detail in a minute, and now i want to highlight that it is already prohibited to discriminate against people with conviction records under title 7 of the discrimination act. it already requires, federal legislation, it already requires an individual assessment. employers will be complying with the san francisco ordinance because it requires an assessment, much like title 7, and performing the background check after the individual is already qualified. the human rights commission compliance guidelines will outline a process to help with the enforcement. we have an excellent track record of negotiating solutions. i want to emphasize that we have several community partners and government partners who are working with us on that. the office of work force development. a list of the financial incentives for small business, and i want to enumerate those now, but what i am hoping with the action items if the commission approves it, laying out those specific incentives to the small-business owners who might come to a forum. so this ordinance would be cost savings because a background check would only be done for qualified applicants. it would create a forum for employers and help assure that they are hiring the most qualified people and are not limiting the applicant on all by saying those with a conviction do not need to apply. special programs exist for people who hire those with past convictions. it protects against employee dishonesty, which includes theft and investment. it also makes tax credits available, which reduces the employer federal tax liability per worker. they can clean this tax credit for two years, and there is no limit on how many people they can claim. this is within one year after being released from prison. i want to emphasize that this has not been introduced. this is just a proposal. my understanding that this is language that supervisor mirkarimi and his office are reviewing. what this legislation basically says is it outlines a couple of things. i do not want to go into detail, but i did want to go over the mentality. employers would be prohibited for relying on arrest records. number two, they can inquire about a conviction once and output has been determined to be otherwise qualify. 3 come on they cannot base the employment on the conviction is that is substantially related to the job. the applicant must be provided with a background check report. 5, this law would not apply to businesses with five or fewer employees. 6, nothing in this law would prohibit an inquiry decision which is based on local, federal, or state law. now, my purpose here tonight is to talk to you a little bit about what we are doing. our work is primarily hosting forums in the community. these are married efforts in that we are hoping that these will go to help determine these guidelines. looking at other jurisdictions i listed before, pennsylvania, wisconsin, we are looking at how do you make this assessment? how do you determine if the conviction is substantially related to the job? and then we have concrete examples, and then also kind of laying up the process. in addition to speaking with you and other stakeholders so far, we have met with the housing authority and the office of housing contractors, and there was the san francisco chamber of commerce. i actually spoke with them this morning, and i believe we will be meeting with them by the end of the month. the small business advisor council. so i shared with the small business commission staff what we put together with the stakeholders, and they actually gave me input about the forums, so what i want to ask is if the commissioners would be willing to co-host the forum with us, to make sure that they give their input on this kind of legislative proposal, and i just want to highlight the simple forms, sample application form, a sample letter requesting additional information if you want to obtain more information about the rehabilitation process, or letters of recommendation or anything that might give you more information or evidence of how a conviction is related to the job. we can hopefully provide those forms with in the compliance guidelines. again, we are looking for stakeholders to give us what they need in the compliance guidelines. in conclusion, i want to take any questions from the commission. this is to ask you to cohosts the forum to find out what the need is in terms of the employers and employees. thank you. president o'brien: any questions from any commissioners? ok, thank you for the presentation. >> thank you. >> commissioners, we agendized an item. the commission cannot just direct staff to work on the outreach with them. president o'brien: yes, i do want to make one comment. i do not want to make it long because it is late. the tests that some of the conviction is somehow related to the job they are applying for. i do not want to see an employer having his decision being questioned as to whether he thinks a conviction is relevant to the position of the job that he is applying for. i think it would be more important that they have the latitude to determine whether or not the conviction is a serious enough offense to say they are not comfortable working with the person. just a comment i want to make. i think you should work on the program, and we will work more on it. >> we need to move to public comment. president o'brien: i am sorry. public comment. clerk: i have one speaker card. >> i am wearing more than one hat. i will be brief. i have been a small-business owner for over 40 years, if you include deliver the bulletin, and i do not think any of you are old enough to remember that. my second hat is i am formerly incarcerated. i served years in federal prison for a marijuana conviction. last year, a worked with the reentry council on civil engagement, and i do not want to give you a litany of anecdotal experiences, but i am coming to truly wearing two hats as a san franciscan, because i would urge you to participate in this process. as a small-business owner, the legislation that will be proposed, i would be covered, because i have the five employees or less legislation -- it would not be covered under the human rights commission. above five employees, there is a process we are working. so i think what my main message to the commission is the case you are the small business commission for our city, and you do have a tremendous influence among the small business community is that there is nothing to be afraid of. one of the primary concerns of any small business person is the unknown deaf ear, and i am coming to you today, and i know you were all tired, to assure you the process that is being undertaken is really for the benefit of small business -- small-business owners, not a detriment, to give them the best possible pool of not only competent but exceptional workers. that is my contribution to your consideration. president o'brien: thank you very much. next speaker. >> thank you. i did not realize how late you guys were , so the thank you. you guys should put that in the public record or something. i am here to speak on this legislation are possible legislation because i, too, have two cats. i am the convict and a small- business owner. when i got out of prison, i could not find a job. i would work, you know, cash jobs, and sometimes i would not get paid. what are you going to do? fortunately, i had the opportunity to get a line level hospitality job. i worked my way up through management, and when i got out, i did not even know how to use a facts machine. i to though can attest as a small-business owner how hard it is for businesses in san francisco, and i definitely do not want this to be another burden to my fellows in the small business community. i do want to of communication to assure that this action becomes an additional resources to myself and the small business community and the work force. thankfully, i was given the opportunity. if i was not given the opportunity, i may not be here right now. i might be in jail. i got a shock, and that shock has me here today. for the city of san francisco to allow a small box on a piece of paper to dictate who has a chance at their life into does not, so we're just too smart in san francisco and too compassionate to allow a little box on a piece of paper to determine whether or not you get a second chance in life, so thank you, and thank you for staying up so late tonight. president o'brien: thank you very much. any other public comment? seeing none, public comment is closed. >> i would suggest that we work with your office because i do feel this is important legislation to move forward here, and i appreciate these two gentlemen coming to speak on behalf at this -- behalf of this this late-night. there are other associations in san francisco that would like to participate. >> so, commissioners, can we may be direct this to the legislation and policy committee for taking a look at it on a deeper level for the commission and and also possibly for the outreach committee vote to work on the outreach and working with hrc? >> .thank you. president o'brien: ok, next item, please. clerk: commissioners, item 10, an update and discussion on the san francisco planning department pavement to parts program, which will be continued to a future meeting. just to note, inside the left front cover is the legislation page report that you have requested. >> commissioners, due to the late time frame, i will just submit to you the director's report in writing. clerk: commissioners, item 12, the letter is dated and policy committee report. commissioner: we have nothing new that was not discussed here tonight. clerk: item 13, the permitting committee report. commissioner: i have nothing. clerk: item number 14, the outreach committee report. commissioner: i will submit. clerk: item 15, the president's report. president o'brien: i have nothing to report. clerk: item 16, the vice president's report. commissioner adams: we had a good event. janet. we had a great board of supervisors meeting. " i have been attending -- i went to the opening of super duper, which is a hamburger place in castro. it opened up their second location, which was fun and exciting, and i went to the 75th anniversary party a couple of weeks ago. family unscrewing clean family, same street. that is my report. commissioners, item 17, commission report. commissioner: just one last thing. i met with people from chinatown, and there is a program for chinatown and north beach, so we are excited to get people out in visiting our local merchants. president o'brien: commissioner clyde? commissioner clyde: on may 23 with commissioner njn -- jane kim, they were meeting about the licenses for abc and a way to clarify those conditions when conditions are met. i did find supervisor kim very responsive to the needs of both the residents in the community as well as the business owners. i also attended the mid market arts kickoff on at the 20th with mayor ed lee, and that was just a great get out in the street with music in the streets, even a a little bit of wine and beer in the streets. it was great fun. i also attended an awards party of the company on market, and i just want to note that it has grown in a year from four companies to know 160 companies that are a part of that. thank you very much. president o'brien: thank you. next item. clerk: item number 18, general public comment. president o'brien: seeing none, next item. clerk: item number 19, new business. president o'brien: seeing none, next item. clerk: item number 20, adjournment. we are returned -- adjourned. >> welcome to "culturewire." since december 2005, the museum of the african diaspora, known locally,moad, has presented programs that celebrate and explore the culture, history, and art of people with african descent throughout the and added states and throughout the world. the director of cultural affairs recently met with the museum director. to learn more about the current expedition, textural rhythms, constructing the jazz tradition, contemporary african american quilts. >> welcome to "culturewire." today, we are at the museum of the african diaspora, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary occupying one of the premier cultural district in the world, the yerba buena cultural arts center in san francisco. joining me is the cultural art director. tell us what moad's mission is. what does it do? >> the museum of the african diaspora showcases the history, art, and cultural richness that resulted from the dispersal of africans throughout the world. we do that through compelling and innovative exhibitions, public programs, and education programs. our goal is to celebrate and present for appreciation to our broad and diverse public the controversial energy contributions of people of african descent to world culture in all aspects in all areas, including politics, culture, economics, education, just in all aspects of cultural forms of expression. >> one of the fascinating things since 2005 when the museum was established, is that it has become clear from science that all of humanity originates in africa. how does that influence the education programs or presentation here at moad? >> obviously, being able to attenuate that, and there is a sign at the door that says, "when did you know that you were african?" our point is that we share a common dna, and it connects us on a number of different levels. this institution is an institution available to everyone, a resourced for everyone. >> you have both permanent and temporary exhibitions, right? >> we do. our temporary exhibition program is one that we are restructuring. i have been here now for about a year and a few months, and as a former curator, i'm very interested in this aspect of developing the visual arts program. part of what we are looking at is using the four core seems that define our program -- origins, migration and movement, transformation, an adaptation -- as a framework for our thinking about the kinds of exhibits we present. >> we want everybody to come and see the permanent exhibition. there might be a special opportunity to visit with the current show that you currently have, which is constructing the jazz tradition, which is a very striking exhibition of quilts. >> it is a compelling exhibit on a number of different levels. visually, it is compelling. in terms of the subject matter, in terms of the approach to materials, it is so rich and diverse. it is a colorful show, a show that is deep in content, and we know something of the history of the "'s tradition within the african-american community. it is a tradition that came from africa, has its roots in africa, but during slavery, this was a combination of things. one was a way to be able to communicate with each other, a way to create beautiful objects, and a way to create functional, utilitarian objects for the family and community. the other part that makes it so interesting is the focus on jazz. there are two attritions being celebrated here. certainly, the tradition as we know it -- these are not traditional quilts. they have their roots in traditional aspects, but what you will find in this exhibition are works that include materials on the surface, new processes, copying, and putting photographic images on the surface. you will find packets sewn onto the surface, so the methodology from traditional " making has changed from how traditional quilt makers use the medium. >> our visitors can visit the web site, which we will be showing on the segment, so follow the link to the website, and get all of the latest information about all these events related to this exhibition, and, of course, you guys are very active. throughout the year, with all kinds of special programs. >> yes, we are. this is what i'm so excited about. >> this may take us off track a little bit, but a couple of things i wanted to highlight is that the creation of moad is one of the flagship creations of the redevelopment of san francisco. it is housed inside -- what is the building? the regency, right? >> the st. regis museum tower. >> the st. regis museum tower, which is one of the development projects that was promoted by the redevelopment agency is what allows the city to -- and the development agency to give form and establish moad in the yerba buena cultural district. now, we are looking at governor brown oppose a proposal, which means that in the future, it he is successful, they would not have had the rebel the agency to promote these economic and cultural projects. it is something that has relevance today in terms of public policy today, what is going to happen in the future if we do not have a redevelopment agency to promote this development. >> yes. moad is the result or culmination of a public/private partnership that included the redevelopment agency and former mayor brown, and included the developer of this area. we had an opportunity to develop, create important cultural components of this public/private partnership. i understand the concern. i'm delighted they are here and will continue to be here and will continue to do the good work we are doing. >> absolutely. thank you so much for being part of "culturewire."