Transcripts For SFGTV BOS Land Use Committee 20240712

Good afternoon. Welcome to the land use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco board of supervisors for today, monday, november 2nd, the day before the most important election in our lives. Our clerk is miss erica major, miss major, let me announce actually, call the roll, miss major. Call the roll, supervisor peskin. Present. Supervisor safai. Safai absent. Supervisor preston. Present. Thank you, sorry, safai is present. The only reason i asked for you to call the roll, the screen that i have doesnt show me everybody who is participating, so im not sure why this device is doing that. But all right. Ms. Madam clerk, do you have any announcements. Yes, mr. Chair. Due to the covid19 Health Emergency and to protect board members, employees and the public, board of supervisor legislative chamber and Committee Room are closed. However, members will participate in the meeting remotely. This precaution is taken pursuant to the statewide stayathome order and all local and state orders. Committee members will attend through Video Conference and participate in the same extent as if they were physically present. Public comment will be available on each item on this agenda. Streaming the number across the screen. Each speaker will be allowed two minutes to speak. Comments or opportunities to speak during the Public Comment period are available via phone by calling the number 4156550001, again, thats 4156550001. The meeting i. D. Is 1466007437. Again, thats 1466007437. Press pound and pound again. When connected you will hear the meeting discussion but will be muted and in listening mode only. When your item of interest comes up star and 3 to enter to the speaker line. Speak clearly and slowly and turn down your television or radio. Alternatively, submit comment in the following ways, myself, land use and transportation clerk at erica. Major at sfgov. Org. If you submit Public Comment via email, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and part of the file. And they can be sent also. Finally, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the board of supervisors agenda on november 10th unless otherwise stated. Thank you, miss major. Could you please read the first item. Item 1, temporarily restrict landlords of eviction of commercial tenants during the pandemic. Call the number 4156550001, meeting i. D. 1466007437, press pound and pound again. If you have not done so already, star 3 to line up to speak. The system prompt will indicate you have raised your hand. Mr. Chair. And i want to start by thanking my colleague on this panel, supervisor preston as well as two of our colleagues on the board of supervisors, supervisors mar and walton for their cosponsorship. This may seem like an extraordinary measure but this is an extraordinary and unprecedented time in San Francisco and i wanted to start by thanking and acknowledging the mayor of San Francisco, mayor london breed, for the extraordinary steps she has already taken in a number of executive orders, and this legislation builds off of that. This is commercial eviction protection legislation, and lets be clear. Time is not on our side. Businesses are closing every day, not only in San Francisco, but around our country and i think we all know that its not just because of business losses, its also about inability to pay what we are establishing in rent that exists before the pandemic and no longer realistic in this new economy. And our imperative is to maintain the cultural fabric of different neighborhoods in San Francisco ranging from chinatown that i represent to japantown that supervisor preston represents, and other neighborhoods across the city, and we cannot afford to delay this because if we do we will wake up to communities like chinatown that are decimated with the unique Cultural Heritages that they represent, and i said earlier today that actually happened a half century ago in the case of the Western Addition and the fillmore district during the bad days of redevelopment and once those long standing Community Legacy businesses went away, they never returned. And we have to do everything in our power to do the same in this instance. We all have a shared interest in the stability of Small Businesses in San Francisco, and indeed Small Businesses are the vast preponderance of our employer base in San Francisco. As a matter of fact, some, over 80 of businesses in San Francisco employ ten people or less, and that shared interest extends obviously to lessors and Property Owners and landlords and Small Businesses and their employees as well as every resident and future visitor. And to that end, this legislation would extend the commercial Eviction Moratorium declared and extended by a number of mayoral executive orders and allowed by action by executive order by the governor of the state of california, my former colleague, gavin newsom, for all Small Businesses under 25 million in gross receipts for the full duration of the california Eviction Moratorium. It creates tiered repayment, for 25 or less employees, 24 months, and 11 and 25 employees, a year and a half. Businesses from 26 to 50 employees, 12 months to repay. And in the smallest tier, most Small Businesses operating in San Francisco, you would have the right to terminate your lease despite the contract. And as with the mayors declarations, we also acknowledge that small Property Owners are hurting as well. So if you are a landlord who owns less than 25,000 square feet totally in San Francisco, you can apply for hardship waiver from these requirements. And as with our covid19 response, San Francisco has incurred the earliest pains and have reached some of the earliest gains, albe it we have delayed the expansion of our reopening tomorrow. We are proceeding with our recovery but if we really want to fully recover, we are all going to have to share the pain between Small Businesses and landlords and come up with Creative Solutions to this problem. Thats the full thats really the only path forward to a full recovery. And this legislation gives options. It gives leverage to Small Businesses. It brings people to a table to negotiate and its really about encouraging that relationship between Property Owners and their tenants. Exactly in the same way that we have done on the residential side. And if you dont like the 24month repayment period, you can negotiate Something Else that may be shorter or longer and we really encourage folks to reach that alternative agreement and my hope is this legislation will provide the space for those discussions and negotiations and agreements to be realized, and if you are a landlord, i encourage you to do everything in your power to help your tenant survive. After all, given our retail controls in San Francisco you may not have another tenant in the future, and failure to do so will probably be less productive than working something out now. And i really want to, in addition to thanking my cosponsors, thank a number of attorneys who have been representing Small Businesses under extreme pressure, dean ito taylor, allen lowe, and in my office, my staff, lee hefner, and with that, supervisor preston, are there any comments that you might like to add or subtract . Nothing to subtract. Let me just add to thank you, chair peskin, for your leadership on this issue, and also for i think threading the needle in a way thats smart, thats going to force some Property Owners to the table. I do think that there is in a sense the way it is right now and i think we all came together and appreciate the mayors leadership around the moratorium, and those have been, the ones done by executive order have been shortterm, and by their nature that makes some sense and i think this is the right process where we are looking at something thats going to be around longer, provide longer term protection, that it goes through the body, allows folks to weigh in in a way that they cant necessarily do so with the same public process on executive orders. But i also think that to me this legislation is very much about fairness. We have a situation right now where there are there are commercial Property Owners right now around the city who are doing what they should do, who recognize Small Businesses are hurting, who are coming to the take, taking less than the full rent, who are working out payment plans, who are waiving some rent, being creative in those solution. And i applaud the folks doing that. And then we have some landlords who are not doing that with their business, who are insisting that despite the suffering that their business tenants are going through, that residents across the city are going through, they are adamant 100 of the rent throughout a global pandemic, where Small Businesses have had little to no revenue. And i think thats an unreasonable position. And i think that one of the real impacts of this legislation should it move through and be passed by the full board is to force those landlords who have i think unreasonably dug their heels in to just begin acting like some of the more reasonable commercial landlords in this city and theres no reason why the unreasonable folks should be drawing blood, so to speak, and getting every penny of rent from people who cant afford it while other landlords are acting more reasonably, are giving folks a bit of a break and working out as something that works for everyone. So, i think thats the biggest impact of this legislation. Yes, this will stop evictions. Yes, this will force some folks to work out payment plans. What it will really do, it will change the dynamic that exists right now, and chair peskin, you mentioned japantown in my district, the Japan Center Mall has so many businesses and a commercial Property Owner that has not been willing to negotiate with the tenants, and theres a lot of detail in this legislation but to me the biggest impact is landlords like that are going to have to come to the table. The only thing that will make sense for them to come to the table if this legislation gets through. I appreciate your leadership and your staff and lee hefner in particular for all the work getting this right and proud to be a cosponsor of it. Thank you, supervisor peskin. And supervisor safai, i am wait i think for some late breaking amendments, so after we go to supervisor safai we will go to Public Comment and if i have the amendments i will introduce them. In either event, whether i have them timely during this meeting or not, we will continue the meeting to november 9th. Supervisor vice chair safai. Thank you, mr. Chair. Just want to say this is an obvious statement but i think it needs to be reiterated. I think some people want to live in a different reality. These are extraordinary times. These are absolutely extraordinary times. And because of that you cant show me one business in this city that doesnt want to remain in business. You cant show me one person that gets up every day thinking to themselves i dont want to pay my rent, i dont want to conduct my business. Its the opposite. They live with the anxiety of debt. I have a barber in my district and he said im thinking about just closing up shop. The weight of the debt on my shoulders feels like too much. I have too much pride. Im not the kind of person that wants to be in debt for the rest of my life. And that story plays itself out over and over and over again. And all we are trying to do, and i would like to be added as a cosponsor to this legislation. I thought i had conveyed that to you sooner, apologize for not getting it sooner definitely want to be a cosponsor. We are trying to ensure that peoples livelihoods can remain, that people can continue to have a place to go to work, and that our communities are not completely devastated. And thats what we are facing. We are facing the future of so many of these businesses, people that have put their entire lifesavings on the line and they have this massive burden of debt hanging over them, and then not to mention the threat of eviction. Not quite sure what some of the landlords are thinking, i think if they were to evict and massive evictions in commercial spaces they wouldnt then be able to turn around and rent these spaces, so im not quite sure what thats about. Allow there to be more period of time, for people to pay off their debt, to put a pause on the idea of evicting people during this crisis and these extraordinary times and this legislation meets that standard of measure and allows us to really get a balance back and hopefully well be able to continue to protect some of these communities and businesses. That doesnt mean the landlords will not be without collecting their rent because i know people will still be obligated to do that, and as supervisor preston said and you said, supervisor peskin, they will work out payment plans and a way to pay off their debt. The reasonable thing to do here is sit down and negotiate, and thats what this legislation does. Proud to be a cosponsor. Thank you so much for your cosponsorship. Madam clerk, open this up for Public Comment. James is checking to see if there are any callers in queue. If you have not done so, star 3 to be added to the queue. James, first caller, please. Yes, my name is dean erickson, im an owner after small family owned business, fit neighborhood fit, also a member of the San Francisco independent Business Coalition and also a tenant and a landlord, so i understand both sides of the fence, if you will. Im calling today to voice my support for commercial lease legislation allowing alignment of the commercial eviction mother moratorium. Its absolutely that the rent and threat of landlord eviction is mitigated like many. Like many, i have, as a landlord refusing to discuss our lease situation and putting a plan in place. I have requested a number of meetings, offered proposed solutions, expressed interest in longterm commitment, only to be ignored and my business is held hostage by my landlord. San francisco leadership needs to step in to set guidelines and reestablish meant the vacancy tax to support the Small Business community. Crush Small Business, provide landlords all the leverage and negotiations and set the citys economy up to fail as Small Business owners have to walk away from their leases. This again is the no brainer decision on our shoulders. One that must be acted on for the wellbeing of the San Francisco economy. Speakers time has expired. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please. Looks like we have 16 listeners and nine in queue. Good afternoon. Stefy, a resident of San Francisco, grew up in the east bay, city is a special place for my family and me. Come here to eat and shop in the Small Businesses around japantown and the city. We dont have any family here but Small Businesses made us feel like home. My parents visit me and often times shop at Small Businesses. 44 of the activity, and one of the biggest employers. Small businesses have made the city what it is today. Drive people like my family to visit. Communities that i care about, japantown. And built on dreams and livelihoods across the city and nation. Asking for your full support in its entirety and full support from the board supervisors next tuesday. We need it to pass to give the Small Businesses a fighting chance and a chance to be the vibrant, beautiful, diverse and unique home to so many. Thank you to the supervisors on this call and to the future supervisors who support this. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please. My name is evan, my wife and i own a small Fitness Studio on Market Street and im calling in support of this ordinance. I think its instrumental in keeping Small Businesses afloat. A few things i would say, i think its good to align with the state. So much uncertainty with Small Business and doing it with the state, Small Businesses and landlords, more certainty of things. The only other suggestion, especially for the smaller tenants less than ten people, longer than 24 months, should have a Square Footage component. Ten people in the 800 square foot face versus the ten people in the 8,000 square foot warehouse. Another component to look at different rents based off of Square Footage. And i think a lot of us will owe 200,000, and its 10,000 a month in addition to rebuilding the business. In full support and i hope you guys are too. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Notified when your line has been unmuted, you may pegin your comments. Begin your comments. Hillarie, japantown for justice, coalition for the Young Leaders working locally to promote economic sovereignty. Asking for your full support of this ordinance in its entirety. As a fourth generation japanese american, my ties to the Japanese Culture and community directly correlates to San Francisco japantown. If this ordinance doesnt pass, not only will so many Small Businesses go under in japantown but decimate the community we have worked so hard to preserve and honor. These businesses are the heart and soul of japantown. Without them, japantown will cease to exist and future generations will never know and experience the magic of a cultural district such as ours. Please give our Small Businesses a fighting chance to make et through this pandemic. Support this ordinance in entirety and urge you and your coworkers do so as well next week once it passed. Eight in queue. Next speaker, please. Hello. Can you hear me . Yes, you may begin your comments. Ok. Great. Thank you. Hi, my name is nia, calling from berkeley, california but a graduate student at the university at San Francisco state university. Im calling asking for your full support of the commercial Eviction Moratorium ordinance today and the board of supervisors next week. I echo hillaries sentiments, im a fifth generation japanese american and come to San Francisco to connect with my roots by going to japantown and knowing the communities of color have consistently been displaced across San Francisco. It is important we continue to support the Small Businesses that continue to hold on to that cultural legacy, continue being Community Spaces for current and future generations. The covid pandemic has devastated Small Businesses, residents, tenants, not only in San Francisco but the nation. And i believe its in your power to stop that by resisting our communities to be harmed by the exorbitant rental crisis. I hope you will continue to save our Small Businesses and save what makes San Francisco great. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker. Youll be notified your line has been unmuted and you may begin your comments. Good afternoon, supervisors. My name is paul wormer, and i guess its a relief to be talking on something other than the all electric new construction ordinance. Thank you, supervisor peskin, for sponsoring this and supervisors preston and safai for cosponsoring it. Ive been involved in both the fillmore commercial district and japantown as a customer of Small Businesses. And they are vital and interesting. And it is essential that they be preserved. This ordinance is absolutely, one, a very important part to do that, so, thank you for introducing it. I urge its passage and thats it. Thanks. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please. Two minutes. Hi, my name is jerry chen, a resident in district one, a board member of the japanesetown task force and community member. Small businesses are crucial to the vitality of our neighborhood. And so i, you know, i thank the supervisors for creating this legislation, and i urge its full support, both here and at the board of supervisors meeting. Japantown as a whole and many businesses have weathered the american incarceration during world war ii as well as redevelopment, but in all these crises took a toll and now our community is once again vulnerable and at risk of the of covid19 and the pending weight of evictions. So i know there are many of our businesses, including our legacy businesses, that really need this support or else they are at risk of closing, and so i thank for writing this and i urge to support it all the way through. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Four left in queue. Hi, malcolm young, and i want to urge the Land Use Committee and the board itself to support this legislation with amendments that the committee im sure will consider and approve. You know, frankly this legislation is a lifeline, lifelines are critical in the era of covid. All the speakers on the floor have mentioned how Small Businesses are failing. At the same time, Small Businesses make up the life blood in many ways, the culture of our community, and thats certainly true of chinatown. So, i want to urge the committee to approve this and the full board to approve it as well. Thank you. Thank you, next speaker, please. Hi, paul, executive director of the japanese cultural and Community Center of Northern California. I live in San Francisco for 60 years. Small businesses are the heart and soul of this city. If this ordinance doesnt pass and the moratorium ends the end of november, there are going to be hundreds, thousands of businesses go out past the holidays. You know, its not just going to affect Small Businesses, when they start to close down, they are going to blighten neighborhoods. Impact is beyond just businesses, you know, they make up the economy of San Francisco. This is crazy that, you know, we havent already extended it and the governor allowing for this. You know, hopefully when we take over the white house and the senate and the stimulus package can be passed, you know, there will be further support to support the economy of this nation. I mean, its the only way its going to happen. I understand landlords are hurting, but you know, its just doesnt equate to some of the landlords who own several properties, multimillions of dollars to a mom and pop business thats all they have. And thats all they have had for decades. And they are going to put them out of business by this, you know, deferred rent that you are going to have to owe in 4, 5 months, and its just going to balloon payment their rent. It will put them out of business. This ordinance has to pass and more government intervention. The only way this situation is going to be solved because this covid pandemic has no end in sight. So we dont know how long this is going to go and how far its going to continue to impact our economy and our Small Businesses. Thank you. Thank you, next speaker, please. Hi, my name is jean erickson, im a Small Business owner, i own Fitness Studios, and im just calling because im hoping for the full support of the commercial moratorium ordinance. As a Small Business community, as a Small Business owner that has put everything into my businesses, with you just really need help to make it through this pandemic. You know, im a landlord and im also a renter, so i can see both sides of it very clearly. But dealing with a landlord who will not even respond to my email, she wont take a call, she wont meet us to talk about it. And we are just sitting here with months and months of rent piling up. You know, ive done my best to pay what i can right now with my business only open at 10 capacity. Just recently being able to open at 25 capacity. But ill tell you, its really daunting to think of having to pay all this back rent so quickly to her when we havent been able to be open and we have lost almost all of our business during this pandemic. So, im going to urge that we make the ordinance longer than 24 months. I think its just a really heavyweight to be putting on these Small Business owners to have to pay the heavy, large sums of rent back so quickly. So when we are talking about we are talking about thousands and thousands of dollars that you are asking us to pay back in a relatively short amount of time. There needs to be help so well stay here and we want to keep fighting to be here. Otherwise, its just a lot of weight on the Small Business operators shoulders. So, thank you so much for helping us out and thank you so much for starting this dialogue and trying to help Small Businesses actually talk to their landlords, and create a more positive out come. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please. You have two minutes. Chris chen, im a Small Business owner in the Japan Center Mall, owner of a cafe, and i want to thank you for sponsoring the ordinance. Ordinance will greatly help my Small Business. We have been highly impacted by the pandemic. We were closed for a few months and extremely slow climb back. Revenues are down by more than 60 and the landlord is not negotiating with us. We have tried over and over again, but we have not heard back. And this ordinance will greatly help us with a reasonable repayment plan. Thank you again for sponsoring the ordinance. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please. You have two minutes. Hello, matt, a stakeholder in San Franciscos japantown. Call in support of the ordinance. Its full of Small Businesses and the businesses are what make japantown special. Without the business, there would not be a japantown, and i hope you would support this for they have a chance to pay back past due rent. Its not their fault they did not have the fund to raise rent, and continue to have Small Businesses for future generations to enjoy. Thank you, i hope you will support this. Next speaker. Hi, my name is tracy sylvester, owner of e. H. S. Pilates, located in the mission on valencia street. As a board member of the Mission Merchants association, delegate of the district of merchants and a member of another association s advocating for Small Businesses for over ten years. Its important we do all we can for Small Businesses, the heart of wonderful city of San Francisco. Alignment for the Eviction Moratorium by state order. Thank you for your time. Thank you, next speaker, please. Hi, can you hear me . Yes, we can hear you. Begin your comments. Hi. Hi, supervisors, im a resident of district one and a fourth generation japanese american. Im calling to express my full support for this commercial eviction protections ordinance. Like many other minority groups in s. F. , in the Japanese American Community we have a history with eviction in San Francisco. Essentially evicted from s. F. By the u. S. Government in world war ii and then in the 1960s due to redevelopment. Every time we have been kicked out, we have come back to our japantown and even have some Small Businesses here that are over 100 years old. Here again in 2020 we are at risk of getting evicted and this is devastating. Japantown has already lost i think at least seven Small Businesses since shelterinplace began and ive been talking to some of of the Small Businesses here, they are telling me that they are getting charged interest for being late on their payments, some of them 50 a day. Yeah, and these Small Businesses are a huge part of our community. So i really urge you to help us save them, and thank you so much for your work on this ordinance. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please. Hello i am a resident of the outer sunset and i work at a communitybased nonprofit in japantown. Im calling today to express my support for a commercial moratorium extension and ordinance to enforce it, and i do want to extend my appreciation to supervisors peskin, preston and safai as well for their support and for having the foresight to place policy on the table that will protect our Small Businesses in our communities Going Forward. I am, like many of my colleagues on this call, very concerned about the future of the japantown community and other communities throughout the city. Small neighborhoods with their local businesses are all at risk with the pandemic and without protections in place, you know, without pathways for businesses to be paid back rent, in exorbitant amounts, they will not be able to survive and as others have pointed out on this call, the lifeblood of the communities in this city would not exist without these protections. So, i do want to urge the rest of the board of supervisors to support this ordinance Going Forward and i am hoping for the citys recovery in the future. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Mr. Chair, james indicated that was our last caller. Thank you, madam clerk and colleagues. I will now close Public Comment and let me just start by thanking all the members of the public for their Public Comment this afternoon and as i indicated earlier i do have quite a number of amendments to make to this file which we will continue and those amendments reflect the ongoing evolution of this piece of Public Policy and you will recall that we actually introduced this legislation before the governor extended his original order that was order number n8020, which increased our window to pass this kind of legislation as a local government as well as prior to the mayors most recent 28 supplemental declaration issued at the end of september. The amendments which im about to describe have been circulated to my colleagues and will be included in the public file where anybody can examine them and comment on them again at our hearing on november 9th before this same committee. So, going down the list of those amendments on pages 12, updating the findings to reflect the updated governors executive order and the local supplemental declaration which i just mentioned which extends the protections through the end of march 2021 and november of 2020, respectively. Page three, inserting a new finding that the Small Businesses for the ability or inability to pay back losses for the covid19 pandemic. Page three, line 22, and page five, line six, inserting a series of new definitions for covered commercial tenants, means businesses with less than 25 million in annual gross receipts calculated on 2019 numbers and what that means is that these are businesses that experienced Financial Impact related to covid19 forebearance period, moratorium period, and the four tiers of commercial tenants i described earlier in the meeting. Page five, line eight, the protections that align with each tier for businesses less than 25 million of annual gross receipts that have suffered Financial Impacts, they will not be able to pay rent and the landlord will not be able to get possession during the moratorium period. Tier one businesses, 24 months from the period we discussed earlier, tier 2, 18 months, tier 3, 12 months. And page six, Small Businesses and landlords may arrive at alternative arrangements, i spoke to earlier. Subsection c on page six allows tier one businesses only to terminate the leases during the moratorium period without any liability of rent payments or penalties that comes following the termination, and subsection d, hardship for landlords that own 25,000 square feet of area, and a waiver to landlords who can demonstrate hardships. Subsection e on page seven prohibits late fees or interest from accruing on payments missed due to Financial Impacts resulting from the pandemic and i may next week delete one other subsection, subsection i on page eight, but am not going to do that today, so those are the amendments that i am offering and are there any comments from vice chair safai, cosponsor or member preston, cosponsor . All sound good to me. They sound good to me. I did have a question and i dont know if its a clarification of the existing state of the ordinance or would require potentially additional amendment. If you want to move forward and adopt those amendments before i raise the question it doesnt pertain to these particular amendments. Ok. It does not pertain to the amendments, madam clerk on the motion i just made to move the aforementioned amendments, a roll call please. [roll call vote taken] three ayes. Supervisor preston. Thank you, chair peskin. Here, and maybe this is for deputies to the one thing im trying to understand and make sure is that i think there are some legal questions around where rent is owed under leases. There are some disputes and unsettled questions of law, frankly, as to what extent rent is owed under certain circumstances for a business. So, theres quite a bit of case law, some of which ive looked through, around the commercial frustration of purpose doctrine in which when a Government Order shuts your business down to 0 because of an unanticipated situation. Under what circumstances you may have the right already without the ordinance to either terminate the lease, not pay rent. What i want to make sure, and i want to make sure my understanding is correct of this. Im not a lawyer and dont know this legal theory, like a force mejure concept . Yes, and different concepts, impossibility various defenses, to unanticipated situations that shut down the business and that is one typical contract provision. I think whats important, these are, for the folks who represent the Small Businesses negotiating with the landlords, the question is to what extent do these doctrines apply, what extent in a situation might the tenant not be on the hook for rent. And my purpose for bringing it up, make sure nothing in this ordinance could be read to require a payment, lets say after the moratorium period when we have language about penalties or the obligations to pay, that we are not expanding in any way a landlords right to collect rent. So i dont know, from the deputy City Attorney, maybe as is, we are not expanding those rights. Or waiving those defenses or do we need a provision that says nothing here is intended to to create an obligation to pay rent that may not be as common law, or statute, do we need a provision to make it clear or is it already clear . Madam deputy City Attorney pearson. Hello, everyone. You raised equitable defenses available to tenants who may have an argument that rent is not due under theory of probability, they were not able to do what was in the contract during the term. And i have to be honest, ive read these amendments only in realtime, i had not seen them before they were distributed. I think the suggestion that you are making might be a good one, to just add language to clarify that nothing here is intended to foreclose the availability of the defenses and we can look at that this week, this item will be continued. Thank you, deputy City Attorney pearson. And thank you for raising those really fascinating questions that i dont really understand but i think i do. Yes, thank you. And if we need something next week i think as, in my quick read of the amendments on, you know, just like i was looking at page, what is it, page six, the new c talks about for example, a tenant opts to terminate their lease early, you know, it talks about responsibility for unpaid rent, right . And again, i im confident we are all on the same page from a policy perspective that it would be the opposite of the intent of this ordinance to in any way create obligations for rent thats not otherwise owed, and it would defer to the city of attorney and you chair peskin as to whether something is needed to clear that up or not. And that is certainly not my intent and really appreciate your calling that out and as deputy City Attorney said we have a week to investigate that so relative to the item that has been amended, i would like to make a motion to continue this one week to our meeting of november 9th. On that motion, madam clerk, a roll call, please. Motion to continue as amended to next weeks meeting. [roll call vote taken] you have three ayes. And supervisor safai, appreciate your cosponsorship and supervisor peskin on the leadership side and for all the folks pushing this at the local level. Item 2, ordinance amending the planning code to designate the history of medicine in california frescoes and toland hall, 533 parnassus avenue as a landmark, and appropriate findings. Members of the public who wish to provide public item, call the number on the screen, 4156550001, and meeting i. D. Is 1466007437. Press pound and pound again. If you have not done already, star 3 to sign up for speak. A prompt will indicate you have raised your hand. Mr. Chair. Thank you, mr. Dam clerk and colleagues, i want to thank you, i think it was just about three months ago last day of july we passed a measure asking the Historic Preservation commission and the Planning Department to investigate this incredible set of murals by bernard barok in toland hall on the u. C. S. F. Parnassus campus as a potential landmark. I want to thank the Planning Department as was the Historic Preservation commission that ultimately did the research, presented the case report, and recommended this unanimously to the board of supervisors and i would like to start by turning it over to falia lavalee, from the Planning Department, and then to the university of california vice chancellor brian newman, and i think strides are being made to preserve the work of this incredible muralist whose frescoes are at coit tower, be learned, and the greatest fresco muralist, diego rivera. So with that. Thank you, supervisor peskin. Just one moment while i share my screen. Can you correct me as to how i pronounce your last name, please . Lavallee. My bad. Its all right, thank you. Are you seeing an image on your yes, we are. Ok, great. And its an incredible image. Yes, it is. Thank you. Good afternoon, supervisors. Planning department staff. Before you is an ordinance recommending landmark designation of a history of medicine in california frescoes. Created by artist Bernard Zackheim and his assistants from 1936 to 1938. Artwork is composed of eight panels, and two more panels, on toland hall, university of california Parnassus Heights campus. Frescoes depict california medical history with images of doctors, Lab Scientists and other medical professional, and of suffering and recovered patients. As supervisor peskin mentioned on june 23rd he introduced a resolution to initiate landmark designation for the history of medicine in california frescoes. Land use committee and the full board of supervisors voted unanimously to recommend and approve the resolution, effective july 31, 2020, with the mayors signature. The proposed landmark designation was heard by the Historic Preservation commission on august 19, 2020. Voted unanimously to recommend approval of landmark designation. Its significant with the association of the history of the Work Project Administration federal art project as a work that displays higher values and characteristics of new dealer ra mural artwork and the work of Bernard Zackheim. 1936 to 1938, and at the time of the Historic Preservation Commission Hearing we had three emails and one letter in support of the designation from the public. Separate from the designation, the Preservation Commission made a recommendation that was included in the resolution that was forwarded to the board that the history of medicine in california frescoes be kept together and retained on the ucsf Parnassus Heights campus in a manner accessible for the public to view. Thank you, that completes my presentation, but im here if you have any questions. Are there any questions from Committee Members . Seeing none. Vice chancellor newman. Or miss alden. Vice chancellor brian newman is here, i think hes just getting off his mute. Thank you. To the chair, let brian know his mike is unmuted, so he can speak, you can hear him. Mr. Vice chancellor. Can you hear me now . Yes, we can. Im sorry, i i think i had my default on the wrong set of speakers, apologize. Dont worry, its the time of covid, brian. Can you see me as well . Yes, sir. Okay. Well, chair peskin, members of the supervisor, apologize for that and i thank you for having me back here. I participated in july as well as the Historic Preservation commission. Ucsf remains neutral on the actual ordinance but i want to give you an update on what has transpired since that time when we spoke in july to see if you have any questions about the actions we are taking relative to the zackheim murals. At that time i mentioned that we had a request for proposals out on the street soliciting bids from qualified teams to conserve, remove, transport and store the murals so we could proceed with the new research and Academic Building on the campus, on the ucsf campus, and that r. F. P. Was successful, two highly qualified teams present bids, a thorough process of reviewing qualifications as well as the bids themselves and we selected the Conservation Services g. C. , and group as architect of record to proceed with this work for the university of california San Francisco. So we have awarded the work to them. As you know, they are currently engaged in relocating the diego rivera murals, to sfmoma, they will not begin the Engineering Work on january, but they will be on campus the beginning of january at that do the works, although they will probably not be located to the end of summer. End of the contract in october of 2021. So we were moving forward with that work, but just to be safe, as i mentioned earlier, we also engaged with an outside ven tore, cy art to do high quality digital recordings of the murals themselves, and that is completed. Expanded contracts to do similar works on the other murals at ucsf, so we have a full record of the zackheim work at ucsf. The next step, once the work is underway, to work with all the stakeholders, as well as the broader ucsf on the future display of the murals themselves. We have been collecting ideas and suggestions from all kinds of stakeholders and over the next several months, we will answer the process where the murals will go. But our intention is not to leave them in storage forever. We plan on engaging anyone who has an interest in this to determine where the best location, whether it be ucsf campus or at a Museum Setting where the works of art can be preserved and interpreted formally for the public. Ill leave it there and see if you have any questions. Overall, we are excited about the progress relative to the future of the murals and we are neutral on the specific ordinance, we understand the passion the community and all of you have, and thank the staff and the Preservation Commission for the work of the preparation of the ordinance before you today. So, with that thank you, vice chancellor newman, all rowing in the same direction at least as this aspect from Committee Members. Ill say quickly, mr. Chair, if thats ok. Yes, of course. Im, i would like to be a cosponsor, i thought i was, again, i thought i was already. This is a very important thing. This is a part of our history. I think there was some miscommunication, we have talked about that in the past and glad you are clarifying it today. A message that you were going to archive this via video. You said you clarified that. That to me would not be appropriate based on the history of the mural and the ability to preserve historic artifacts and pieces of art. Im glad to hear that ucsf is committed now to preserving this and we have the ability through endowment, and through benefactors to support this process, im glad that ucsf has committed to this. Its too important piece of would, to lose. Thank you. Member preston, any words . No. All right. Open this up to Public Comment. Thank you, mr. Chair. James from d. T. Helping out with Public Comment callers. James, if you could let us know there are callers, and go ahead and place the first caller on the line. Good afternoon, supervisors. This is willy from San Francisco heritage. I want to express heritages strong support for landmark designation of the history of medicine in california. Ucsf had as youve heard now selected a firm to remove it from toland hall and into storage. They have no plans to renew it to public view. I understand good intentions but no plan announced. This is a publicly funded artwork tied to the site in which it was created. We hope the specificity of this ordinance which recognizes how the arrangement and design of the fresco cycle is inspired by and tied to the parnassus campus. So i hope we are one of the stakeholders that vice chancellor will work with and on view at ucsf for the public too see. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please. Good afternoon again, supervisors. My name is paul wormer. One of the marvelous things about San Francisco are the incredible murals that are found in places throughout the city. High schools, hospitals, Old Post Office buildings. And they really are a tremendous education for people. They tell stories that are easily accessible. They give slices of life. There is wit, humor, social commentary critique, criticism in there. These are important parts of our history. So i want to thank you for recognizing this with this legislation. Their importance is definitely related to their location. And because of that i just want to reiterate at mr. Labontes request, that these be publicly available at the parnassus site in a way that represents how they were originally used, if, yeah, how they were originally used, lets leave it there. And with that, i will say thank you for your consideration and thank you for introducing this legislation. Thank you for your comments. Confirming whether we have any further speakers. And that was our last caller. Mr. Chair. Thank you, madam clerk. Motion to send it to the full board with recommendation on that motion. A roll call, please. Motion as stated. [roll call vote taken] next item, please. 3, ordinance amending the Building Code to require new construction to utilize only electric power, all electric requirement, adopting findings of local conditions and confirming appropriate findings. Public wishing to provide comment on item 3, call 4156550001, meeting i. D. Is 1466007437, then press pound and pound again. If you have not done so already, please press star 3 to line up to speak. The system prompt will indicate you have raised your hand. Mr. Chair. Thank you, madam clerk. As you recall, colleagues, we duplicated this file and sent one version to the full board to be heard tomorrow and another version in committee as supervisor safai indicated he had some potential amendments, and with that, supervisor safai, the floor is yours. So, everyone should have received my amendments, about five pages long, im just kidding. But just wanted to see the chairs face. No, actually, there are two things i spoke about last week, one was the issue with regard to faults and how the faults play into the process of allowing a project that might be of a certain size to go from dual fuel to completely all electric and what that process is, and extensive process of conversations through the Building Department with potential builders and others. We are going to continue that conversation, its going to require more indepth work at the Building Department. The second issue, the one more pressing and outstanding but in terms of scale, very minimal but in terms of importance to those involved in and looking at it from a city planning perspective, in my mind, very important. And i think what we are trying to do with this legislation is to balance the extreme desire to achieve our environmental goals. We are an environmental crisis, there is a tremendous urgency as i think we have allstated before and state again, this is a phenomenally important piece of legislation and i think we are almost there. But with regard to those in the Restaurant Industry, a lot and feeds in nicely about the conversation not being able to pay rent, not being able to continue your business, worrying about the anxiety of having a business when the pandemic ends. One of the areas of our economy thats been hit the worst are restaurants. And when you look at this from a city planning perspective, yes, the ordinance allows for restaurants to reemerge and be permitted under their existing uses, dual fuel in existing spaces. It only allows a oneyear window for exemption for new construction. And when we are thinking about the mission rocks, thinking about the shipyards and thinking about all the development all over the city, those ever probably some of the places that need more commercial support and often times their desire to put restaurants there and heard overwhelmingly from those in the Restaurant Industry that this could be a deal killer for them and their ability to locate. So, we are going to continue the conversation, we dont have any amendments prepared today, we are going to continue the conversation with the Restaurant Industry and the Environmental Community but i will say off the bat i think one year exemption based on where we are in the economy, based on where we are in terms of the search for technology that might replace the desire for a flame in the restaurant, i think we need, we are going to need more time than one year. But we have not drafted any amendments yet. We are going to continue the conversation, so i would just ask the chair after Public Comment if we continue this item to the call of the chair and will continue to work with those affected businesses. We did have some meaningful conversations with the Chinese Chamber of commerce, with the Restaurant Industry and well continue to have those conversations and hopefully come to some type of compromise. Thank you, vice chair safai. And with that, open it up to Public Comment. Thank you, mr. Chair. James with d. T. Checking to see if there are any callers. If there are any callers ready and go ahead and unmute the first caller. Hi, my name is daniel, thanks again, supervisors for hearing us speak and moving forward with this pressing issue. Last week we were excited to get in planned use. Im here as part of the Emergency Coalition and a resident in district eight. We are definitely concerned about any further exceptions. We actually, as you well know, did not think the restaurant exception was necessary, only sort of a Public Interest exemption to handle cases like the Cultural Heritage cases that are crucially important, as discussed in some of the previous items, so we dont feel extending the additional year restaurants are provided on top of the technical exception that supervisor peskin and mandelman worked through diligently is necessary. Many of the projects that were referenced, like the shipyard have historically poor air quality and burdened with air pollution and burdening them further with more infrastructure, whether its pipes or the poor indoor air quality, does not serve our equity goals. And we are excited to see supervisor safai taking a very holistic view and tackling other parts of the code to unblock the climate goals, and thats something we would be interested in in support of to see how that could evolve now. So, that i want to thank everyone for their time. Thats it. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any other members of the public for Public Comment . Hello, my name is sarah greenweld, with 350 San Francisco, and the climate Emergency Coalition and a resident of district two. I would echo his concerns about delay. I was extremely pleased a meeting or two ago, the last meeting, at the progress and i could see that you have worked carefully on exemptions needed. We are continuing the conversation while very goodhearted and certainly wellmet is not terribly specific. So, i dont really know how to comment except to say that climate is not going to wait and the health of people who would be exposed to methane and other toxic gasses if you extend natural gas piping into New Buildings because they might contain restaurants, you know, thats not, health is not going to wait either. I would like to urge all possible [inaudible] on this. Thank you. One last caller. Next speaker, please. Good afternoon yet again, supervisors. This is paul wormer. And i wanted to follow up on the issue of sidewalk faults, and i want to tie it to the recent action in front of the federal energy regular latory between pg e, and raise the issue unlike cities in the Central Valley where everything has been built with airconditioning, and so retrofitting gas heat becomes simple. When you look at San Francisco, which doesnt have airconditioning, the electric grid is not up to the capabilities necessarily as a whole. And so this sidewalk fault issue is one small part of a much bigger problem of how do we get the Electrical Energy to the buildings and how thats paid. And i think thats more than just a building inspection commission, Building Department question. I think that really does play into sfpuc and cleanpowersf. It plays into a more integrated strategy to understand this complex problem which has a lot of interactions with different aspects of the way the city runs. And i urge you not to rush through a vault solution without understanding that it may react with, or interact with other solutions we need to move forward with the full electrification of San Franciscos infrastructure. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Wormer. Does that conclude Public Comment, madam clerk . No, one more caller that popped up. No worries, thats great. Next speaker, please. Hi there, chris, i live in district three, supervisor peskins district. I wanted to address this idea of further extending the exemption for restaurants. I want to be clear, this does not seem to me to be an exemption for restaurants. Seems to be more a bailout for developers. And the neighborhood i live in, there are countless vacancies that could be used for new restaurants so i dont think we have a lack of restaurant space. It seems to me we are trying bail out developers that made bad investments and they should be building all electric commercial spaces Going Forward. With the sidewalk vault issue, im interested in this. The it gives way too much leeway to developers to shirk their requirements, under the Climate Emergency goals and i urge you to consider this idea of closing this loophole. Thank you so much. Thank you, chris. And i think you expressed my sentiments quite well and i do think that supervisor safai is on to something as it relates to the vaults in our sidewalks and that is actually a piece of Public Policy that goes even beyond this legislation that has definitely worth getting our hands around. Any other members of the public that would like to testify on this item . James has confirmed that was the last caller. All right. Close Public Comment. And supervisor safai i believe made a motion to continue this item to the call of the chair on that motion, a roll call, please. [roll call vote taken] you have three ayes. All right. And that is our last item and we are adjourned. Democracy, and o leaders would not be where we are today without the career leader of ruth bader ginsburg. The league of women voters is a San Francisco nonpartisan political nonprofit. The league never endorses candidates, however, we do take stands on issues. We are committed to providing the resources that voters need to exercise this most fund amountal right of our democracy and be assured that our votes will be counted. Please remember that you must be registered to vote by october 19. All registered voters will receive a mail ballot in early october, and options for inperson voting will be available, as well, both early and also on election day, november 3. Please visit our website at lwvsf. Org vote where you will find all of the resources that we offer. The league of women voters is a nonprofit organization. If you would like to get involved, please contact us or go to our website. I would like to introduce our moderator tonight, [inaudible] she was appointed by Governor Newsom as the chief of staff to the California Public Utilities Commission in 2019. Well come, luong. Thank you, and welcome, candidat candidates, to the forum for district 11 board of supervisors candidates forum. First, id like to remind you of our ground rules. Responses should be on the issues and policyrelated. Candidates are expected to be respectful of other candidates and asked to not make personal attacks on other individuals. Here are the procedures for this evenings forum. The candidates will have the opportunity to make 90second opening and closing statements. Opening statements will be in alphabetical order by first name. Closing statements will be in reverse alphabetical order by first name. Each candidate will have 90 seconds to answer questions. Each candidate will have the opportunity to answer the same number of questions. Any rebuttals may be included in the candidates closing statement, which will be 90 seconds. A count downtimer will be displayed with a visual indication. The aspect of the forum will be equally fair to all candidates. Thank you to our attendees tonight. You are in listenonly mode. The q a and chat features are not active. This forum will be ordered and made recorded and made available on our website, lwvsf. Org, our youtube channel, and sfgovtv channel. Tonights forum will give you an opportunity to learn before you vote on november 3. Now, lets begin. You will start off with 90second statements in alphabetical order. [inaudible], and thank you for participating in this forum. Please introduce yourself, tell us which neighborhood you live in, and why you are running for district 11 supervisor. Well start with ahsha safai. Youre on mute. Okay. Sorry. My name is supervisor ahsha safai. Thank you to the San Francisco league of women voters for having me tonight. Ive proudly represented this district for the last four years. When i first ran for office, i had just been working with organized labor for almost a decade and cared deeply about being a strong voice for working families. Distri district 11 has one of the highest concentration of children and people under 19. We are the backbone of this city, the people that get up and make San Francisco work fore every single day, and for the last four years, ive been a strong voice for those families every day. Whether it was our green jobs legislation, whether it was ensuring we chad accessible affordable child care or a woman chief of staff when i was elected board of supervisors. This week honoring justice ginsburg, im very proud to say that the San Francisco political womens committee, along with planned parenthood of Northern California has given me their sole endorsements. Ive been a fighter and working hard for my district. Im very proud, and i look forward to another four years. Thank you. John avalos. Good evening. Its really great to be here. Im john avalos, and im a 22year resident of district 11. I live in the excelsior neighborhood of district 11. Im a father of two, fiance to raquel redondiez, and living with her. Have a senior at balboa high, and a balboa graduate living with us in this neighborhood. Im very honored to have this opportunity to experience representing people in district 11, minorities, people of color, working class, people who are teachers restaurant workers, a lot of people who are dealing with unemployment at this time. We are in a real difficult situation with the pandemic and the economic crisis that were in, and looking to bring back all of my work i did at the board of supervisors, working citywide to make sure we could have the resources for the entire city, but also working with residents here in district 11 so make sure we can build our parks and commercial corridors, making sure we have child care for our families, that we have families, support for our schoolworkers. Thank you. Marcella marcello colusi. Thank you. My name is marcello colusi, and i am running for district 11 supervisor. I am running because i was a worker in peoples homes at one time, and they were shocked about whats going on in our city. I think we need to not do politics in between and do what is the most efficient for our residents. Thats actually why im running for supervisor district 11 San Francisco. Thank you. Now well move onto our questions for tonight. Well start with ahsha. How do you define Affordable Housing, and what specific steps will you take to increase Affordable Housing in district 11 . Thank you. When i first got on the board of supervisors, we were able to engage on the Inclusionary Housing Program on the city. Its where we asked project sponsors to set aside a certain amount of housing as affordable. But the question was affordable for who . Affordable for so long has been defined as extremely lowincome. And what that meant was teachers, janitors, nonprofit workers could afford to live in district 11, working class neighborhood, could no longer afford to live in San Francisco. So im very proud to say we were able to expand the definition slightly, and prior to me coming into office, probably about 17 upts nits of Affordable Housing. We have built 600 units, with 2,000 in the pipeline. We have worked with the mayor to purchase the citys largest acquisition in history, making 25 units affordable in perpetuity. Thank you. Marcello, same question. Youre on mute. Thank you. Affordable housing for me is the people that work in our neighborhoods for minimum wage can afford here. I dont think thats going to end until the city of San Francisco does what [inaudible] when you think about it, they have 40,000 employees, they have 12 billion budget. The only reason that the housing is so expensive, the only reason the housing is so expensive is the builders are trying to make a profit. The moment you cut profits in between, it will be stop. The city needs to it will not stop. The city needs to open their own nonprofit. They have the opportunity, and they have everything to do it. John . Thank you. Affordable housing, to me, is where our housing costs no more than what a household of 120 area Median Income can afford, where theyre paying no more than 30 of their income for housing. I also believe that we need to be building housing no more than that, that rate, but also a large the largest amount of housing that is deeply affordable. Here in district 11, we have a lot of households that are bundled up into single homes and need relief. A lot of them are very lowincome and would benefit from having deeply Affordable Housing. For me, ive been working for years to expand finances for housing, Affordable Housing in San Francisco, looking at various sources from our general fund to housing bond. I actually wrote the housing bond on 2015, and i wrote with the mayor of San Francisco the Housing Trust fund in 2012. Im excited about propositions i and propositions k that are on the ballot that are going to tax real estate transfers to bring in money for creation of municipal housing. Pr prop k would allow the city to create Public Housing, and i want to create a public bank that would shape how we create Public Housing to benefit all of San Francisco. Thank you. For the next question, well start with marcello. How about you ensure that the current residents of district 11 will be able to remain in their homes given the increased cost of living in San Francisco and the economic downturn due to the covid19 pandemic . Its going to have to involve everyone the landlords, the tenants, the city. You have landlords that are making money on the properties, you have landlords that are barely making it or going on the rent, and because of that, you have to go case by case to figure out who can do it and who is in deep trouble so that the moment that those landlords are going to lose their homes to [inaudible] and the same issue. The banking industry, as soon as they get a foreclosure theyre going to start kicking people out. Were going to have a huge crisis, and we cannot have that. We have to work [inaudible] political issues trying to work for our residents and actually give our people, keep our residents at home. Thank you. John . Its really tough to see whats happening right now for a lot of People Living in the city and, of course, in district 11 households who are unemployed or getting less unemployment money are now making difficult choices, whether to pay rent or mortgage or the food on the table. These are reallife issues and have a lot to do with what weve been experiencing for years but are now heightened during the pandemic and this economic crisis. As supervisor, i created and worked on various methods to allow people to stay in their homes. Advancing tenant protections, we need to expand in that. As supervisor, i made it illegal to destroy rental housing, and that has protected thousands of units here in San Francisco and district 11. Ive also made it easier to set up a. D. U. S and accessory dwelling units are able to stay up and running. We have funding available through the city and d. B. I. For people who want to modify those. Ive worked to create principle reduction programs in San Francisco so that we can actually ensure that a wide variety of people, homeowners and renters can stay in San Francisco and not be threatened by the crisis that were in and actually have faith that we can keep our residents here in the city. Thank you. Ahsha . Thank you. I think theres a this is a very good question. Its about the immediate. Its about what we are going to do right now, today, because people are being he ievicted. Theyre getting sick and losing their jobs . One of the things we were able to do as supervisors were creating an Eviction Moratorium, so no one will be evicted during this health crisis. Myself and dean preston and others put that forward. But we also need to have rental assistance. If people have rental assistance, they will be able to pay their rent and the help they need to pay their mortgages. District 11, 94112, has the highest number of requests for rental assistance, and weve helped to facilitate that working with the q foundation. On a daily basis, people are calling us for assistance paying their rent. The other thing we need to do is open up our economy back in a safe manner. Weve moved to orange. Myself and supervisor peskin worked on legislation thats called our healthy and hotel ordinance. That will allow people to go back to work. When people go back to work, they have to go that they will be safe in their job, so we created 80 hours of sick leave to help them. Thank you. So the next question will start with john. What are your plans to bring equity and jobs, education, and Economic Development to the black communities in district 11, especially in the lakeview and sunnydale neighborhoods . Thank you. Im proud to have worked on the local hiring ordinance. Back in 2010, i was the sponsor of it and worked closely with the African American community, with mike brown, who is the director of inner city youth at that time, to make sure that we were creating jobs with our public funds when we actuality built actually built municipal buildings. Thats resulted in people being able to find jobs in the Building Trades here in San Francisco. And as supervisor are, ive actually worked over the years to develop the Lakeview Community collaborative, the Lakeview Community collaborative that is a number of organizations working together for a budget that serves them, that keeps programs running and going. Its been great to see that the work is ongoing, and based on that organization that we initiated back in 2010, that its a Workforce Center now on broad street. And as supervisor, i want to do much more to actually look at the private sector and how we can do local hiring in the private sector, and anyone that wants to be doing setting up shop here at the office of economic and workforce development, to be able to provide Small Business support to hire local residents. Thank you. Ahsha . Thank you. Its a great question. If the folks in district 11 have felt ignored and not given the help they need, the blake families in lakeview felt even more like that. We looked at where the incarceration rate, drop out rate, homeless rate was, and based on those statistics from day one, we asked for and advocated for resources to go into black lakeview. We opened up the first jobs center in the district in that regard, right there on broad and capital. The mayor and i cut the ribbon on that last year. We are building a brandnew library in that area of town. We have invested in blackled organizations. I. T. Book man, inner city youth, and i. T. First, all of which are invested in, promoting, and assisting the black community and youth. I think thats what equity looks like. We didnt wait until the recent movement of black lives matter, weve been doing that from day one. Another thing is empowering and uplifting folks from the black community to lead and advocate for themselves. Thats what happened in a movement we called invest black. Many folks in the Community Led that. They put their stamp on broad street, and were very, very proud of that work. Thank you. Marcelo . I personally think that [inaudible] and what we have to do is train people to actually [inaudible] and to train them to work with their own businesses, even if it [inaudible] when somebody can have a Small Business in their house, they will not have to commute. They will be producing money on a daily basis, and part of my idea is yujust to have Small Businesses over the place who can support each other. When you have Small Businesses working for corporations, and those corporations close down shop, and they leave, and those peoples are out of work. When you have a Small Business thats owned by the residents of the neighborhood, those Small Businesses survive, and they they thrive, and thats when the economy comes back. The idea is to push it, as much as we can, to train and to actually work with the residents to be able to open their own businesses. Thank you. For the next question, well start with marcelo. What do you consider to be the most important Infrastructure Improvements and projects needed for district 11 . How did ywill you advocate fore projects . I think safe streets, to be able to walk to the store. [inaudible] i think that part is huge for our community basically because, like, the other candidates say, we have the most children most children will be able to say in their houses. They will be able to go to Public Schools, and the Public Schools [inaudible] well actually give that allocation to our kids, and those kids will be able to [inaudible] coming from all over the place in two or three years. We owe it to those families. We have to be able to work on those projects to be able to uplift our communities. Thank you. John . Thank you. Actually, i loved the question about community development. I think its one of my greatest focuses when i was supervisor was working with the community from the grassroots up to define what we need for our districts so we can thrive and live and remain in the districts. So now, were in real tough times, and we need to figure out how we can make real tough action, and the best thing we can do is have a whole new economy centered around our whole future. And for me, thats a green new deal, and that includes all of the infrastructure that were going to need for sustainable. Number one is the housing investment. I mentioned some of the resources that we have on the ballot this year, prop i, and prop k. We also have other resources that have recently been approved with the prop c that has now been the funds have been released so we can use Housing Needs for a lot of people that are homeless in our district. We also need to put money into transit and build jobs around the creation of transit based on renewable energy. Our parks are really a vital resource, and especially during the pandemic, we need to find a place to access nature and release ourselves. I want to be part of creating an urban ag system that will be mutual aid in our investment efforts. We need slow streets, and thats why im petitioning to change d. B. I. With prop w. Thank you. Ahsha . One of the biggest things that were working on right now is prop a, our Mental Health and recovery bond also for your parks. I advocated to ensure that crockeramazon were included in that. The San Francisco giants are going to supplement that. That would be more than a 30 Million Investment by the giants. Another one is excelsior playground, definitely needs to be revitalized and redone, and then, another park. And then, continuing the housing. Were in the process of building more housing than has ever been built in district 11. We have to see those projects through, and we have to find more funding to build more workplace housing and more Affordable Housing. The final one that im very proud of is the library. Were going to create the largest Neighborhood Library in the city. Its on the corner of orizaba and brotherhood. Were going to go from the smallest Neighborhood Library to the largest neighbor library. And then finally, we have a 20 million improvement to our neighborhood corridors. We have some of the highest fatality corridors, and that will begin in the spring. Thank you. For this question, ill start with ahsha. What funding for the police would you support going to other specific services. What specific changes would you require to be in place before the change is implemented . Its a great question. Some of the largest number of calls we get are people that are unhoused, people with Mental Health issues, and the police are often the first one to respond. In this ballot, as i said, prop a will have dollars for Mental Health. Very pleased to see we were going to have additional dollars for Mental Health sf. Was pleased to work with my colleagues supervisor Hillary Ronen and matt haney, along with the mayor. With the prop c being unlocked, winning that in the courts, that will mean additional dollars for Mental Health services. The police, one of the highest volume calls they get, have to do with our Mental Health individuals, and it will allow the freeing up of police to go on other calls. And then, when we were able to have the resources, which we do now, and will come more, we need to have Mental Health professionals responding to those that are unhoused and have Mental Health crisis, and we have the ability to do that and transition nicely. Thank you. John . Thank you. We have, across the country, calls for defending the police. Ive been looking at that issue, and what we need to implement. For me, what we need to be doing is transforming completely how we do Public Safety work in San Francisco and across the country. Our policing has been based on racist institutions going back, you know, 150, 200 years, and we need to remake actually entirely how we do it. We need to narrow the intervention scope to what the Police Department does, but also putting a lot of resources into presvention, making sure that people have access to Mental Health care and addiction care and life sources that are out there. We need to make sure that were putting in the resources like case managers and Mental Health clinicians and have those in place before we start making cuts to the Police Department. I was really alarmed that we didnt do that now when the budget was wide open before us. We have a lot of people in district 11 who could benefit from Mental Health services, addiction services, a Navigation Center, and theres no place to do that. Thank you. Marcelo . Thank you. What is this is the main question. We definitely need more resources, personally, i think, on Mental Health which has become an epidemic in San Francisco on drug issues, which is also an issue. I was an e. M. T. , and i consider it bad at that time. The question is now do we have enough police on the streets to take care of the issues of the people who are out on the streets going to work . We have to look at this on a much different way than just cutting the funding of the Police Department. I do believe we need a lot more help on Mental Health and addiction. This is the main issue because the city is having a tough time, and this is not [inaudible] people are dying. I mean, people tell us every day, and [inaudible] and people are dying. Its unbelievable. San francisco has [inaudible] and at this time, you know, like i said before thank you. Thank you. For the next question, well start with john. How will you advocate for the current and future Educational Needs of children living in district 11 . Thank you. Im really proud to have come out of coleman advocates for children and youth, an organization thats based in district 11 that is on the forefront of looking at education for children, youth, in San Francisco. I was a Community Organizer with coleman advocates, and as supervisor in 2014, i had the first draft of the Childrens Fund that expanded money for children, youth, and family services, Early Childhood education services, as well as transitional age youth as well as expand the ed fund for our schools. We also have a ballot measure thats vitally important that we pass for our teachers. Its a tax i cant remember the number or the letter of it now, and we need to pass our schools and Community First initiative, prop 15, on the california ballot, that will bring greater resources for education programs. It was night and day, the difference between 1978 and 1979, when prop 13 passed. Now we can fix that. I look forward to working with community and labor to make sure that we are supporting households who are in our Public Schools. I also want to set up our hubs in our neighborhood schools so that our hubs can be places where families can access social workers, nutrition, and other services they need to continue to stay in their homes and continue to have good education experiences. Thank you. Marcelo . Thank you. So [inaudible] how much i fought the School District of school for [inaudible] for my kids and also equal needs for every student. We have a crisis in [inaudible] and San Francisco does not have the resources that they deserve. And before the pandemic, and [inaudible] my idea was to get permission to dump funding into the School District the San Francisco School District, to pool the resources on our kids because theyre going to stay local, theyre going to retire local after they come back from college. Just dump as much as we can on our kids in districtthe School District. Thank you. Thank you. Ahsha . Thank you. One of the things thats often left out of the conversation when were talking about children and Educational Needs, are children from 0 to 5. Its one of the things that ive learned from president norman yee. Hes been a lifelong advocate of children in preschools. Actually, my headquarters for my campaign is in the largest nonprofit Child Care Provider in the entire he city. Very proud to have worked to ensure that they could buy their building and stabilize that. Almost every project that weve worked on in this district, weve made sure there will be accessible, affordable child care. We dont have direct involvement in the schools. Its usually through the afterschool and summer programs. We were very fortunate the first two years i was in office, we were able to use the educational enrichment fund, eraf, first year, 45 million, and after that, additional dollars into supporting our teachers and paras and educators in the school system. Right now, im one of the sponsors of and supporters of prop j, which will open up, in year 1, 50 50 to 60 million our school system. Im a parent of two Public School kids and have the most Public School kids on the board of supervisors, so we have to continue to support that. Thank you. For the next question, well start with john. How will you ensure that residents of district 11 have access to services and resources that will help them meet their basic needs as they struggle with the challenges of the covid19 pandemic . Thank you. Well, for ensuring that our residents have access to the services that we need, its really about the budget, the city budget and making sure that the city budget works for working people. One of the biggest issues that ive spent most of my time working on was the city budget when i was in office, and before that, i was an advocate on the city budget, making sure we were providing more resources for seniors and children, youth, and families in particular. In 2009 and 2010, i got to chair the budget committee, overcoming two 500 million budget deficits each year. So i know a little bit how to move money around and to protect services, and we need to have this type of experience, especially now that chair fewer is leaving the board of supervisors to actually craft our budget, so we are preserving the best of San Francisco, our working people, to make sure that we can provide these fs iseservic. Ive moved movie into money into different programs. Thank you. Thank you. Marcelo. So this is a case where we have to start auditing where the money is going because in a 12 billion budget, theres a lot of money thats being wasted, and we need to figure out where that money is going and put it in our communities that need it the most. This is the part, also [inaudible] have asked, the main issue, the lack of resources for decades into the poor communities. And we have to start noticing these communities and dumping it into those communities that really need, it desperately need it with the main issue of covid trying to come back from this [inaudible] thank you. Thank you. Ahsha . So during this crisis, this was this was not about theory anymore, this was about action. And we had to go with basically over the last eight months, my entire job has been about leading do you remember this crisis and ensuring that district 11 and the entire city had the resources, support, and safety net that we need. Weve opened up and help to support three Meal Distribution sites in district 11. Weve distributed over 10,000 masks to individuals and 25,000 gloves and gallons of disinfectants supporting our Small Businesses. We worked with the board and the mayor to ensure that there was at least 10 million for undocumented families who have been completely left out of the recovery funds that have been created. Weve fought for, advocated, and ensured that all workers in the city, all city workers would have access to 80 hours of sick leave, 80 hours of potential inquiry sick leave, and ensuring sick leave for businesses with 100 employees or more. Were working aggressively to open up the economy safely to make sure that people can go back to work. We also worked with our Child Care Providers to create a 100 million fund so they would have access grants to continue providing Early Childhood care. Thank you. Well start with marcelo. What is your plan to revitalize district 11. It comes down to [inaudible] somebody whos coming down to city hall to open a Small Business [inaudible] but if you dont help them open, those Small Businesses [inaudible] we have to help them stay open for as long as they want. Thank you. Ahsha . Thank you. When i first was elected, we initiated the Excelsior Outer Mission district, and one of the goals was to create a business corridor. I was presented with a plan by individuals that talked about trying to rezone the entire randolph corridor. I was against that plan. It was not Community Driven, and it was really about creating Investment Opportunities that would have essentially led to gentrification and displacement. So we need to ensure that whatever plans we put in order will be Community Driven and ensure that were protecting existing businesses but also attracting new businesses that will complement. Im very proud to say over the last four years that ive been in office, weve gotten dozens of businesses to open up along the corridor. Theres still a very high number of vacancies along broadrandolph, as well as mission and geneva. But were continuing every day, one of the first things i did in the planning process was change the law to allow arrested programming, and art programming, and that allowed a few businesses to get in there, and were going to continue to do that. Thank you. John . One of the biggest questions were facing is how do we revitalize our business corridor . We have the huge issue of amazon creating a zombie of our commercial corridors and our businesses around the world. One of the things that i want to do is looking at passing prop b. The votership process prop b so we can have a process of making sure our corridors are clean, and were picking up garbage. I want to look at our empty spaces and use them effectively, doing mutual aid work, but also shared space that a lot of our immigrant businesses can operate in. Our city nickels and dimes our Small Businesses, and i want to waive that when we are in this economic crisis. I also want to make sure that we create a Grant Program that supports businesses not just on mission and geneva, but also on broad and randolph streets. We want to make sure that were building from the grassroots up and making sure that our metrics are being defined by the residents and not by the city. The city has a onesizefitsall to support our businesses, and what works on divisadero doesnt work for us. Thank you. And now well be going to the final question, and well start with ahsha. Proposition 15 is the california state ballot measure that would change the method for assessing property taxes on commercial properties with the goal of creating additional funding for schools and local communities. If this proposition passes, and Additional Community funding becomes available, how would you propose that San Francisco use the increased revenue . Thank you. Well, as a proud supporter of the San Francisco labor council, i fully support prop 15 to change the split role tax. This will infuse millions of dollars into our schools and community. I think the First Priority has to be the educational system, Public Education system. We would go to a process of working hand in hand with our School Boards and community organizations. I also think there would have to be a conversation from our human rights commission, director sheryl davis, and looking at things through an equity lens. I think thats one of the things that ive been proud of during my time on the board of supervisors, as well, is ensuring that the office of Racial Equity is looking at things through that lens. One of the saddest things of covid right now has been expanding and enhancing the learning experiences for brala and brown communities. Those schools that are underperforming, those schools that need the additional resources, and our educators would have the Financial Support that they need. Thank you. John . Yes, really important question. Were hoping that prop 15 passes, so vote for prop 15 all across the state of california. Im proud to say that im endorsed by the united educators of San Francisco who are teaching our students, they are our teachers and paras in San Francisco. I agree, we need to be putting our greatest investments in our Public Education system and city college. City college will be a lynch pin for making sure that people are prepared for the recovery and were building toward a sustainable future. How were Building Industries with qualified trained workers who can help rebuild San Francisco, our housing, our transit, to make sure that everything is working well. This is the housing of the future, and prop 15 can provide vital funding for that, as well. We also need to make sure that our department of Public Health has resources to protect people during the pandemic, and making sure that p. P. E. Can be distributed well throughout our neighborhoods so that we can be protected against the spread, as well. Those are areas that i would want to make sure that are funded with revenue from prop 15. Thank you. Marcelo . First of all, i think it needs to be used to support education during the pandemic, but people who love their jobs, they are about to go off unemployment and if we dont support those people [inaudible] in particular, they will be homeless. They will create a much wider [inaudible] we need to dump funding into people that need it the most. [inaudible] for the workers that are behind the desks, checking out who needs the help. Its a monumental task. We need to Work Together, we need to work with common sense, and we need to work hard to be able to approach this main issue. The money [inaudible] the money isnt there, so we need to use it wisely. Thank you. Thank you. Now we come to the candidates closing statements. We will do the closing statements in reverse alphabetical order, and remember that you have 90 seconds. The order will be marce marcelo colusi, john avalos, and ahsha safai. Marcelo . Thank you. [inaudible] almovote your hear vote who you believe in. [inaudible] but i am trying to change things for the better. [inaudible] if we dont do that, were going to see the situation worse than what we have created today [inaudible] thank you very much for the opportunity. Thank you. Thank you for john . For this evening. Its been really great to share my experience and aspirations for elected office. You know, when i ran for reelection in 2012, i didnt have an opponent, and i really missed the opportunity to reconnect with people in my district, and im doing that now, and its the most incredible experience in my life, most humbling experience ive ever had. I want to be a supervisor who can work with everyone, regardless of peoples political point of view. I want to be a supervisor who can actually share the citys resources and the pulpit that we have together so that city hall can look after us and take care of our needs. I want to say i have the number one endorsement of the democratic party. I also have the sole endorsement of the district 11 democratic club. Im supported by the nurses union number 1, Health Care Workers number 1 and educators in our city college, and s. F. Unified School District. These are voices that i want to organizations that i want to bring together to make sure that we have voices speaking that can represent us. Ive served this district before, and i can do it again with your support. Thank you. Ahsha . Thank you. As the current supervisor of district 11, this has been a wonderful four years. Im very proud to say that we have made progress. When i ran office, i heard over and over again that people were tired of being treated like the forgeten peop forgotten people of San Francisco. Weve build homes, built a brandnew pool. Were building a brandnew housing. Were peop weve planted over 2,000 trees. No other part of San Francisco comes close to that, and were doing it on a daily basis. Weve worked in collaboration with first mayor lee, and now mayor breed, and they have made district 11 a priority, and i feel it, and i hear it on a daily basis. When i first ran for office, i knocked on 7,000 doors. Im not able to do that because of the pandemic, but ive spoken to many people over the past few months. Im the sole endorsed candidate of San Francisco labor council. I have speaker pelosis sole support. I have Congress Woman dianne feinstein, along with the San Francisco Building Trades, and im going to continue to fight for working people in the next four years if i have i am f im reelected. Thank you. Thank you. On behalf of the league of women voters of San Francisco, our thanks to our candidates for participating. And thanks for taking the time to inform yourself of the choices you need to make by november 3. Please remember to register to vote if you arent already registered and urge others to registered. If youve changed your name or youve moved, you need to register again at your new address. And if youll be voting by mail this year, please be sure that your ballot will be counted by ensuring that your ballot is dropped off at your polling place before november 3. Good evening. Hi. Im chris manners, and youre watching to coping with covid19. Well, were down to the wire before the president ial election, so heres some tips to help you vote safely during this pandemic. By now, all californians who are registered to vote should have received your ballot to vote by mail. It must be post marked by election day, november 3, so be sure to check collect times if you wait to mail it until election day. If youre concerned that your ballot wont make it in time through the post, the next option is to drop off your ballot at San Franciscos Voting Center, which has been set up outside of the bill graham auditorium on grove street. You can either walk up to hand off your ballot, or you can use the drivethru election. Therell be a ballot drop off location at each of the citys libraries. Consider going early in the day, when it should be less busy. From october 28 through election day, any registered voter unable to drop off their own ballot may authorize somebody else to do so. To authorize somebodys to return your vote by mail ballot, make sure you complete the additional section on your ballot return envelope. If youre picking up or dropping off any ballots, wear a mask and use Hand Sanitizer after touching any surfaces. If you wish to drop it off in person, vis person, if you wish to vote in person, visit the bill graham center. You can avoid lines and save time by preparing your ballots in advance and going to the polling place during offpeak hours. If youre planning on filling out your ballot at the Voting Center, consider bringing some wipes to clean surfaces and Hand Sanitizer to use after you vote. For those who are planning to vote on election day, consider going to your polling place at offpeak time dos, such as midmorning, because it might reduce wait time. And finally, once you get home, wash your hands. Heres a quick recap. And thats it for this episode. For hi, everybody. Welcome. Good evening and welcome to the forum for the 2020 district one San Francisco board of supervisors election. Im the president of the league of women voters of San Francisco. And im also a resident of district 1. Im very excited to be here with my neighbor to hear from more candidates as a voter. The league of women voters of San Francisco is a nonpartisan, nonprofit that encourages informed and active participation in government. The league never supports or opposes candidates, however, we do take stands on issues. This years election presents new and unprecedented challenges for voters and were committed to providing the resources that voters need to exercise the most fundamental rights of our democracy and be assured that the votes will be counted. Please remember that you must be registered to vote by october 19. All registered voters will be mailed a ballot in early october. Options for inperson voting will be available both early and on november 3rd. Please visit our website at lwvsf. Org vote where youll find all of the voter resources we offer. The league of women voters is a nonprofit organization. If youd like to support our work and free events like this one, become a member or donate at our website. Im now pleased to introduce lia edwards, our moderator for tonight. Lia currently serves a treasurer of the league of women voters of the united states. She previously served as president of the league of women voters of San Francisco and has served on the board for almost six years. She believes that participation in government is critical to the success of the nation and is excited in creating a more perfect democracy. Professionally, lia works in the Investment Management industry in San Francisco. Welcome, lia. Thank you, alison. Welcome to the candidates for San Francisco district one board of supervisors. The candidates will have a chance to present their views on issues affecting San Francisco. First, id like to remind you of our ground rules. Responses to questions should be on the issues and policyrelated. Candidates are expected to be respectful of other candidates and asked not to make personal attacks on other individuals. Here are the procedures. The candidates will have the opportunity to make oneminute opening and closing statements. Opening statements will be in alphabet cal order by first name. Closing will be in reverse alphabetical order. Each candidate has one minute to answer the questions. Any rebuttal can be included in the closing statement which is one minute. The first question will be directed to three candidates. The second question to the remaining three candidates. This process will be repeated with rotation of the response order. Each candidate will have the opportunity to answer the same number of questions. There will be a lightning round where all candidates will be asked the same question with the responses being yes, no, or no response. The final question will be directed to all candidates. A countdown timer will be displayed with visual indication of the remaining time of the response. Every aspect of the forum will be equally fair to all candidates. Thank you to the attendees tonight. Youre in listenonly mode. The chat features are not active. Please do not use the raised hand option. This will be made available on the website, our youtube chan and sfgovtv cable channels. You have many important decisions to make on december 3rd. Tonights forum will give you an opportunity to learn before you vote. Lets begin. We will start off with oneminute Opening Statements in alphabetical order. Welcome, candidates, and thank you for participating in the forum. Please introduce yourself, tell us which neighborhood you live in, why youre running and what would be the top three priorities for your first year. Well start with andrew. Id like to thank the league of women voters of San Francisco for holding this forum. And inviting all of us to speak to you this evening. I think its a most critical time for our city and obviously the country with the covid19 pandemic. Im running for district 1. Ive lived in the city for 15 years in the Richmond District. I met my now fiance here in Richmond District. So this neighborhood means a lot to me. Over the last 15 years ive seen the city of San Francisco, but particularly our drk district here, deal with the issues when it comes to trash in the streets. Weve seen increase in unhoused individuals and that is of particular concern to me as a member of the community and obviously for my fellow neighbors, particularly with the covid19 its a Public Health and Public Safety issue that we need to address. Im running to make sure we can restore some type of order in terms of cleaning up our streets, making sure we adequately fund our police, because we do have an increase of property crime in our neighborhoods. And ultimately, you know, helping our elderly, our lowincome families and working families to be able to have a prosperous living environment. So thats why im running for district one. Again, i appreciate you hosting this and i look forward to hearing questions from your committee. Thank you, andrew. Next, connie. Connie, i think youre on mute. Hi, good evening. Im connie chan. Im running for district 1 supervisor. Im a first generation immigrant. I came here when i was 13 years old. Now im 42. Youre welcome to do the math. And my mom still live in the same rent controlled apartment i grew up in chinatown. Today with my partner who is firefighter in the city, were raising our second grader. A 7yearold at lafayette. The last 15 years ive spent my career in Public Service in City Government, aide to board of supervisors, District Attorneys Office when District Attorney was Kamala Harris and city college of San Francisco and rec department. I want to use my experience to fight the gap in the city so everyone can sit here in a house safe and healthy. Thank you. Next, david. Im david lee. I live in the Richmond District. Im a San Francisco native. I lived most my life in the richmond. Went to high school in the neighborhood. And i guess in the mid 90 fz i was on the board of league of women voters and did these debates. So this is a great job youre doing, lia, and the team here, and alison, in getting everybody engaged. I am an educator. I teach at San Francisco state. I also work in the Community Colleges supporting english second language program. And ive worked to register voters through a Civil Rights Organization for many years. Im running to, one, bring bart to the Richmond District. Two, to support Small Business. And three, to help address the homeless crisis in our district. Thank you very much, david. Hi, good evening. I was born here in the richmond. I grew up on the peninsula. 14 years ago my husband and i moved back to the richmond. Made a conscious decision to buy our home in the Outer Richmond where we have three kids and live with my motherinlaw. I run a Small Business here in the neighborhood, but i have 30 Years Experience in government at the federal, state and local level. Ive also run a Strategic Communications firm here in San Francisco. You know, this pandemic wasnt anything any of us expected. I think running a campaign in a pandemic is not anything any of us planned for. I think the backdrop of the pandemic has highlighted where we could do better as a city. Im very concerned about homelessness. About housing. About supporting our local economy, meaning Small Business and the very delicate ecosystem between our small and larger businesses and keeping our streets safe and clean. Thank you. Great, thank you. Next sherman. Good evening. I live in the Richmond District in San Francisco. And i also work at a store in the Richmond District. And im running because the basic things that we all see every day just are not getting taken care of in our neighborhood. That means making sure that the streets are clean. Making sure that the trash cans are emptied. Make sure that our medians are maintained. All these basic functions that government is supposed to take care of are put on the back burner in favor of other issues that elected officials believe are more important. I think there is nothing more important than making sure that the basic functions of government are taken care of. Im running for supervisors because i want to make sure the streets are clean. Make sure that traffic lights are installed on the missing blocks in the neighborhood. And that we have accessibility from the supervisor to its residents. Thank you. Great, thank you, sherman. Next, we have veronica. Good evening. Im a longtime resident of the Richmond District. I went to the Public School. And im a graduate of you know, im a single working mom to a 10yearold and a 21yearold who attended city college of San Francisco who benefitted from free city where he played baseball and football. I live in the home with my parents and understand the issues that seniors are having. I own a Family Restaurant in San Francisco, but i have two decades of state and local government experience. I want to San Francisco that works for all, not just the selected and privileged few. Our priorities, economic recovery, Public Safety and housing. Those are the three issues we hear about and we need to start taking it. The first question is, what approaches do you support that encourage the building of new housing in district one . How would you balance housing density with keeping the character of the neighborhood . And the first person is veronica . Thank you for the question. As far as you know, im a huge supporter of senator wieners bill to build housing in unused land, but also huge support of the bill that brings in funding for Affordable Housing. I think we need to hold our elected officials at the state level and the city level to bring in funds to be able to build housing here in San Francisco. We need the state and federal level to come in. Statement at the same time, we need to look at what Affordable Housing means to the average san franciscan. Our teachers and First Responders do not qualify. We need to what below market rate housing is. Im a supporter of all income levels of housing in San Francisco. We need income level of housing in San Francisco in order to build 100 Affordable Housing. So thats where i stand right now with housing. Next we have david. Same question. What approaches do you support that encourage the building of new housing in district one and how would you balance housing density in keeping with the character of the neighborhood . I strongly believe in investing in public transit. I think bringing bart to the richmond will help us create transit hubs that can increase 100 Affordable Housing provided that local community and local control is maintained. I think that is very important that the community and the neighborhood are at the table and consent to density. However, i do believe that transit is really critical and we have to do transit along with building Affordable Housing. Thats why i support bringing bart to the richmond. We passed a 3. 5 billion bart bond in 2016. There is 10 million for a study to bring bart to the richmond. Its time to Start Talking about it. As supervisors, that will be one of my top priorities. Thank you, david. Next up, marchand. Same question. So i dont think creating homes for families and working people and maintaining the amazing character of our neighborhood are mutually exclusive things. I think that we can plan together, which is part of having a supervisor that is engaged and in the neighborhood, and having these conversations even in years that arent election years. I do believe that we absolutely need 100 subsidized Affordable Housing. Where that subsidy will come from, i think, im a realist about that, we dont have the money from the federal or state government. Given the kicking the can down the road mentality on housing, not just in the richmond, but all over San Francisco, we need to ensure that the housing is being built in an environmentally mindful way in transit corridors, in the merchant corridors, while creating housing for working families that dont qualify for 100 Affordable Housing. I think thats a conversation and action plan that a supervisor is very well suited to lead. Thank you. Next well have the second question. That goes to the remaining three candidates. What will you do to provide more Affordable Housing in district one . Do you support programs that encourage the building of more accessory dwelling units, known as granny flats and inlaw units . Andrew . Thats a really good question. So building out more inlaws, again that is something that youre going to have discuss with the Property Owner and i do support that, but again, you have to have buyin from the Property Owners in order to do that. And whether that is something they want to have built into their properties. Again, thats something that needs to be discussed also at the local level with the other board of supervisors and you have to come to some kind of consensus in how we want to approach that. But we definitely need obviously more Affordable Housing in district one and the Richmond District. One of the things as an aside, there are availability in terms of Affordable Housing in our district, but some of those available property spaces are being used as airbnbs, so thats one of the things we probably need to look at and change. Thank you. Thank you, andrew. Next well have sherman. Same question. So i think for housing, i think one of the things we can do is make it easier for the people who want to build in the city to build, is very expensive, and it adds to the cost of building in the city, reducing some of the red tape would, you know, will encourage builders to build in the city. I do think adus are helpful. Anything that adds to the Housing Stock is helpful. The other two aspects that i think that need to be addressed is shortterm like airbnb. Those should not be allowed. Also, our colleges and universities, i think if they are going to bring in people from outside the area, we should require them to build appropriate units to house the people that theyre bringing into the community. Thank you. Thank you, sherman. Finally, connie. Thank you. I definitely support the development of Affordable Housing. When i talk about Affordable Housing and 100 affordable, it is between 0 all the way up to 120 , and that is below poverty rate up to 160,000 annual income for a household of four. And i think that is a solid middle income housing. That can actually house our workforce. And its also the reason why i supported prop a in 2019, which is 600 million Affordable Housing bond and prop e, Affordable Housing for educators and workforce. That allows us to rezone and upzone for any public land and private land. I find they build 100 affordable. The gap is how the incentive for Property Owners to build them, so we need to continue to push forward. Thank you, connie. Well move on to the third question. How will you address the issues a in the richmond of homelessness and crime both shortterm and longterm . Will you prioritize Homeless Services . And if so, which services . If not, why not . This will be answered first by david. I do not support building a Navigation Center in the Richmond District, however, i do support extending a Homeless Services, particularly a Mental Health crisis counselors, reallocating funding from the Police Department to provide and hire more crisis counselors to address the Mental Health crisis that we find on our streets today. I believe that we should provide more Services Rather than police as a response to addressing homelessness. I also believe that we should be moving the Homeless Population into hotel rooms. They should be sheltered. This is a Public Health crisis. We have hotel rooms that are already paid for. And we should be moving the Homeless Population from the richmond into hotel rooms where they can be sheltered and services provided. Thank you. Thank you, david. Next question is answered by connie. I think that we at this point that homelessness is obviously a symptom of a problem and that problem is lack of equity for generations of working people. The lack of equity to health care, education and Food Security and housing security. Lets address those issues first because the best way to stop homelessness is to prevent it. However, for the existing homeless problem, we should make sure our city has coordinated services to provide individualized approach. Lets not just do the count of who the Homeless Population, but also to know who they are so we understand their needs and help them to get their feet back back on their feet. I think that also, that you know, with recently there is a report about the gap, about providing permanent Supportive Housing for homeless and we need to do a better job with that. Great, thank you. Next veronica. I absolutely agree that we need Homeless Services here in the Richmond District, but i am in support of a mobile Navigation Center here in the Richmond District. We have Navigation Centers here in the city. Theyre expensive to build and maintain. So the reality is we need the services, but how do we get them to the Homeless Population . The reality is this is an urgent manner now. It is a Public Health issue. We need to treat them with compassion. One person at a time. My focus has been on the foster youth. We start with our foster youth who are at higher percentage rates of being unhoused when they turn 21. To give them an opportunity to finish college degree. With regard to the Homelessness Services now, hotel, we have to look at Mental Health services and housing these individuals. Thank you. Thank you. Next we move to the next question for the remaining three candidates. What would you do to address Substance Abuse and Mental Health issues with residents . So many of our people who are on the street do have mental and Substance Abuse issues, for that reason i supported that the first thing we have to do before we do anything else, we have to get people off the street. We have to have a safe place for them to go so that we can tell them you cant be out on the street anymore. My suggestion is to use the city garages that we already have that are owned by the city, so they dont cost us more, and put up temporary housing temporary type of housing in there that everybody has their own unit. And while theyre there, we can treat everybody who needs help. Find out what their situation is, what do they need and have all of the resources in one place. I believe that is the best use of the resources. But we cannot get a handle on how to help people when we dont have them in place where we can interact with them and help them. Thank you. Thank you, sherman. Next. So, when we talk about an issue like homelessness, i think we need to recognize the different needs of the unhoused populations because there isnt one single solution. I think weve heard a lot of that in different candidatess responses. Yes, the housing shortage must be addressed. We need to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. Enforcing the laws on the books about sleeping on the streets, but also being able to offer our unhoused residents a place to stay. We need to increase Government Accountability and transparency so were enforcing metrics to eliminate duplicate programs. With regard to Mental Illness and drug use, i got to tell you, we cannot talk about homelessness without talking about the Opioid Crisis and the fentanyl that has been on the streets for the past two years. You have to look at what is happening in the tenderloin and what is starting to happen in the richmond. We have to prosecute the drug dealers so they can stop killing people and its affecting our Homeless Population. Finally, andrew. Yeah, thats a great question. So it is a twopart problem. We have the issue of homelessness that continues to rise in the Richmond District and its been a problem in the city of San Francisco for several years now. We spent upwards of 300 million on this crisis and we still dont get anywhere. Our approach needs to change. Specifically, when you look at homeless, the answer is not building Navigation Centers in Richmond District, because, one, they cost up to 70,000 per person to house a person in Navigation Center and hundreds of thousands of dollars to build. One of the things we have to do is we do have to we do have to get tough and realistic and we need to first and foremost get the unhoused individuals and again we cant treat them as a monolith, because we have homeless veterans, we have young people within the Lgbtq Community that are, unfortunately, unhoused. And so we have to treat everything on a casebycase basis. Thank you, andrew. Sorry, time is up. Okay, sorry. Thank you for your response. Well move on to the next question. Which is according to San Francisco police statistics, crimes against persons have decreased, burglaries have increased. What actions do you propose the city, the police and administration do to handle the property crime . Well start with connie. From my experience working at both starting as a Community Organizer for the San Francisco and the District Attorneys Office, i think property crime is in terms of the crime pyramid, it really does impact a lot of people. And from my experience, is that there are ways in technology and that is not invasive. And without involving Law Enforcement directly, that our residents can use to either prevent it to prevent the property crime or deter it from happening again. I think that another part of it we can make it more efficient is about crime reporting. That is a lot more convenient for the victims of property crime so that also that data can be provided to our Law Enforcement in realtime when they can track it and hopefully come up with a strategy to either prevent it or be able to reduce in certain area. [please stand by] [please stand by] i believe nonny vase i have surveillance and Technology Say great ally in our efforts to curb the increase in property crime. Were seeing that automobiles are having monitoring, in their parked vehicles. I think that we need Police Resources are scarce. I served on the Richmond Community Police Advisory board for a number of years. We only have so many police and a very large geographical area for them to patrol so, its going to be incumbent on all of us to Work Together to bring down property crime. The reporting is another very important piece. We should report property crimes year and consistent so that information data can be used and shared. I think also that we could be doing a lot more as a neighborhood. Thank you, david. Next question for the remaining three candidates. Many residents are concerned about the impact of crime and homelessness on the quality of life in this city. What will you do to ensure that all residents feel safe in their neighborhoods while also addressing Racial Justice and Law Enforcement concerns . Well start with you. I always say that Public Safety and Police Accountability are both core responsibilities of local government. Not only cant you play one off the other but you shouldnt. You can do both. Thats why i support investing in our black community and ensuring the way we look at Law Enforcement and we look atri store tive justice, theres equity. Three hours ago someone was stabbed five blocks away from my house. This morning, a neighbor, who has a public bench and a ferry garden on the corner, it was completely vandalized and thats heartbreaking for our neighborhood. I think that police need to solve crimes and we shouldnt layoff police officers. At the same time, we can invest and. They seemed to have moved from gary. We cant just move our population from corner to corner and district to district. It affects quality of life. The realities our kids shouldnt have to walk to ocean beach and see someone urinating on the corner. Its unacceptable. Statement, we have to see that we have to treat this this issue with compassion and we have to invest in Mental Health services. I do agree. We need more data so we get appropriate funding. We have to reinvest in our communities and shift away from leaving policing. But theres a role for police to play in our community. Property crime is people are saying home and for theres a role for everyone to play in our community. Thank you veronica. Well have sherman. The short answer to your question is we have to enforce the laws. The reason we have laws on the books in San Francisco, is to keep everybody who lives here safe. I want those laws enforced. Not necessarily to punish people but we need to enforce the laws so we get people maybe we can do diverse. Does it mean putting people in jail . It might be some other form of compensation. That being said, Police Department has problems. I understand that. But the solution is not to reduce their budget or to defund them deters crime in the first place and thats what we want. We want the crime to be deterred before it happens. Thank you. Thank you. Now were going to move on to a quick lightening round. So, please answer these questions with only yes, no or no response. The questions will go to all candidates. So for the first question, the lightening round, do you support the San Francisco School Board Decision to remove the murals of George Washington high school from public view . Connie . Yes. Sherman. No. Andrew. Im going to say no. Marshan. No. David . Yes. Veronica. As alumni, i wont answer. Next question. Still the lightening round. So yes, no, or no response answers. Its a current legislatio legisd Short Term Rentals acceptable or should more restrictions be in place . Sherman. No, more restrictions. Andrew . No and there needs to be more restrictions. Marjan . I think there could be more restrictions. Its strict. I guess that is whatever that answer is. David. There could be more restrictions. Investor on veronica. No. Connie. More restrictions. Do you support the expansion of bart or muni to the Outer Richmond . Andrew . No, because the last thing was a disaster on van ness. Just yes or no. Sorry. Sure, if theres money. Yes, no, no response. David. Yes. Veronica. Yes. Connie. Yes. And sherman. No. We dont have the money. Next question. For the lightening round. Do you support prop b split off all public work sidewalk maintenance and sanitation duties into a new agency while the Current Department handles engineering, design, project management and other work tied to San Francisco public infrastructure. Marshan . Could you repeat that . Absolutely. So this is still lightening round no response. Do you support prop b which would split off other street cleaning and sanitation duties into a new agency while the Current Department continues to handle engineering, design, project management and other works tied to San Franciscos public infrastructure. Yes. Andrew . Yes. Ok. Next question in the lightening round. Will you commit to providing your district one constituents with rapid, easy and responsive methods of communicating with you . David. Yes. Ver tonic a. Yes. Connie. Yes. Sherman. Absolutely. Andrew. 100 yes. Marshan. Yes. Sixth question and final question in the light eping rounlighteninground. Are you willing to increase taxes on Tech Companies in order to support infrastructure, environmental and or job training projects . Veronica. Yes. Connie. Sure. But its really about the billion dollars or Million Dollars and what tax category they are. Yes, no, no response please. Sherman. No. Andrew. No. Marshan. No. David. No. Great. Thank you, everyone. Well do three candidates at a time. What will you do to support district 1 businesses, especially minorityowned businesses, as they struggle with the challenges of covid19 both now and in the future . Veronica . This issue is very personal to me as a Small Business owner. If we want to get through this economic pandemic that were going through, we have to invest in Small Business and making sure they survive this pandemic or it will change the dynamics of our community. The reality is Small Businesses are the number one employers for women and undocumented, for students, and if we lose that were going to have a lot of more unemployment individuals here in San Francisco so its crucial to our economic recovery that we invest in supporting Small Businesses, making sure we provide grants, if not low interest loans so that they can survive this pandemic. Were seeing this issue, if you cant tell right now, ter ants are looking like theyre going to get evict and it will change the culture of San Francisco. We want to maintain our Small Business and diversity and we have to reinvest in our Small Businesses, especially those businesses of color. Thank you, veronica. Next well have david. We need to make it easier for Small Businesses to get permits, streamline the process. We need to make language accessibility a priority to make sure that all businesses have opportunities including those owned by immigrants or immigrant owners of Small Businesses that are not aware of the opportunities there are to apply for grants and loans and assistance. We also need to help Small Businesses support them by providing more grants and loans so that they can recover from the crisis. I also believe that the Small Businesses need help with understanding the government regulations and the health codes. It changes every few weeks with the covid19 announcements and as to what is open and what cant open. And that requires out reach from the city, which isnt happening in multi langs. I would make that a priority. Thank you, david. Next well have marshand. Its too hard to started and operate a business in San Francisco. Were losing 10 of our businesses a month and thousands bay area wide. I think that we need to support measures like proposition h, which is on the ballot this november, that will streamline the permitting process so you dont have minorityowned businesses paying rent on a space for four years to open an Indoor Dining establishment, which is happening here in richmond. I think we need to make it more flexible for businesses to kind of reinvent the services they offer so that as they weather this pandemic and move into a new reality where they cant have more people in the business, we cant penalize them for that. I think for the next several years, were going to have to alleviate the fees that were charging our businesses so its not so confusing and not such a gun burden and we need to work with blackled organizations to recruit Business Owners of color to come to our neighborhood. Thank you. Next question. Which are the three candidates. How will you address the looming Economic Situation that may result when the current Eviction Moratorium expires. Well start with andrew. So, regarding the Eviction Moratorium, i believe at the federal level that that is already passed. And people are going to be starting to get eviction notices from their landlords in the beginning of november. The city needs to step in and provide protections for renters and folks and folks that are leasing homes for their families. Again, thats something that is going to take a collective effort from the board of supervisors getting together and figuring out a economic plan where we can protect these people and at the same time we have to consider the fact they have mortgages to pay and it has to be a equitable relationship. Its a very unfortunate situation were all in right now. Unfortunately, i dont know what the supervisor or City Government can do to stop that situation and if the business snow squalls not doing they cant afford the rent and unfortunately, the landlord has a mortgage can pay. What can they do . Its a very catch22. The on thing i can think of would be that if the city chips in and they say, ok, we will allow the occupant to pay half the rent and the Property Owner will get a tax credit for the other portion of the rent on their property taxes, its the only thing i can see City Government can do to help private businesses in the situation. The question doesnt specify and you can answer either way. Definitely. For the crime existing at Eviction Moratorium that was authored by dean preston and approved by the board of supervisors, came in just in time for the San Francisco so i definitely support and we can push forward for that and i also think that its good that we continue funds and free legal representation and free Legal Council for tenants so that in the case in the coming months that they would have to deal with hand lords and they have Legal Assistance and we export the expansion of commercial Eviction Moratorium which expired on september 14th. We need to push forward with that and i think that we need to consider how toen deal with that similarly what we do with residential Eviction Moratorium. Well move on to the next question, which is the Richmond District helping a population of rats following the closure of geary boulevard restaurants and staff productions at Golden Gate Park. How would you deal with this environmental issue and increased trash at ocean beach . Starting with david. Supervisor, we have to hold dpw accountable. And i would make sure our Health Department is held accountable to alleviate pests and garbage pick up, especially. It is a travesty that our Department Head dpw has been implicated in a scandal. I think that the board has not been doing its job by holding the department accountable and thats why scandals have been allow to persist. I think its really time for supervisors to come in and ask questions about the department and what is being done for the Richmond District. The Richmond District has been ignored next well have connie. I have learned this during my time as the staff and San Francisco recreation and Park Department and that is about integrated Pest Management and that is really finding ways to do rodent control without poison and there are messages that we can implement and we need to continue town vest and that is an environmental friendly way to do pest control and Pest Management and that we need to continue extending that program not just for City Departments and also for our everyday residents and for our Small Businesses we just have that and its one of my personal favorite activities to do with my son is beach clean up. Those are the everyday residents can participate and thats what we can do. Then again, it is really about how do we, as legislature, to find policies solutions to do so. Thank you, connie. And finally for those question, well have veronica. Again, these are one of the things Small Businesses and familyowned businesses did until thin thecity. They actually paid for the rooting control and it helped our city stay rodent free. We have to support these Small Businesses and get through this pandemic. The reality is the Richmond District, they took a lot of our trash cans with the campaign of what you bring in you take back home. We need more gosh age cans so people have a place to throw their garbage and we need to hold dpw accountable and make sure they pick up the cityowned trash. We need better relationship with recology so they educate the public of how to use the Free Services of picking up this we need the city cleaned and we need to hold d. P. W. Accountable for that. Full ton street turns into a rice track, what will you do to protect pedestrians and make cycling safer in our district . Starting with sherman . We need timed traffic lights on those streets. Thats how we take care of that problem. If we do that, it makes it safer for pedestrians and we can add a bike lane on full ton. The first thing that needs to be done is we have to have traffic lights at all of the intersections on fullton in the district and gary and california also. Thank you. Thank you, sherman. So, i live eight houses down from fullton so i know what you are talking about and that is our how we get to Golden Gate Park. Who goes to the park, right . Kids, seniors, families, people walking their dogs and its intimidating to cross full ton and when you try to teach kids Traffic Safety you cant really do that on fulton. Not even people running the stop signs. We need to time traffic lights and especially the entrance on 43rd and fulton to the park. You cant tell if its sidewalks, street or dirt. Thats a death trap. We saw a toddler get hit there many years ago. Were seeing it now during the pandemic when the streets are more clear. A lot of speeding, dangerous speeding and i think that time traffic lights are the way to go. Finally for this question, we have andrew. So, obviously all the major corridors in the Richmond District, we need to have more traffic lights. We probably, if were able to do that then we can reduce the amount of pedestrians and bikists in danger of being hit by cars. Just on sixth and balboa, i remember talking to a Small Business owner there and the traffic stop sign is not even visible and its covered by trees. We have to increase the visibility of our stop signs and we have to have time traffic lights in the area on all the major corridors. Thats the answer that were having in our district. Thank you, andrew. Moving on to the next question, considering there may be a large budget shortfall, what will you do to make the San Francisco budget process more transparent . Starting with connie. Just last year, that supervisor sandra lee fewer and norman yee had a legislation mandating there are public and Community Events and gatherings and meetings before the budget goes to before the mayors announce or mayor, any mayor announced their budget. I think that that is the critical piece of it that we actually need to continue to make sure that we have where they think and how we should spend our budget and i think that it is about having the eight i had of City Department and how theyre spending their money before they decide on the budget. While we do at board of supervisors do the hearings except theyre always jammed in one month of june and its very challenging so we need to do it year around. Next well have, andrew. Can you repeat the question. My feed got kind of chopped up there. I didnt catch the question. Considering mr. May be a large budget shortfall, what will you do to make the budget process more transparent . The first thing thing is just, yeah, the idea of transparency is that if im on the bos for district 1, i want to have an understanding from each of the different departments what were spending and why wore spending it and bring that informatio informatio the community so they can understand where their money is going. We can come to an agreement in terms of how we should move forward and on that particular budget because we are facing a 2. 1 billion deficit going into 2021. Next well have david. Look, i talked to hundreds of voters in the last week who have all told me that they dont trust what city hall is saying about our budget and the budget deficit has ballooned. At the same time, the board of supervisor has increased salaries for city workers. At the same time, the board of supervisors have increased their own salaries by 12 . Yet, they want to increase taxes on our voters. Theres taxes that theyre asking voters to pass in order to close the budget deficit and they have not shown city hall has not shown it can be fiscally responsible itself and the leaders at the board of supervisors have not done so so we do need more transparency and i oppose the tax increases i support accountability and i support transparency and i think a supervisor i would call for hearings. Thank you david. Moving on to the next question. San francisco has a significant deficit in the upcoming budget, which due to covid19, will likely persist in the future. What specific policies will you champion to address the likely and current and future issues related to budget decisions. Starting with marchand. So, that question also folds into the last question you asked. I think that we do need more transparency and Community Engagement in how we determine the budget. Its very important to acknowledge there are many folks in our neighborhood who dont have time to go to city hall and to be part of these budget decisions. Its not because they dont want to and they dont love the richmond but theyre working and trying raise families or running a business and we really need to look at how we communicate, right, and how we become more relevant as government leaders to our constituency and as i always say, if were not relevant to the constituents we serve then thats not a failure on their part and thats a failure on our part and 100 applies to the budget and how were reaching neighbors and we need to meet them where they are and be transparent and open about the process and genuine about getting their input and it doesnt Mean Community meetings during working hours. Next, veronica, same question. We need a genuine conversation with our constituency. The fact is, a lot of for those who take the time go to city hall and test the fire regarding the budget or any issue, they do so knowing this decision has been made. That should not happen in a democracy and its happening now. We needed this office here in richmond and of course we need transparency and accountability and we have to hold every elect official and Department Head and department accountable for what is happening at city hall and each department. We have to reevaluate Government Spending and budget cuts and it has to be done without hurting those who are already hurting. Our low wage easterners eastern. To start with, we needed to really make tough decisions an and thank you, very much. Next we have sherman. So, having transparency in budgets or anything in city hall without a way to disseminate that information in our local area doesnt do any good. We need a District Office for the supervisors so that residents can come and we can have on going discussions about what cost there are in the city and what our expenses are in the city. More importantly, what past legislation. I know this is not an easy t. S. X. For a lot of peopltopicbe have passed in the past, legislatively, either through the board of supervisors or us as voters add a lot of cost to government. As supervisors its my responsibility to look at those issues and bring it back to the neighborhood and say, this is costing us ex amount of money, is this what we want to do with the limited resources we have and as supervisors thats the way we would have approached this. Thank you, sherman. We will go into our final question. This is going to be answered by all candidates. So, the final question is, if elected, you will serve for four years. In 2024, what do you want to be able to say was your single most significant accomplishment . Starting with connie. That we have kept our tenants and homeowners on fixed income house. That our Small Businesses are able to stay home and some new ones were able to open too. In that the fact that our 38 geary, hopeful like at some point, brt but probably in 2024 at least run better and more reliable and safer and that Golden Gate Park is able to make it safer for everyone, including the possibility of keeping jfk car free and bringing accessible to everybody all across the city. I think those will be great and they will be really some of my priorities in the coming years when elected as supervisor. Thank you, very much. Next well have sherman. In four years i want to see that the neighborhood is cleaner and safer. I want all the traffic lights and all those corridors in and i want to see the streets clean. When we walk out the door, we dont see trash on the street. A lot of the questions that we have discussed today get back down to the basic thing, you know, are the streets clean. Are the responsibilities that the city hall is supposed to do, are they being done . I would tell you they are not being done. If you go out your dor tomorrow, and you see gash an on the streets and government has failed you and i want to change that in the next four years, thank you. Next well have andrew. In the next four years if im fortunate to be elected as the board of supervisors for district 1, my biggest priority will be making sure that everybody in our community here in the Richmond District is safe in terms of hopefully we have a vaccine by then where we can vaccinate all of the people in the neighborhoods starting with our elderly and those with immuno compromised systems. Secondly, its to make sure that all of our unhoused individuals have a place to stay and were addressing the Mental Health crisis and the Opioid Crisis that is a continuing, growing concern in the Richmond District. Lastly is obvious low to make sure we have Affordable Housing for all of our residents here in the Richmond District. Next well have marchand. So over all, if im elected, i would like to see and i would like our neighbors to see and feel an improvement in their lives in the marries most important to them. It does mean safe, clean streets and with regard to our unhoused residents that weve moved many into treatment and it does mean weve created an environment where opportunities an option for folks to be walking into wall groans and clearing the shelves, which is not safe for anybody. I would like to see more neighborhood engagement and regular input. This is how i can tell because people are talking about these issues. Well i dont think theres a Campaign Season . I think we should talk about these issues all the time with neighbors and coming together like we just did in my neighborhood summit last weekend to tackle these problems tonight. We wont change them overnight but in four years id like to see a marked improvement in those issues. Thank you. Next well have david. First off, the tax increases on a November Ballot that hurt our middleclass and Small Business this is richmond, second, gary brt built and we should be well into our way and were completed as supervisor of shepherd that project and makes sure it happens and hague the groundwork which 10 milliondollar has been allocated for planning and we be fully engage and supportive of that process and build a fort able transit where part is successful such as coliseum connect which has built 114 units of Affordable Housing. Thats what i would focus on as supervisor. And for this question well have veronica. Thank you. Im fortunate enough to be elected, first that no one here in the richmond feels like they were excluded from government process. Their supervisor was held accountable to them and only to them in that special center or corporate america. To make sure that we held every City Department accountable to do their jobs which means making sure our streets are clean and making sure our unhoused population has become an issue during these four years and only during the Campaign Season and making sure streets are safer and slower for our children. Making sure, first of all, making sure our kids Mental Health that theyre going through right now through this pandemic, is in the longterm respect as they go back to school. I think what we want to see is more ethnic businesses here in richmond, safer streets, cleaner streets and you know kids happy and playing in the cities again. In four years, thats what you can see if im elected. Thank you very much. Now we are going to move into candidate closing statements. We are going to do reversal tibet careverse alphabetical ordinary. Order. Thank you to the women voters for in inviting all of us this evening and inviting us to your living rooms today. My name, again is veronica and im a candidate for district 1. This race is personal. I live in a multi generational home with my senior parents and i understand the issues our seniors are having with cuts in their healthcare and issues of Public Safety and i also have a son who has a preexisting condition and has not left home since the pandemic, maybe left four times and understand the struggles of working families and working and paying the rent and educating their kids. I will bring a new voice to city hall for Small Business owners as someone who is dealing with the crisis of Small Business and how we make the tough decisions if im going to close or stay home but i also have 20 years of experience in local and state government. Im a can dat and wont be held accountable to any special center but the voters of San Francisco and the residents of the Richmond District so please visit my website. Thank you. Next well have sherman. Thank you for sharing your evening with us and trying to learn about where we stand on these issues. You know, the most important thing any elected official can do is give you faith that government is working in your interest. So, im going to focus on those things we see everyday when we go out our door. Are the streets clean . Is it safe to cross the street . Do we have those traffic lights in all those intersections. Are the garbage cans empty . Is this trash piling up on the corner. These things should not occur. Theyre a failure of government when they occur. If im elected as supervisor, i will focus on those things. Theres a lot of big things, a lot of big issues that come up every four years that supervisors have to deal with. We need to deal with these first. We need to give our neighbors faith that government is looking out for their supervisors an ini hope to do that as your next supervisor. Next marchand. Thank you for having me tonight. Every four years we have these conversations and you know were running political campaigns and things turn political. I think when it comes to this seat, we forget that San Francisco is a city and county. Were running for supervisor and were City Council Members and they need to focus on the needs of our neighborhoods and delivering those service that are services that are relevant and we talked a lot tonight around homelessness and San Francisco and ensuring that neighbors feel safe and are safe if their neighborhoods and thats really going to require a supervisor who is going to roll up their sleeves and work 24 7 to deliver for all neighbors and not just those who supported him or there in this campaign. Im committed and we will work hard everyday not just in this campaign and beyond to come together as neighbors and ensure that we get through this pandemic as healthy as possible and really rebuild and business and ensure that were keeping families and working people in San Francisco. Next well have david. We have a rare opportunity in district one in the Richmond District to elect a new supervisor. There isnt an incumbent running this year. And were seeing the divisions within our city has led to gridlock either the mayors camp and the progressive camp and they seemed to be fighting and with richmond losing and he has a chance to elect and who has a people and powered campaign and it has kept pace with the front runners through the donations of small donors, small San Francisco donors and through the Public Finance program i am an independent voice for the richmond. Next well have connie. Thank you. Thank you so much for having us tonight. From my years of experience in city hall, i have learned a lot. I have learned from shutting down the marine power plant and okin organizing theorganizing as and grants and fund in our park system and advocating for Free City College and i hope to bring my experience and skills to the table to really help us to close the income gap that we are experiencing and it is threatening our tenants and homeowners to be evicted and our Small Businesses being displaced and its theyre my priority. I will want to work to make sure that they will be housed and stay in their homes and our Small Business stays open and workers can return work in a safer Work Environment and we have a more bike able and walkable richmond and people can still drive safely. Thank you, connie. And finally we have andrew. Yeah, i want to start by thanking the league of women voters of San Francisco for hosting this forum and allowing to us give our ideas on important topics effecting our district. If im elected for bos, for district 1, im going to be focusing on a couple of things. First and foremost, is making sure that we make it out of this pandemic in a stronger position to be successful. That means making sure that all of our residents have access to a potential vaccine. When that happens, so that people can return to some sense of normalcy. Our elderly community, our working moms and dads, our low income families and secondly, i want to make sure obviously that we keep our streets clean and we continue to strive to help our unhoused populations find housing, find Mental Health, lastly it would be to make sure that were protecting our Small Business owners and helping to keep them in business as they continue to recover from the loss during this covid19 pandemic in the closures. Thank you, andrew. So thank you. On behalf of myself and the league of women voters in San Francisco, our thanks to the candidates for participating this evening and wed like to also thank all of the attends for taking the time to inform yourself about your choices on november 3rd. Please, remember to register to vote if you have not already registered and to urge others to register. Registered. If you changed your name or moved you need to reregister to vote. If you will be voting by mail, please be sure your vote will count by ensuring your ballot is mailed or dropped off at a voting place early. Thank you all for being here this evening. Skbl. Hello. Im shawnna loghorn with the league of women voters. Along with the league and sfgovtv, im here to discuss proposition b, a proposition that will be on the ballot and before the voters on november 3. The city has three departments tasked with cleaning tasks. The city administrator oversees the department of public works and appoints the director with the mayors director. Proposition b is a Charter Amendment that would create a department of sanitation and streets which would take over some of the duties of the department of public works. This new department of sanitation and streets would be responsible for sweeping streets and cleaning sidewalks, providing and maintaining sidewalk trash cans, removing graffiti and illegally dumped waste and maintaining city buildings, public rest rooms, and street trees. The department of public works would continue to provide all other Services Required by law. Proposition b would create a fivemember sanitation and streets commission to oversee the department of sanitation and streets as well as a fivemember Public Works Commission to oversee the department of public works. The mayor would select the directors of both departments. If you vote yes, you want to create a department of sanitation and streets with oversight from a sanitation and streets commission, and you want to establish a Public Works Commission to oversee the department of public works. If you vote no, you do not want to make these changes. Im here with honey mahogany, a legislative aide with supervisor haneys office. Were also joined by lari m larry marso, an opponent of the measure. Were going to start with some Opening Statements, and well begin with honey. Thank you so much for having us today. I think that as a native san franciscan, someone who grew up here, and a Small Business owner, its become very clear to me that San Francisco has really failed at keep our city clean the clean. There is trash all over the streets, some streets are covered with feces, and sometimes you cant find a bathroom when you need one. Weve been working on how the city can better address this issu issue. What we found is the system that we have in place is broken. No matter how hard the workers at d. P. W. Work, theyre unable to get the streets clean because the system is ineffective. D. P. W. Is too big, there isnt enough focus on the streets, and especially during the time of covid19, sanitations now more important than ever, so we are putting forward a new department of sanitation to effectively keep our streets clean, wash our sidewalks in our most busy corridors and also to establish commissions overboth d. P. W. And the department to ensure that both departments are accountable to the public. The commission will also set baseline standards for cleaning, something that really doesnt exist now under the Current System. Thank you, honey. Now, larry . Hi. Please vote no on proposition b, which takes a 400 million San Francisco agency and needlessly cuts it in half and politicizes what remains. Its the case chaos and paralysis that will worsen the squalor on our streets. San francisco has the political will to clean the streets. The board of supervisors does not. Proposition b creates two new bureaucracies and injects politics into the department of public works. This is a failed model of oversight. We have over 100 boards and commissions in San Francisco already. Proposition b sets no clean streets standards. Theres nothing in here that says we are going to deal with the needles, the syringes, the feces on the streets. Its not there. Matt haney writes in his argument that theyre in proposition b. Theres nothing in proposition b that sets baseline standards. We need we need we need to address the fraud and waste in the department of public works. Thank you, larry. Thats 1. 5 minutes, so were going to go into questions now, and the first question will go to you, larry, and then honey, youll have a chance to answer it. The question is the amendment would create a new department of sanitation and streets to perform duties thats currently performed by the department of public works. If thats the proposition, whats the argument for creating a new department . The city controller says its going to cost upwards of 6 million a year. Thats over 50 million in ten years. Thats a lot of money. But if you look at the paid arguments for proposition b, you see a long list of Public Sector labor unions. The seiu and the San Francisco labor locals representing the trades that engage in cleaning our streets and maintaining some of our parks. Theyre talking about we need more resources, we need more resources. They believe that this new structure, which is going to put the board of supervisors in the position of straiting political appointee placing political appointees into governing these agencies, they believe it will mean significantly higher spending. And nowhere do the proponents of proposition b stay straight to the San Francisco people that this is a major spending increase. Will it address any of the core issues of cleaning San Francisco streets . Not if it atdss drug addiction, homeless, and Mental Illness on our streets, the root of so much of our problem. Thank you. The same question to you, honey. Why create a new department . Well, i would like to first address some factual inaccuracies in some of those statements. One, the measure does require the department to set public standards for cleaning. We want to hold Community Outreach to set those standards. There is a metric to address that. Also, i do want to correct that the controller report says the updated controller report says this will be closer to 2. 6 milli 2. 6 million in costs to create this new department. The reason we have to create this new department is the Current Department is broken. There is not enough oversight over cleaning and sanitation in the Current System. It is less than a quarter of what d. P. W. Does. D. P. W. Is a department with 1600 employees, and like you said, a 400 million budget. Less than a quarter is dedicated to cleaning. We feel like a metro city in San Francisco where tourism is its number one industry, we need to have a focus on cleaning with metrics that are created in a very transparent manner, a method for us to have feedback, and for the public to have feedback, and again, really providing some very close oversight and accountability for a department that, up until now, really hasnt had any. Thank you, honey. Our second question, and itll start with you, honey, is again, about the cost. The office of the controller states that this amendment, in the report that i read, ranged from 2 2. 5 to 6 million annually. Honey corrected that it will be just over 2 million. Do we think this is the right way to spend the extra money on sanitation or is there another way that is perhaps more beneficial . You know, 2. 6 million is a very small its less than a percent or a fraction of a percent of the citys current budget. Its a small amount of revenue that the city would generate through improvement to its business districts. It has been very public how weve been criticized by all over the world, really, for our filthy streets. The travel industry has been impacted, our Hotel Industry has been impacted, so those are our Biggest Industries for our city. So for the city to spend 2 million on an issue that we havent been able to fix in decades is nothing. I will note that the legislation actually also reduces duplication in terms of staffing by putting some of the staffing as shared with d. P. W. For the back end, which larry referred to earlier, and it also required city administrator to also provide that support. So the additional hiring is really minimal. There is some costs for the commissions, but again, the controller actually the f. B. I. And the scandal recommended that supervision be placed over d. P. W. , so it is good governance. Itll put a commission over d. P. W. , and itll also put a commission over the department of sanitation and streets to oversee them. Okay. Larry, same question to you. Since 2014, the portion of department of public works spending on cleaning our streets has doubled. If you look around you, do you see that our streets are cleaner . Spending money is not the solution to cleaning our streets when we have significant significant endemic root causes of drug abuse and Mental Illness on our streets. The department of public works, if its split in half, its going to generate more costs than simply what the controller has documented. There are duplications of bandend services backend services. Okay. But why are the biggest unions in San Francisco pouring money into this measure . Theyre doing so because theyre looking for higher pay and more hiring. Sorry. I have to cut you off there as time is up for questions, but were going to move into closing statements, and we will start with honey. Thank you so much. Its funny because i think larry and i agree that weve been pumping money into d. P. W. , and things havent gotten any better. In fact, things have gotten worse, and that is why were establishing the department of sanitation and streets because the Current System is broken. Were going to be providing accountability, setting baseline standards. I have to say the reason why so many labor unions are behind this is we figured out a solution that would work for everybody. Its not about raising salaries for anything like that. These are hard working san franciscans, people who really care about their city and want to be proud of their city and the work they do, and they know best how to address this problem because theyre dealing with it every day. So were proud to have worked with them, to provide this measure of accountability to provide safer, cleaner streets, trash cans that will work, access to more rest rooms. More Green Infrastructure which has been sorely lacking. And, again, public accountability and a real focus on street cleaning. So im very proud of the measure, and i implore san franciscans, if you want to see our travel industry be reinvigorated, our children and familied supported by the picking up of needles and keeping our streets clean, then please vote yes on proposition b. Thank you, honey. Closing statements from larry, please. Proposition b will politicize the department of public works. Thats why i and a number of centrist politicians and organizations are opposed to proposition b, on the board of supervisors, supervisor sandra fewer voted no, raff vel mandelman voted now, more man yee, voted no, catherine steph he knee voted no. The Ed Lee Democratic Club says no. The sfgop says no. You have people across the political spectrum who recognize that this is going to increase costs significantly while at the same time inducing chaos in Public Services, paralysis in the cleaning of our streets. Uncertainty at a time that San Francisco needs to be smart and focused in how it spends its money, how it raises its money, and to address the real causes of what we see going on in our streets. Matt haney does not represent a common sense approach on homelessness, drug abuse, or Mental Illness. I have tried to bring these solutions myself to a citizen ballot measure on the regulation of Navigation Centers. The entire ballot youre seeing was put together by the board of supervisors. No one could even collect signatures under shelter in place to propose alternative measures, as i tried to do. Thank you, larry. Thank you very much both for your comments and for your time. We hope that this discussion has been informative. For more information, please visit the San Francisco elections website at sfelections. Org. This year, every person in california will be mailed a ballot starting on october 5. You may drop off your vote by mail ballot in person starting on october 5 in the City Hall Voting Center located outside of bill graham City Auditorium 8 00 a. M. Through 5 00 p. M. You may drop off your ballot at your Voting Center for the two weekends before voting day, 8 00 a. M. To 5 00 p. M. Thank you. Hello. Im shawnna longhorn with the league of women voters. Along with the league and sfgovtv, im here to discuss proposition f, a ballot that will be before the voters on tuesday, november 3. The city collects taxes from San Francisco businesses, including the payroll expense tax, the gross receipts tax, the Administrative Office tax, the annual Business Registration fee, the child care tax, and the Homelessness Tax. The child care and Homelessness Taxes have been challenged in court, and the money collected through these taxes has not been spent by the city. State law limits the amount of revenue, including tax revenue, the city can spend each year. State law authorizes San Francisco voters to approve increases to this limit to last for four years. Proposition f would change certain taxes the city collects from San Francisco businesses, including eliminate the payroll expense tax, increase the gross receipts tax rate in phases, expand the Small Business exemption, and eliminate the credit for businesses that pay a similar tax elsewhere. Increase the Administrative Office tax rate in phases, and change the Business Registration fee. Proposition f would further increase the citys business taxes if the city loses either of the child care tax or Homelessness Tax lawsuits, but it would exclude money collected from these increases when determining baseline spending. It would also increase the citys spending for the next four years. If you vote yes, you want to overhaul the business tax structure. If you vote no, you do not want these changes. Im here with jennifer brooks, a proponent of the measure. Were also joined by starchild, a libertarian, and an opponent of the measure. Were going to begin with some Opening Statements, and we will begin with star child. Yes. This is starchild, the Libertarian Party of San Francisco. We believe that tax adding on right now is just absolutely the wrong time. Theres so many businesses suffering under the lockdowns. I live in the castro, and it just seems that every other business is closed and boarded up. The measure, furthermore, is so confusing. Its, like, 125 pages long, and reading through it, i couldnt even tell on my own what it was going to do. So im substantially relying on the controllers statement which says its going to be nearly a 100 million tax increase. I think its egregious whenever they pass measures that are so complicated that the average person reading them, everyone someone whos somewhat familiar with reading these kinds of measures cant really tell whats going on, and id be happy to hear the proponents spell out exactly what the different aspects of these measures are and how they affect everybody. But from what we can tell, its a huge tax increase and it comes at a time when businesses are already super struggling in the city. Getting rid of the payroll tax would be terrific, but there is a net tax increase. I dont think this is something that anyone was clamoring for, and i think people should vote no. Thank you, starchild. Well move to jennifer. Thank you. Mission Neighborhood Center has been a Community Anchor in the Mission District for more than 60 years, and its really from that Vantage Point that ive seen the impact that the pandemic has had on San Francisco families, and that is why i feel very strongly that we must pass proposition f. At this time, San Francisco is facing three distinct crises that have come out of the pandemic. The first is job loss. More than 5,000 businesses across the city have shut their doors since the pandemic began. The second is child care sector. Its operating at half its capacity because of the need for social distancing, and third, our City Government is facing potentially a 1. 5 billion shortfall over the next three years. This proposition will help all of these factors. It will help businesses like hotels and recreation. It will unlock 400 million of voter approved child care funding that is currently tied up because of litigation, and third, it will contribute 156 million towards balancing our city budget, and finally, it will create more than 2,000 jobs over the next two years. At the same time proposition f addresses our immediate needs, it solves some longterm needs that have become apparent during the pandemic. Sfesk o specifically, our outdated taxes sorry to cut you off, but were going to go to questions. The first question, jennifer, will go to you. San francisco is facing a budget shortfall of 1. 5 billion due to the covid19 pandemic. This amendment is part of an attempt to address this deficit. Why do you believe its the right way to do so . So, there are a couple of reasons. First, because it helps Small Businesses, and they are the ones facing the critical and are in need of tax relief right now. What this measure does is it rebalances whos paying the business taxes. It is not a new tax. It is overall the same net amount of taxes, it just ensures that Small Businesses get relief, and bigger sector, particularly the information sector, pays its fair share. Starchild, same question to you, except why do you believe this is not the right way to address the potential deficit . Well, its not revenue neutral. You dont help Small Businesses by taxing them more. The people running City Government, they always seem to portray these things as a choice between, you know, well, we have a budget shortfall, so we either have to cut services that you want or raise your taxes, but they never look at the third option, which is to cut their own budget. Theres thousands of people in City Departments who are making sixfigure salaries. You think they could tighten their belts, quite frankly. Its not too much to ask when so many other businesses, people have lost their jobs or businesses have entirely had to close. I dont see anything thats going to create 2,000 jobs is pie in the sky speculation. Taxing the information sector . Thats whats been driving the San Francisco economy years and years, the tech economy. Theres real risk of losing losing the goose that laid the golden egg, tech being driven out of town if they continue unfriendly policies. Thank you. Thank you. Were going to go to the next question, and well start with star child. The question is San Franciscos child care and Homelessness Taxes has been challenged in court, and the money thats ae been collected through these taxes has not been spent by the city. If this prop is passed, that will free up these funds for the city. Whats your position on that . Well, we dont believe those propositions should have been passed in the first place. I think theres academic questions about the ledger being written illegally skprks that should skprks and that should be allowed to finish winding its way through the courts. The government should not be rewarded for doing things illegally. Theres a number of places where they did not follow the law in the language in terms of how measures are presented in the ballot handbook, and in some cas cases, theyre presen them in a biased manner. They shouldnt sweep that under the rug and allow them to take this money and keep imposing the tax Going Forward. You know, its its good to have child care, but if people dont even have jobs to go to, theyre not going to need child care, and theyre going to kill jobs by raising taxes. Theres no reason why this shouldnt have been written revenue neutral. Theres no reason why taxes should be going up. Sorry to interrupt you. We need to move to jennifer. First, a rebuttal. This would replace the payroll tax with a gross receipts tax and increase the number of Small Businesses that are exempt, and it would also reduce Business Registration fees. Now onto why child care. Early care and education chaz high quality is demonstrated to be more effective antipoverty strategies than any other on children, on parent, and even their grandparents. We need to increase and continue our investment in this essential service. We need to be able to shore up the programs that are at the brink of collapse at this critical moment, and we need to invest in proposition f. Thank you, jennifer. So at this point, were going to move into the closing comments, and well start with star child. Yeah. Again, the bottom line is that this is a major, almost 100 million year estimated tax increase per the controller, and the measure is 125 pages long, very confusing about exactly what the effects are going to be, and, again, confusing legislation tends to have a disproportionately bad impact on Small Businesses because they dont have armys of lawyers working for them to figure this stuff out. Its, again, going after the wrong target. Its going after businesses in the voluntary sector rather than the coercive sector to cut their budgets. Of course, the supervisors making six figure salaries can be return today what it was not that many years ago, you know, under 100,000 a year. 99,000 i think, is enough to be made in City Government. They dont need to be paid at citizens expense. If it they want more funding for child care, again, reducing the payroll tax would be great, but theres no need to impose greater taxes that are going to unfavorably affect the Business Climate at a time when businesses are already struggling. I have not heard a good reason why this particular measure is is the way, why they could not have made another measure that doesnt raise taxes overall. Thank you. Closing statement from jennifer. Thank you. So San Francisco was also facing a crisis in child care and education and unbalanced taxes for Small Businesses even before the pandemic, and the pandemic has always exacerbated each of these challenges. Ive done my homework. Proposition f will address our immediate needs while addressing longstanding programs that have become more apparent during the pandemic. Struggling businesses need tax relief, parents need child care, and children need Early Learning and our economy needs a stimulus to restart and recover. Proposition f will enable us to help Small Businesses who are struggling, unlock voter approved child care funding, balance our local budget, and create jobs, and that i why i think we must say yes on f. Thank you both fof for your comments and your time. We hope that this discussion has been informative. For more information on this and other measures in this years election, please visit sfelections. Org. This year, all voters in california will be mailed a vote by mail ballot starting on october 5. If you plan to raurn your ballot by mail, your ballot must be post marked by election day, tuesday, november 3. Alternatively, you may drop off your ballot in person starting on october 5. You can always drop off your ballot at the City Hall Voting Center starting two weeks before election day, 8 00 a. M. To 5 00 p. M. , and if you dont mail in voting, vote in person at one of the 500 locations across the city and at city hall on tuesday, november 3. San francisco voters may vote for local and state candidates and ballot measures, as well as federal candidates. Proposition g is a Charter Amendment that would allow San Francisco residents to vote for locate the candidates and local ballot measures if those residents are u. S. Citizens at least 16 years old and registered to vote. Local candidates include candidates for city offices, the board of education, and the Community College board of trustees. If you vote yes, you want to amend the charter to allow San Francisco residents to vote for local candidates and ballot measures if they are at least 16 years old and registered to vote. If you vote no, you do not want to make this change. Im here with chair achung, a proponent of the measure. Well also joined by ricky green burg. A political commentator who is an opponent of the measure. Thank you for being here. When you are a16, this is a much better age to start the lifelong habit of voting, and you can make the informed decision with the support of teachers, peers, and families. Allowing 16 and 17yearolds to vote will make it more likely that they will continue voting as older adults. Additionally, 16 and 17 year olds care and will use their vote. 16 and 17 year olds are the ones organizing major protests throughout the city such as the Mission High School and Golden Gate Bridge protests, and they continue to carry this momentum, organizing and Holding Elected Officials accountable. In cities, such as tacoma park in maryland, the voter turn out rate of 16 and 17yearolds is double the rate of the general electorate. Thank you, sarah. Were going to move to ritchie for our Opening Statements. Thank you so much for having me. Prop g is asking the questions, should 16 and 17 year olds be allowed to vote in city elections . Voters should reject this as being a nonserious question this election day. There are three real factors in what we need to consider legality, the maturity, and the effects of social indoctrinatetion in school and social media. 16 and 17 year olds are still children in the eyes of the law and incapable of performing many tasks that we can do as adults. Children cannot sign contracts. They cannot purchase a rent a car, own a house, own a business. How can we let teens vote on such important issues such as property taxes, changes to City Government operations . The concept of teen voting is absurd. The second idea of maturity, that often, we see through research and reports from psychologists, that cognitive functions, functions rational Decision Making are not developed until the mid20s, and the third is social justice indoctrination in schools are being pushed by the curriculum, so for those issues, we should vote no. Thank you, ritchie. I think both of you touched on this, but well start with you, ritchie. 16 and 18 are just two years apart, so why do you believe that these two years do or dont make a difference . Well, theres two ways to look at it. In a maturity way, theres some 16 year olds i know someone or my nextdoor neighbor or my brother or my sister is so much more mature, but i already touched on this in my introduction is legality. 18 years old is the age of the majority. Its the age that society and the laws have been written to say that this is the point that now, you can function as an adult. We trust you at this point. There has to be some time, some age that we start. You cant keep getting lower and lower and lower, and 18 has been what has been the established for all the legality for signing contracts, joining the army, and more. Same question to you, sarah. Why 16 . Like i mentioned in my opening statement, when youre 18, youre in a time transition, youre going off to college, youre moving away, and this becomes very difficult to figure out how to register to vote or registration to vote or going to vote can become on the back burner. When youre 16, youre learning about civics and u. S. History, and this makes an ideal time to learn about voting for the first time, and youre supported by peers and family and teachers to make that decision. Actually, 16 year olds have the same political knowledge as 21 year olds. When youre 16, you have something called cold could cognition, and this is the thinking process necessary for voting. Hot cognition is the more spur of the moment thinking, which is not fully developed when youre 16. Voting is more on the cold cognition. Thank you. Yeah, of course. And were going to do the second question, and its going to go to you, sarah, first. So a second message was put before the voters in 2016 and did not pass. Four years later, however, San Francisco faces new challenges, and we are revisiting the idea of youth voting, why do you believe now is the time for this measure to pass . Well, i think that especially whats been going on politically in the past four years has made it so that young people feel very spurred to take action. Like i mentioned, youth are at the action of so many social Justice Movements that have arisen the last few years, such as the black lives Matter Movement or climate justice. Young people are continuing to fight and hold elected officials account. But we see that young people are continuing to demand action from elected officials for years on and for years on because as cliche as it sounds, it is most definitely our future, so 16 and 17 year olds are taking action in a way that we havent seen them taking action in the past. We can see that 16 and 17yearolds care about issues and how they affect us. Same question to you, ritchie. This was voted down fairly recently, so why do you think that its not the time to take this up . Its time to put this to rest and never bring it up again. Holding officials accountable has nothing to do with teen voting, has nothing to do with climate action, has nothing to do with black lives matter. What we really need to look at is the indoctrination of children in school. Social justice is not the way to run elections. We have students in school, including that teachers that bring their kids out of class to participate in protests and marches is not a way to teach civics. Its not a way to rationally show both sides or more than one side to an argument. We see over and over again that theres the indoctrination. The children dont know what their protesting, and we dont need this. Currently, the 16 and 17yearold population in San Francisco is did he dominantly people of color. Allowing 16 and 17 years old to vote will help ensure that young people of color are represented in our democracy. Additionally, 16 and 17 years old should get a say about issues that affect us. Under covid19, 16 and 17 years old are the most impacted as they have many responsibilities. On top of education, they also take care of household duties and can get a job and pay taxes, some even taking on jobs of essential workers. 13 of Grocery Store workers are groce 16 and 17 years old. Also, this is not a new idea. There are 14 cities in the u. S. That allow 16 and 17 years oy to vote. [please stand by] we cant have that. Right now the children should be working on doing good in school, their studies, and preparing for college. We should not be allowing them to vote. Please vote no on proposition g. Thank you for your comments and for your time. We have we hope this discussion has been informative. For more information on this and other measures in this years election, please visit the San Francisco elections website. This year, all registered voters in california will be mailed a vote by mail ballot starting on october 5th. If you plan to return your ballot by mail, your ballot return envelope must be postmarked byelection day, tuesday, november 3rd. Alternatively, you may drop off your ballot in person starting october 5th at the City Hall Voting Center located outside of the auditorium monday through friday, 8 00 a. M. Through 5 00 p. M. You can also drop off your ballot at the Voting Center on the two weekends before election day from 10 00 a. M. Until 4 00 p. M. Make sure to vote in person at one of the 588 locations across the city or at city hall on tuesday, november 3rd. Thank you. [ ] good afternoon. Welcome to the land use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco board of supervisors for today, monday, november 2nd, the day before the most important election in our lives. Our clerk is miss erica major, miss major, let me announce actually, call the roll, miss major. Call the roll, supervisor peskin. Present. Supervisor safai. Safai absent. Supervisor preston. Present. Thank you, sorry, safai is present. The only reason i asked for you to call the roll, the screen that i have doesnt show me everybody who is participating, so im not sure why this device is doing that. But all right. Ms. Madam clerk, do you have any announcements. Yes, mr. Chair. Due to the covid19 Health Emergency and to protect board members, employees and the public, board of supervisor legislative chamber and Committee Room are closed. However, members will participate in the meeting remotely. This precaution is taken pursuant to the statewide stayathome order and all local and state orders. Committee members will attend through Video Conference and participate in the same extent as if they were physically present. Public comment will be available on each item on this agenda. Streaming the number across the screen. Each speaker will be allowed two minutes to speak. Comments or opportunities to speak during the Public Comment period are available via phone by calling the number 4156550001, again, thats 4156550001. The meeting i. D. Is 1466007437. Again, thats 1466007437. Press pound and pound again. When connected you will hear the meeting discussion but will be muted and in listening mode only. When your item of interest comes up star and 3 to enter to the speaker line. Speak clearly and slowly and turn down your television or radio. Alternatively, submit comment in the following ways, myself, land use and transportation clerk at erica. Major at sfgov. Org. If you submit Public Comment via email, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and part of the file. And they can be sent also. Finally, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the board of supervisors agenda on november 10th unless otherwise stated. Thank you, miss major. Could you please read the first item. Item 1, temporarily restrict landlords of eviction of commercial tenants during the pandemic. Call the number 4156550001, meeting i. D. 1466007437, press pound and pound again. If you have not done so already, star 3 to line up to speak. The system prompt will indicate you have raised your hand. Mr. Chair. And i want to start by thanking my colleague on this panel, supervisor preston as well as two of our colleagues on the board of supervisors, supervisors mar and walton for their cosponsorship. This may seem like an extraordinary measure but this is an extraordinary and unprecedented time in San Francisco and i wanted to start by thanking and acknowledging the mayor of San Francisco, mayor london breed, for the extraordinary steps she has already taken in a number of executive orders, and this legislation builds off of that. This is commercial eviction protection legislation, and lets be clear. Time is not on our side. Businesses are closing every day, not only in San Francisco, but around our country and i think we all know that its not just because of business losses, its also about inability to pay what we are establishing in rent that exists before the pandemic and no longer realistic in this new economy. And our imperative is to maintain the cultural fabric of different neighborhoods in San Francisco ranging from chinatown that i represent to japantown that supervisor preston represents, and other neighborhoods across the city, and we cannot afford to delay this because if we do we will wake up to communities like chinatown that are decimated with the unique Cultural Heritages that they represent, and i said earlier today that actually happened a half century ago in the case of the Western Addition and the fillmore district during the bad days of redevelopment and once those long standing Community Legacy businesses went away, they never returned. And we have to do everything in our power to do the same in this instance. We all have a shared interest in the stability of Small Businesses in San Francisco, and indeed Small Businesses are the vast preponderance of our employer base in San Francisco. As a matter of fact, some, over 80 of businesses in San Francisco employ ten people or less, and that shared interest extends obviously to lessors and Property Owners and landlords and Small Businesses and their employees as well as every resident and future visitor. And to that end, this legislation would extend the commercial Eviction Moratorium declared and extended by a number of mayoral executive orders and allowed by action by executive order by the governor of the state of california, my former colleague, gavin newsom, for all Small Businesses under 25 million in gross receipts for the full duration of the california Eviction Moratorium. It creates tiered repayment, for 25 or less employees, 24 months, and 11 and 25 employees, a year and a half. Businesses from 26 to 50 employees, 12 months to repay. And in the smallest tier, most Small Businesses operating in San Francisco, you would have the right to terminate your lease despite the contract. And as with the mayors declarations, we also acknowledge that small Property Owners are hurting as well. So if you are a landlord who owns less than 25,000 square feet totally in San Francisco, you can apply for hardship waiver from these requirements. And as with our covid19 response, San Francisco has incurred the earliest pains and have reached some of the earliest gains, albe it we have delayed the expansion of our reopening tomorrow. We are proceeding with our recovery but if we really want to fully recover, we are all going to have to share the pain between Small Businesses and landlords and come up with Creative Solutions to this problem. Thats the full thats really the only path forward to a full recovery. And this legislation gives options. It gives leverage to Small Businesses. It brings people to a table to negotiate and its really about encouraging that relationship between Property Owners and their tenants. Exactly in the same way that we have done on the residential side. And if you dont like the 24month repayment period, you can negotiate Something Else that may be shorter or longer and we really encourage folks to reach that alternative agreement and my hope is this legislation will provide the space for those discussions and negotiations and agreements to be realized, and if you are a landlord, i encourage you to do everything in your power to help your tenant survive. After all, given our retail controls in San Francisco you may not have another tenant in the future, and failure to do so will probably be less productive than working something out now. And i really want to, in addition to thanking my cosponsors, thank a number of attorneys who have