Good morning everyone. Welcome to our speed was Committee Meeting of thursday, june 30, 2016. Im katie tang chair of the committee. Joined by vice chair supervisor eric martinmilius to my left melia cohen to our clerk is derek evans and from speedy sfgov tv we like to thank jim smith. Any announcements . Yes. Please sounds all electronic devices. Items acted upon today will be on the july 12, 2016 board of supervisors board of agenda unless otherwise stated thank you please call adam one item 1 [reading code] thank you. I believe we have supervisor peskins office. Thank you chairman tang and supervisors mar and cohen and thank you for consideration of this item this mentor apologizings supervisor peskin is not able to join the discussion. The Charter Amendment before you is a simple Good Government measure that seeks to provide oversight and transparency to 2 acres of the city housing and Community Development function. A supervisor peskin stated in his local comments the combined budgets of the department are significant. Totaling in the hundreds of millions of dollars it largely without any public oversight were transparency as to how these dollars are spent. A small example in fiscal year 1516 a total of 47 of the invested edwards budget was allocated towards general unification public Home Improvements programming and Capacity Building for Community Based organizations. This is almost 4 million of public monies allocated to proposals go through an internal scoring and vetting process about which consists in a posting on the lew. Org website according to a letter of Inquiry Committee to oewd back confederate. While supervisor peskin does not dispute the functions or roles of the departments in fact both are extremely important to the work of the city and the supervisors priorities in particular, there is a practical question of appropriate governance of public transparency. The Planning Department deals with an extraordinary amount of land use policy and projects and thats those projects through the lands of expertise. As guidance and advisement from its commission. Why should our office of housing and Community Development not also the commission that is to draw upon for expertise recommendations in public input . On issues ranging from how the city of beaches and tracks and later tracks are below market rate units and ensures their not being foreclosed on or otherwise lost to ensuring Community Stabilization funds are secured and critical funding is allocated to neighborhood Infrastructure Projects for small site acquisition. The commission can play an Important Role in centralizing information and ensuring these issues are given space for discussion monitoring and enforcement. Commissions are not intended to add more bureaucracy than they are intended to shed a light on existing bureaucracy. As well Charter Amendment less is more. We have endeavored to create a process that does not undercut the power of our departments but rather glanced further transparency and tool. Departments would still have the flexibility to operate as they always have with an oversight body as an additional resource. With that in mind, the supervisor would like to offer several amendment for your consideration today. After consultation with our city administrator with like to remove those functions of the department of real estate from the Real Estate Division from the purview of the commission that do not directly relate to the conveyance or financing of Affordable Housing and we can clarify with our City Attorney whether or not that extends beyond Surplus Property. But that is my understanding. In addition, would like to include in the amendment grants the commission the authority to make recommendations to only wcd for the inclusionary ami level under this provision any ordinance at the board of supervisors puts forth setting these ami levels would be considered by the commission and that ordinance was approved by the board of supervisors would supersede any Ballot Initiative that sought to set the ami level outside of the legislative process where it belongs. I got copies of these amendment for you to review today. I want to affirm that the supervisor is very open to further amendment. He is actually you know, given me some flexibility today to discuss if folks decide they have amendment they like to propose on the floor i am happy to consider those as well and take those back. Most today im here to listen and ill take the feedback and comments back to the supervisor and i want to thank you again for your consideration. Thanks so much thank you very much for your presentation. I appreciate they said youre here to listen to make it especially to supervisor peskin is not here. I do have a number of questions although i was glad to hear the Real Estate Department was taken out of this particular proposal. I so many questions i dont know where to begin. Essentially, we have now to departments that would be subsumed under this particular commission in so, i know that one of the things that you had mentioned was that we are not trying to create more bureaucracy and would actually try to create more transparency. So, one of the things that you touched upon was about grantmaking and lew d but im wondering if you can tell me a little bit more about both oewd and the Mayors Office of housing and Community Development good what are some of the issues that are actually risen under the current structure that supervisor peskin has found so problematic we integrate this new commission . Well, i think that like i said, any time we are doing with very large budgetary issues particularly when theres a public dollars granted to neighborhood organizations based on criteria, that largely the Department Sets itself internally we had a lot of neighborhood organizations that have been put in somewhat of a position where they are competing against each other and we have been unable to define for them or you elaborate for them why they had in the process is the way it is good how the outreach happens. Why certain funding is allocated to certain places and not others. It is problematic in many ways because of course, we want our neighborhoods to be able to drive down on grant opportunities and receive funding for neighborhood Infrastructure ProjectsCapacity Building. It does create a tense political environment and everything becomes highly politicized because they are basically, trying to find out where they can curry favor and who gets what. It has led to some arguments and some very tense relationships, and a lot of our neighborhoods, they are microcommunities that have their own personalities and politics. I think without a clear process in place that has transparency that is the rules are the same for everybody and theres an understanding of who is actually betting your proposals and giving feedback i think thats important for those Community Groups to have an understanding that we can also defend our position as of the legislative body. So, i guess my question is, how would this commission operate such that yes, there would be towards transparency in a clear process and actually not result in neighborhood organizations competing against each other. I do know for example, also, even during our ad back process at the board, for example, there are many many requests that go through to oewd from all our districts. Right. Again im wondering how this commission would actually help make that better . Well it would be a place to actually that those proposals. I mean whether or not without bringing very prescriptive in the Charter Amendment, i think it would be an appropriate place for those glands to be discussed and offer feedback and to actually have that internal scoring process be public. Okay. I am just wondering if especially because in the Charter Amendment, there is language that actually describes what i think supervisor peskins intent for each of the departments would be. I am just wondering if i can Ask Department staff to comment on that because i do notice that some of the definitions and descriptions of what he would want state oewd or mo each cd to be slightly different from what exists in our charter currently. So i am wondering if someone maybe lets are with oewd since were on that topic. If you can comment on what that change would mean to the department . Thank you supervisor. Todd rufo office of economic and Workforce Development. Just to be clear, even competently for the department and not just as a way to the title yes, thats correct thank you supervisor. As you know oewds mission is to support Small Businesses to start our neighborhoods to grow jobs help connect residents to those jobs will build housing a particularly Affordable Housing. We closely analyze this proposal and shared i think with supervisors interest in transparency and Community Engagement. However, the proposal as we read it does not accelerate our ability to carry out this mission in the way we sit in fact with slow ability to get people jobs and help Small Business. In a given year oewd grants more than 20 million to cd oh per job training and Western Addition. That help support manufacturers in the bayview and to invest in Community ProjectsNeighborhood Group project in west portal in the excelsior. This proposal would delay our ability to grant these dollars out by at least three months. We estimate this delay would be exacerbated by the fact that multiple agencies out going through a Single Commission and that would have to be taken to consideration is different items can we work every day to try to accelerate moving quicker i grantmaking process. I feel this would move us in the wrong direction achieving that after. Ill there are, as laid out in the proposal, there are two commissioners that are required to have at least housing or Community Moment experience there is no one who is required to expertise in Small Business assistanceexcuse meWorkforce Development, neighborhood project. These important areas of our work that also deserve expertise and careful guidance from the commission. From this proposed. The proposal focus on a lot of oversight. I am proud of the amount of Community Engagement and oversight oewd engages in today. The last fiscal year alone, oewd presented more than 56 Commission Meetings including planning, puc, mta, ocii, thatpark and the Arts Commission could be presented nearly 100 Advisory Boards and task force meetings. And weve attended more than 500 community and stakeholder meetings. Many of those are through invested neighborhoods. Many those guided the verythe priorities of which we draft our solicitations for. To the point that was being made earlier by the supervisors office. This is in addition to the extensive oversight the board also provides. That includes the approval and review of our budget annually. Itd includes the approval of all the Development Agreement. Which was a focus of this proposal and opportunities that call hearings an increase in the light. This proposal as i said focuses a lot on oewds agreements. Just to be clear, for all das that projects that oewd worked on without grew in close coordination with other agencies and the respective commissions. Which oversee real estate entitlement and includes planning, qc, mta wreckpark and the court. We have under the direction of these commissions as well as ultimately the board. We have no independent authority to move approved a ba outside these commissions were the other respective departments. Under the citys Administrative Court the Planning Commission is a regulator da. We take all of our da to the Planning Commission. I think one question thats raised is how would this commission not be duplicate of of the efforts of the Planning Commission and other . One recent example was the approval 5m which was the Development Agreement it was approved as you know supervisor earlier this fiscal year and was heard more than 10 times as six different boards and commissions. Dozens of Community Meetings. What additional oversight is missing i think your question supervisor tang what additional oversight is missing this mission can provide . We be interested in hearing that. Additionally come i do one appointment that some potential conflicts that what the proposals and focus on housing the development i worry and im concerned about what it means for work was the roman programming which is represents more than half of our budget. Oewd staff workforce Investment Board in San Francisco which the federally mandated board under the workforce opportunity act, the federal law requires the workforce board revamp Program Oversight oversee the operations of cities one subsystem and job training Career Pathway studies for career and youth. Our assessment we cannot transfer power to the another commission overseeing oewd. We are by law appointed by chief elected officer to the mayor and certified by the governor. This is in addition to the fact is that the commission overlapping or similar responsibilities as create inefficiencies and slow the process as well. Which would impact the grantmaking work to our workforce cbos were delivering services to rise the good i want to conclude supervisor with one final point. In the last fiscal year oewd workforce programs that serve 5000 participants more than 3200 jobs. 36 africanamerican, 26 asian, 26 with keynote 11 of the People PublicHousing Resident here we try the assistance more than 230 local manufacturers and this is more than 90 nonprofit organizations at 124 loans for Small Business and 12 million. And we provided for districts 5000 in grants to cbos for neighborhood implement project. I dont see how this proposal accelerates these efforts and im concerned in that it slows down our ability to continue to do this work and injects uncertainty for cbos, residents and the businesses we serve. So, i just want to summarize the major getting all the pointer. In terms of the deponent agreements again, mostly under the purview of the Planning Commission as well as several other commissions, potentially such as the port or so forth, in terms of Workforce Development, in grantmaking, how much is that of the 20 million grants that oewd doles out each year . Im good at walking ways come up here and speak to that process. Good morning supervisor. Thank you for hearing this and having assisted a walking tour is Deputy Director investing edwards for the office of economic and Workforce Development. Die just a quick bit of clarification on the question again in terms of the allocation in terms of our grants . Yes. Im trying to clear five because i know that some of the comments made earlier when supervisor peskins office at it with a transparency and grantmaking sounds like you allowed about 20 million in grants each year. There is the Workforce Development side of things. So, i want to know, of the 20 million in grants that oewd hands out how much of it is consistent workforce the moment. I much is in terms of just . Seven. Speaking for the invested neighborhoods budget, visit which includes both neighborhood influence in the app that process. We simply mentioned the total about 2. 6 million that was for fiscal year 1415. But a total 3. 3 million for fiscal year 156 and could i do want to take a moment to talk about the level of transparency that is a core principle of invested neighborhoods. If something we value and pride ourselves on in terms of the level of engagement on the ground persontoperson, businesstobusiness organization to Organization GetCommunity Group to Community Group. They would least organizations merchant organizations that all of the staff is directly involved in. The language in terms of collaboration that we choose to pursue collaboratively among interagency partnerships as was Community Partnerships is listed specifically in the language of all of our rfps a request for proposals, in terms of encouraging Collaboration Among Community and Neighborhood Groups and merging groups. We asked for letters of support from additional labor groups to make sure folks are working together and actually those proposals that come into our office are viewed in a more favorable manor when there is collaborative support in writing sometimes that includes merging groups, Neighborhood Groups, neighborhood associations. Additional health and Service Providers that agree with the proposals the Community Members want to make. Additionally, many of our staff on a if not monthly, and quarterly basis visit all of these organizations that we have direct relationships with to ensure that they are aware of the processes and in addition to the posting of information on the website. Its a commitment we have to make sure that everyone is aware of all the grants we directly have for invested neighborhoods that are available throughout the neighborhoods so everyone can benefit from dollars and the intent for us to support ultimate Neighborhood Vitality and activity in a collaborative manner. Supervisor cohen has a question thank you very much supervisor tang. Actually my question was directed towards todd without and getting a better understanding of this commission would impact with this good i sit and have for many years and i dont sit see the conflict that you are alluding to. Maybe you can elaborate a little . Sure. First off, theas you know, does the apartment the mayor does the appointment of members of the board. The board is charged to federal law. The carmen of labor to oversee the grantmaking process were to the onestop as you know. If they commission is to sit above oewd presumably we be taking all of our rfps and solicitation as well as the ultimate grants, workforce grants provide would be taken all strategies to the commission should the commission you cs that is to be one way or in contradiction to the way that the sees it that would be a conflict it would not be clear to us ifwhich way that the conflict would be resolved. The federal oversight of the dollars that are provided by the federal government which represents half of our workforce dollars, its clear this bodies one and make that decision. But with this oversight body that would oversee and appoint a dir. Its unclear how the conflict would be resolved. Okay. This anglo, could you come up by the couple question could just given what mr. Without objection rizzo is that something new legislation is able to mitigate or is there perhaps a amendment or desire to obtain a and looks to carve out this particular portion of mo wds is possibilities of their isnt a inherent conflict . That is something that i mean i am happy to work with director without and see if theres some language that we could put together that would address the issue. All right. In terms of timeline, in terms of time im how quickly do you think we could get this done . The item is here would try to bring it in voters in november we can huddle. Hello all. Thank you. Thats it for me supervisor tang supervisor mar i want to thank supervisor peskin and this is anglo from his office did i think this is a we try to psych about with better transparency and oversight but i know there are some tradeoffs and mr. Truffaut the pension potential projects for delays for some of the contracts and try to understand if a supervisor cohen just mention, if some of those potential projects can be minimized because i think oversight into and transparency is important. I see ultimately, and Sophie Millbrook is here and i know theres some potential delays for Affordable Housing projects so i think are really important for us to consider but im wondering if mr. Torres or mr. Folk can get some example of a hardship on workforce training and those small loans or grants and how that on the street and in the community how that would impact people if this measure would go to the ballot and to be passed . What would be the hardship . So, the delays caused through the fact that this is where the threemonth time frame comes from, that the grantmaking of which the number is as i said, millions of dollars in oewd doesnt grants, the fact that we would bring the solicitation and again we follow the process of the city and are solicitation of the grant dollars, we would have to go and the solicitation would have to be brought before the commission presumably for approval. It would be discussion thereof to be on the agenda. It may be sent back the changes and then brought back before the commission again a threemonth estimate does not take that into consideration that it assumes we would staff would develop this good the solicitation big before the commission provide ample time for awareness and then the commission would act on. We would then go in make the solicitation, provide as we do today, we provide them opportunity for outreach meetings. Opportunities for questions. Then, scoring make a decision have response to this vision make a decision and bring back to the commission for approval of the individual contracts. And grant agreement. So thats what at that time that i like it that also assumes there is nothe that assumes that there is that this commission is able to handle the volume thats coming through oewd as well as the committee to bowman grants the contracts that they have is welcome again, the concern being, multiple departments with multiple streams of work with multiple different grants and procurements coming on flowing to a Single Commissionis a little bit unprecedented. I just want to say i think the elephant in the room is the change of three departments from Mayors Office on housing or Mayors Office on Community Bowman were Mayors Office on economic and Workforce Development with the city administrator over more of a shared oversight and governance but i am at understand some of the potential hardships and delays but i appreciate that answer. Thank you supervisor then, thanks for the questions and just to clarify that it was a amendment to take out department of real estate under this proposal. Okay, thank you for oewd for your answer but actually, i think that what i have more concerns about is really within the happening with all mh cd under this proposal. Again just looking at what is now the new description of what the Housing Department on housing and Committee Development would be, you know, again, what is this trying to address . What are we not doing thats not transparent currently . I know a lot of things especially since it is it on Budget Committee come before us in terms of agreements and so forth. So, i dont know if someone from moh cd is here and i see olson. If you could speak to what this would mean if we were to have this new commission . Thank you supervisors. Awesomely directors of the Mayors Office of housing and Community Development. I think the proposal before us really concerns us in terms of our ability to move quickly and develop the Affordable Housing that Everybody Needs in San Francisco. You know, the question about need for transparency, i like to talk about that first. Much of what we do at the Mayors Office of housing and Community Development comes before the board already. Every single round lease. Every single bond issuance. We go before the Planning Commission to look at the question of height and bulk of the bill. In our budget goes before the board also. So, there is a level of transparency for each and every project that is funded by the Mayors Office of housing. What we are really concerned about is the slowing down the process. We have a process right now through the board that this would add to that process because everything that the board would review would also have to be reviewed prior to getting to the board. So, for the question of doing a bond issuance on behalf of an Affordable Housing or financing for particular Affordable Housing project, we would have to make sure that was heard at a Commission Meeting prior to getting before the subcommittee of the board and then to the full board. That would add time. How much time that would add, a lot of it depends on how quickly we could get to a commission. As some of the heartas todd mentioned earlier, looking at three departments with three very very different workloads going all into a Single Commission. As we have inundated the board on some of our bad projects with 1415 bond issuances and things like that, trying to meet a deadline for leveraging outside funding, that process would have to go through a particular commission and, again, the whole question of whether that commission has the capability and capacity just physically to address all the actions that would be covered under this particular Charter Amendment the multiple departments. It would be a question. The other question we really have is the question of the expertise. In terms of the Commission Appointments could only two out of the five are going to be Community Development or housing, the work that we do, is very technical and we would really want to make sure that the commissioners really understood what we are trying to propose. Then, clearly, in thein that arena, we would have to do a lot of work to ensure that the materials were digested in such a way that it was very apparent to those nonCommunity Development, nonAffordable Housing commissioners what the actions we were doing and why we were doing them. Again, i bought of the goals that we are trying to implement as the Mayors Office of housing and Community Development, articles of the city have already been expressed by this board and by the mayors as goals of the city. We are just in the process of info mentation. Somebody said well, what is the problem a month or two months delay . For a project that needs to go into construction that may mean an increase in cost for that particular project. You know, when you have as many projects as we have going and you increase the cost for all of them, that is a loss of Affordable Housing units because as we havewe are really challenged in San Francisco in terms of being able to keep our costs down. We should not be trying to do things that we know will try to increase those costs. Because, again, its not a question of saving the money to use for salaries or something else. We are just saving up money to use for the next Affordable Housing. We really would like to be able to doto create that Affordable Housing as quickly and expeditiously as possible. So, we would say that in terms of the question of transparency, clearly the board we go through the board for many many things. We dont feel we need to go through a commission to get to the board for the board to feel that theres some access for Public Comment on those particular projects and those particular items. Clearly, if there was a problem in the process the board has asked for information from the office in the past and we would be happy, obviously, to provide that information to the board whether its at a particular hearing war or specific reports to the board. We work very hard to try to provide for our annual reports and annual Progress Report on how we are trying to implement the will of the board and the mayor. That annual report is readily available on our website. You know, we are at this point probably the busiest weve ever been in the history of the Mayors Office of housing. In trying toim being heckled by the audience a little bittrying to implement that is a struggle. Everybody on my staff is working extremely hard in trying to implement that and to bein this case, to be divergent from the goals of our implementation to the question of trying to provide forto staff the commission and to add the work of the commission, to ensure that commission is adequately staffed in terms of that information, when, again we do go through the board for much if not all the work that we do get so, that is i didnt i think important fact to consider as we look at the question of do we really need another commission to again, to look at the question of oversight. The other question, one of the other issues we have is just the question of the structuring of the department overall. There are times when especially when we are doing with the federal government, that the location of this office within the Mayors Office is actually beneficial to the city and to the residence overall. One example of this is the question of the rental assistance demonstration program. For those in the audience who dont realize what that is, its the rebuilding of 29 very distressed public Housing Developments in San Francisco. Overall. That occurred in part because the mayor provided leadership and access to those folks, to those decisionmakers in washington dc along with our delegation, along with the support of the board to make that happen. But as a Department Head reporting to a commission, that is not quite carry the same gravitas as being a part of the Mayors Office when negotiating with individuals from dc were negotiating with people from sacramento and so one example of where the organizational structure and the relationship with the Mayors Office has greatly benefited the city overall in terms of bringing Additional Resources to the city that we would not have got on our own. The Mayors Office and the delegation lobbied, educated, the folks in hud specifically about the needs of San Francisco and how that would really benefit the residents of San Francisco. Again, the organizational structure allowed us to take advantage of those resources, those relationships, to bring more resources back to San Francisco. Thanks. Supervisor cohen has a question yes, a couple comments but mostly standards to director lea. I think you raise some interesting points. The one main one is we need another commission. Later on on this agenda will have another issue where dealing with is do we need another elected position. I dont know the answer if its a yes or no. Its not so easy and not so cut and dry and clean. Particularly, when the proponents are saying its for transparency. I personally am open and welcome transparency good the measures that im going to be introducing today are discussing today also have to do with large component have to do with transparency but is all something very valuable in adding another layer of oversight. Personally, its been difficult working with you a department on a measure that on an issue ive been working on trying to bring Affordable Housing to the community of color. People who been displaced and pushed out and i wonder if a commission, if the commission had been in place if i would have yielded the same result. I commission would allow me the same flexibility and more oversight into these departments that i dont necessarily have time, energy, to micromanage good i have granted professional courtesy to Department Heads thinking that we are likeminded and working on the same plane. Critically, talking about specifically for Affordable Housing that we put commission in place. The commission passes an agenda forward allocating money and resources and a clear directive saying this is how we need to bring affordable market how the new market Affordable Housing units to San Franciscos and people in the greater San Francisco bay area. That would require you to honor that commitment. Now, i personally exacerbated and try to work with you to do that without a commission could but here i am in this position like Media Commission is exactly what we need to provide that level of oversight to provide a transparency, to provide accountability more importantly to these department of functions. I agree, the government of real estate should be exempt. Thank you supervisor peskins office for pulling that out. But i do wonder about particular the Mayors Office of housing and i do think that a commission would push this department to be aggressive in how the marketing and talk about Affordable Housing. Push the department to be far more aggressive than outside of their comfort zone when it comes to interacting with communities of color. How were advertising these units available. We are we are advertising. Ive been working two years with your staff trying to get some language to codify how Developers Even advertise these units. Ive got nowhere. Its been incredibly frustrating and yet here and i watch these affordable market units as well as bmr units go through the process, and few people of San Francisco i would just say ancestry, commitment the san franciscans are continually being pushed out and there seems to be like no accountability. Perhaps, thats a commission would have been a little bit more accountability. I dont know. I dont think im hearing on off to sway me one way or the other, but i definitely dont think we have a problem which is the reason why we are here and entertaining this conversation. So supervisor tang it wasnt really a question is more or less a statement. I apologize to everyone but thank you for your statement. Supervisor tamara instead of responding to that i want to focus on with the hardship for Affordable Housing if a measure like this were to be passed. Try to find the balance of supporting transparency and better oversight with on the ground impacts. I know your staff worked really hard and ms. Middlebrook explained some of the human impacts and i know building Affordable Housing is to meet one of the most important tasks in your office is really the one tasked with that will be the hardship, that delays and human terms and Even Economic terms if our goals to build huge amount of housing by 2020 for example . Well, were on a very very tight deadline to try to create the 10,000 units that the mayor and the board has supported as a Affordable Housing goals overall. The issue of a delay in whether it is a question of getting on a calendar because we couldnt get on a calendar because of the number of items that would have to go before this particular commission, which happens very very often, the Planning Department, as it relates to calendaring, document try not to throw my colleagues at the Planning Department under the bus but they have such a large work load that they often cant calendar items quickly enough. Those commissioners work very very long long hours in trying to provide a transparency and try to provide that review of all these items that theres just a lot of items. So, one of the concerns we would have is would be have the ability to get to the commission in a timely manner that wouldnt affect our ability to close and fund the loan or provide a letter of commitment so that we can leverage outside funds. So, we dont want to lose the opportunity to look for outside funding good again, if we dont get the outside funding then we have to wait a cycle or two to try to get that particular project back into the queue for additional outside funding or the city would actually have to than cover the gap for that particular project because we missed the opportunity for the funding overall. So the impact is, we want to delay in the actual creation of that Affordable Housing, but its also the diamonds loss of Affordable Housing when we have to than substitute were scrambled to pay more for project if theres lost access to it or pay more for a project because it has been delayed in getting to construction as Construction Cost increased overall and is just taking money out of the system that we would like to use specifically for the subsidizing more Affordable Housing could then, i know from brian choose side of the Community Development that the real impacts of Neighborhood Stabilization and Many Development projects will be delayed and i think is a human impacted their but i think the point of the five commissioners, the two from the mayor, two from the board and one from the comptroller how they are defined about expertise these five people would have to have a huge amount of expertise over many different complex issues. So i definitely see that. I did want to say that im try to focus on what the best balance. Do you have any suggestions to minimize the conflicts also so todd would vote and to meet workforce investment as a potential conflicts and the Committee Advisory body on Community Development and what potential converts are there were redundancies with this commission would oversee . Well, the cc cd is the Public Outreach mechanism we use for the Community Development grants. They make a recommendation to staff and then staff forwards that to the mayor and to the board. Again, we would be uncertain inserting another body before it gets to the board as part of our overall budget. So, again, the question is, is the delay, is the additional time and effort we need to staff that particular commission warranted when we do have a public process there. Thank you. Supervisor cohen i just want to say one thing good that emily moh has a. They work with me anyone putting but the one good thing that comes to mind is the neighborhood preference legislation but i think thats absolutely critical and will in time to be a smart prudent decision for neighborhoods that will be one of it from this legislation. I do want to be uneven handed in his cousin on my frustration and not flatter you but i frustration still out ways that flattering because i still think that oversight would be very good but tickly for American Idol know about oewd. Is that like you guys get swept up into. Another confirmer was a for nonprofits however, nonprofits and Service Providers in this goes forward they just need to build it into their timeline as to when and approval process as to when the grants will be issued. I would say just in response, we think the supervisor and the president of the board for their leadership on the neighborhood preference legislation. And we are working very very hard to try to work with the other funders, the federal government, the State Government, to get that neighborhood preference implement it. I would just remind the public that all of the things that the Mayors Office has done with the context of the neighborhoods, again, the demonstration program, 3500 units of extremely distressed Public Housing being converted, rehabbed for Affordable Housing. The whole sf projects. Overall, taking on the most dilapidated family developments and creating mixed income neighbors were almost done or not almost on the were substantially through that process at hunters be. It may determine this difference in a process. I went by the construction of the Alice Griffith project and thats going really really well. I saw the supervisor this saturday at the opening of their dr. Davis Senior Housing and senior development. So, clearly, the benefits of the work that we do are tangible. The question about the delays are real. The question of getting the focus of the commission to focus on the specific work we do is real and the fact that this board, you know, even on the supervisors comments, its clearly oversight on the work that we do as a department. Supervisor 10 i agree a lot of good work is happened but Means Nothing if people dont know about these opportunities. That was my point of issue. How we are communicating to people, what language, where we advertise, where the standards and requirements we have want developers to share this information. Yes, this is all wonderful. To be fair, it was an uphill battle even to get the George C Davis building filled to its capacity with certificate of preference holders. It is through cutthroat and frankly, guerrilla warfare that kathy davis was so successful in getting it. Was into the help of on the lakes. I think that is a problem. All right. Thank you supervisor cohen. But id wrap this up your i know theres a lot of people here Public Comments. Ive i will say in terms of one last observation about the proposed Charter Amendment i noted that the Mayors Office of housing, if there are projects with federal or state Funding Forces the Mayors Office of housing were under this new structure would be able to exempt such projects from the competitive bid process. That struck be as a little bit of a strange clause to include in your own because i think the goal really is to improve transparency and so forth, im not sure we have this in here. This potential ability for a waiver of competitive bid process. Lastly, i will just say overall, again, i dont really know what were trying to solve for in terms of both oewd and, leach cd under this one umbrella of a commission. In terms of especially when it comes to moh cd, so much i would say probably the majority of the approvals are set to go to the board of supervisors so i waxing courtyard board member to Pay Attention to whats on the agenda and if theres a issues and maybe we should point those out during those processes instead of potentially having this Commission Delay so much of what were trying to do to remove barriers to creating Affordable Housing projects in San Francisco which is a huge goal of mine. So, all that to say i do have serious concerns about this particular Charter Amendment but at this, but open up to Public Comment because many of you are waiting to speak. A medical sum, the cards. If you could please line up by the window. [calling names]these come on up. Please, come on up. Good morning supervisors. My name is pf im here representing spurt. Thank you for the opportunity to weigh in on this chart amended. We believe this measure is unnecessary and creates duplicate of oversight oh slow down our City Government. Weve heard from our departments that these offices are notits also be doctors are not subject to oversight by city commissions. While they dont have a direct commission of their own page fully present nearly everything that they do to numerous commissions, boards, citizen advisory committees, etc. For input and approval which includes the Planning Commission and the board of supervisors. The board of supervisors itself directly approves the Major Development deals of the office of economic and Workforce Development. We be because she on the city and on major transactions that take place in the department of real estate. This new commission wouldnt add much more you that other advisory bodies do not. From a Good Government perspective, its important to ask this question since theres a cost in both terms of time that it adds to the buses and in terms of direct cost of a commission and staffing to the public. The measure will slow down Affordable Housing projects that the Mayors Office of housing and Community Development are trying to make happen. It will add additional cost to the Publicprivate Partnership that oh ew the work done and is just unnecessary. We have some concerns about this and we urge you not to submit it to the voters. Thank you thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning supervisor. My name is karen the woods. I been involved in Community Development as a volunteer for about 25 years now. I have worked with the Mayors Office of housing through our mission bay project. I have worked with oewd on numerous projects and im even working with a Real Estate Division peripherally. I really dont know whether it makes sense to have a separate office, department for housing and Community Development. But i do know i am concerned about several things. Under the housing piece, competitive procurement of Affordable Housing seems to be the wrong way to go. Putting together an Affordable Housing package is so congregated already when you try and put funding together, programs together, affordability levels together, it just seems like a competitive process would be counterproductive. I also feel strongly that oewd has no business being under a commission that is primarily about Affordable Housing. Whether or not that should be a separate department is a completely different question. Oewd does far more than just housing and Community Development. We have major oversight of their activities on development and other things i see, and i think having him under a housing oriented commission would be a very bad mistake. Thank you thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning supervised at my name is kevin kell executive director of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. I also the honor of serving as the chair of the workforce Investment Board of San Francisco as well. I been on the board for over four years. Im here today to discuss this newly proposed commission would likely be in conflict with the existing workforce board and how we would met negatively impact the ability to carry out its functions pertaining to work for Service Provision to the San Francisco residents and businesses. Workforce Investment Board of San Francisco local board. It was established in accordance with the workforce investment act which now has been superseded by the workforce innovation opportunity act which is referred to as. Overseas workforce activities in San Francisco. The other federal law that guides and funds local Workforce Service delivery and creates a system oversight bodies as possible for monitoring implementation and compliance with the workforce act. This tiered system requires the State Government work with the chief elected official of a local area in San Francisco that would be the mayor and to establish a local workforce board. It appointed Board Members to the local workforce board, the mayor to follow strict guidelines regarding member compositions. For example, the majority of the board must consist of representatives from the business community, and another 20 of the members must represent unions and cbos as well. I workforce Investment Board members include executives from microsoft salesforce, kaiser, said her health and the Hotel Council and Golden Gate Restaurant Association at Exhibit Commission overseeing oewd would likely be in conflict with the federally mandated local workforce good at minimum, separate commission will with oakland as similar as possible these would create inefficiencies, duplication of efforts, and increase administrative costs that produce and impede or delay the probe programmatic activities associate with the programs. In closing, i urge you to consider the existing legal obligations and Practical Implications for San Franciscos workforce system. Thank you for your time thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning supervised. Good morning members. My name is ivan and i represent consulting i was to voice my concern regarding the proposed rule. San francisco has an amazing team of dedicated missionaries working hard and empowering communities to thrive under very challenging conditions in a city where disparities can be quite stark. This additional layer of oversight would is not necessary. It would slow down the delivery of projects in what is already a difficult and often cumbersome process. Putting this process in place will only make it more difficult to get resources to communities in organizations that benefit from the grants and resources provided by the Mayors Office of economic and Workforce Development. These grants allow services, Service Providers, to meet the growing needs of disenfranchised communities. Many of which would otherwise lose the constant battle to keep their doors open to provide opportunity to communities that need it the most. Was there, it can obliterate this Committee Organization which often one on tight margins. We need the city of San Francisco to speedily process granting request in order to support communities were experiencing continued hardship in the city that they said that the value of the city even as it provides diminished opportunities for others. San francisco must continue to assist this disenfranchised committees who are important to the fabric of the city of San Francisco. Community organizations will not benefit from the additional cost logistics, processes, meetings, and hearings that this commission as to the process. We believe the additional layers created by the proposed housing and Development Commission would greatly impair the ability of Service Providers to efficiently and effectively meet the needs of our communities that need it the most. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning. Imdirector of counter pulse we just opened our new venue on the block of turk street. We are the beneficiary of oewd support both financially as well as just being advisors in our move to a new neighborhood in San Francisco. We were supported through predevelopment costs as wells recently to review our episodic two more will be coming to our new neighborhood. I will keep this brief. I learned a lot from being here today and i think that oversight is important and i work in a Grassroots Community way and i think that the priority that i placed on agility and responsiveness to Community Needs is really where my heart lies in processes. As a matter of process, i think that is a recent grantee it would have been a good sign to have been gauged in some way around this measure to know that type of responsiveness which i think is a real hallmark about oh ew works now would still be in place. That would be bounds of oversight and responsiveness in this way would be a priority and concern that want to see informed in the process going for. Thank you thank you very much. Before iconic speaker, ipod speaker cards. I have more speaker cards here. [calling names] thank you randy shaw director of [inaudible] i like to start by addressing supervisor cohens point about sheila concerns without oh ews operator programs. I felt that way in the 80s and then either the ballot measure could i think its the only ballot measure abitibi being on the ballot and pass signatures as opposed to the board to create a building session which one in the 1994 ballot because we cannot get the Building Department of housing the firemen to do Code Enforcement only choice and i spent two years surveying all the groups. We ended up having every major constituency in San Francisco except for the downtown inches they used to control the department. The landlords and tenants and the merchants all on board. But in this case, oewd is incredibly wellrun agents. Youve heard it. I dont know what theyre doing in this Housing Development commission. I think thats what youre hearing from all of us here is dont break what isnt broken. Your concerns ofi dont get involved with that and i anderson allotted concerns with units and the like but thats not oewd and they done such an effective job in the tenderloin, weve had no money Economic Development money prior to the last administration 50 years went by without a dollar academic Development Money coming to tenderloin businesses. Now we have a 26 tenderloin sunday we are tenderloin using. The counter post. P l fight it all got assistance from a league at ud. What is more grassroots than that . So, lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. Lets protect oewd under all services. Thank you thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Hi. Im a jewel lightly. I am a white chair of the Merchants Association. I just want to talk a little bit about our expenses with oewd. Can you speak into the microphone a little bit you can put down. Perfect i started going to the Merchants Association meetings about two years ago. When it was forming. I did six months nothing really happen until oewd came in and started giving us support and guidance and help to keep the Merchants Association welding and to form more properly formed, and so yes in the last year and half since they been helping us, we have got the organization together and however we are ready to start taking members and they also help us put on the first Little Market st. , festival which happened two weeks ago which is also very successful. None of that we wouldve been able to do without the help of them. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Good morning supervise. Dan adams woodbridge housing. Im here to to express a couple of concerns that we have with the proposed formation of a housing and a moment commission. My comments will leave before to potential investor the production of one of percent afford housing in San Francisco. As we all know, were expensing a housing crisis and critical to confronting the crisis is producing as much Affordable Housing as quickly as possible. Adding additional layer 2 oversight interview to what is already very lengthy and quite highly regulated process seems on its surface to risk slowing down production and impeding the efficient allocation of funds to locally based Affordable Housing developers. The city is a contest to many others in the beginning is blessed to have a number of highly qualified michigan to developers and it should be our shared goal to exploit those talents and capacities of these crudes to maximize production of this muchneeded community asset. We are concerned that adding additional regulatory body is perhaps not the best way to reach that shared goal. Second, i encourage this group to consider what if any problem this commission this proposed commission, would be solving. As a former member of our staff i can attest to the care and rigor with which decisions are made regarding funding and program development. Loan committees are open to the public and include diverse presentation of city departments that are these for new development and include considerable outreach and diversity and the Selection Panel and puzzles puzzle the ground lease. Those ground leases are approved by the board of supervisors and public meetings. Development agreements for larger projects of you by Planning Commission and the full board and thus is our opinion the agencies involved in this proposed Charter Amendment as well as the existing oversight midis to my commissions, and boards, do an exemplary job in ensuring transparency of process and conduct careful deliberation when approving projects. So, we encourage you to consider whether this commission is necessary for the depression of Affordable Housing thank you. Next speaker, please. Hi. My name is[inaudible] and i work as a Committee Organizer of San Francisco and i want [inaudible] im here because we only the last couple of years have been working very closely with oewd staff on improving tenderloin in terms of even Small Businesses coming in organization like counter post how to integrate into the community, how to the community can benefit from new businesses coming into the community. Weve also participated in larkin street, the first there was organized with the help of oewd. One other concern i want to bring about is what we felt there was very Little Community input processed before the Charter Amendment brought in here and we encourage and we basically urge supervisor peskin to move oewd from the start of amendment. Thanks thank you. Next speaker, please. Scott hockey,[inaudible] Small Business advocate. Im here to speak against the proposal. Honestly, i dont have a lot of background with the Mayors Office of housing but have worked very closely with Mayors Office of Economic Development. So i speak from that perspective. First of all, i dont think this is necessary. I see it as bureaucratic. An additional expense. I am concerned about the delay as was mentioned. The ladies got added costs. I am also concerned, as was mentioned by mr. Without that Small Business is not part of the equation and i think thats a real problem and needs to be incorporated although i would like to see this stopped. Thank you thank you. Before next speaker i have more cards. [calling names] good morning supervise. My name is Paul Pendergast denied the privilege of serving as the president of the Golden Gate Business Association would to the nations first lgbt chamber of commerce am also the president of the San FranciscoSmall Business network which represents 11 business organizations here in San Francisco. I want to underscore the thoughts are presented by kevin cal as was mr. Hockey and i want to add another certain element to this was a bit of irony we were talking about a new level of transparency and engagement and i will say that in the past month the gdb eight sold by Public Events and theres been no representation, no request for input from supervisor peskins office to participate and engage in this legislative process. When other supervisors contact us regularly. So, Small Businesses boys does not appear to be included into this proposal legislation and we are very very serious concerns regarding its merits. Thank you thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning tom window at executive director of liberal also. Theres a lot of intriguing ideas here. Providing more oversight to a commission versus functions of City Government. However, i dont know i would bundle all these together. I kind of want to speak to some of the aspects of it. The first is housing. The Mayors Office of housing has grown enormously in the past few years could we disbanded redevelopment was a big transfer of cash, land and buildings to mow. Theres been a huge amount of fees weve collected in lieu fees for inclusionary process that is gone there and also processing. Its become a really really big enterprise. One of the things that housingin the city would have a strategy for had one thing i think is a commission to do is say, what is our strategy . Who do we want to rouse the one where, when, what levels of affordability . So easy proposal like density proposal which is a law is for logan muttered in here its permit. We dont know how those decisions are made or what the part of a strategy. So, we think a Housing Commission and maybe even look at adding the Housing Authority to it since the housing authorities actually holds land and Leasing Properties to afford Housing Developers very similar in its new model in function to what moe has been doing. But a commission that really sets the housing strategy for the city and make sure all the different pieces are implemented i think it really add value in this city. So theres the oversight function but theres also strategy and policy in week this would at some coherence that. As to the Economic Development office, does many things get one of the things they been doing is putting into the arena of the Planning Commission we have a commission that was a look at menus in development but increasingly we see the Mayors Office cutting Development Deals negotiated spot rezoning. We think you should ask the user Budgetary Authority to say we want Planning Department in the city when Planning Commission and the subject not the [inaudible] theres a lot of duplication. A lot of lack of transparency there we think you can fix. Thank you thank you. Next speaker, please. I may name isand the director of the [inaudible] located bayview Hunters Point them here to voice concern about the proposal. My spirits working in the community and the government adding additional layers of bureaucracy the with good intentions almost surefire way to slow down the citys ability to leverage resources to the community will greatly impact the work of many nonprofits in the neighborhood specifically small and nonprofits by probable bottlenecking needed funds. I want to say i want to share supervisors the hands concerned about equitability as pertains to resources and access to Government Resources all around wallace the support of creating mechanisms that encourage fairness and transparency however again my concern is with the selected housing to vomit commissioner present the true interest of the neighborhood particularly grassroots organizations often not on the citys radar. Is a newly created commission the answer to support to equity and access . The proposal could siphon by providing clear structure and scope in order to mentioned aforementioned as i can also attest to many nonprofits in the bayview and relationship with oewds investment in neighborhoods relationship has been able to grow organically because of representatives from the agency being active on the ground in the neighborhood, building was critical relationships in observing the progress of each progress as they develop. The agencies grant guidelines are already clear occurred transparency is only to the grand process. The addition of independent grant review panels also supports transparency and fairness. This has led to supporting programs that they view that really something communities at will such as third on third and community tuesdays. I have you take my testimony and into consideration and thank you very much. Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. My name is ace washington. The fillmore corridor ambassador. Im here supporting legislation that peskin is trying to put forth. Hes a progressive. We need to listen to the lessons that this man is telling you all. The deal is, i look at these people that get appearance though good about all these departments and every one of them is in their pockets. Every one of them. The ones that are coming up here to speak now are in their pockets. Oewd them in the Mayors Office of Economic Development, listen, in my opinion, all these Department Heads need to be checked. All of them are go around and know what theyre doing and anybody that gets appear particularly africanamerican black folks, say they dont wonder why oversight board, theres something wrong with them because we as africanamericans in the state, where in a state of emergency and doggone it, to be your to the my porn and helping asking and bringing more legislation together because theres many Department Heads that need oversight. The Human Rights Commission. Is one. The Planning Commission you talk about their the Planning Commission that the together the urban renewal window isnt negro removal. How in the hell do these people particularly black folks get appearance a week dont need no oversight here in San Francisco the one the city by the bait. You will all that are here what ive got is a good thing about it is. Here people, the same color as me they support manager i can get a sitdown with olson lee. This man is the diamond head of two departments in one. Eusebio redevelopment agency. [inaudible] now ed lee olson lee and i would that another lee thats having affirmative action. What the hell is going on in the city by the bay . My name is ace and him on this case. Particular, all these spaces and cases are part of my cases. Was the people get here see you see them in other form or fashion but i support the bill. We need oversight on more than just them. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning. Supervisor tim on behalf of the San FranciscoHousing Action coalition and first, i want to in strong unequivocal terms commence directors todd rufo and also lee for the dispassionate fair and accurate remarks of what this proposal means to their agencies. I agree with them. Its concerning. I think that while wellintentioned, this is a proposal, its a solution in desperate search of a problem. We work closely in our work in housing these two agencies, and its nothing if not transparent already. There is a risk that this pursuit of somehow we are going to drastically increase transparency comes at a cost of results and accountability. San francisco is gaining attention for himself in ways that are not necessarily good for instituting processes and systems that impede decisionmaking to our detriment. I think the one thing i would say, its not hard to imagine, were concerned about production of more housing and addressing housing affordability. Its not hard to imagine this proposal delaying projects by another six months and the most important thing is, that time is not free. That adds cost to the production of housing and sadly, it adds equally to both Affordable Housing and market rate housing. All we are doing when we delay processes like this adding more and more process and layers of government to it is where humming our own interests if would try to get our hands around housing affordability. This is a concerning measure and i would recommend that you not moving for. Thank you thank you. Next speaker, please. Hello supervised. My name is [inaudible] im here on behalf of [inaudible] home was under. I urge the wills Commission Committee to support this measure on the ballot. We have a time honored tradition in San Francisco of encouraging both Public Participation and oversight of the government agencies. Commissions are important and powerful way to facilitate Meaningful Community participation and they provide an avenue for which the public can make their concerns heard. If a resident or a group for example as a problem with transit were parking or something they can go complain to mta board. Similar for School Boards if a parent has an issue with the school they can make their points heard. That is not the same case for tenants who live in afford housing and other issues with Building Developers who are not keeping to it they said they would do. They simply have no formal channel through which they can make their concerns heard especially around issues of affordability which are extremely pertinent in the city. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning Samantha Higgins with a golden get restaurant assessment thank you for your time today. It seems to us that about of a new commission is just a solution searching for a problem. As it is, the board already has to approve Development Agreement. The city can codify rules pursuant to bidding process without more bureaucracy which was slow the process in the various next you. Additionally, what they close with oewd to train in place people in restaurant jobs and we do not want to slow down or hinder the process with more unnecessary bureaucracy. We also sit on the board and share both mr. Carol and mr. With those concerns a. So we ask that we ask what problem this is exactly trying to solve. Thank you for your time thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning supervised. My name is gail gillman. Seo Community Housing in partnership. Also on the dbi commissioner. Im here today because as him and you understand important of the commission that i commission the ran then he shot spoke of that was enacted by the voters come i really think youre the commission can be helpful. How the board of directors can lean into our expertise in our ties to the community really help them problem solve and i was a particularly, on commission i set up problem solve the board that affects that upon. I do want want to caution that i think we should embrace supervisor tim haskins statement hes open to amendment to this registration. I one concern as a provider of the only Homeless Housing here in San Francisco these i want to have some guarantees that streamline and maybe across commissions if this was passed by the voters. To ensure that housing proponents individuals are not caught up in more delays and more bureaucracy. As many of you remember, Committee Housing and partnership took five years to open 24 units of housing in district 2. We were awarded the project i will in 2009 and endorsed not open to that facility until 2015. After an intense entitlement fight in numerous Commission Meetings. We would hope a new commission performed and approved by the voters were not add to the process to delay housing for homeless individuals. So i really hope we can work to craft this if it moves forward. So that it aligns with providing insight and leadership and being into these departments and also provide a way to streamline the process. Thank you thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Hi. My name is cheryl davis. I really am not here to talk about oewd or moh cd. Im here to talk about the impact that i think would have on Community Based organizations and individuals. I dont know how having another commission or another layer for folks to actually have to come and speak to you today, like i thought maybe this would be a little bit quicker than it is. Its going to be two hours probably before its finished. I do know that ceos and other folks have the time to come and really pander to a commission. I think if you want to do something you should set up a structure where people can be seen as individuals and not have to come stand in line and actually beg people to listen to him. I think you need to think of the way were folks can set up a time to say this my complaint that somebody actually move on the complaint. Versus, having a popularity contest who can bring out the most people to sway the commission. So, my concern is people dont have time. In the evening or during the middle of the day to spend we are trying to convince someone to listen to them or their needs important. There needs to be way to do it were people recognize as individuals and valued and not having to come in and make phone calls and a people to come and speak on their behalf but that individuals count. So my concern is another layer like this where we have to carve out time that we think is can be 30 min. That turns into three hours at turns into dipping enough people out. So, thats my concern with the commission. Thank you thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Thank you. Arnold townsend. Let me just say, i am overwhelmed and that may be an understatement that somebody in this town believes that we dont have enough bureaucracy when we are trying to get things done. So, we need at need to add another layer. Two or three commissions of more, a couple of new departments, the money that is going to be spent just to run these two commissions did the issues that we have in our communities with the unparalleled violence among young people and especially the black and brown communities that this is the best we could come up with. I am just amazed and heartbroken. Secondly, i have a real concern that it will further. Our communities against each other where everybody tries to go to their commission, rather than trying to Work Together good i got here 49 years ago this year. This was an amazing place at the way neighborhoods and communities Work Together and no more. No more. Everything is political. Everything is a fight. Everybody is looking for their people and this will only increase that kind of activity. I think its a huge mistake. For you all to do this and i would implore you to take another look, take another look, and require the commissions and department they have now to do the job that they are charged to. Thank you thank you very much. If any other members are here to speak on item 1, just please line up by the window. Thank you. Hello everybody. My name is brown. President of the San FranciscoNational Socialism for batsmen of color people. And Senior Pastor of the baptist church. You know, mark twain did a little piece on the Mississippi River and they mentioned that as a child he often went down to the bank to witness the steamboat come in and he found it very ironic that he would hear the whistle of a steamboat miles away. In fact, he estimated it to of been 23 miles away. One day, he asked the captain when they got to the bank, why does it take you all all of that time to come that short distance. I heard the whistle. The captain said, well, boy, it took too much steam to blow the whistle that we didnt have enough energy and steam to move the boat. My friends, somebody is trying to toot their whistles. We dont need this commission. We need to do is use a structure that we now have and deliver the goods to the people of this city. We dont need any more bureaucracy. We dont need anymore stalemated haply learn anything from this u. S. Congress . That is doing nothing. We dont need more whistleblowing. What we need is to just to do what we need to do to provide housing, resources, and services for everybody in the city and county of San Francisco. Send this measure back and dont let it get anywhere. We dont need anymore whistle tooting. We need some doing. Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Good morning. Don talk seo in Tenderloin Neighborhood Development corporation did not here to speak for or against the legislation. Only two requested that as you shape it you think of ways to expedite its work. I want to offer just one recent example from expense. In a hot market its very difficult to acquire property and often sellers are requiring of us fast decisions. Our most recent agreement gave 30 days to commit and 30 days to close. We would want if there were a commission it to be able to act in such a way to accommodate that situation. Thank you thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Supervisor, jim lazarus San Francisco chamber of commerce. I think its clear what with the lack of transparency is the drafting of this Charter Amendment. We dont need to a three city departments. I see no evidence of a need for new commission and hundreds of thousands of dollars of cost that come with Commission Forms of government. The Commission Secretaries two additional staff to the process of holding the meetings televised in. I assume you for some reports from the budget analyst with the Controllers Office what the cost of the rotation in management this new of two new departments and a new commission will be. If there is a lack of transparency, and there have been questions raised by members of the board of supervisors here, the 1995 charter gives this Board Authority to enact ordinance affecting the operation to city departments that use your authority to create advisory bodies. Use your authority to create an outreach and transparency set of laws. If youre concerned that the current board of supervisors Planning Commissions with all the steps on budget, sale property, upon issuance, zoning issues, were virtually everything in these apartments do now when these offices do now, are given transparency through the rest of City Government. You have over 40 ballot measures pending for the November Ballot. Either here at the board introduced before supervisors or a few through the initial process through signature. You got to come some of it now and i recommend you start by tabling this measure. Thank you thank you. Next speaker, please. My name is lee. Consider this from the navy. I was in the navy for years and years. I been living in San Francisco for 50 years. Ive been to every neighborhood and imagine that im green. The people that run this city are corporations that got the money to do whatever they want to do. Thats why they own San Francisco. They have not done that since the super bowl when the super bowl showed up thats when big money get this town. When big money. This down everything went to pot. Thats when the super bowl corporation you build that big skyscraper for the super bowl and just displaced everyone down by the embarcadero. Now, i go every. Its not just the color of your skin that matters. I can go into chinatown way way dowin the 38 and see people are displaced that is not the color of your skin that matters at all. They could be latino. What about native americans . Im sorry would you mean peak into the housing and obama commission. Thank you yes this is about house. How do you do this. How do you do housing for everyone in the city when you dont have the money to do it because you spent it all on all these frivolous little committees . Thats what im up here to talk about. It shouldve been done a long time ago. There should have never been a crisis of homelessness in the first place but you let corporations take over the city. That is what im here to speak about. Youve got to get a better handle on what you are doing with all the money that is you. I hear theres 9 billion thats been assessed 41amount of commission is. Come on. You guys have got to do a better job in the event. I love this city. I been here a very long time. Just, please, get a better handle on. Because you can do this. Its not that happen from washington is that to happen from here. Thats all and speaking about. Dont let corporations take over San Francisco. Have a good day. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning supervise. John elk president of [inaudible] bigger government is that government when we give him an agency for many years and most of the Affordable Housing at every step of the way programming of sight, drafting the rfp, picking a developer, approving the financing plan, all that was done at a commission hearing. Although some with staff memos. All that was done in public in the brown act down. Today, the most staff does every step of that process. Alone. Behind closed doors. Then, by the time it may finally come to this board of supervisors for gratification, its far too late to go back and change anything that has been done. A secret government is bad government. I noted in number of grantees of these agencies came today to talk about it. I know some of them are phoned up by staff ages. How can they say nope . When the fatal flaws of secret government is the potential for retaliation or favoritism. When everything is done behind closed doors staff only, thats very easy to do. At least a commission provides independent body, independently pointed in this case not controlled by any one branch of government. That would be a real safeguard against misuse of that authority. The same problem is occurring in a different way at oewd. The Development Agreements often worked out with developers in the back room behind closed doors by the time he gets to the Planning Commission the Planning Commission doesnt have independent staff. They can you independent economic analysis. Its a done deal. By the time it comes to you may choose this board to fight it but you would rather not have to have a political fight on every Development Agreement in the city. You would like to have thats all before it got keep it secret government is bad government. Is Charlie Brown acted jolly sunshine open to the public since its beta and the public is then why they voted the way they do. Please move this measure four. Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. And again any members of the public who wish to speak on item 1 please come for. I would like to support estrada minutes. I like to support supervisor cohens comments on this. Also the previous speaker. Put it on the ballot and let the voters decide. Thank you any other members of the public to comment on item 1 seeing none, Public Comment is closed. [gavel] i also at the summit to go to the Comptrollers Office have you read into the record the cost letter you provided controllers as we like me read the whole letter no. Just the cost i know we are estimating this would cost the city bustling 190,000 every year. This only includes the cost of a commission secretary, the second for the commissioners. They are offered Health Benefits so some of them will take that all. As well as materials cost, funding for membership in training for the commissioners. Thats our estimate at this time thank you very much. Supervisor avalos has joined us. Thank you. Thank you everyone for being here to discuss this Charter Amendment. This was actually very interesting to see that this Charter Amendment was moving forward. I actually was considering some oversight over moh moh cd. To me, thats been really important because i see that we have a department of Mayors Office of housing that is more singularly focused but it has a range of activities thats responsible over in that singler focus of developing Affordable Housing construction is what i think deteriorates all the other missions it does have. So, to me, injecting some Strategic Planning is really important over the department. I also have worked very closely with the Community Development side of the Mayors Office of housing and Community Development and i think the city could benefit from a more Robust Office of Community Development that actually has a real program that can be strengthened and sped across San Francisco. In the history of district 11, the Community Development work has been gradual and consistent and built really great efforts that have led to Affordable Housing and Workforce Centers and ways that the public and the residents of district 11 arbitrator engaged in public life. That has led to new assets , beautification, park improvements, really great stuff that is been under the Mayors Office of Community Development. And its a great model for other places all over San Francisco but because there is limited resources within that department, for Community Development mark levitt is geared towards doing with the hud money that comes in for the block grants, it is not easy to move to Greater Vision of what that office could be. So, to me what was needed was some public Strategic Planning for those departments to be able to take in the whole inventory of what they could possibly do and how they can actually make sure theyre meeting all their Mission Goals and guidelines. So, im intrigued about having a commission or these departments. I have some concern about how office of academic Workforce Development works in the city as well. I think that theres a greater focus in terms of resources and attention that goes to supporting the biggest businesses in the Development Agreement that are coming to San Francisco at the expense of neighborhoods like the excelsior, and i was a maybe ted about and other places in the city. To me, i think there is a need for having some kind of oversight function to make sure that theres a real strategy involved in other words is not being reactive to constituents that have a lot of power and connection to city hall but really assessing how to remove economic element in a consistent way across the city. What is our plan for downtown . With our plan for neighborhoods even how do we make sure they would get better served and rehashed their progress in our efforts . Is theres any real discussion about that. Certainly not in a public way as rather see a greater amount of transparency about what decisions we make in these departments. Im not sure if it makes sense to have the same body that would oversee the Mayors Office of housing oversee Community Development, oversee the office of economic and Workforce Development to me. Makes more sense that theres another place where that oversight could happen. Perhaps there is a reconfiguration of the Small Business commission that can take on that function reconstituting that. To me it makes a lot more sense to having this department involved in the same oversight body as moh and a mellow cd. I think there is a need to make sure that theres some public process that can be part of how Development Agreements to happen. Often those happens behind closed doors and weve seen that without Major Projects of the office of economic and workforce the roman has made in San Francisco and im thinking about the Warriors Arena where it was first being planned [inaudible] and prior to that americas cup, and even looking at the cmpc development in the there was a lot of behind closeddoor efforts that later were taken apart in a public weight we start doing public hearings. So i think that transparency is Super Critical to make sure we are not just satisfying the need and desires of big corporations looking for a break to do business in San Francisco, were actually making sure the public is being taken care of in more decisionmaking on these big projects coming forward. We actually make sure theres consistency in our neighborhoods. To me, i like the idea behind these Charter Amendment. I want to see it be great to move some into the ballot but i think theres a lot of ways to go before we have some something thats really solid to be able to move four. So i like the idea of a separate commission for both reconstituting the Small Business commission to take on responsibilities of oewd and provide a public guidance around public agreements and Strategic Planning economic element around the city. Thank you supervisor avalos. I would just say of course are as always improvements we can make an harbor i feel like this particular commission lending and oewd and all my weight under this umbrella is a bit strange to me. So, at this time than colleagues, i do not miss ms. Anglo 11 tended this committee to try to adopt the amendment striking out the Real Estate Department yes that was the quest the supervisor hat of the amendment before you. Specifically with respect to setting the ami levels and exempting the Real Estate Division from purview to the commission except for the Surplus Property function. Okay. Supervisor mar i will move those amendment. Do they need to sit for a week as subset of the amendment we would come back whenever i think that theres a rules Committee Meeting on thursday. Supervisor tangs office has reached out to try and schedule the next hearing for this Charter Amendment. I think thursday would be fine. If the schedule allows that. Supervisor cohen thank you very much. I want to see if there was any movement with, discussion with todd those. I think in all the suggestions that both you and the public about for today is something that i would take back and discuss with our City Attorney. Then also course with the supervisor and so we will continue to try and work through that. Thank you. So supervisor mar you made a motion and good okay. Second by supervisor cohen. Yes with that without objection [gavel] a motion to continue this item to the july 7 the rules Committee Meeting moved and seconded. We will take that without objection [gavel] thank you. They do everyone for showing up. Note this time we have been asked to call items six, so mr. Crook if you cannot call adam six item number six [reading code] thank you. We have the author of this chart of amendment supervisor campos thank you very much mdm. Chairman and college. Members of the committee, thank you for your courtesy in hearing item number six right after number one. I have a family matter that i need to attend to so i appreciate that and apologize for any inconvenience. I will be very brief. Because i want to just note that weve had a conversation about this measure for quite some time with a number people in this a number of parties that we are still in discussions with and uphold an expectation is that therell be amendment that will be made to this measure at the next was Committee Meeting and so my request would be that at some point the item be continued so that it can be heard again in the rules committee at the next meeting which i think is 7 july. With that said, i think its important nevertheless to begin to have a general discussion about what we are talking about when were talking about the creation of a public advocate office. Look, i think the fact is given everything thats been happening in San Francisco we are living in a time when many residents of San Francisco dont feel that government is responsive to their needs. They are fed up about so many different issues with its homelessness, street cleaning, allegations of corruption in city hall, there is a lack of trust that many people in many residents have in government. Perhaps the illustration of that is a relationship that certain communities of color have with our Police Department and some of the incidents involving officer involved shootings. From my perspective, and those of us who been working on this the creation of this office now more than ever San Francisco needs an office of public advocate. What is a public advocate a public advocate is an independently elected official in some parts of the country or the world them is an ombudsman person who is more or less the title but its elected official whose responsibility is to make sure that people get fair treatment and effective treatment by their local government. It is a complaint and whistleblowing department, but with teeth. People say, well, we actually do we really need more government bureaucracy . Well, this would be an agency elected by the people whose job would be to actually provide oversight, independence, and transparency to the existing bureaucracy. Do we need another Government Agency to do that . I believe we do. I will give you the example of the Mayors Office that in the last couple of years has created a number of departments without any oversight being provided. We are actually talking about giving that oversight. This concept is not new. Its a concept that other jurisdictions have followed. I will give the example of new york city, which has had a public advocate since 1993. Other jurisdictions include a public advocate include king county washington, toronto, canada, montreal, detroit, anchorage, dayton county ohio, good here in San Francisco, a number of elected officials have over the years the need of a public advocate cured former supervisor tom biondo and assembly Honor Assembly member has discussed that before. Supervisor jakeactually traded office and the Jews A Charter metrics that would do that. For this initiative, we have taken what we believe are the best attributes of the city of new york and its public advocate, portland and its public advocate, toronto and its public advocate and try to incorporate those activates to the needs of San Francisco. And heres some of the almonds we are talking about with the understanding that, again, it would be amendment there will be introduced at the next meeting. One, the public advocate would assist members of the public would complaint involving Government Services and regulations. For instance, if the San Francisco mta monthly tickets you on a nonstreet sweeping day you may actually find it challenging to contest the ticket and the very department that is actually issuing the ticket. The barrier, thats making money from that ticket. Even if you go to your supervisor, those of us know the board, that there are certain limits in terms of how far you as a supervisor can go in terms of questioning and challenging that ticket. We are talking about giving the power and authority to an office to actually look into the substance of that kind of a complaint. The other thing is that as a public advocate that individual, she will have also the responsibility of seeing trends and complaint not only in individual districts, supervisory districts, but actually citywide. She can begin identifying the departmental practices and policies that perhaps we need tweaking investigation, press the reform that in this ties into the second point, the second will of the public advocate. The public advocate would have the power to subpoena, perform audits, and investigate city departments to improve transparency and weed weed out corruption or fraud, address inefficiencies and local government. To make sure that public government is effective as a candy. The public advocate can then publish policy reports and provide policy recommendations and ensure accountability from city agencies. When legislative solutions are called for the public advocate could introduce legislation to be voted upon and decided by this board of supervisors. New york has actually shown many examples of how this function can be something very positive for the public and lets take the example in 2015 us public advocatejames looked into one of the issues of that was raised by a complaint, reckless spending by the new York City Department of education on a 1. 2 5 billion technology contract. An investigation proceeded. Following her call for information became clear that the firm in question was previously involved in corruption and scandals in public advocate james immediately called for the contract to be pulled back. The administration changed course as a result the city of newark saved 170 million. Because of that one investigation alone. Third, this initiative is considering moving three existing departments into the office of public advocate and want to note, this is in state of flux. We are still under discussions and depending on those discussions that will be metrics that will be made next week. One is looking at the Whistleblower Program is currently run by the office of the comptroller comptroller can only think the Comptrollers Office for engaging with our office to make sure that any concerns are addressed. Also, considering the placement of the office of citizen complaints under the public advocate, i want to thank our director of office of citizens complaint for her feedback as well as the feedback of other Community Members and people have actually provided very valuable expertise in the area of Police Reform based on those discussions, we are in the process of making changes. Then, also the office of labor standards and enforcement which we want to thank labor and Community Advocates for all their feedback on that specific piece and we continue to work with you to make sure that any concerns are addressed and we will have, based on those discussions specific amendment next week. In terms of whistleblower, the Whistleblower Program right now response to specific allegations of administrative wrongdoing by City Employees and we believe that there are some limitations in terms of how far the program can go given the current structure where you have the current comptroller were reports of the mayor and board of supervisors and has a relationship with some of these agencies, and we are right now in discussions with october and was fields to make sure what tweaks to the structure would expedite the process and make the process more robust. Budget. Given its role in mandate its essential the public advocate maintain sufficient independence to constitute a credible office. We actually have had many conversations over the last few months with offices throughout the country and one of the things that they point out is that you want to make sure there is sufficient funding in the budget to make sure that the authors actually has the resources to do its job. At the same time, there are concerns and issues that have been raised in terms of what that funding looks like it not to structure the budget. So, we are in the process with discussions with a number of people to address that concern. I also want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues on the board are currently cosponsoring this measure and i look forward to more members of the board cosponsoring this measure. To the vice chair of this committee, supervisor eric mar supervisor avalos and jane kim. Again, with a call to Community Stakeholders who share their thoughts and continue provider ideas and share their enthusiasm for public advocate. Since introducing this measure, we have met with Good Government advocates must oh billion oversight experts, Worker Rights advocates, labor leaders, neighborhood leaders, people from all walks of life who have ideas about how to do this, how to do it right and have expressed their support and a doozy as and. Again, i will look for to look back to come into this committee next week to begin actually make the changes that we leave our appropriate design ongoing conversation and with that, i know that you have a pretty full agenda. I would like to ask to open unless theres comments by my colleagues, to open it to Public Comment so we can hear from numbers of the public within waiting. I know there are a number of members of the public who are here before lets to leave and you know i want to thank them and im sorry you cannot speak but hopefully youll have an opportunity in the future was Committee Meeting all right. So do a number of questions that ill save it for after Public Comments. Ive a few cards here. [calling names]. If theres any other members of the public who wish to comment on items six, these, come on up. Supervisors jim rogers San Francisco chamber of commerce. The city fortunately many many decades ago set up a system of governance that is the checks and balances that we need in San Francisco. I dont believe we need 30 million new department to do with the comptroller has done for decades that when an independently elected City Attorney and independent terms city administrator do in their offices. This Charter Amendment, which is three to the length of the charter language that creates the office of the mayor guarantees a budget that other department dont have it takes over a function the office of labor standards enforcement at least in this version, which i think raises numerous conflicts of elected office overseeing that department. It allows this department had to be elected from what i gather, and even your cycle. Not with all the other consolidated citywide elections, which i gather is done so that this position can be incumbent and run perhaps for other city offices. The power to contract without oversight by the comptroller. The Human Rights Commission whether city departments. This Charter Amendment is really not ready for prime time. It creates an office that the city doesnt need under our current structure of government that goes back to the charter reforms of 1931 and again in 1995 that protects the citizens of San Francisco from corruption and from overspending , and has created Whistleblower Programs and other agencies of government there, wishes a fraction of the cost with this unnecessary elected department would do. Thank you thank you. Next speaker, please. I get on mike jaycee with united local to good also with the Labor Councils and im not speaking on behalf of the labor counselor Labor Council itself is not taken a position but arguing and is supportive of this initiative here because quite frankly, the system is broken. We dont believe that if it is that comptrollers job that either the comptroller has the time, resources and focus or whenever it was but the system is broken. Tenants over the last 10 years have been on the short end of the stick. Weve seen hundreds if not thousands of Affordable Housing units taken off the market by shortterm rentals get legislation passed a couple years ago that was never enforced. There is often unenforced laws that would be funded fully by this such as the shortterm rentals. In addition, the office of labor standards enforcement is when the makes a big difference to working people whether they happen to be organized or whether their unorganized, but still need their rights held up and in fact, weve seen over the years that certain mayors have tried to defund that office and given us a lot of resistance on enforcing these laws. We need somebody whos 20 standup whose focus is about advocating for the public. By the public, i mean the public who dont have a voice in government and dont have the money to get the mayor elected or whatever. We think that an office the public advocate would be an office whose sole focus to get up in the morning and they think about working people and tenants and they go to bed at night think about working people and tenants. Theres a lot of people in government who think about a lot of other things that are really important including the interest of the chamber of commerce but theres not anybody in the top level of government will really think about working people and tenants and we think this would be a great opportunity to start focusing on that. Thanks. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good afternoon. If pete 2121. We represent the counselors liberians and instructors at city college of San Francisco. Our executive board is very much in favor of a public advocacy establishment of a public advocate position. Many of us, not myself, i grew up here in San Francisco, but many of us have been in cities that Public Advocates and seen the benefits there. So, we like the transparency that it would create good we think it would create cost savings. We think would help with some other bureaucracy. As someone who is worth four and institution which over the last couple of years entirely lost all of its transparency and was taken over by the state at city college of San Francisco, i think i can say that did not do any good for city college of city San Francisco. Less transparency is not the way to go and more transparency is very important to the people San Francisco. So we can have a much better government and much more access to government. Ultimately, having just that through some of the comments and conversations over the last item, one of the things that people were talking about with the bureaucracy. We do need a place where working people in San Francisco, were regular people in San Francisco who are citizens who dont have health navigating the government were navigating these meetings were being able to sit here for two hours at a time can go to get help. So, ultimately, the public advocate position will be about decreasing bureaucracy and moving towards democracy. That something that we desperately need in San Francisco. Thank you thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Bemoaning supermarket, oconnor president of the San Francisco firefighters. We speak in favor of the new public advocacy position. Its our belief that having independent and Public Policy driven positioned in the city and county San Francisco would serve not only the citizens but also the city workers incredibly well and having represented the apartment is been through very difficult times in the past few years, we could have used an independent voice one had excessive overtime we couldve used an independent voice when we won our response times for ambulances. We couldve used an independent voice way 20 our old fire engines breaking in. So we welcome an independent voice, a strong public advocate to focus on implementation of effective and efficient balls policy with on behalf of the citizens, the city workers, the visitors wherever. We need this voice that supports and we back supervisor avalos excuse me, supervisor campos and this measure. Thank you thank you. Next speaker, please. And any other members of the public that one to speak on this item speak please, not on death on board with this item. I want to give campos Avalos Peskin the progressives, showing the city about the lesson and im appalled that anyone has said we dont need no oversight on this corrupt, this most the citys most of city in the united states. I thought we are most popular in people really know whats going on here the city by the bay. Almond goat www. Wow. Im here to support it begin advocate and some summer what im doing in the community by community reform. We need to. It and drop it. Weve got so many which you call corrupt leaders in our community that they put their fingers in city hall now. Initially Western Addition to the last 10 years youve got Community Workers that turned to politics running things and that. Who watches over them . Whos watching over this mayor who really really dont care. My name is ace and im going to let you know im with this all the way. I look at anybody thats against it you if they are spewing undermining the community. Theres three principles in the Western Addition no more undermining the community. No more failed efforts. The most egregious thing, can tolerate my community is undermine the community. Whyd you stop that . You need someone to always have it you need a public advocate. Im very much supportive of public advocate. Whoever is not against it or whoever is against it, there undermining the community and the fabric of these youngsters that are sitting on. We tell you all, Pay Attention to city politics. Itll turn into a limit. That at city hall by call it silly. You aint seen nothing yet get into it to make things change we need an advocate to appease youngsters know they can make a change here at solihull. My name is ace, you all and im on the case. These youngsters need to know any to come and find out whats going on down here. At city hall. I called solihull. Thank you. Any other members of the public there was to comment on items six yuan seeing none, Public Comment is closed. Speakos visit also rode over to the controllers will click the cost estimate on this proposal i get natashacontrollers of the additional cost to government will be approximately 2. 4 million per year the additional 3 100 of the citys budget could it would also take in the office of labor standards and enforcement as was the office of citizens complaint and the Whistleblower Program which would total proximally 15. 2 million annually for the budget. For this department. Thank you very much. Supervisor mar my understanding supervisor campos will be listening to lots of comments and introducing the revised version or amendment next week but i want to ask what the process is and then i would commit a few comments. Sure. If i may, i think that that amount of the total budget could potentially be substantially different and i want to note that the 50 million includes about 12. 5 million thats already included in the current budget because these are departments that already have that budget. It would be simply a question under the current proposal to them under the public advocate. But, we are in the process of making amendment that will i think potentially change that amount, but we certainly agree with the 2. 5 is a currently structured. Thank you. Any other further questions . Supervisor mar i would think supervisor campos and avalos and former supervisor tom on the on oprah moving this forward. I think the spirits of new york city from 1993 to the present supervisor campos has captured the creation of a Watchdog Agency the better checks and balances, better oversight in real independent agency is a good thing for new york city. I would just say to the teacher james example finding. Craddock were cutting through bureaucratic issues and find more funds for the citys a great example of the benefits not only the Whistleblower Program being independent and other things as well. I just want to read from Law School New York law school with you that kim bettman, and one of his postings the public advocate cited. Its from Lucas Anderson we did an analysis of new yorks what is it 23 years of experience where he said, that the public advocate plays as an arbiter of citizens complaint an independent monitor Government Services and a check on the mayors sweeping administrative powers unlike appointed officials with similar ombudsman type duties the public advocate is able to review, river and resolve individual service, if the primary purpose of achieving Citizen Satisfaction without regard to the interests of a particular Government Agency or program. I just wanted to say i knew we received some input about the opposite citizens complaint the office of labor standards enforcement and im really looking for to supervisor campos is think about some of the recognitions but i just want to give him tremendous props and really looking at the work that Letitia James is doing out and build the glossy of the former public advocate and now the mayor have achieved a high level checks and balance position that we can move forth in San Francisco. Thank you thank you. Colleagues and many of the questions or comments . As a state i do have numerous questions but since supervisor campos is going to be amending them i will women in the Charter Amendment i will reserve it for next meeting. I see our controllers have something to add natashacontrollers of is one other item i can imagine this would require a special election next fall. The cost for that would be approximately 4 million for onetime cost. Okay thank you very much for that. All right. Seeing no the questions and we can entertain a motion to continue item 61 july 7 was Committee Meeting . Moved and seconded. We will take that without objection [gavel] now, if we can call up item to, please picture we call up item 3 at the same time . Two and three together, please item number two [reading code]. Item number three [reading code] thank you bemis two weve supervisor weiner here. Thank you very much adamant chairman. I know that last week there was a full presentation on this measure can appreciate the committee making the amendment we requested and then continuing the item for us for final hearing today. Mdm. Chairman, colleagues, this measure is probably the most believe that it out measure ive ever been associated with. It addressing a problem that is been vexing our city for nearly 40 years. For the past almost 40 years this city from our City Government has systematically he funded our urban forest and systematically dumped response ability for caring for our street trees for fixing tree related sidewalk damage and reliability as well dumped all of that response ability on Property Owners. It is the worst system we could have in terms of ensuring a robust urban forest. It is unfair to Property Owners. Property owners are required, mandated, to discharge this expensive sensibility whether or not they planted the tree, whether not they want the tree, whether or not they know how to take care of the tree. Whether the tree is 10 feet tall were 50 feet tall. Whether they have one adjacent tree were 50 adjacent trees. Whether they have the financial or physical ability to take care of the tree. People are forced to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to take care of these trees. There are owners who do a great job. There are others who either below water sponsor though the entirely worldwide the cheapest possible arborist and who therefore you like the tree. As a result, we avoided climbing urban forest in San Francisco. Trees matter. Trees matter for our environment could trees matter for our quality of life. You can tell when you are doing a neighborhood that has a healthy and robust urban forest. It makes a huge difference and we have inequities in our city in terms of where the of trees. This is a unique opportunity, colleagues, breast to actually fix a problem, a significant problem once and for all. For decades, this city we have been fighting about this poem, expressing frustration about this poem, saying we have to do something about it and nothing ever happens. Instead, the citys investment in trees simply goes down and down and down. What we have learned over many years is trees do not do well in the budget. Just saying the city should take back the trees in the sidewalks and the liability requiring the city take them back without funding just wont work unfortunately because we would just continue to see a decaying urban forest. The measure before us today, colleagues and will fix the problem once and for all. By requiring the city to take back the trees country related sidewalk damage as well as liability and by actually creating dedicated outbox funding to make sure that we have the resources we need to do the job and to do the job right. This measure, in addition to mandating the city take back the trees creates that lockbox of funding. It does so in two ways. It first sets as a baseline the average of what the city has spent on street trees over the last 10 years, which is approximately 8 million a year and then it creates a modest parcel tax that will generate alluded more than 10 million a year to create an urban forest the fund of a little bit more than 18 million a year. With this will allow us to do first of all by setting the baseline in the city budget what we dont want to have and as of the parcel tax simply replace existing funding. We want to make sure that we are putting that the city has skin in the game in terms of keeping the general Fund Investment in tact. In addition to the parcel tax. The measure in terms of the parcel tax, is a progressive parcel tax. It is not a flat tax on all parcels. It basically, large buildings particularly large commercial buildings will pay more than singlefamily homes and small apartment buildings and condos. Thus, subsidizing a small Property Owners. A condo owners will pay 29. The vast majority of singlefamily homes and small apartment buildings will pay approximately 35 but larger buildings will pay more and larger Downtown Office buildings will pay several thousand dollars. So, we were able to keep the cost to small homeowners low by having that progressive structure. This measure has been, as i mentioned, incredibly well vetted. With a friends of the urban forest for doing yeomans work but i think dan flanagan is probably attended 50 were 100 Community Meetings to discuss this measure. We did outreach to our entire Property Owner community including the Apartment Association and small Property Owners and bouma and realtors and we work collaboratively with these organizations. We held multiple broadlybased stakeholder meetings with notches Property Owners but Neighborhood Groups, product groups environmental groups, and so forth. We have worked closely with other city departments including the Planning Department and the department of public works, as well as our Comptrollers Office and Tax Collectors Office to make sure we get it right in a particularly thank john slay, from the Planning Department entirely sure from public works for their participation. Finally, i want to thank under this power in my office is currently on paternity glaive get huge role in moving this forward and any feynman, who is picked up while under his is a weight and done great work getting us to the finish line. So colleagues, i ask for your support and i ask you send item number two to the full board of supervisors and finally i want to thank supervisor mar for his cosponsorship and collaboration. Im deeply appreciative of your support supervisor mar thank you. Supervisor avalos thank you. I do one appreciate the work that supervisor weiner and staff have done including the Charter Amendment. I supported in concert. I also have my own version of this as well. I am also concerned that overall, we are stacking our ballot with too many measures, especially revenue measures could i have a revenue measure that last year i had submitted that i wanted to use to create a strain of funds that could support growing the urban forest and taking care of the urgency for similar although measures Going Forward i think that committee difficult to move. So, what i would like to see is if we can decide how to at the full board how to move forward on whether we do these Charter Amendment were not worried either one of them. My Charter Amendment i do want to create i didnt want to create another set decided i didnt want to tie up city funds but i did want to link it to revenue that can come in and potentially, theres other sources of revenue that could cover the whole damn without doing another revenue measure by group parcel tax which can be challenging to win at the ballot. Overall, i think vitally important that the city takes on cant expect the responsibility for street trees and sidewalk repairs. That was very terrible decision that was made in 2009 that we would do either were languishing program and i believe its disproportionately affected homeowners of singlefamily homes in parts of San Francisco but the southern part of the city where i lived. So, im interested in seeing some resolution happened cannot much of the ballot is the best place for it to happen, but am open to consider that. I would like to see if we can forward these two measures without recommendation to the full board for us to consider with all the other ballots measures that will be considering and to me, it makes no sense to consider them all at once and we dont move particular revenue and ballot measures connected to those revenues streams piecemeal but we consider with the overall ballot looks like. To me, if we are allowing some revenue measures to go forward and they get an advantage even though there could be other revenue measures that are worthy of consideration, otherwise i think its important to decide what we can really put on the ballot that is going to work. I am very concerned that we have moving forward right now a tax that i am likely to support, but i think that tax is going to be tearing down other taxes. To me, were not thinking strategically about what the ballot can really bear and with the voters can bear when i see all these measures that are before us. What i would like to see if we can do after Public Comments, is movies measures to the full board for consideration but yet dont move at the full board until we have all of the revenue measures that are before us that are beating committees we can make a decision altogether about what makes the most sense for allowing the voters to weigh in on because we cant approve any thing that comes up. Im worried that we might reject every tax that would put four. So thats my concern. Thank you very much. I just want to also announced we now the core motherboard here present it i will reckon i supervisor mar next thank you. I want to say im in agreement with an approach that is not looking piecemeal at individual measures but unfortunately introduced items at different times. I like the idea theres similar measures that could be potential emerged were ways to have broader consideration and i support that. Moving items forward without recommendation allows the 11 member board to make decisions based on the Bigger Picture i believe. I did want to thank supervisor weiner and friends of the urban forest for bringing forward the progress of parcel tax that would help us address many year problem of conflicts among homeowners and others on the street trees, 105,000 somewhat belonging to private sensibility others the department of public works. I think the measure as crafted puts the focus on the bigger Property Owners especially large commercial buildings as supervisor weiner engineered the figure will increase better maintenance is dan flanagan and friends of the urban forest met cited because experience arborists and others would be the ones that take care of the trees. Not leaving up to sometimes lower incomes, smaller Property Owners to deal with it without an expertise as our department of public works has. I also want to say supervisor avalos is ever to try to find other funding to resolve it in a very complex November Ballot make sense to me so i like to see both measured move forward. But to add my name also want to supervisor avalos is Charter Amendment per city responsibility for maintaining street cheese as well. Look for to the Public Comment thank you. Supervisor cohen thank you. My question is for supervisor avalos. One of the things i find interesting about your measure is theres really no Revenue Source. I hear that you have a some general tax or youre working on a carving carbon tax. Is that so moving forward . Supervisor avalos is no longer here. How convenient it is gone for the question at all like it also my questions for later. Okay. Why dont we supervisor weiner yes. So i want to first of all appreciate supervisor avalos is an advocacy. I think i start to refer to supervisor avalos as my tree body because the two of us i think it really been passionate about this issue and we both in particular supervisor avalos is this chick where you have a lot of homeowners were not wealthy and were treated very very unfairly by having this responsibility. So i think supervisor avalos, and i have the same exact goal. Just about how we get there. The supervisor mar, i would say would love to one islamic forward with united front but just to be very clear in terms of the differences here, supervisor avalos is Charter Amendment is really the Charter Amendment itself is does what are Charter Amendment does witches require the city to take back all the responsibility with supervisor avalos amendment does not do is attach funding to it. Instead, theres a separate general tax, carbon tax which goes into the general fund which the board and may or can allocate however we and future boards want. My concern with not having dedicated funding is that we have seen over and over and over and over again that in this building trees do not do well. I think that even if for a year or to the board and they are honored this wouldve nonbinding intent that the carbon tax the used exclusively for trees because the carbon tax generates is understand about 18 million a year, 100 of the carbon tax would have to be dedicated to the trees to make this work. Even if that were to happen for a few years, no confidence that once we hit a downturn and a deficit were once weor just with all the other pushes and pulls on the budget, no confidence whatsoever that funding would be kept intact for the trees. My measure will in enforceable way create a fund that can only use for this purpose were the specific provision that if the city ever starts dumping the trees again on Property Owners the parcel taxes cancel. So, i just think its a better way to proceed but i look forward to continuing conversations. Supervisor cohen had a question yes, thank you. So the one thing i love about this were all in agreement and that agreement is that it was not a good idea to transfer these trees to Property Owners. I am personally connected to the story because i felt many constituents i merrily seniors, both the bayview and visitation valley neighborhood applied to a program come apply for a hardship. Many seniors who love their trees but are unable to maintain the large trees. My question is directed towards you, supervisor avalos. Supervisor weiner measure has a progressive tax. It will generate 11 million. Ive heard that you have a general tax. The carbon tax. Ive not seen the language you get is it still Going Forward . Is as though coming to us . Yes, it is. I submitted it last march. At that time it was a dedicated tax. Was going to cover things that are funded by cap and trade programs to augment dollars and since then ive been made into a general tax that could work to give flexibility in the budget for funding the tree program. I plan to move it forward to the full board to consider all the other revenue measures we have a the full board. I dont want to just say this is the measure that we must do i think we have to consider all these measures together before deciding what the ballot looks like. So, i want to keep it in motion we could decide to pull back. The carbon measure, the carbon tax measure will be a users tax. It will provide exemptions for people who are in the clean power sf program. It would tax as well not just electricity is generated from nonrenewable sources, but also natural gas. That we get in our home so the actual most stable part of the tax will be natural gas. In a way, it set up to create an incentive for the Clean Power Program and then to provide some funds to be used for growing the urban forest but since the general tax is not dedicated specifically for the purpose of tree i understand. How much is it projected to generate 18 million, which would diminish as people are moving to renewable sources. So, i figure probably stabilize around 10 million is what an estimate. When its fully looking at natural gas is still being used in peoples businesses and homes thank you. Im glad to see supervisor yee is doing this because he introduced a ordinance that would take back trees immediately and i would love for him to walk through what hes thinking. That would be great. Supervisor yee thank you. Jared tang and also supervisor cohen. This is exactly why im here. I want to the supportive of both of these measures. Im also in agreement that the policy that we made several years before i even got on the board to basically relinquish the trees was funds ability to Property Owners was a bad decision. We need to reverse it. To we are [inaudible] one of the biggest issues, i mean im sure is had been mentioned before i got into chambers is that theres a lot of people with fixed income that cannot afford to be the cost to actually to take care of these trees. So, the net result is that many of our trees are actually being killed. One of the things that i wanted to do, the measure that i introduced this week, i believe, on tuesday was to get ahead of the curve a little bit. I felt like i was basically reinforcing the sentiment of almost everybody on the board of supervisors to go and change theor reverse the decision that was made several years ago, but we would have to wait until november. My feeling is that why are we waiting for november in terms of that particular decision. For the city to actually take back those trees. So, thats what it does is to say, in the meantime, while were waiting around, whether for voters to decide in november and to wait for any particular Revenue Source to come in, that can fund it, we should really start looking at taking back the trees immediately after my legislation passes hopefully and next month or so. So, that isi think what i have done is try to not to interfere with the current discussion of where this funding is going to come from. I would love iti support supervisors avalos is recommendation to just pass this out of committee for the full board to have a further discussion and in the meantime i am really hoping that we could have further discussion between supervisor weiners approach and supervisor avalos his approach and see if we can come up with something that would fit all get behind because i think this is, to me too important of an issue to fight over. We need to join forces to make sure we have the Revenue Sources. So that is where im coming from. I just want to be here to state that on record that im a supporter of these measures to move forward and for us to eventually, hopefully come up with a compromise measure. If you have any questions about my piece i can supervisor cohen thanks for the clarification he i just want to know how do you plan to fund your proposal . The thing i am looking at is theres one time only Rainy Day Fund that we could borrow against. In the assumption that we will eventually pass a measure, one of the measures, to fund the trees. That measure could actually pay back the rainy fund when we actually get it. The thing is, people have a price tag for annual cost of this. Theres no way between lets say august and january that cost would be the true figure get the cost would be much less, probably in my estimate, probably less than 4 million because it takes time. Regardless if you have the money were not, as you know, we see it over and over on the Budget Committee, that when departments just start something new it takes time to ramp up and so forth. I dont anticipate that the price tag several people already identified would be the real cost for the next six months. Thats where i was hoping tothats where i am exploring where to get the temporary funding. Thank you supervisor weiner thank you very much. I want to appreciate supervisor yees recognition his measure it for tuesday summoned to be a replacement for whatever goes to the bow. Hes looking to have a stopgap. I agree that the Current Program is terrible. Images were not companies trees on Property Owners. I want to appreciate the motivation just want to stop to the ridiculousness. So, thank you for that. I will say one challenges that if we are able to pass something in november, it will kick in for probably next fiscal year. So we do have this gap. But, there is a challenge we will have to figure out terms of funding because we just have passed the budget out of the Committee Last friday and was no funding put in by any of us for expanding dpws urban forestry division. It just creates a real budget challenge. I also i just want to emphasize that the carbon tax as i mentioned, generates i think supervisor avalos confirmed, generates about 80 million a. If that full 18 million were then fully dedicated not just for a year or two but forever, to trees than it wouldthat could replace the parcel tax in the baseline we are creating in the measure that supervisor mar and i sponsor. The problem is that there is in theres a general tax and absolutely it just goes into the general fund and every year the board and the mayor have to make a decision much money do we put towards trees. They can do it or not do it. We know from history they wont do it. In addition, i know that was converted from a special tax to a general tax, but my understanding from supervisor avalos this has always been intended for various really important uses including trees, including other cap and trade eligible uses. So, my concern is that the money would be used, it would be some subset of that money that would end up being used for trees and would not be enough so the city would take back the trees and the sidewalks and the liability and not have enough money to do it to exit discharge the responsibilities and we would continue to have these problems. Supervisor avalos and i bet many many conversations weve really i think are united in our goal here. Our offices have been working together and will continue for the next few weeks to talk because i think we need to all be united around this, but in terms of a fusing the two, im open to ideas. But in the end, there is there is dedicated funding or there isnt. Thats wouldve a big deal in one of the fundamental premises of the legislation that we put forward with supervisor mar is that lockstep dedicated hunter so we dont just take back the trees but permanently fix the problem completely fix it. Not just do sort of a half measure that doesnt really fix the problem. Thats always been our goal. Thank you supervisor. Supervisor avalos again id like to make sure these things go forward to the full board for full consideration. Thei actually have been working on the carbon tax for a very long time over a year. I introduced it and at that time i did want it to be available for whenever because policies we want people create in the ensuing year and i was looking to actually either move it four to november of last of the rightofway decided to move it to november of this year knowing there would be a great number of other measures coming forward we can amend and tinker with. I also saw that the dedicated threshold, of two thirds, would be very challenging to pass. Thats why i made it into a general tax. I do understand its hard to decide that were going to every year commit a certain amount of money for trees, but thats also something that happens with a lot of things. I mean, theres a lot of priorities we have as a city that dont get full attention but we also never really had a way to say that we were actually can make a commitment to trees. Would we do it through a Charter Amendment or supervisor yee ordinance antonie coaching significantly what we have to go through in terms of crafting a budget where we would anticipate that general fund revenue can be then used to be moved towards taking care of this important priority. So, again, i dont know if its the right decision to make at this point to move the carbon tax to the ballot, but i think we get to it one move to the full board and considerate next to these measures. All right. Any other questions or comments colleagues . Seeing none, bergen open up items two and three to Public Comment. The couple speaker cards here. [calling names] please, come on up. Any mess why cannot call, please come forward as well. You have to speak in order. If you want to come up and speak real quick that would be great. Thank you good morning. I think theres a possibility [inaudible] should be split between government and the landlord. The Property Owner. 40 from the government is responsibly and 60 of the Property Owners responsibility. Because the government is a public place. The city people but for the public owner is a Better Living standard for the property. So, i think for the Government Funds should come from the team [inaudible] professional by the property on. They hire somebody less professional to take care of the trees. The funds still come from the Parking Division department because its a public upon. Im not sure if this would work or not. The transportation department. And for the Property Owners would be for the tax money also. As a split responsibility. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good afternoon jim Lazarus Chamber of commerce. We honestly support the concept b on both of these Charter Amendment. We think its high time the city pics of responsibility that over the decades has been divided it sometimes unknowingly between Property Owners and the city as to whos responsible for the tree on the public rightofway in front of their business or their home. The problem is, there are six or seven tax measures pending within the over 40 measures pending for the November Ballot. I do know its possible to divide the file supervisor weiners measure and move it to the Budget Committee as well. I think the city is going to have to deal with over 400 million of new taxes annually that are pending in all the measures before the board of supervisors for action by the first week of august. The chamber does not support the measure at this time. I recognizes this should be a revenue stream and by like supervisor avalos concerned the summary tax measures including the bond measures from bart and the School Districts actions for their bond measure, which add in some cases thousands of dollars a year in additional property taxes are worthy goals, but we got to deal with this as a community as to what we think is reasonable to go forward as new taxes or bonds in the November Ballot and ill think were at that point yet. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good afternoon. My name is dan flanagan friends of the urban forest. I have to say does my heart good to hear so many supervisors identified that we have a very longstanding problem that you want to fix. We all are right now in the process of trying to fix it and i think thats a great situation. I want to thank all of you for trying to fix a problem thats been outstanding for years. I do have a couple of concerns i want tothe first one lets start with supervisor yees opposition. Im a little concerned if it was passed it would be incentivize folks to try and come and solve the problem in november because as such we would take back responsibly of the city and put us in a situation where gasoline oh money. So i dont think that is a really positive thing. I think its a great idea to take up every thing that we dedicated Funding Sources absolutely is vital. I hate the idea of a tax. I dont like it. I dont like 66. 6 . I do think this is the only way to fix this problem. I do recognize this could be a tremendous amount of issues ahead of us in november to try to be voted on a we are polling between 6971 of folks saying, this has to happen to those people truly believe they should be and most people do think this is the responsibility of the sid. Thats why whether trees are not being taken care of. So i want to hope that supervisor avalos and supervisor weiner were closely. We will do anything to make this a solution that works for everybody. Its absolutely vital for us to work on this. Im very excited that the conversations happening and i have to say, i want to emphasize the point that trees do not compete. So we dont have a dedicated Funding Source is just not going to work. It hasnt worked for 40 years. I believe it scored work for the next 40 years . Because those are other issues that trees shouldnt compete against. I dont they should. Please, remember this is not just trees. Its the will as well. Sidewalk accessibility issues are paramount. Thank you mr. Flanagan. Next speaker, please. Thank u supervisor. Gin and new San FranciscoApartment Association of personnel thank you supervisor weiner for conducting the task force over a period of months. We met and discussed trade street trees and sidewalk issues and came up with this parcel tax so thank you for that. Thank you supervisor avalos and supervisor yee for wayne in. We blew the street trees are important. We also believe this importance in taking care of our sidewalks. We are tentatively supportive of the parcel tax. We are couple of concerns about looking at a cap may be on we leave large parcels of property. We talked about this a bit in the task force. Not sure this has been addressed or not. We also would like to echo the concerns of a lot of previous speakers including you, supervisors, theres a lot of taxes headed for the November Ballot and there are some that are not going to be supported in the more taxes that are on the ballot the easier days for all the taxes to go down. So, just want you to take that into consideration moving forward as you way through all this process but we are supportive of street trees and supportive of the nina responsibility and the sidewalks back to the city. Thank you so much next speaker, please. Hello supers. I speak for before you about. Now were headed towards the july 4 weekend. I remember a lot of fireworks fired off in the city during the super bowl. They set off so many fireworks in the bay its polluted. As its hard to get yourself together about what to do for july 4 weekend. But i can tell you this. San francisco is a beautiful city to live in and i just want to say to every board of supervisors thank you for doing the best that you can to make it a beautiful circuit i know its difficult, you have a great july 4 weekend. Thats what im saying its an american holiday and you have a good day. I have a minute left. This is what i want to say. When you go into this weekend, really think about focus on the items on street trees about trees. I am. There are trees that are actually in the bait. Talk and stuff. These trees feed fish. Believe it or not thats part of the ecosystem not justtrees that live in the ocean, to be when you pollute the bait you mess with fish and trees ecology of with two trees on the ship. When i speak of trees, i love beautiful trees. But you see, when you pollute the bait you eliminate other trees, two. Trees in an ocean and the ecology system. San francisco is a beautiful place but youve got to look at the entire ecology of San Francisco when you think about any trees at all. So, you have a good weekend. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good afternoon. Supervisor tom would do a which is echo the second deliverable figure 1 thank you for bringing this forward to the trees are incredibly important to the livability of our city. Somerville massachusetts 07 trees they were looking at putting people on happiness and health and whether street had a lot of trees were not and they found some really amazing things. In terms of happiness having trees on your street is like getting a 10,000 your raise. Thats the difference between living on a treeless street did you can offer everyone a 10,000 raise. Producing that would make people happier you can offer them a boost and happiness that only comes with a. The other thing they found health affects the trees produce fruit Public Health and reduce hypertension and so on. They calculated the difference about seven years of age. You cant take seven years of everybodys age, but by cleaning their street you can make them healthier and happier as though they were younger. So despite all these amazing benefits city in Southern California for every dollar invested injuries the city realized 78 dollars in direct benefit. Trees always been an afterthought in San Francisco. Weve had a very inconsistent approach. Its love you, hate you. Gavin newsom vented above trees. Ed yee them or things. You cant do that. Trees are living things you need to maintain them into plan, the standard when it somewhere like on valencia street in our neighborhood have a mature canopy of trees because the streetscape project. Its incredible. So is the city get spencer gets greener that commercial districts are public wont get lusher more walkable. More livable its very very important. You can only do that with the city program. The city program is funded consistently. To relate. Give the city taking over this program. We like the idea of a consistent fund source. Net ballot box budgeting is always the greatest. It just street trees we debated long and sad record of cycles of boom and bust and you cant [inaudible] they need to be maintained consistent. Think. Any other members of the public was to comment on items two or three . Seibert Public Comment is closed. [gavel] beta colleagues, deliver recommended motion . Supervisor omotalde i like to recommend that we move both measures forward without the condition. Do we have a second for that . Moved and seconded. Will take that without objection to move items two and three without trepidation [gavel] before i call item for i get a motion to rescind what we did on items six because we actually needed to continue items six to the july 6 special b was Committee Meeting not july 7 . Moved and seconded. We will take that without objection [gavel] no motion to continue items six to our july 6 meeting . Moved and seconded. We will take that without objection [gavel] item 4, please item number four, [reading code] thank you. Supervisor cohen is the author of this chart a minute thank you limited colleagues, weve had an extensive presentation and discussion on this item rsps committee. In a repeat everything we said prior. I just want to reiterate the incredible importance of this measure. In San Francisco our senior population is growing rapidly. By 2030, we expect to see population grow to over 100,000 people. This increase in our senior population coupled with the generations living in additional 34 years longer and the rising cost of living in San Francisco will continue to make it harder to age with dignity in our city. So this Charter Amendment would establish a dedicated fund and work on it the dignity fund, that will be fine spending and guarantee investments in Critical Services for some of our cities also vulnerable residents which include seniors and people with disabilities and those living with hiv aids. This proposal is, long way from what we first introduced. I want to thank the Coalition Members for working with me every step of the way. As was the Mayors Office is been an incredible source of information as well as the Comptrollers Office. Weve made a number of key ways changes last week about rules committee on that repeat all them but i just have a few more i want to discuss. More clarifying amendment to propose today. So, these amendment include the following changes. First, i would like to update and clarify the language of the annual contribution to the fund. So, as of today the amendment added in the fiscal year 1617 baseline number and updated to reflect the add backs that the Budget Committee approved last week. What this means is that it will bring the baseline number of two 30 million where last week it was previously at 35 million. The amended version from last week we used only the annual key motive number to reflect the yearly contribution and also in the minutes before you today we are clarifying or attempting to better clarify the difference between the baseline contribution of 39 and the annual growth of the fund. The second key point is a clarification to the oversight and advisory committee. The language that im going to distribute to you if you dont have it in front of you have a copy for youadvise the board has 30 days to request a hearing on the mayors appointments to the oversight advisory committee. It clarifies the addition of growth in the fund thats above the baseline amount is a subject of the planning process and the advisory committee. It also makes one technical change to the will of the Oversight Committee to make sure it is consistent with the Childrens Fund for providing for the committee provided for the committee will have input but not final approval on the release of the supplemental solicitation. The final amendment is simple update to the budget trigger and these minutes also keep the budget deficit trigger language to be consistent with the language is included in the rec and park measure is passed by voters this past june i said an official date of fiscal year 1718. I know there are several members of the community here that have taken time to wait and to speak with us today. Mdm. Chairman, id love to take the opportunity moved to Public Comments. All right. Would it be okay if our colleague held their questions or comments that . Supervisor yee or would you like to speak first . Okay. Thank you much. At this number to call a couple of spiegel cards. Speaker cards. [calling names]. If anyone else is here for item for, please come on up. Hello supervisor. My name isnt michael blecker, executive director of plowshares and vegan Rights Organization in San Francisco. We serve about 3000 veterans typically very very low income veterans. Each year we have a drop in center to weave of various housing and Legal ServicesEmployment Trend i didnt there since 1970, vietnam veteran we started those are population. Those vietnam veteran era veterans are seeing. Not just that theyre seniors but have not said well in the social economic round. Theyve sort of advancing accelerated aging issues so they may be in their mid60s but are probably 1015 years older healthwise. That stressrelated issues. As you know the work and especially the vietnam war caused produced agent orange issues around herbicide poisoning and just various stressrelated conditions from our war. Following that were, took 1520 years before the public and the government ashley recognized they were unique medical needs driven by that were. Ptsd was not recognized until 15 years after i got back from vietnam. This is to for agent orange and these other issues. That veterans tend to suffer. So, thats an emerging senior population that i think were fully aware of megawatts. There lots of needs. There misrepresented them overrepresented in the Homeless Population of some very concerned about their needs for the obvious things about eight and attendant care and Supportive Housing needs for skilled nursing. The need for just as you would as all aging adults have. Yet, our department of adult aging either identifies your targets the need of veterans. So we dont even have the information that we need so we can provide Good Services and good policy. I would really encourage that department actually identified and targets that turns as well. I want to support that can support thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Good afternoon John Kathy Davis executive director Bayview Senior Services guys want to acknowledge supervisor cohen taking the lead on this and really understanding that 25 of the citys population are seniors or disabled people. The colleagues that stood by her and work with us to quite a labor this process to get where we are now but i really appreciate that. Just to it knowledge that this fund is really about prevention. We need to start recognizing people need to age in place when he to put the support systems around the people dont age and gets sick or more frail just because we dont have the sports of his around him. In the long, dissident help the city save money help seniors live a better lifestyle. I also want of knowledge the fact that we been begging for crumbs for many many years. There to go to the board of supervisors every year and its time for us to really put some teeth behind services for older people. Were all about libraries, trees and kids. We need to be about the seniors and people are disabled, people with hiv and people are veterans. They deserve our attention to. I know its difficult sometimes to earmark these funds but weve got to have the support for what we are trying to do longterm for the city and for this evergrowing population that really needs us. I just want to say thank you for stepping up supervisor cohen in making it happen and Community Stands behind this. We will go out there and get the votes that are needed to pass this fund. Thank you thank you. Next speaker, please. Good afternoon. Mdm. Chairman and members. My name is grace olga [sp . ] and i lived in this great city for all but three years of my life. I lived all my life as a person with disability. Now that i am a member of the Senior Committee also, which i been for quite a number of years, one of the things i want to say is im here to speak in support of the dignity fund. Because first of all, im tired of being thought of as we will take care of you after we take care of [inaudible] i dont want to be second to anybody or anything in the city. We as disabled individuals and seniors matter. I guarantee you, as long as i live, i will be an advocate for people with disability and seniors. One of the first thing i want to see happen is that the sidewalks are safe to use wheelchairs on because i tell you, ive seen many many many seniors fall on our sidewalks because they are cracked and all different kinds of things. Besides that, i intend to live another number of years. Who knows how many years. But i want to enjoy those as an active member of this community. Thank you very much thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Good afternoon supervisor. My name is luis antonio. Executive director of the veterans equity center. Im here to support a minute of the city charter for the astonishment of the dignity fund to support seniors and adults with disabilities. I would like to thank supervisor cohen taking the lead and the support of supervisors Mar Yee Campos for joining her efforts. The fund will put the city for the older adult population. Its expected to increase according to the department of aging and adult services. By 2030 26 of San Francisco will be individuals 60 years and older. In addition, 4 of the citys population are veterans, 10 of whom are 85 years and older and another 4 are adults with disabilities. Here are some facts about older adult population. They tend to be low income. 60 of those below the property line. San francisco has significantly higher supplemental security income recipients, which is higher than statewide figures. San francisco has 239 individuals out of 1000 court ssi we scythians and recipients and 220,000 individual statewide