item c. [roll call vote] vote is unanimous. President knutzen thank you so much. Commissioners your next item is item d. [agenda item read] mile zaugg will present this item. We cant hear you. President knutzen you need to be unmuted. Good morning commissioners, good morning executive director mcfadden. Im mike zaugg with office of Community Partnership. The item before you im seeking your acknowledgement and acceptance of cares act funding. This is the coronavirus aid relief and Economic Security act funding. Its a big headline here, we are receiving approximately 1. 9 million in federal aid to support programs for older adults. The funds come from the federal government down to the state through the California Department of aging. They are allocated based on a formula down to our local level. We are given some discretion to how we would like to spend these funds in support of programs for older adults based on need here at the local level. This one is unique. Whereas in other situations where we have contracts with the California Department of aging, this is the second time this year where weve actually received funding. We had the family first Coronavirus Relief act funding. You were able to utilize. Similar idea here, our city budget and fiscal folks require us to present this to you for your acknowledgement and acceptance. From there we can start the program these dollars. Is our intention to use the largest bulk of major amount of the money in support of our Nutrition Program which continue to see very increase demand at this point as well as additional costs related to delivery of services smaller amount of funding going to support our Family Caregiver support program. Helping them address the increase demand in the program shifts they are seeing. Your approval today will allow us to accept the funds. Any subsequent contracting actions that require commissioner approval with these dollars could come back for you guys to see down the road at a future meeting. We can try our best to note where coronavirus or cares act dollars are utilized. Im happy to answer any questions. President knutzen thank you so much mr. Zaugg. Any comments . I have one comment. He answered it. Which is how will the dollars go in the future. He answered that question. President knutzen any other comments or questions from the commissioners . I will just comment, i think we all deeply appreciate that we got this money what it represents for the people who need it in San Francisco. This is going to get administered by people who have now added to their plates of duties and going the extra mile to make sure that this money gets administered and programs get implemented. I want to acknowledge that we also recognize getting all that extra money is also a lot of extra work. Its just so important to our community. We really appreciate it. I dont hear anything else from other commissioners. Do have anyone from the public who wish to comment on this item . Please open the phone line for Public Comment. Members of the public that are dialed in and wish to provide Public Comment under this item, please press star 3. Members of the public who wish to provide Public Comment and have not dialed in, please call, 408 4189388. Then pound and then pound again. When connected, you will hear the meeting discussion but you will be muted in listen mode only. When your item of interest comes up its important to dial star 3 so you will be added to the speaker line. For those of you already on hold, please continue to wait until the system indicates you have been unmuted. We will wait 30 seconds for callers to submit their request. Do we have any callers in the queue . There are no callers in the queue. Thank you. President knutzen thank you. Hearing no further request, we will close Public Comment. Is there a motion from the commissioners to approve agenda item d . Vice president spears, do i have a second . Thank you commissioner lum, seconded the motion. Please call the roll call vote for agenda item d. [roll call vote] the vote is unanimous. President knutzen thank you very much. Commissioners your next item isened item item e. [agenda item read] Michael Zaugg will present. This item is a contract with the California Department of anding. Its funding for the mippa program. Its medical improvement for patient and provide act. These are dollars California Department of aging issue one or two year allocation. Its to fund outreach enrollment in the low income subsidies and the medicare saving program. The low income subsidies is tied to part d Prescription Drug benefit that helps with meeting premiums and copay. Medicare Savings Program are programs which help covering Medicare Part a and part b premiums. This is a relatively limited term and smaller amount of funds. We have historically for the past two years, added these dollars into our Hicap Program which is medicare and councilling advocacy program. It fits well in that model. Selfhelp for the elderly is a contractor that mores the Hicap Program. I think that this outreach and targeting fits well within that Hicap Program as they have the Institutional Knowledge as well as the networks in the community and the language capacity really to get the information out and engage consumers related to these benefits. I think with todays agenda item, we are something ill note that, in 2018 where the Social Security administration estimated that participant in the low Income Subsidy and medicare Savings Program could be up to 4000 a year out of their own expenses by participating in these programs. [please stand by]. Members of the public that are already dialled in and wish to provide Public Comment sorry about that. Hello . Under this item, please press star, three to enter into the queue. Members of the public who have not dialed in, please call 4084189388 and enter the meeting code 1466392369. Press pound, and pound again. When your item comes up, it is important to press star, three so you will be added to the speaker line. For those of you already on hold, please wait until the system indicates you have been unmuted. We will wait 30 seconds for callers to dial in. Justin, do we have any callers in the queue . Operator madam secretary, we have no callers on the queue. Okay. Hearing no further speakers on the item, we will close Public Comment. Is there a motion to approve agenda item e from commissioners . A motion to approve from commissioner sklar. Do we have a second . Second. Second. Okay. Two seconds, but ill take the one from Vice President spears. Madam clerk, will you please take a roll call vote. [roll call] clerk thank you, commissioners. President nu president knutzen, the vote is unanimous. Thank you. The next item is item f, requesting authorization to enter into a new Grant Agreement with selfhelp for the elderly for the provision of Health Insurance counseling and advocacy, hicap, during the period january 1, 2021 to june 30, 2024, in the amount of 1,364,052plus a 10 contingency for a total grant amount not to exceed 1,500,457. And Ofelia Trevino will present this. Good morning, commissioners. This is a medicare focused program that provides community education, oneonone counseling and medicare benefits for medicare beneficiaries. Services are free and delivered via trained counselors. Counselored provide unbiased information on Medicare Part a, b, c, d, managed care, and different longterm care plans available. Services are provided in the clients preferred language, including chinese, cantonese, and tagalog. This last fiscal year, 2019 through 2020, they were very close to meeting benchmark and provided counseling to approximately 1,981 clients. Coronavirus, shelter in place had something to do with them not being able to meet the 2,000 benchmark, but theyve been able to transition and provide services and online counseling, online and via telephone. Thank you, and please let me know if i may answer any other questions. Are there any questions for miss trevino from the commissioners on this item . Vice president spears . Vice president spears yeah, just one question. So if the contract, and the one we just approved will be put together to authorize services in this area, i just want to be sure. Yes, thats correct. Vice president spears okay. I dont have any other questions. President knutzen okay. Any other questions from the commissioners . Okay. Hearing none, do we have any members of the public wishing to comment on this item in. Clerk justin, please open the comment line now. Members of the public who are listening in, please press star, three to enter the queue. Those it have you who have not of you who have not yet dialed in, dial 4084189388, and enter the meeting code 1466392369, and pound, and pound again. When your item of interest comes up, it is very important to dial star, three so you will be added to the speaker line. For those of you on heaold, please continue to wait until the system has been unmuted. We will wait 30 seconds for callers to submit their request. Justin, do we have any callers in the queue . Operator madam secretary, we have no callers in the queue. President knutzen okay. Hearing none, we will close Public Comment. Is there a motion to approve agenda item f . So moved. President knutzen oh, great. It has been moved by commissioner lum. Do i have a second . Second. President knutzen second from commissioner sklar. Madam secretary, will you please take a roll call vote. [roll call] clerk thank you, commissioners. President knutzen, the vote is unanimous. President knutzen thank you so much. And do we have any announcements . Hearing none, do we have a motion to adjourn the meeting . So moved. President knutzen Vice President spears moves to adjourn the meeting. Do we have a second from any of the other commissioners . Second. President knutzen great. Then on behalf of the commission, just want to say it again, thank you for the staff and everything youre doing this month. And commissioners, thank you for the extra efforts made to patch in audio, video, whatever we could do today. We made this happen again, and very, very pleased with it. So thank you for participating, a , a and thank you to the members of staff and public who are listening today. So until next month. Ill adjourn the meeting. Thank you. Thanks, all. We have private and Public Gardens throughout the garden tour. All of the gardens are volunteers. The only requirement is youre willing to show your garden for a day. So we have gardens that vary from all stages of development and all gardens, family gardens, private gardens, some of them as small as postage stamps and others pretty expansive. Its a variety all of the world is represented in our gardens here in the portola. I have been coming to the portola garden tour for the past seven or eight years ever since i learned about it because it is the most important event of the neighborhood, and the reason it is so important is because it links this neighborhood back to its history. In the early 1800s the portola was farmland. The regions flowers were grown in this neighborhood. If you wanted flowers anywhere future bay area, you would come to this area to get them. In the past decade, the area has tried to reclaim its roots as the garden district. One of the ways it has done that is through the portola garden tour, where neighbors open their gardens open their gardens to people of San Francisco so they can share that history. When i started meeting with the neighbors and seeing their gardens, i came up with this idea that it would be a great idea to fundraise. We started doing this as a fundraiser. Since we established it, we awarded 23 scholarships and six work projects for the students. The Scholarship Programs that we have developed in association with the portola is just a winwinwin situation all around. The Scholarship Program is important because it helps people to be able to tin in their situation and afford to take classes. I was not sure how i would stay in San Francisco. It is so expensive here. I prayed so i would receive enough so i could stay in San Francisco and finish my school, which is fantastic, because i dont know where else i would have gone to finish. The scholarships make the difference between students being able to stay here in the city and take classes and having to go somewhere else. [ ] [ ] you come into someones home and its theyre private and personal space. Its all about them and really their garden and in the city and urban environment, the garden is the extension of their indoor environment, their Outdoor Living room. Why are you here at this garden core . Its amazing and i volunteer here every year. This is fantastic. Its a beautiful day. You walk around and look at gardens. You meet people that love gardens. Its fantastic. The portola garden tour is the last saturday in september every year. Mark your calendars every year. You can see us on the website good afternoon. And welcome to the land use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco board of supervisors for today, august 31st, 2020. I am the chair of the Committee Aaron peskin, joined by Committee Member supervisor dean preston and i think to be joined momentarily by vice chair supervisor ahsha safai. Our clerk is miss erica major. Ms. Major, do you have any announcements . Clerk yes. Due to the covid19 health emergency,