Transcripts For SFGTV Ethics Commission 62716 20160628

State through s d 20 where theyre sold and limiting what smoking can occur in 2005 we adapted the moll act that built on the limitation for sale explicit but consumption and had thats where we call forth with the one thousand rule for schools and recreational facilities advocating for those no 18 years of age this meets all the requirements those are things that were developed could have been recreational facilities or recreational fascists over 18 like or chiropractor d but is explicit we have realize in effect for more than 10 years subsequent in 2011 the state adopted prompt rules it is 6 hundred feats to the in this case the studio across the street this is the justification for denying it but those are as much right no proof neatest for the desirability . As of right and find exceptional or extraordinary to deny those are professional services that karate exceptional or extraordinary that should result in denying one and certainly one of the items you can consider in the hearing and all items free to consider we firmly believe that the Planning Commission did properly approve and met all the requirements this is an operator that has a track record in the city on the recent relocation a anonymous support from the communities and heard some of that today with that well replacing request you uphold the Planning Commission request and im available to answer any questions. Were not down done with an age restriction of three. Ill defer to the City Attorney and staffs opinion not parts of our initial recommendations and something the project sponsor adopted and volunteered that and the Planning Commission opposed that personally i dont think that is a necessity not in other cases even the 21yearold limit building the department are looking it any reason to think that mcds will automatically become sources ever recreational use. No, i am not we have local land use this is clear he know that and have a task force it is working how to implement overseeing laws they change i think there is a lot that up in the air and keep in mind prop 2 passed in 1996 yes and we didnt have the medical cannabis act until 2005 those rules it takes time and we expects the world to change if this passes there will be time and there will be a public process surrounding that. Grandfather is not a given. Not necessarily the rules for those are pretty strict there are green zones and easier to have many other uses in the city than in the medical cannabis dispensary. It feels like and race im aware of other medical cannabis dispensary clubs or whatever they call them at this point when protective is arrived that. A lot of speculation theres a big risk over my time ive been a negotiator for 6 years youll consistent get letters of determination go is that a proper place for an mcd and throughout time we will have actually fewer mid block and some are lloyd their location and when the mom and pops come in. I dont have the total theyre Building Back up the speculation maternity pass. Like 37 era 39. Close to more than thirty. I was close 37 or 38. Exactly. Okay. Thank you mr. Sanchez commissioners, the matter is submitted. So before we get stated commissioner swig he indicated he really mind to participate vote but i or evolving i vucht hes not hear it is interesting that the va brings up how planning has changed a little bit but some of it was in reaction to the initial cases that came here i were the first one that came here and there were that was fair oaks anyway, the issues that came up both between the regulations related to mcds and to the issues between neighbors and the operation the facilities themselves created a series of dialogues transmitted into the changes that was mentioned in terms of our last mcd that came before us we rejected it on the basis that our definition of what was parts of the criteria that was absence broader than wiftd and that particular case certain another segments you wanted to use of term of vulnerable population that caused us then to overturn the permit and revoke it this particular case im of a similar opinion and therefore i think that they should have had a much more extensive process in trying to find a commodity location with the neighborhood and the versus encinos a fairly strong push on a procedural political basis ill go next 24 hearing 3 and a half years on the board it hits close to home i had advanced collin cancer late detected decreases said you have a 50 50 chance of survival rough times 3 months ago later sorry our son was diagnosed with cancer understand and xanax about marijuana and is positive effects to one strengthen my wife insisted we do chemo therapy and one gentleman says they said it could go to 3 months and gone in a year and gone in two i dont feel my fingers or toes im an annoyed guy sitting up here for 5 years is terrible like our foot and hands being asleep sometimes that is so moved so bad when i hit my eye phone it didnt recognize a finger is there listening to the testimony is tough me personally but ill be honest i felt disappointed this definitely i felt disappointed that some of the stuff was script it felt like some of it seemed sincere he felt people were reading a letter they maternity have written no talking from the gallery at this point i dont know personally like i said since api ive been here in mcd habilitation successfully passed f this particular board for one reason or another i have a serious concern and everyone story is touching not a contest i. the following proceedings were held in open court, outside the presence of the jury by side chemo with my son and last year my daughter has a kidney transplant so i thinks the benefits of medical marijuana it did wonders for me your anxiety and stress the ability you cant eat and eggs and chicken and lift evry voice and sing sole makes you nausea i giddy went downtown to one hundred pounds im one and 50 my concern there is at risk home across the street youre not a survivor until your 5 years clean im feeling the cancer think a regular daily basis the fact my daughter goes to school a medical cannabis less than a block away and eventually a bad one called mr. Nice guy theyre gone any daughter wouldnt u couldnt walk that block a dangerous situation when i picked up her up, yes with the chemo bottles attached to any side have kids that are a risk and their were adults they can do what we want it is a concern and i you know listening to the testimony i appreciate everyones stories it is fantastic i appreciate you know someone from the Planning Commission that took the time to spend after x podium of hours to be here an additional 8 to 9 hours and two more cases to go for us; right . I think that there should be a little restriction if this kind of dispensary could go forward and kids i have a 27 and an 13yearold so thats my 0. 02. I have a slightly different view i appreciated many of the stories and i some are heartfelt i focused on the is science and data i tried to put aside the motions and feeling you know we live in a city and there is no facility in this area and there are people that need the facility. The business has a spectacular reputation even though the sign says so im not sure where i come out on that but im leaning more toward im leaning further away from you then what about the age . I am not about telling adults they cant by maryland medical marijuana that doesnt work for me. I think you know that i all come out on as a reasonably strict constructionist on these things. Do you want to make a motion to see where we are . I will make a motion. I will make a motion on thbasis that it doesnt meet the criteria of the planning department. Vice president fung i would ask that the reasons be articulated more fully. So we can call the roll on this motion of intent to grant the appeal and denied the comment on the basis that it doesnt conform on the basis that it would be articulated and adopted at a later time. So, with that president honda. Aye. Commissioner wilson. No. That motion fails 2 2 with one absent. In this particular case with the missing commissioner the missing commissioner would make a difference in the outcome. So, it seems there is no other motion being made or no . Then this motion fails and the permit is a upheld by default andby [gavel] we are going to resume the june 22,2016 meeting of the San Francisco court of appeals we are on itemnumber seven appealing the issuance on march 30, 2016, to San Francisco municipal transportation agency, of a Tree Planting and removal permit removal of eightysix trees in the median and four street trees, with replacement of two hundred and ten median trees. And we appreciate everybody staying this late and we will start with the appellant. Good evening my name is deanne delbridge. I wish as many people could stay to speak for the trees as they could for marijuana. They will be selling marijuana to everybody that gets in right away but anyway priorities. I feel like this is an impossible effort tonight by the few of us to save our city from the bulldozer of inadequatend poor planning that is increasing in my opinion in San Francisco. When we put the first slide up its not coming up for some reason. Is there reason our stuff is in coming up . Do you want to use the laptop computer . Yeah. Alec, why dont you pause the time for a moment and we have asked for them to help us with the laptop. Okay, he got it. So gary, do you know how to do this . Oh, it is coming okay. I figured had to do this after watching our hearings for the last 5 1 2 hours. It is still not up yet. I will just go ahead because everybody is probably as tired as i am. Okay so after the desperate need of opening a pot store at the marina we have lost the desperate need for the uninformed public and help our cause. San francisco belongs to all people. I do want to put it up they are going to lock up my car. Okay the garage is going to close soanyone who needs to should know move their vehicle. Im sorry. I shouldve asked you gary about this at the break. No, it should the it usually works. Okay. Its only going to be a minute or so it is coming up. I dont know whether i should take advantage of the time are not. You wont be able to start without the presentation, they go handinhand. We could start with Public Comment. And you dont want to postpone this for another time because your backed up . Okay, i know if there were three commissioners than the option for returning would be there but we dont need for we have three and were moving along. Lets get it going. We can take Public Comment if the parties want to. Can i have a show of hands. We will do this democratic way. Who would like to start Public Comment . It looks like no, okay. We can wait. [laughing i hate making everybody wait. I have to say that this process is somebody advised me to tell you this and then i decided that i wasnt going to but since we have time i willbut i just want to say that it is really, really difficult as an unpaid volunteer laughing] really, i didnt know that i had no idea. I feel so differently. I had no idea. Why dont we take an adjournment until this is up. Dont be offended. I didnt know i didnt know. They volunteer their time to do this . Oh yeah. I didnt know he wasnt paid for it. Do you have a hard copy . No, i do not have a hard copy. What you gave me one. Do you want to figure out . Why is it not coming up . Do you guys have hard copies . We dont have hard copies. On my computer it is function fa. [gavel] it looks like we are back on. This is the june 22, 2016 board of appeals meeting. We are on item number seven; appeal number 16 057. This is about tree cutting and not treat planting. Cutting down these trees is about the emotional and aesthetic value that they embody. These trees have value. They are not just vegetation. The defecation of the very character of the city. Dehumanizing this highway will have profound negative effectson their quality of daily living the quality of their life matters and their mind matters. Is one of the largest urban forest in the in the United States and what it does for their mind consciously and youre setting a negative precedents for the United States. And howto integrate the industrial and technical. Interventions with nature. If you go back these are beautiful, beautiful, trees. This wrong turn will wreck a major artery the historic marino can out on highway 101 it says it will take three years to finish this project. Are you kidding . Anyone whos done construction knows it takes twice as long is way over budget. Right now it is at 13 million and up. Itll take longer than three years it will take at least six years. Six years to finish this project buses are running on van ness without wires so why remove the vintage lamppost on the excuse that they cant support wires. Theres no reason to do that. The sfmta claims its too costly torestore the lamp post they could, or from around the world to see their name on itit could be in a great way to involve people in our city we need adequate public input to turn this current plan with devastating consequences to the character of our beautiful city into the right solution for transit in the Greater Community of highway travels. Could you pause for one second i have a question. In regard to that lamppost that are presented, is there any reason why we cant keep them . I dont imagine. If you may recall this went before the board about the lamppost. There were two reasons. They couldnt accommodate the wires and they would be too expensive to repair when in fact, less than 50 are in any kind of deterioration and they can be repaired. They did it for berkeley and they did for oakland an architectural lamp designer. I didnt start years ago with the mta i wish i had i wish i had. Things would be different. It is not too late, it is not too late to halt this plan. We need to make this come out well for all of us. For all of us. You can ask for rebuttal and i dont believe we have any at this time. Now we can hear from the department. Thank you commissioners my name is bobhasey behalf of the sf Improvement Project we uphold the tree removal project under these new conditions. The Improvement Project is a major infrastructure upgrade including a globally proven Transit System to improve the liability and increase ridership. This will also deliver safety improvements for all street users. Additionally the project is designed to enhance the design and create an interactive a Middle Street and provide guidance for the city plans this was concluded in 2013 from local, state, in federal agencies. Jurisdictionfor the project was shared with sfmta and caltrans and they have asked for us to rule on the overall project rather than just the appeal this has beenppreviously vetted and finalized and rather to reconfigure the median to build the project and the nature of Environmental Impacts associated with the project including tree changes. Under a Maintenance Agreement with the state sf public works maintains the trees and the public works determines what trees are to be preserved in which are to be replanted. The department has a long history and as you may know was started in 1995. Lastly, in its current configuration it has been approved and legislated by both those boards by caltrans and by the federal Transit Administration in this process was concluded in 2013. Today, im going to describe how these trees at van ness were incorporated into this design. Throughout its history there is a sample of this outreach here and its again described in much greater detail in our brief. The projects effects on the urban forest was given special consideration and disclosure from all steps of development from environmental scopingin to the final design described in our brief. This directly complied with the design. The project had to comply with the minimum limits of caltrans and we had to seek special approval from caltrans to get the special space in the median. These were special alternatives and all were considered in addition we tried to preserve as many healthy trees as possible. In addition this considered every existing median tree. This included the clearances in which trees needed to be removed and which were feasible to preserve with each alternative. This analysis included tradeoffs for each and every trade and thhis was included in all the materials provided to decisionmakers and to the public all steps of the way. The design of this project requires the removal and replacement of 86 median and 14 sidewalk trees. Of the 86 that you are concerned about the ride canopy less than a quarter of those would be considered to have large canopies. Once that median would be reconfigured for the [inaudible] more than hundred and 86 along the median avenue. Im going to turn my project over to during the process we did a very rigorous design for selection of the tree process. As part of that public works created a tree selection criteria matrix of eight factors such as climatic considerations, maintenance and scale urban survivability in the factor of urban survivability was taken into extra consideration. There was evaluated 24 possible tree candidates. As you can see we were then able to shortlist our tree down and then the members of publiic bodies participated in that panel as well as public that participated in this process. The was the median tree species and in my personal opinion it is truly a Beautiful Tree additionally, compared to other speciesit is a faster grower, it can be planted on a 25 feetcenter and within 20 years it gets 30 to 40 feet tall and the design will vastly improve van ness ness avenue bringing back the boulevard that it was intended to be. In summary, the design will make van ness avenue a primary corridor and this should be reported and upheld. Thank you thank you mr. Buck. Good evening commissioners are good morning. Im not sure just yet. Chris buck, urban forrester with San Francisco public works. Just some general background on the project with some perspective from us just in general the role of public works here was to look at the locally preferred alternative that was selected and understand how many mature trees would be protected and remain in place with the installation of the project. It was also reviewed by a court science which was a nationally recognized arborist company one point to make was that our director of public works had to make a visit to sacramento to visit with caltrans to allow any replacement trees because the guidelines are typically written for someone like the 101 or the interstate 5 in this case it is obviously a blvd. In the city and with the replacement trees we had to go and bake the commission to get that just as an aside and i just want to state that the proposed removal do not violate the public works code and are not significanttrees as are defined in section 810 a and significant trees are trees that are on private property in the first three plans are significant trees and significant trees have a lot of information in the code about how you have to define how great they are and how they were impact the urban environment and that process was reviewed through mtas Environmental Review process and public outreach. What else . Removal with replacement was considered on august 24, 2015 when we held the hearing and so the emphasis that is aabout planting or not planting or removal the emphasis was removal it was heard as removal were talking about removal. Martha has explain the process i am in urban forrester and i dont get to make the decision finalized. I just want to acknowledge there are a lot of different departments in the Arts Commission is weighing in on a replacement species. It is not something that we typically experience but thats a level of review that have occurred with this project. I jim and just here to say our process has been followed as it always has been in the code has been followed just as it always has been and if there are any questions about the process i will defer to sfmta to discuss the replacement process. Are these currently replacement trees . Typically they are the eucalyptus for leah im sorry karen bs at eudora it is a lemon scented gum and it is in keeping with some large stature existing eucalyptus in the median and it is just to show that a lot of cooks are in the kitchen and even the urban forrester does not get the final say. With that we are very confident that the replacement species is a really well thought out decision for replacing the trees in the median. So no construction especially City Construction gets done on time. It is just universally known so were to about three or 45 years without these trees . I would have to refer to mta staff to talk about the construction timeline. I think it said were talking about taking out 86 trees . Were taking out 84 median trees andfor sidewalk trees. These are directly attributable to the installation of loading, pass and massing. The sidewalk so whenever there will be a large city project the city is not going to ignore the sidewalk trees so we say what we have out there in terms of street trees and then we do this for every project we walk it and we determine what trees are out there and what condition they are in. So we identified 106 sidewalk trees that we thought were in Poor Condition or not likely to survive the impacts of construction. At this point we killed off that decision and we have really focus the mta moving forward with the project itself. We did also talk about street tree removal at that hearing that decision will be released very soon. We didnt want there to be two decisions that had to be appealed simultaneously. The key project here is the van nessbus Rapid Transit that is the key focus here but there will be replacements both in the median and in the sidewalk with the street trees. So we still do have issues relating to the street trees. We will likely be back here in a couple of months relating to that. But thats all i have for that. Okay thank you. I have a couple of questions. Esther buck, is there a different removal with the tree removal and the Tree Planting . If you wake up and you feel inspired and you want to plant a tree that requires a planting permit. But were talking about removal and replacement so that is why species does come into it. My trees in the median trees andmy second question is who has control over the street trees . The department of public works manages the street trees as though they are i and we have a Maintenance Agreement to them. Ive been on the board for three and half years. One clarification we said they were on a Maintenance Agreement but the street trees are also in caltrans jurisdiction just a technical note on that. So as i was saying i was on the board for 3 1 2 years and we are tree stewards. Last time i was here your predecessor through us under the bus saying that we remove a lot of trees. In the history that ive been here we do not remove a lot of trees. And what i am constantly reminded in hearing your testimony and from the department is the length and how long it will take to get that canopy back. In this particular case, can you explain yes we are doubling trees but i hear you over and over talking about canopy and what that does so can you explain a little bit about that . Sure, i can talk a little bit about that policy. What im going to focus on yet we do we are always up here saying that trees are healthy and sustainable and we always prefer to maintain mature and healthy trees. It is no secret that during the vetting of the van ness Rapid Transit the public works in at the was not a preferred alternative process. The process that has gotten us here has been lengthy and if we have projects that are essentially fully approved is very difficult to deny that request. We know that large, mature trees provide much greater benefitsand its not my job and ive never been a big one to sell how quickly and how fast the replacement trees are going to take over because i feel likeyou are already moving beyond the hurt of the loss of the trees and i call it a loss because its going to hurt. So what were doing a removal process you have to acknowledge if we have to excavate to install that then we need to read the writing on the wall. The basis of this decision is that we have a project that is approved. As i am the urban forest tree council i went before the public works to make sure thatyou are discussing with the public and you let them know what the breakdown is for the loss of these trees. It is going to be a big impact. That is something that they did do and they could speak more to that. Timeframe for the canopy replenishment to be restored to similar to what we got in my second question would be what is the age of the trees that are currently on than avenue right now . I will probably prefer to Martha Cantor to provide feedback on those. She spent a little more time doing the analysis. You know, the age of the trees existing right now and dramatically and a few of the that 23 are healthy trees. So the average age varies from some planted in the 50s and 60s to solve that were planted about 5 to 7 years ago because i know i saw them go in myself with when director newro was the head of operations. With the trees you are currently planting now what time frame are we looking at for restoration versus the existing canopy that we have now . I would say based on our calculation and we went over round and round and round in the office and three or four of us put our Heads Together on this. With our fully automatic Irrigation Systems it would be fully automatic. In 10 to 15 years we estimate that we will have trees that are 30 to 42 feet tall. In 10 to 15 years [gavel] welcome back to the june 22, 2016 meeting of the San Francisco board of appeals were still on item number seven appeal number16057if you would like to speak there some speaker cards if you fill them out and hand them to adam when you come up. If you could move to the far side of the room so we can move the process along quickly. The first person i would like to speak will come to the microphone now. The first person please come to the mic. We are going to give two minutes in lieu of the time of the meeting. The first person come to the mic. Moved to the far side of the room that will help move the process along. Hello my name is diana anderson. First of all i would like to say that we have the smallest forest canopyla and new york have 25 we have 16 . The things that im concerned about also is this is a Community Project and basically as well as retaining these trees i would like toslow down uni moving forward know we didnt we were not told with these improvements would be. I know that we have had over 7000 people asking to have these things mitigated and to have more input and they just steamroll us. I would say they are disingenuous at best and i would like to have more public input to everything and frankly, this is one of the ways to do it. Im very concerned that after this they are going after masonic avenue theyve already done things on fisadero. Fyi a masonic was six months ago. Next person please come up. I am marianne aganas. They had no idea what it was going to turn out to be. They did a studytthe sfmta i forget the name the company a thing was bmg but theyrated that four out of five of the trees were good and healthy. I just want to see the trees that we have now and what we can expect in the future. Overhead please. Overhead please. Do i have to say . I dont know. Can you see that . On its such a big tree doesnt fit on the screen. Maybe this one will be better. This is a group of trees that flower even. And, after three years of construction may be much longer than that they will plant saplings of the lemon scented gum trees and this is what it is going to look like after after maybe 15 or 20 years of growth. I wouldnt call that a canopy. Its a skanky looking tree at that. [laughing] now mature trees are extremely important to a healthy environment. They provide oxygen reduce pollution and noise they protect us from the heat of the sun and they cool the streets. And it is said this is for the the public warrant that this would be done at the sidewalk not in the middle. I have right here a petition signed of 764 people and their comments or agree with this. This is only a small sampling. We will let you finish your thought but your time was up. Oh, it is up . I didnt hear the last bell. Can i finish my last thought please . Yes go ahead. Is going to happen in many neighborhoods and like she said, we do not find out until it is a done deal. That is not fair to the public. Thank you. Next speaker. Hello thank you my name is lara decarl i live on green street near ravenna but my children were here today and they wanted to speak to you but due to the hour we had to send them home. I am here obviously as a very effective resident. Its going to happen right outside my door. I am actually concerned about the dust and im concerned about the noise and im concerned about additional congestion and traffic and people turning right onto green street at unbelievable speeds like they do off of golf and franklin these days. These things are going to be happening when the traffic shifts. People are going to be moving on to the side streets. The congestion is going to be created by the reduction in lanes along than a and that will force them to turn off of neighboring streets such as golf and vanna. Those concerns i wanted to communicate am also deeply concerned about the small that will be created because of congestion in the particular matter that we will experience over the residential corridor highway 101 or not this is a residentialcore door. There is an alternative to the construction that they are proposing and there is a much less disruptive plan. And im sorry, i will conclude. Is there a question that yet . Okay. Next speaker please. Is the overhead projector on . Yes just place it down estate looking at yourself. Overhead please. Like you are looking at. Thank you. Good morning. My name is diana scott and i thank you pres. Honda and commissioners for the opportunity to present strong reasons to support this appeal and its impact on trees and its lack of financial sustainability. This is the last remaining opportunity to talk about the reverse impact of the pp w tree cutting and its order and before the construction contract of 313 million that will be approved next tuesday at a special meeting at city hall. No other city ac approvals are needed for this project. 100 Million Dollars needed for this project is not currently available this means the median trees can be cut and replaced whether or not the project goes forward. The board of appeals reversal of this order is critical at this moment. Once these trees are cut, they cant be uncut. The mta needs to reconsider other funding or Design Options now before the dpw cuts trees. Theres other less intrusive and less costly options that have been mentioned like curbside and fast lanes that would save most of the median and sidewalk trees and create less excavation because the excavation is to protect the median under the median sewer lines that will be impacted by the platform for median. Buses the project will create traffic snarls and hurt businesses. Please consider this before approving this as revised by the mta. This slide accommodates different ways of traveling and remains voracious i know everyone has been patient here but okay thank you. Thank you next speaker please. On march 14, 2006 17 foot cork oak there planted on venice street. I live on venice street. The tree it was dedicated for civil rights by the near rosa park. The significant of rosa park is a raised in rosa park did not move. This is an unjust act. Trees deemed unfeasible this will affect the visual aesthetics of our neighborhood to the point of alienation. Instead of cultivating and preserving the healthy trees and shrubs that we have for days to come the plan will create enormous sums of money to reestablish that which cannot be replaced. This will dispose of our own urban forest history and replace it with a toxic option. Please redirect funds to the restoration of the historical light post and the maintenance of the roads and the existing trees along the end a highway 101 corridor and beyond thank you. [timer dings] that is a hard act to follow. Eileen volk and i am a sunset park resident and theyre a lot of people that are here today in solidarity with the vanness communities supporting their appeal. The citys approach towards street trees have become a panic. On the other hand the city will be proposing a tech totax preserve street tees in the November Ballot do and that it will be to maintain a healthy street trees including those on vanness. Thank you he created thank you my name is al manas. I ask that you respectfully reject this tree permit. Take into this consideration that this project has grown from tens of millions of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars. This project is an insufficient use of hundreds of millions of dollars of tax dollars for a modest improvement. Because the city has a budget deficit the project sponsor is issuing hundreds of millions of dollars of additional new bond debt in order to pay for a like this. Projectalthough we already pay for additional sales tax for this project the city is preparing a ballot measure toadd a new sales tax and why not try the express option first we could implement that tomorrow and it would save these trees and it would provide improvements for those who elect to a ride the express limited bus and it would meet the requirements of the a10 hundreds of dollars in taxes and new rider fees. And it would save it would not require the writers to wait for the buses in the middle of a congested highway and it would be more accommodating and safer option for the elderly that live here. Please project the tree permit and tell the project sponsors to reengage with the community and listen to us. [timer dings] thank you. Mary liza here thank you for hearing us this morning or this evening wherever areat right now i will be brief youve already received a letter from me i will talk about the design details. If you look at the design alternatives required in the eir only one design required removal of the street trees. This is the most expensive alternativend creates the most impact. We see this pattern of the mta picking the most expensive and impact of design instead of the least expensive and least impact of designs. We ask that you question the validity of the organization for a propensity for choosing the most expensive alternative and greatest negative impacts on our residents and businesses. How does this project that removes trees, bus stops, traffic lanes and parking and now bus seats help the mta to assure quality life of San Francisco the primary objective of the system must be the safe and efficient movement of the people and they should move the the route to the bus lane move trees to the left of the basra. Thank you. You would see 30 or 40 people lined up for google buses a handful of people waiting for a unibus. This whole thing has been a lie from the beginning. They started out telling this us this would be paid by the they said vanness avenue had no double parking one hour were study that they did and it was a whole 14 pages and they dida one hour study and that was the whole project. I heard the cdc say the other night they would just have to step up enforcement to deal with the delivery trucks but people still need their goods in the garbage needs to still be part picked up in the real pickle is that caltrans has to pick that up in the city has to put that back in 30 days in the city has no money to do that and i dont know what will happen then. Youre going to ccut all these trees down for nothing and these people know that all of us are against it and they just grind us down and they lie and they say 75 of the public is for it and i have been against it since 2008 when they started it and its been one lie after another. Please read the ir. It will be available at 7 oclock in the morning. I will buy you a coffee. Thank you. I might need that tonight. Next speaker. Good morning. I am here to speak in favor of the bus route transit project. I rely heavily on the buses that run on this route. Im not alone about 30 to 40 of the people that use these roots board on van ness. And all of these will improve by the median Transit Center and it removes buses from traffic and by doing so it will remove the issue of having four buses in a row and it will be Faster Service and it will get people out of their cars and that will be an environmental benefit. Trees are an environmental benefit but transit has a huge effect on our environment and this could really improve the environment from the perspective. Everybody likes trees when you have a huge Infrastructure Project there are some downsides to it. There are some future games but if you look at Market Street there were shortterm construction impacts no more than this one but nobody said we shouldnt have the Market Street shuttle or the twin peaks shuttle this is critical to her how we get people all i around the city i would suggest that you consider this this is a longer process we are kind of on the brink of finally being able to build something that will improve transit for the thousands of bus riders in any acknowledgment of this would be great and we can just move forward. Thank you. [timer dings] next speaker please hello, my name is nicole soroka. I am a longterm resident of the city. I live on van ness avenue. My bedroom window faces the trees that are being slaughtered and i also work for an Accounting Firm and i believe that we will be losing more than we are gaining. I do not see how were looking at this intelligently. Brts were designed for spacious core doors and not areas like van ness avenue. This is been evidenced in places likebrazil and even in the United States such as Cleveland Ohio and these all have very low ratings for transportation and Development Policy standards. I would like to end by saying that you know, i think i will end with a quote by dr. Seuss. The lorax. If someone like you does not care an awful lot no one well. They will not. And what sort of precedent are we setting for the city of San Francisco. Thank you. [applause] patricia boyd, what im seeing on the trees is what i saw a few years ago. And they came and said they were putting palm trees on lombard. The italians werent happy. I had to facilitate the meetings and put pictures on bags to get an adequate boat. Im seeing several projects being piecemeal. Im waiting for us to be next on the tree issue. 3000 people voted for this in the city to trim them and they didnt and then they gave them to the responsibility of the landowners. The trees in the median were supposed to be public who is going to pay for . Is that the city . Is that the state . Is that the federal government . A lot of answers have not been answered on this. What im really saying is that a piecemeal laying of the project that was planned years ago and not told to the public for all of these connecting roots to the brt say saying now, i am confused because in one drawling the brt says there are moving the trees in one drawing they say theyre replacing them in one say that they are drawing them down. I am confused and i think that we need to go back to the drawing board. [timer dings] next speaker please. The new trees probably will not grow to their full size for 15 to 20 years from now. After they first remove the countries it will be another 20 years before the partial canopy will be there but theres new trees will not provide the canopy that we have now on be in nest. There are other ways to accomplish the goals of mta with their plans for the van ness corridor. By granting this appeal you have the unique chance of making a difference in the lives of the residence not only on van ness but the rest of San Francisco and also the rest of the world that comes to San Francisco and drives on the va corridor. I hope you will save the vns trees by granting this appeal. I would like to quickly read two statements from people who could not make it tonight. Paula paley who lives a few blocks from vanness and rides on vns frequently. She says i have lived near vanness for 40 years and ive always loved the trees on vns and other streets on our city. I appreciate and care about the trees on vns and want to preserve them. My office is on vns and i drive that helped five days a week. And i called the board of appeals to get more details and i also feel frustrated because at this late notice i cannot speak at the meeting. The issue is how to accomplish those goals without defacing and the character in the city and creating more problems for already overly congested traffic. Just two more sentences. How do we not think this will resolve in a traffic nightmare. Finally how can you want to replace those trees with new native trees. Thank you very much. Hello i am the bald eagle. I came here i told that this tree discussion would be from 5 to 6 tonight but its midnight. Its 1230 i appreciate all of your time for her taking your time and i appreciate you doing your job so well so thank you very much. Thank you for sharing your opinions and representing your can stconstituents so that is good. Trees are good. It makes a green. Its a good thing. But you know what . All these peoples opinions and smoking lies always peoples pretty much messed up stuff that they are talking about doesnt matter. I am going to make it very efficient and im going to say that my computer is going to tell you whether or not you should vote yes or no on this thing. It says yes. Alright thank you. Thank you. Commissioners, good morning my name is pete i live on venice avenue. I want to take the time to express my support for the appeals and asked that you deny the permit despite the project being up her. Also that you would consider the brt alternative too to it to allow the trees to be on thecurbside this will also make it more efficient for the mta riders. Many of the trees have full canopies of 50 to 60 feet and greater than 75 of the median trees is a 4 to 5 would be a sustainable tree it means by removing and replanting 100 trees by putting in 200 trees the city stands to use 400,000 gallons more water during a drought period to get established trees and that would be to a full majority in canopy. Aside from the environmental cost of moving the healthy trees the results cost andresourcewill keep the city in construction for over three years. Overhead please. In addition to environmental costs and taxpayer money this will cost lives this will only permit access to the cross work from one direction. [timer dings] please finish up please. This terminates in traffic and its twice as wide and people can go in opposite directions away from the boarding area. Thank you very much. Next speaker please. Good morning members. My name is robert bartel. I voted for proposition k in 2003 and if anybody doubt that you can download the entire ballad from the library and see that a bus Rapid Transit was was specified on van nest i am currently on the Community Advisory committee. It is been 13 years that we have been working on it and everything i hear about the project is being considered, turned upside down, and looked at in the locally preferred alternative was chosen because it was the best alternative. I understand, i mean the sentiment for the trees i understand that we love trees i understand that we love the mature canopy but as a gentleman that was up for five people earlier it is a tradeoff. If we are going to improve our infrastructure as we voted for in 2003 we will have to cut the trees down. It is maybe too bad but it is a small sacrifice to make. I know people here are not going to live to see including me at the mature canopy but its something that we can do for the future and i urge you to reject it. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker please. Good morning my name is joel septer. I think that what youve heard today from the public its demonstrated in my view that the trees that are cut down will not be adequately replaced. So i think in terms of the appeal, what is being said here is that the trees will be cut down and whenever the lemon gum trees appear it will not compare to what we currently have. So it will not be improved by what is being proposed. Thank you. Thank you next speaker please. Good morning. My name is daizai am here to support the appeal and we have a very special attitude towards the trees that they are not taking into consideration. Look at each project and they are not considered. There just cut down and whenever we see the project its always like cutting trees and replacing them and in parks its the same story 18,500 trees are going down pretty soon with these natural reserves program with the natural reserves plan its not acceptable. I doubt anything will be done in the process will improve the traffic on vanness. It was always so awful since the 80s it was off all i was there back then and its awful now and ill be awful again. So i think that not removing the trees will be much much cheaper please do approve the appeal and do not move forward. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, my name is capt. Edwards. I do live on van ness. Vanness in greenwich street. I think that what part of the problem is is that even though they have said that anyone knew these trees were coming down august of last year we found out there was going to be an appeal and i have a couple of problems with these trees that they are, first of all, i dont want the median trees cut down but i have a problem with the trees that they are focusing on replacing them with. Theyve chosen three types in a box tree a sycamore in this eucalyptus tree. The eucalyptus tree which is not a nonnative tree and when i hear mr. Buck speak i wonder why the dpw wasnt taking into more account i couldve gotten behind some tree island pines or something goes they are Beautiful Trees. This tree in my opinion should not be in the middle of our street because it is nonnative and were cutting down nonnative trees all over the city in an effort to come back to what is supposed to be in california. I also have an issue with the fact that they are talking about cutting down all these trees at once. I live on vanness. What am i supposed to do . If this project extends itself for five years without trees . We will have to breathe all of these dust i dont think they took this in two accounts and they took that in november and they took that away. I even had an email to aaron peskin about that and he contacted erin rice been and he said well it was out and he said no it wasnt so there is a lot of instances of them saying one thing and doing another and that is why there is a lot of anger and it feels like they been very deceptive. Thank you. [timer dings] i am jane edwards i tell you that the person walking down the street has no idea what is coming. 15 to 20 years is not good enough. They are in global warming. We need are full mature trees to help us. You people are our last hope and i hope that you hope that we win this. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker please. Hi my name iskaren burns. I am a researcher for colon and breast cancer. I am also a president of the Condo Association and i have to say that we have never had a Board Meeting that has ran quite this late so i admmire your volunteerism. I need to drive in my car to the hospital down the south bay and i am worried about congestion down in the street. As a van ness resident i have crossed van ness many times i have almost been hit by a car trying to beat the traffic that exist every day on the highway. Im very concerned about the fact that we have canopies for 60yearold trees and that the proposed tree doesnt provide the canopy. I have a tremendous respect for chris buck and the work that he does for the city. And just seeing some of the trees that he proposed and googling them on my phone i think they provide much more canopy and i just want to thank you all for your time this evening and helping to save a tree. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next speaker please. Good morning david pilpel speaking as an individual i have long been involved with the mta the Citizens Advisory Committee and the expenditure Advisory Committee for the 1999 and 2003 and i think the only person has longer history than me of Peter Strauss but he and i respectfully disagree with this project i a one supported the van nessthinking that improving this service at relatively a low cost would be a good idea but this is become quite expensive and i no longer supported. As you hear others wanted to be here and couldnt either because of the scheduling or because the lateness of the hour i want to note on the record that the eir addendum was issued after the dpw hearing. It was only issued this past march. It was shouldve been issued earlier so as to inform the Public Comment at that hearing in august and not to rationalize retroactively the decision that the dpw was going to make going along with the project. There other ways that exist to improve Transit Service at less cost and that save the trees. As we heard in the last speakersfew speakers this proposes to plant nonnative trees i know this board has been supportive in maintaining existing trees in recent history and i would ask you to keep it up. Most of the testimony tonight has been in support of the appeal as i am so please support the appeal and please save the trees. Thank you. [timer dings] thank you. Good morning. I am Peter Strauss i am on the board of the van Ness Association and many people approve the alternative which is running buses along the center lane as opposed to the curb lane which is where they are now. Is the most effective project that can be design. Its important to remove the buses from the friction from the double parking from bikes from everything along the curb and that is why the most effective a alternative is to put them in the center we are never going to remove all the congestion on vanness. It is not going to happen. What we can do is make sure that the transit vehicles do not get caught in the congestion and do not get caught in that mess. Because the congestion bus Rapid Transit on vanness is the most important place we could contemplate putting a bus route of this nature. Yes, there are tradeoffs there are always tradeoffs. At the end, we are looking at better transit more trees and we will have a better functioning and yes, have a aa more beautiful van ness then we have today. That is the tradeoff and that is what we should be doing today. Sure it is a tradeoff but that is what you need to do to improve this project. Thank you. Next speaker please. Thank you Mary Alastair and i support this appeal. I have written you a letter that you have read. I support this proposal it does not comply with the california quality act as been said here. As noted the addendum came out after there were any hearings on this in the addendum does not comply with ceqas requirements because it requires a subsequent total Environmental Impact report, an seir. The public has had no opportunity for input into the socalled local preferred alternative which is the Center Running the prt before you. The alternative presented in the original or final Environmental Impact report included side running alternatives and those alternatives need to be considered today. The important issue before you is the cutting of the trees, the clearcutting of the trees on vanness. Plus, we know that the project will also demolished the historic lamppost and have negative impact on the entire city. I urge you to grant the appeal and overturn this order. [timer dings] you have made us wait five hours i think the polling that the matter has not been continued. People have had to get out. They couldnt stay this long. This tonight is terrible and its a loss to the city. A thank you your time is up. Thank you next speaker please. Their better alternatives it went back. That is okay. First i just wanted to quickly my name is chris parkes i live on state street and street and street andi use dpq every day and i am a big fan of it and this clearly covers the dpw restriction of trees and that is why we are here and this goes beyond private property trees and thats why were here. It also goes beyond what the criteria are for evaluating tree removal and this is not this was not done. Very quickly, thisshows a very modest speed improvement to maybe five or six or 7 mph. I just wanted i dont know if anybody recognizes this actor but his name is michael wark logans running he and if you want to know what he was running from he was running from the future and they believed that they wanted the future to be renewed and he discovered and he said that carousel is a lie and i just want to direct you to the screen. This was never evaluated in the eir. This is not one of the requirements for its street protection notice and then what is missing is the trees. There are diagrams but none of the trees. If you can see here, theres actually three lanes of congested traffic and what is going to happen when that gets cut down to two . And then what is missing is the real trees . Theres a lot of sketches in the eir and stuff but these are the real trees that are going to be removed. [coughing] i just want to ask you to please consider this according to the tree protection ordinance and this is what this is all about and protect the trees that we have. Thank you. [applause] thank you. Is there any other Public Comment on this item . Seeing none we will have rebuttal. And you have three minutes of rebuttal. Oh my goodness okay so i am going to haphazard these notes. There are some its hard to call them lies but i just have to say outright wrong. This is not going to increase ridership this is not going to get people to take buses instead of driving cars. We have never seen it different we have more cars in the future and not less. There is no question about it. We can throw as much money or as many things at it and it is a fact. There is not going to be more people. We dont have as much buses for people now. I see it on the marina in the weekend and theres 30 people waiting for a bus. The streets are in horrible repair an hour trying to increase ridership along van ness of course we have to consider the whole project because this is about ripping out the trees sweet. Next week. As soon as you get construction or any way as soon as you get permission at the sfmta meeting on monday or whatever it is that is it. The trees are coming down. Because you knowthat the city were incensed that ones that he would pray for you pablo. It absolutely infuriates me in them. To me that you have the nerve to cut the median trees down and ive and tell people that of course youre cutting all of the sidewalk trees down and not just a lombard in but from lombard to northpoint as well and all those will go to and you will do it in little tiny ways and nobody can say no say you might as well finish the project. Please do something the project. A lot of things are not being said or are being said that are not true. We are only talking about saving two and a half men its a ridership time. They will cause more congestion and they will cause an absolute debacle in this city like you have never seen it brought down over you. I know that. I know you will do the right thing. I know in my heart that you will think about this and you will think about the trees owner and street and what would happen if someone came along and said we need a brt here and we are going to take all of these away from hereand you will not see anything for 30 years and that is my rebuttal. [timer dings] [applause] next speaker please. Thank you so much for staying so late commissioners i know you all want to get home. It is easy to see the anger coming out from the community tonight. As you have seen in all of our materials in our brief this project has its idea that came up in 1995 and has been worked on in earnest for 10 years now. The people who live along the streets are waiting for these benefits. I would like to correct a few specific statements some misstatements from some of the earlier folks. Out of the tree survey out of the median trees one quarter considered healthy trees. They are clumped together. Not all of them are tall that are healthy trees about half are. About 50 of the trees that are being removed are less than 10 years old and they certainly are about as tall now as perhaps are new plantings will be within a few years and then the remaining one quarter are trees that are suffering from unhealthy problems so you can see the condition of the canopy out there today. I would like to also say that the replacement trees are not going to be saplings. These are going to be contract grown during construction. They will go in about 15 feet high and about 36 inch boxes and there will be an establishment period and that is something that has always been acknowledged but at the end when this canopy matures there will be twice as many trees. They will be taller than three quarters the trees out there today. There will be new trees on blocks that do not have trees today. I should also add that this project is complying with predecessor plans that have advocated for improvement of the canopy one bns by growing the number trees by 50 which we are exceeding and by creating a consistent, taller, canopy which this project will achieve. Now this project is a compromise. It does require removing some trees that we might not otherwise do. It is only through this compromise that we have received approval through every level of government. Several agencies, the state, caltrans one of the agencies said that caltrans would remove this project caltrans is working with us on this project and they are working with us on the details of that if you do not approve this permit you are upsetting the compromises that come out of all those approvals that aching before today. Thank you. [applause] excuse us nobody talked while you were speaking. Can you address the comment about the funding the lack of funding thats expected from the federal government now. Yes, that was a misstatement. I believe that speaker was speaking of the smart city grant in the news over the last few days and we are very close to securing a grant for this project and we are waiting the final approvals of that grant. In the comment about the first thing that youre going to do is cut the trees . It sort of a sequence of events is that the first thing that happens . Let me just say that the contract approval is not happening this month. It has been delayed and three calendared for the next sfmta Board Meeting and the contractor has to mobilize and bring their equipment and get set up so they have all of these things to do first. Once the contractor is fully mobilized removal of the trees will happen relatively early in the project because it is required in order to change the traffic configuration to allow the space to do the work during construction. I will say that our construction sequence the plan is going to be a great strength of the project. I know youve heard a lot of baseless accusations that it will be a double of the three years that were advertising. I believe we have designed a construction sequence he planned that can get done in a the timeframe and expedite in that way. Ive never seen a city project done on time. This project is being delivered through an innovative delivery method called construction manager. At thats not innovative that has been around a long time. But you have brought them on board with this design . Yes they been brought on board with the design process and they make sure its consistent with constructibility and in the case of this project that is consistent with the Construction Management that they can handle. Now that the design is finished the contractor in the sfmta have agreed on a price and it is much less susceptible to cost increases. This is not going to occur in till they start work . That is true. That is part of the contract. One last question on the process for the final selection you are down to six and then to get to this point i sort of lost track of how this occurred with the trees . Yeah, the type of trees. We start our 24 trees and we went around some rounds and we waited them and things started falling into shape. The top six performers are of course the im about prices. I dont need to know the specific chat. So you arrived at six yeah. And then you came before your own staff and how did you get the money . We shortlisted this down to two and we brought this down before the council and the Arts Commission and they had discussions and went all the way back to the director of public works for the finalizing. So it all a closedwas all a closed project. This one out via the project email list and a presentation at public bodies as martha mentioned. The Arts Commission doesnt listen to anybody but thats okay. The urban for state foresty council. I have a question for you and you said if we something about we will be disturbing last of different compromises and you said Something Like that so what is a practical matter that happens thatif we side with the people that want to remove the trees . You have to speak to your councilmember on that. It means everywhere it can be built with the exception where it treats sits. Im sorry, if you are going to speak you have to come to the podium please. Except there are trees located directly in the center lane of the travel way of the brt. Which is why i was acting as a practical matter. You are being flipped. I was thinking about process pardon me. The tree starts at the beginning of that process to create that sequencing plan. That cant happen without the removal of these trees. And just as a reminder, there are 12 trees that are going to be preserved in place and these are in places where the median will remain wide enough ands current configuration to protect them. That is not the case in most of the corridor. Sorry about that. I have a question. Is the treeand i can remember it so don late. Its not gonna start until youre fully funded, is that correct . Or is that not been asked . The project has been considered fully funded because all of them have been budgeted into the program where the final agreement with the federal government which will happen in the fall. So will this start in the fall are you going to cut the trees down before you get the money from the feds. I think i have to defer to mta on some of these points. It can be a little confusing. No, its pretty easy. The question was is the project going to start before you the mine to complete a the City Attorney will not let us unless we have identified all the funding and have a commitment to it. We will not have all the money our the backb pocket when we issue her project but we will have the percentage of it and we will have it ready to go but the money that were spending three years out isnt going to arrive till the fiscal years of those at expenditures. And the other question that i have is with the fancy budget contractor thing. Is there a penalty for them not complete on time . Yes. What . Right now it is a penalty of 30 to 60 days. My next question is the trees that you are replanting replanting of them in the same size boxer 36 box. Yes. Thank you. I guess i would just finally clarify, when do you think the earliest is the trees will start coming down . Right now the earliest that we will have an ink a contract for construction will be in august. Assuming globalization time and notice to the public and we will probably be able to Start Construction in till early october maybe late september but its more than likely early october. At that point, there will be a significant amount of demolition that has to start to make way for the construction and thats when the trees will start to come out. So, in the fall at some time. Thank you. Ed thank you. Anything else. Any rebuttal . Some timein less it there is any more discussion for public works the question is submitted. No. Otherwise we will be having breakfast here. No. Does everyone to start at the same time. It started as a tree permit and it obviously went all different places mostly policybased which is not in our purview. The basis upon which we can act upon this permit is fairly limited and therefore even though i dont like that particular species it is not incumbent upon me after a fairly lengthy decisionmaking process. I have been going up v van ness junior high and sacred heart and i remember walking down the street and i recently posted a transit map of the city and someone had said why does San Francisco not improve their transit in this process is thetaking a very long time weve saved tons and tons of trees forcing developers to install very large 48 inch boxer 36 inch boxer for people that dont understand that the size of the container. Its quite expensive. 48 has that should be craned into the property. 36 is not as large but it is very large. I remember when van ness was nothing but to gas stations 2 chevron but i hate to see the canopy go but we need to think at this point that we are thinking further down the line that our city is growingwe are 7 miles x 6. 8 and you know the last density numbers were 850 very comfortably at 725 and i think were going to get more. It is just like the m subway. Nobody wanted to happen it took so long to do in this is hopefully forward progress. This fact that were not to see the trees is sad. I think the greenbelt is very attractive but you have got to remember and i learned an earlier hearing that that Center Median was it was years ago brt it wasnt in my time but the last new thing that i remember is in the fifth grade and now we have it below and the only ones we get from above are the ones we get from milwaukee and other places. I am sorry to see that the trees are going. I really am but this has been a very, very, lengthy process and every time we delay, it ends up costing us more and thats why we have this big budget that we are facing now and next year it will only go up again if we delay. So, that is my thought. Does anyone want to make a motion . I want to make a motion . Yes. I want to make a motion to uphold the appeal in light of the brt. If the board is passing that motion we have to adopt environmental findings and we have to put this on the overhead so commissioner lazarus if i can ask you to deny the appeal and uphold this in light of the br and the environmental findings and with that one that motion rt [roll call vote] and we have one absent so with a vote of 3 1 with one absent that motion does carry. And president honda there is no further business before the board at this time. I think we need to establish this is a new record for the board. At least everyone was a winner in that respect. Thank you very much for having the patience and bearing through this case. Thank you very much. [gavel] welcome ladies and gentlemen to the regular scheduled meeting of the San Francisco Ethics Commission for june 27 2016. I will call the roll. Commissioner tan, here. Hayon, here. Chiu, here. All are present and accounted for. Churning to item 2, Public Comment. On matters appearing or not appearing under the agenda. I would as we have a very long agenda, which i anticipate comments, hopefully the comments will be limited to something other than this on the agenda. Thank you. Good evening commissioners. On Charles Stella with friends of ethics. We have been in discussions with board president on the question of the whistleblower amendment. Theyve asked for some guidance in our opinion on how to organize the hearing. So, i will send the Commission Executive director a brief memo on that so that she will see what we have suggested. Commissioner board of i think i have to warm up herems. Breed and her staff and they were actually talking about generating a bit of a crowd or notifying the public in general, which we can implead you for thatfor you but you have your own contacts with as well. But there was some thought by the board that this should attract some interest on the part of the labor and City Employee groups so that is what i thought was. So, i did one you let you know if anything comes up with a we need to bring it up with you or bring back to you we will. The tech thank you. Thank you. Premise of the Ethics Commission a director of San Francisco opened up limited where youre aware of it or not to complain about with this commission in may as artie been dismissed. When i filed actually in april authority dismissed and the one i filed inmate was investigated for two whole days before they dismissed it. It was done by the person i told you when i went in november dissuaded me from trying to filing the complaint in the first place and so i think she was totally prejudiced against them. There is no impartiality whatsoever. The socalled investigations or something i completely understand. The sole purpose was to dismiss the complaint and deny me a public hearing. A public hearing would result in serious consequences for both supervisor mark farrell and the San Francisco Public Library in particular, luis herrera the city librarian. As far as mark farrell goes, you know very well he would never have shown up to a hearing. That looking for you, certainly. In fact, he probably wouldve found his nose at you just as he did the Sunshine Ordinance Task force and not even sending someone to their hearings. While embarrassing for you, you be very instructive to the citizens of San Francisco that while you may be able to bully noncity persons or groups, city agencies treat you as the joke you are. Neither the mayor, the board of supervisors, or any city agency would even deign to reply to your findings let alone enforce them. This body is a meaningless farce. When you voted unanimously to remove tool , etc. President of the Library Commission, the mayor ignored you. When you send a letter to him a year later asking what was the result of your recommendation, he ignored you. So, you are fully aware of the fact that you are absolutely powerless. Theres an old southern expression in that expression is, uselessness tips on a [inaudible] on. Basically thats what this has come to. You are being here during the entire time, all this corruption has erupted in San Francisco and the lack of action on your part related to any city officials is part and parcel of why the city has turned into a cesspool. Thank you. Item 3, we have reversed the order. There usually is item 3 is a discussion of possible action on draft minutes of the commissions may 23rd 2016 a regular meeting. Any the commissioners have any comments or corrections to the minutes . Any Public Comment . This is agenda item for . We have not got to item for you. Thank you. No, three. All right. On page six, it refers to my invitation to supervisor farrell to appear before the commission. I think you might want to correct the wording to indicate the commission had been encouraging the supervisor to appear before the commission. Obviously, its not my discretion to do so but, i was pointing out my frustration with the fact that today he had not appeared. Any other corrections . Commissioners open government. I would like anybody in this room or watching on sfgov tv . Reviewing these minutes of notice on the only citizen in San Francisco whos constitutionally protected political free speech actually makes it into the minutes in any meaningful fashion. Citizens united this up in court wrote, by taking the rights of two speak from some and giving it to others the government deprives the disadvantage person or class of the right to use speech ascribed to establish were standing, and respect for the speakers voice. The government may not by these means deprives the public of the right and privilege to determine for itself, what speech and speakers are worthy of consideration. The First Amendment protects speech and speaker and the idea that flows therefrom. This body is desirous of producing an orwellian 1984 new speed record with comments from others, with comments from other speakers, especially those voicing criticism being reduced to meaningless misrepresentation. You should be ashamed. I had to fight for four years to get these 150 word summary 7 minutes because i was tired of having people bastardize and mischaracterize and doubt outright lied when i said in Public Comment. This is constitutionally protected free speech. These peoples, mine, yours, anybody elses and the fact that you want to have a really good looking record that makes you look like youre nothing but good people who do nothing but good and you want to keep anything negative out of it which is a direct violation of the sunshine begins which you have a legal obligation to enforce is unconscionable. You know, theres an old expression entire to explain to man that he should understand something when not understanding it is the basis of them keeping his job. Do you have any corrections to the minutes . Okay. Do i hear a motion . Motion to approve moved and seconded. All those in favor say, aye [chorus of ayes] the Motion Carried Unanimously and the minutes are approved with the correction noted by one of the speakers. Turning to item 4, this question and possible action including potential waiver of atty. Client privilege regarding Public Records act request for the audio recording of Ethics Commission closed session held on june 23, 2014 regarding onto item 6. I believe that the request was made by mr. Grossman and i will give you 3 min. To hear what you have to say call all of 3 min. All how exciting i dont people take you that long, will it be one with only 3 min. For my comments i will repeat most of what is in my memorandum. Hopefully you have already and considered how much you have to ponder. The facts are,pretty clear. For a year now for the former executive director and the City Attorney hijacked and kept secret from the Commission Eight legally required open process. They intentionally provoked a lawsuit, mind, which they defended at and appealed without Commission Authorization until it reached the appellate court. At which point, there was no turning back. So, it was only then, after this year and half of all this activity, including for hearings before the sunshine ordinance past that there was a single 55 min. Closed session regarding three agenda items including the one at issue here. Following which, the commissioners voted to keep the City Attorneys advice secret, whatever that was. Which meant they decided to keep secret their views on litigation whose defense an appeal they never authorized with regard to records they had never seen. The 1999 sunshine ordinance was on the ballot by Voters Initiative and was adopted by the same majority vote is required for hr amendment. California citizens Public Access rights to the governments records and meetings are constitutionally guaranteed. So, now this commission is at another crossroads. Does it continue to violate its own bylaws . Does it continue to undermine as a charter designated, the charter designated enforcement body for Public Access, and whose interest it really protecting . The former executive director . The City Attorney . Or possibly some of the commissioners . Californias Public Policy is that this is the public best interest, these disclosures. At law school, i was taught and still believe if theres a relevant statute thats where you go first, to analyze the legal issue. Here, the sunshine ordinance is absolutely clear on the two legal issues presented. There is the status of the existing legation on june 23, 2014, satisfy the requirements of section 6710d. If it did not, for the reasons stated,it did not im sorry good for the reasons stated in my mentoring him. As the passage of time obviated any need to keep the audio recording secret, per section 67 8. 18, the answer is, yes. My memorandum demonstrates. I actually have some further thoughts, but 3 min. Is kind of limited. Thank you. All right, the staff has any comments or the City Attorney have any comments on this request . Any discussion on the commissioners . Is there a motion to grant mr. Grossmans request or a copy of the transcript . I have no objection, frankly to the transcript being released andbut when the question first came up i said its a commission decision, not mine. I guess my question is, why are we still dealing with this . My question is, after all this time, including the litigation, why are we still doing with this other than that, mr. Grossman once a record of the hearing certainly, i dont know theres anything there that needs to be withheld. I can answer that. Its a black box. Its been a black box from the first day i submitted my request in october of 2012. We are talking the better part of four years, here. Almost 4 years and theres been no meeting at which there was a clear discussion about why it was started, who supported it, whether the City Attorney encouraged it, given the City Attorneys attitude. Theres a lot of reasons why this case is a really bad case. My memo explains it. The City Attorney now is free to advise the department, the commissions, the officials on Public Record and Public Meeting matters secretly. It encourage them on how to defeat request for records. Were handles [inaudible] that they dont like. Sorry. Does the City Attorney have any opinion on this that it wants to share with the Commission Regarding mr. Grossmans request one debbie City Attorney and ocean. No, i have nothing else to add as a staff memo explains, this is a decision within the commissions discretion. I move we release the audio recording. Second. Any further discussion . Let me just clarify for mr. Grossman, the concerned that the commission had was that the decision that was made to the attorneyclient privilege was made by the executive director. Which the City Attorney had said was properly within his discretion and not a matter for the commission. In fact, thertem on tonight agenda to deal with that very issue because the bylaws are unclear about it. But the transcript will show what the commission was concerned about in the meeting was whether or not we should, as a commission, should of that some participation in the withholding of the documents. Notyou filed the lawsuit and you lost in the appeal court and it isnt the City Attorney who off on a frolic it is the court of appeals that said that the City Attorney was correct. Its interpretation of the charter. Even though the task force, the Sunshine Task force may be unhappy about the fact that attorneyclient privilege exists in a records request, thats the law. So,but i have no objection to letting you look at that for letting the public look at the transcript of our discussion. Thank you. I have some more thoughts about wait for them for another time. Any public discussion on the motion . Braveheart director of San Francisco . President James Madison wrote the following the genius of our public and liberty seems to demand not only that all power should be derived from the people but the those entrusted with it should be kept in dependent on the people. Mr. Grossmans request that the bodyweight the attorneyclient privilege and release the recording of the closed session is both reasonable and justified. This body does more to hide its activities from the public than any other was meetings i have attended. Only through the actions of individuals citizens our bodies such as this hell do any level of accountability. This body has shown by his behaviors to be totally unwilling and or unable to enforce open government laws. The very least they can do is to disclose to the public and confidentiality is no longer required the secret machinations connected out of the viewer the public could show you have some sense of integrity. The bottom line is, government is supposed to be held with participation of and in full view of the public. You spend so much of your time going back in a back room and having discussions, which you expect the public to take just on your words to have nothing to do with anything that cant be disclosed or shouldnt be disclosed. I have always had a hard time believing that anybody could go back for 45 min. Or an hour and have a discussion and never say a single thing that couldnt be disclosed. I think its disingenuous and seeding of the public to pretend there is. Very frankly, i think most of what you want to hide in those conversations is the fact that youre doing something wrong and you dont want the public to know why you are doing it. You are making deals with people like mark farrell the president a member of the board of supervisors who owes you a ton of money. Instead of being open and telling the public what you are doing as you go along, you just click on this thing and i think its because the executive director the former executive director of the bit so badly that you just dont want to let anybody know how badly you and by extension day, screwed up. Mr. Hart did you hear with the motion was a up here . Any other public discussion . Good evening. The longer member of the customers i dont think i need to use the disclaimer. I am not sure how i would vote on this motion. I understand from your discussion that you believe theres information that may be in the Public Interest to disclose. This is the first time i can recall that there is a request for a close session tape or information from a closed session that policy body is considering releasing. So i am not sure that this would set any sort of precedent. I think this is just a onetime request but i would ask you to be very careful and thoughtful about doing with this request. Generally, closed session matters and discussion are kept between the attorney, the staff, and the members of the policy body. So, its unusual in my experience for such a request to come and i would just ask you again to be careful about what this means for the city Going Forward if you choose to make this information available. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening commissioners good im dr. Dara kerr whistleblower. I am very grateful to mr. Grossman for his years of Public Interest litigation in this sunshine arena. His request for the close session records gives you an opportunity to get closer to the public. Theres a barrier which is unnecessary and artificial, and this particular recording is one of them. So, i hope that you take the opportunity to get closer to us. Thank you. Any other Public Comment . I will call the question. All those in favor say, aye [chorus of ayes] opposed . The motion to waive the attorneyclient privilege of the transcript is granted. Is past and the document will be released to the public. Turning to item number five, continued discussion and possible action on proposal regarding a possible november 2016 ballot measure to restrict lobbyist gifts, Campaign Contributions, and bundling contributions. I will turn to the staff for their initial discussion. Good evening commissioners. Under item 5, and on the table for the public by the staff memo dated june 22 and attachments. We took the last month since the commissions meeting and most recently discussion of the issues to put together a bit more of a legislative record, and also to work with the City Attorney on putting together language in an Initiative One ordinance to see and consider discussing issues and heavy ops option to act on the proposal if you want to this even get that was something you had requested last month. The was a number of Public Comments were received over the weekend and today. Those are also on the public table and then provided to you. I expect will have a fair amount of Public Comment on the proposals. Just in brief, there isthe memo describes the findings and the recommendations with regard to including some language in the proposal that would speak to the findings that the proposals as an underlying matter, i dressed. Also, it would add some mileage about the ability to amend based on approach taken with pop c that would allow for the measure to be amended down the road should the commission feel that was necessary and that was in furtherance of the ordinance that is approved so that provide flexibility without having to go back to the voters each time of the was strengthening or clarifying issues that need to take place. The gift limitation takes a look at restricting as the proponents have suggested, the gift limits. Applying the gift limits more strictly to lobbyists and the ordinance, the memo proposes and mirrors in the ordinance, language you have, recommendations that lobbyist make no guess as a law defines that term. That would not change. But it also would include gifts of travel that are currently exempt the lobbyists would not be permitted to give gifts of travel to officials. Then, we have a section on contribution and bundling restrictions. Some background both on how the current contribution limits apply and how the proposed language in this approach would apply. There is also some language about alternative to the commission to clarify its desire to whether to apply this equally to expenditure lobbyists and contact lobbyist, or whether the commission believes there should be a card out for expenditure lobbyists for example. That language is bracketed to provide you with that option. Theres also language that bracket the amount of the contribution restriction that is proposed to on page nine under recommendation for. This would create a new aggregate limit on contributions so that lobbyist do not make contributions that total in excess of either 250,000, 100, or 50. Those amounts are bracketed for the commissions consideration. Dudley furtherance by those in the audience. It also takes an approach that would be new, that would include, would count contributions to any and all committees controlled by an officer and count the contributions that lobbyist gives to any and all committees of the committee controlled by an officer george of the contribution limits. It tries to extend the contribution limit concept to those committees where to a maximum extent under state law. Its possible to do that to create an aggregate limit for any and all committees controlled by an official. Lastly, the bundling contribution, the bundling of contributions under recommendation five, get the stakes approach that slightly different while different from the previous discussions as well. It would prevent lobbyist from transmitting delivering or transmitting or delivering three thirdparty contributions are made by another person to a city official. If the total amount of the lobbyist contribution delivered were transmitted made by that lobbyist exceeds the amount of the contribution limit that is to be determined and recommendation for. So it would in essence permit a lobbyist to bundle some contributions but at a much lower amount in either half the current contribution amount or lower, and that includes the lobbyist own contribution. So, the lobbyist could give and bundle up to a maximum of the contribution limit that is established under the law under this proposal. Thats how this is laid out. Lastly, theres language and a recommendation seven that would also provide that the commission may issue regulations implement in this section and other provisions that are in the measure but that the regulations would not establish exceptions to the limits of the probation. Again, trying to be very clear any change to the commission would want it regulations the commission would issue a need to be in furtherance of supporting strong and clear laws that are there to achieve the goals of the measure as proposed. So, im glad you stopped there and see theres any questions for me. Happy to defer to the charity like to take Public Comment at this point. First get comments within the from the commissioners. I have a question to the City Attorney. Why isnt a safer approach from a constitutional point of view to adopt the approach that the state talk . That would say, you would say, no contributions can be made by a lobbyist to any individual or Office Holder or how we work it, with whom that lobbyist has had contact with . In other words, it might say contact in the last year, which wouldif clearly is like the state approach which says, we are going to focus on contributions to agencies or agents who the lobbyist are dealing with. As opposed to a lobbyist to may never say contact the Planning Commissioner. You could say he or she would be free to make contributions to the campaign of a member in idea commissioner whos running for office or something. Sure. I think you raise a very good point about a key difference between this provision where this proposal, and state law. As you say, state law prohibits the similar contribution ban on lobbyist but only with the respective the officials the state logic bodies are registered to lobby whereas here in this proposal as it stands i know, you can have a local lobbyist can i make any contributions to any officials with another ashley lobby by that person. Thank you for highlighting the key difference. In terms of whether or not its either or not, im a little bit restricted in terms of speaking in open session but the legal risks and issues raised by this proposal. I would simply say, its only up to the commission and the staff of course in their expertise, to weigh in on what proposals are worth any legal risks. I think that the narrower approach is always most always, save her from a perspective of facing any legal challenges. So certainly, you could go that direction if you want to do so. Again, its up to the commission and staff to make the to weigh the risks and benefits of going through a broad proposal and maybe increases legal risk versus in our proposal that avoids some of those problems because there is a state Supreme Court thats held that a complete ban of contributions is constitutional so long as its a focused band right. Obviously in the ramp up Campaign Finance and the more targeted the [inaudible] the probations are the more legally favorite is but we certainly again, its up to the commissioners have to weigh those benefits. It is a more targeted more narrow proposal, yes, there are some benefits from the legal perspective but maybe some activity the commission and staff wishes to reach. I dont know if we have discussion on that . Any other comments . Commissioners of . I have a question on the on the bundling. We are talking only about bundling by lobbyists , correct . Are there any regulations that exist at this time that would prevent the average citizen from boggling . Certainly, anybody can go out and collect checks from all their friends and companions and go doortodoor and collect money for a candidate. Why are we not considering a restriction of that nature . Thank you for the question. I think the proposal as was designed is trying to focus on where theres the greatest perception or the basically the greatest threat for correction of the governmental process because an individual who is a lobbyist, whose be engaging in activity at the level and regularity and for compensation for example that this ideologue requires them to register at, that the goal is to try and delink the ability or the prevalence of those individuals from amassing large relatively large contributions in a way that could be or could be perceived to be, influencing the governmental solutions. I understand that that puts it on a different place in the spectrum that a regular citizen was not engage in those cons of activities for livelihood will we find a influence a particular decision maker. So trying to delink fundraising or contributions from governmental pay to play, as it were. To that, i would also add i think attachment one is helpful to point this out. We have actually numbers about Campaign Contributions that lobbyists are [inaudible] we had the data for about two years now due to a change in the lobbyist regulations adopted by this commission in 2014. So we actually have hard numbers. You can actually see the activity, bundling activity lobbies have been engaging in the past couple years. Right now, we dont have the data for nonlobbyist bundlers. But another kind of nonlobbyist for a local official, at this point we dont actually have a picture what that looks like. Now thats not to say we could not have some sort of bundling the porting of disclosure applies more broadly two people contribute to city officials. That something we can certainly explore justly a different explore than what we been considering but its a unsure goes on but we dont know exactly what it looks like at this point. Could i ask the City Attorney, if we were to, tonight, go ahead and do as chairman renne suggest which makes a lot of sense, and bowling which parallel the states approach which is also why the recommendation for the friends of ethics, would we be able to still pass the measure tonight to put it on the ballot or would we need more interested persons, type situation . Input in regard to it . Because mainly if we dont pass it tonight we have one more chance at the end of july, but theres only four of us here. We need for votes so i am i to tempt the gods in regard to blowing our chance of getting a really good ballot measure on the ballot. So, one of the things that was indicated by the friends of ethics is that we could direct the staff in the City Attorney, if we chose to, direct the staff in the City Attorney to go ahead and make that change in the language to make it parallel to the state approach subject to the review of the chair and still pass it tonight to put it on the bow. Can we do that . I would certainly prefer to additional time if were talking an entirely new provision. As it as you mention we do have an opportunity about an additional regular Commission Meeting on the subject it because its not going to be a simple cutandpaste from state law. Something we want to carefully draft of course my office as luck procedures in place in terms of making sure and he has put on the ballot by anybody is as good as we can make it. I also did want to get we can to an opportunity to address the operation concerns about during the state band. Again, which is focused on making sure the lobbies are not allowed to make contributions of those official added. Registered contact or have contact within a certain period and things of that sort. I would just add, i think the Commission Want to take that approach you be able to take a bit more time to craft russ companion language that says this is how lobbyists will now have to disclose who they are planning to werth who they have planning to lobby so the band can be applied fairly. Right now, you recall the law does not require lobbyists to say to the planning to lobby. They dont have to register to lobby certain departments. Its essentially went to a previous option is youre going to be lobbying anybody whos on the list of city officials. So the commission were taking this approach, we would have to come up somewhat with someone which state heres how you can do it mechanically so i think it has some soda can be put in place and practice ineffective way. The other thing that we would need to do with that is also make some changes to the Online System the lobbies are using currently to register and so that clearly were at a point where we appear to be moving forward with the Electronic Filing conversion project. If we need to make some changes this would be a smart time to do that. Its not currently built into the scope of the project. So we would need to take a look at that and find out how we can actually other resources to make that happen at the same time were doing is other work. Is it feasible, do you think its feasible for city lobbyists to have toto identify what departments or what agencies they are intending to lobby . Or, if they dont it would be presumed they are lobbying the whole administration . I think that when would you want to take a look at it to be fair to presume the lobbying the entire body of city officials who they added the city officer who is the group of people they can currently lobby. I think in practice, i would speculate that most of the Campaign Contributions are going to the board of supervisors will other elected officials who can shape policy, not to the whole list of other city officers maybe implement in those paws. I could be wrong but i think its probably very much focused on the legislative body. Any other questions . It seems to me that taking a popular approach to drafting a ballot measure is really critical because i would hate to see it pass and then be struck down next year, or a year from now. I do know anybody has vacation plans for next month so the four of us could be here. I think thats the City Attorney and director common and her staff to take the time to explore what alternative language would look like in a way that could accomplish the goals that are set out but in a way that would minimize the risk of legal challenge. I think you would be to our benefit. I wonder if you could articulate a little further the pros and cons of paralleling the state legislation that exists . I mean, how important is it that we mirror what the state has or does it not matter at all good it is it a disadvantage to it to us . As i understand it, and the City Attorney can clarify if im wrong, but the danger of a ban on contributions by lobbyists or setting a lower amount that they can should contribute, if you do it across the board, and even though those lobbyists may not be having any contact with an official, that you run the risk that the court can say that you are impinging on the right of free speech. They have a right to support candidates, even if we put a contribution ban on, theres nothing that stops the lobbyists from saying i am supporting the mayor lee or whoever the candidate is. All you are saying is a might if you had in the state approaches saying, if as a lobbyist, one of your responsibilities is contacting the mayor then you can make Campaign Contributions to the mayor. You can to the board of supervisors if you dont have any contact with them. So that its narrowing one the sense the suppose it impact but its not interfering with their right to support with Campaign Contributions to individuals whom they are not lobbying. As opposed to if we say it done accepted you can give 250,000. That the court could say thats an unreasonable restraint on them. That we dont showi mean 250 is in sufficient that they should be allowed to give the full amount. If i could simply add an e leons comments, you know, San Francisco bodies ordinance does not require lobbyists to indicate who is going to lobby before they do. Basically make that context and make them afterthefact it in thinking through how this could work, the hubble to get the commissions views on this, be in terms of an advance Registration Requirements would be a new feature of our lobbyists ordinance something also have to make this work. We have different through issues of easily heavy discussions with the director about how far in advance does that registration need to be . How much notice do you need to provide to the Ethics Commission and to the public that you intend to lobby the mayor next week with the board of supervisors next month . You have to think about how the lobbyists begins works because it doesnt work that way right now at all. Obviously, it certainly need more time thats where the commission is inclined to go. I would also be concerned that if there would be the imposition of additional reporting requirements that the commission not able to support from a resource standpoint that we need to be very thoughtful about that before we embark on signing up for something that we wont be will we wont be willto deliverin a reasonable timeframe. I will call for Public Comment. Thank you, commissioner Judah Lena Schmidt with friends of ethics. I appreciate very much the discussion that youre having right now about the state using the state as a model since friends of ethics did put it forward and thats what im going to speak to a little bit good will obviously not be able to answer all the questions you have about it but let me put out a couple things. Before i go that i just have to it knowledge its a little bit of deja vu all over again. Its just about this time last year when we were urging you to go forward with an initiative to put on the 2015 ballot, which you did, was the citizens supported overwhelmingly. Again, we are going to urge you to keep moving on this very interesting and Strong Initiative that youre putting together now. The Commission Staff has worked on that represent and friends of ethics. I appreciate all the work thats gone into it and the manner of review and careful thought that has gone into it. I think that representative has been an important ally for us and has helped considerably in clarifying language and having us think it through very carefully. You know that through the letters that we sent you we have proposed that you look at the state and see whats going on. The part that we are saying you should look at for the state is the provision dealing with the lobbyist contribution. And that its a provision thats already in place. It provides a good framework that you could use Going Forward and includes all the components that we have been talking about and it does so easily,. Its in place and it already has a precedent. I would note from the question that the chair asked about the registration that the weight as oe looks at it that at both the state and los angeles registration permit the lobbyist does not select a limited authorization then it applies across the board. So, it actually is simpler in that way. The comparison between the two between what you have in front of you tonight with the state is talking about, is that the current proposal as executive director said, limits some of the contribution. The state limits some of thei can even talk when the bell goes offthe committees and the state covers all committees, which is really important. So, its both the candidate controlled committees and the noncandidate controlled committees. So they can be specific committees. Its a much broader issue. Thank you for the consideration and i hope that we keep the discussion going on using the state as a model. Thank you. Good to be back commissioners. I am thinking that we dont really have to reinvent the wheel. When you take a look at the state law, realizing that comes out of the political reform act, which was written by bob stern probably 40 years ago, we can take that as our basis and take the issues that come up in the ip meetings and put those together and i think when you take a look at the state law you will see how readily available that law is to this purpose that we can put these two together without too much ethical three and also it would dovetail into the databases. Youve done an excellent Data Compilation here. Im glad we change the law previously can i also want to thank you for the findings because i think in time we are going to see those findings are very important because the frame our own minds as to what this is accomplishing. I do want to say, i think once you get will up your sleeves and get to scrubbing the state law you will see how the current state law is something we can readily use, and this is, i suspect the decision that they came to in los angeles perhaps our executive director would have more insight on that although it might predate her because as you know, this part of our law dates back to the 1970s and early 1980s. So you have to be pretty old to have a perspective. Thank you. Good evening commissioners. Staff and executive director im from California Common cause. My name is helen griego and we submitted a letter today for your consideration. Our board had time to make a formal decision on the seven final recommendations because we do not have enough turnout but we did have time to state some of our concerns but so generally speaking, we strongly support restrictions on lobbyists ability to influence elected officials. We also think you sent contributions from lobbyists employers are significant source of the problem and money in politics. That may be for another day. We also support the lobbyist get an in principle we need to look more closely at the exemptions to the gift ban. We do it knowledge gifts from lobbyists for traveler become a boondoggle that erodes the public confidence. Theres a lift with the comments and questions which i will go over but i will say that one of the comments they came up a number of time on our policy call today was questioning why you had not paralleled the state law. Thank you. Thank you. Commissioners, they art director of San Francisco in. It is all well and good to give the citizens a of San Francisco an opportunity to update the laws on lobbyist gifts and Campaign Contributions and bundled contributions. However, lets not deceive the public into thinking youre actually going to enforce these laws in any meaningful way. As weve seen recently with your decision relating to supervisor mark farrell, youre unable to enforce these laws as relates to anyone in the city family. In that case, as in a number of other cases, you go into hiding were closed session so the public will not realize totally ineffective you truly are. No one in San Francisco government will back up your findings unless they have a political agenda to do so which we saw very clearly in the case of the mayor and former sheriff roth [inaudible]. You can bully the powerless, but youre continually bullied by the powerful. An old southern expression again sums it up well. Bears repeating. Youre about as useful it hits on a boar hog. Very frankly, i think this lastminute storm and stress about whether we shouldve done this and that when youre been going to this conversation for months is nothing but attempt to delay it and keep it off the ballot in order getting a parallel for the state than being able to say, dont come to us about this. Go to the at pdc in sacramento which is exactly what you did to us when we bought the case to the Ethics Commission relating to the library and luis barrera accepting 15,000 worth of gifts from a group he was supposed to oversee and we brought it to this commission to this Ethics Commissioner mr. St. Croix distantly said we are not going to deal with it. If youre not going to enforce the law, the range in the lockerbie writing all, over and over again is nothing but the arranging deck chairs on the titanic. This is a corrupt corrupt city. Thank you. Im bob plant holder here as a member of friends of ethics. Again, we support getting the essential ballot measure authorized from november of this year because otherwise there will be a chance until june of 2018. I thought i heard the executive director say that the provisions of this would not apply to expenditure lobbyists. If that is correct, since youre now considering adding language for another matter to mirror or paralleled the state i want to ask you to consider asking staff to draft two versions. The one currently in one including expenditure lobbyists could we passed measure [inaudible] we heard nobody is registered. If you dont include them in this, there is no pressure right now expenditure lobbyists are not going to feel they really have to Pay Attention to all these factors and requirements. I think to be consistent with measure c from last year you want to consider having it apply to expenditure lobbyists. I heard you talk about hoping you get four people for your regular meeting in july. Again, i would suggest just summarily you could also put your calendars together with staff and City Attorney it. Any occasion or maybe a special meeting needed if somebody has a wedding or other, if you know, that would preclude him from attending the regular meeting may need to have a special. Do it after tonights meeting see you can get that calendar consistency. I will say, finally, i really want to encourage you to be very narrow in your consideration of exemption of types of agencies and types of and activities of agencies. You want to be sure that as we often have used as the bogeyman, the cocoa brothers do not find the types of exemptions that you might authorize and develop their own San Francisco astroturf surrogate. Again, we talk about having restrictions apply to ages that provide direct services that are not necessarily clearinghouses. I think thats an important distinction that you need to be clear on as well. Thank you. Thank you. Hello. My name is charlotte hill. Speaking on behalf of represent us. I want to speak specifically to the issue of the lobbyist contribution limit versus band. Their have been two reasons why courts will uphold an outright ban on the lobbyist contributions and those are one, if theres in a public scandal involving lobbyist making political donations and the other has when that band has been narrowly tailored as discussed here currently weeding out in San Francisco have the ability to determine which elected official the lobbyist plans to lobby. So, in the absence of that sort of set up in the in the absence of public scandal involving the lobbyist contributions, we at represent us recommend taking the other coach of just imposing a little limit on lobbyist contributions. These were limits have been upheld in places like new york city where they also gave lobbyists a contribution that limit thats about 1 10 the limit of what other regular members of society face. We have actually a little lower than a 1 10 limit and ours would be a 1 10 limit. So that is our represent us stands that. To the issue of excuse me, contact versus expenditure lobbyists, as you know, pop c created a new category lobbyist expenditure lobbyist could we would recommend that for the time being, the commission at lane was making clear that the use of the term lobbyists and this Ballot Initiative mean contact lobbyist only until the commission by vote determines that it should mean accenture lobbyists and i would just give you the time to a valuate whether they should also apply to expenditure lobbyist. Thank you. Thank you. Hi. Morganwith the present. I just want to thank you all for the careful consideration and all the work thats gone into thats gone into thats gone into thats gone intothis [inaudible] local citizens and activists. I would like to reiterate that were calling for a low limit rather than a ban and that 250 is just too much. Its not sufficiently low to instill public confidenceand we would suggest that 50 in may, 110 of the current limit. Weve shown the data thats included that everyone has to show this is needed and lobbyist really give the maximum 500 contribution and that special low limits such as these exist elsewhere as charlotte said in new york city, that has been upheld to like to make it to is easy to be upheld and not get thrown out on those issued. So, thank you. Thank you. Hello. Im david im also from represent us. I would just like to say that pop c last year passed with 75 of the city supporting it. You have seen with the people of the city feel about City Government did youve seen what we feel about how integrity should be handled in City Government. The people are thirsty for commonsense reforms like these. We have seen people be incredulous. They do believe that we told them that there was no limit on travel gifts. That this was a major loophole. People could not believe that San Francisco could be this way. We are here to bring San Francisco back to a level that we can be proud of at lease. Most people would assume that we would be at the forefront of Something Like this. They would be striving and leading the nation and the state in terms of how we dealt with ethics in government. To see some of the exemptions that currently exists is heartbreaking. So, we like to ask you to make sure you dont dillydally on this. This is important to a lot of the citizens of San Francisco they would greatly appreciate we kept our fight against and fight for city integrity and this proposition makes it onto the ballot this year. Thank you. Hello. Im my name is tyler and would represent us. I just want to add a point that these restrictions are not only good for instilling public confidence, but they are also help lobbyists avoid undue pressure to most lobbies want to go into the job and provide information or expertise behalf of their clients without feeling pressured they have to give a maximum donation or gift nor to obtain in either of a politician elected official. These restrictions will help lead them of that bind and allow them to do their job more effectively without having to feel like they have to contribute something in order to maintain maximum effectiveness in their career. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening commissioners. Denny lerman from the San Francisco Human Services Network Association of health and Human Services nonprofits in San Francisco. First of all come i like to say we view this draft measure as for the most part, a Good Government reform package is something that we would love to be able to support. We did participate along with a Council Committee Housing Organization in the interest of persons meeting an excessive couple of concerns and were disappointed that they dont seem to have been addressed or even an explanation about why they were not address. I would hope to see sommers monster that before that becomes finalized. We believe that the matters we would like to see addressed are very narrow. Commonsense types of exemptions and would be happy to work with the staff commissioners to my friends of ethics and represent us to craft limits there will be appropriate and hopefully something we can rent reach consensus around so we can all support this Going Forward. When of them is a simple clarification. They both relate to the gift limit. Its a simple application that we have open houses and Community Events that are free to everybody including the public, that it is not a gift if mayor ed lee has a glass of wine or a donut. So, for those types of events where something offered and in the due course of business to the public at large without regard to official status that should not be considered a gift. The second is very narrow exemption for attendance at conferences. We also have Public Officials who speak at conferences or attend a conference. That is a good thing for the city. It is good for us to be talking to each other. Its good for Public Officials to speak with her constituents that you participate in events. We have very low confident conference registration. We like to see a narrow exemption. The weekend by Public Officials to conferences and symposium without having to charge 35 registration fee. Or if they are speaking and none of the speakers are paying the fee, the Public Officials should not have to pay the fee. If none of the participants at all the participants are getting a [inaudible] with the registration the Public Officials should get a sandwich with registration at a narrow dollar minute limit would be fine. We dont care about special hospitality rooms. Its fine to will those out but we would like to see something that, as with the previous memo on may 20 about copies because its not in todays packet, but some kind of language that we can work on together there was still allow officials of the city and county of San Francisco to participate in conferences without the city having to write a fee or registration check for every little event and would appreciate your consideration of that. Thank you. I will pass on those copies. Thank you. Hello. My name is greg brian. Im attorney also represent us. I was just a couple comments to make it the first thing is that its important this be put on the November Ballot initiative as a that i think is the primary thing were focused on. The other thing, too, just so youre aware with in regard to lobbies come i personally do lobbies should be included. The only external concern i would have an extension etc. Lobbies are not included in the loophole that may be exploited later on by other parties. The other thing is, with the delay the whole process and force it to go into some type of large review or Something Like that where we may push an initiative back then that something we may want to start with contact lobbies and work on the expenditure lobbyists try to do something about that later. Thank you for your time and i strongly support the issue. Thank you. Going back to the question about the state where you said the lobbyists in the state identified what agency what official theyre going to be lobbying, but one of the speakers said there is a provision in the state that says if you have not identified a specific one theres a presumption that you are lobbying all the agencies. Is that correct . I dont know. I was not aware that resumption but i can look into it for the next meeting is there a problem if we were trying take sort of the state approach, but in San Francisco where they dont identify the lobbyists other than identify with keyword she registers were it registers that we can provide in this that if limited, the probation is limited to any agency or official who youve registered to lobbyist and that if you have not identified, there will be a presumption that you be a presumption that youare all elected officials and i would prohibitand they could then turn around say we are not really doing that and they register. Were only going to lobby the board of supervisors. Yes. I think thats definitely an approach we could work on. But let me ask a followup question in terms of this movement it seems like to mirror the state law approach is much as possible. So, one thing i just want to do it some clarification on, the draft proposed for the commission tonight is not an absolute ban on lobbyist contribution did or were proposing is a lower dollar limit right im not sure that with the commission is headed to state law permits contributions altogether from lobbyists as opposed to a lower dollar limit. Im not sure were still working on the lord dollar limit paradigm and if so whether the commission is comfortable making a decision that lower dollar limit is. In the draft with a few proposed dollar figuresi dont know if the commission is prepared to give us which of those dollar figures it feels appropriate . I think thats a fair question. It puts more work on the staff but is there any reason why we sort of cant have an alternate approach for the commission to finally agree on and i guess i should say is anyone going on because you. Our next eight thats probably the next [inaudible] question julywhat is it . What is the date . 27th, i think yes, july 25 okay, 25th. I guess all for us at this present moment intend to be years so that is there any reason why that we could not have say sort of under the probation, or the limitation on Campaign Contributions, one approach being the approach that prohibits them from contributing to any official or agency with a lobby with a presumption that if they have not identified who it is that they are intended to lobby all elected officials, any elected official . Maybe give them a time period to be register or refile the limiting who they intend to lobby. And the approach that suggested here at a dollar limitand we can talk about that dollar limit,if that do you think is doable . Commissioner keane that i had one thing also mr. Jedediah go exactly we said in terms of having that before us the. In terms of paralleling the state procedure has been discussed and recommended by friends of ethics and also as the chair indicated earlier to have the parallel procedure. But, and also we can do the options to have a ban or to have one of the three amounts that you suggested in the material you have before us to tonight. The 250, the 100 or whatever. That we choose one of those. If we choose not to go for the band but can i also emphasize one of the things that has been put by some of the speakers that i think is very important, particularly in light of proposition g. And evidently done on expenditure lobbyist, but that measure even uniformly to define lobbyist as both contact lobbyists at expenditure lobbyist could bolt thrust of what we did last year old thrust of what weve been doing is to not have any distinction between the two. That a contact lobbyists and expenditure lobbyist is a lobbyist. And is going to be subject to the same kind of scrutiny. Could mr. Chairman, if i cannot that be incorporated into your directions to the staff for the writing of it and have that before us . Right i would join in that suggestion because when were talking about political contributions, i dont know why an individual or an entity thats identified as an expenditure lobbyist should not be subject to the same restriction as a contact lobbyists. They need to bring up that issue. Just a good i think with the staff was and is proposed to the commission tonight. When refers to lobbyist or lobbyist, it includes both categories. Thats how the term is not currently defined in the lobbyist speed is good i will admit theres one place at the applicable word contact on page 14, line 15 that was just an inadvertent inclusion of the word contact. Otherwise with staff asked me to die for the commission tonight something was in apply to both type of lobbyists beat it isnt there also some reference another part of it and i think its not in the part were doing with but i think was pointed out to us by friends of ethics the number sort of comes to mind, 2013 or 2. 15, where they specifically referred to contact lobbyist recommendation from mr. Bush in one of his correspondence with us that that be specifically amended to be contact inessential other right. Yes thats the one inclusion and also the representative people should get some credit because they got the same thing. That was come again everywhere else in the proposal just refer to lobbyist were lobbyists is referred to the either come. Okay, fine thank you of course, i do not the other commissioner 12 ways in as well thank you. The only other thing i would add mr. Chairman, i want to complement the staff this problem in City Attorney for this effort that they put into this. This is excellent. Theyve done a fine job will be wonderful job on it. Particularly, one a comment to command ms. Pelham for her excellent expeditions of it and her explanations on kqed the other day and to the public about what this is. You did a really good job terms of telling them what we are doing and what this is all about. So, i think Going Forward, taking up the next time you go put it on about i think would be a great job all around chair renne, could ill also ask we request from director pelham a brief summary as to with respect to the outright ban and the limits. If theres any resource constraints that would affect implementation of either courses about to have a sense of whether its in the budget for example, for the coming year to be able to implement one course or the other . I think of be helpful to take a large system this week to flesh out that the next months meeting. I mean there will be the reality of all these proposal is there are implications for operations. Though should never be reasons the fact that a system currently does not do something should never be a reason to not adopt good policy. That is not what im saying. It is important i think you take a look and make sure we have thoughtfully by four other changes that might need to happen to make these kinds of provisions take place. So we can address that in the next go on this. My recommendation were thought would be to be helpful for us to have clarity with City Attorney and myself, perhaps we could go through the recommendations here to get the commissions sense of the direction youd like us to make sure you see in the lane was that comes forward. Thereve been a number of issues talked about in a variety of areas that we could get it doesnt have to be a vote but get some consensus but what you like is he coming back. That would help jumpstart the process next. For example, on page 2, under the recommendations recognition one, general language the fine good i dont know if theres any reaction that were different approach you like to see there spewing anything that strikes you . Any of the commissioners have any comments . I felt that was added that additional language i thought filled one of the probably one of the grounds to support it that doesnt is only appear. So, i would recommend that we adopt that recommendation one. There was a comment by represent buys out kaplan who could not be here this evening he did provide a comment on page 2, line 7, after the first word officers, a suggestion it should also read, and candidates for city office to be consistent with that also a group thats been affected by the proposed changes. So, on line 7 the proposal st. Officers and candidates for city office. That is online seven . Yes. On page 2 of the draft. Line 7 would begin by saying officers and candidates for city office. If there are not anyno concerns about that we would include that. Okay. Recommendation number two relates to yes. That relates to the ability to amend. Again it was some comment about from friends of ex, lakers afternoon about whether there may be alternative language but the gold that this language is trying to provide for is that like language currently exists, it would outline how the provisions could be amended in the future and identify sick conditions have to be met under ad. This would add the language of the topic of the current ballot measure that is being contemplated as i understood the comment from friends of ethics, with a wanted added is the provision that it could not be repealed or that has happened in the past and i think when the wing which talks about has to be consistent with the purpose of the ordinance. Its hardly one could say repealing of the ordinance is consistent but to any commissioners have any thoughts as to whether or not there should be additional provisions making it clear that the commission and the board of supervisors can in effect repeal this . I think the fact that has to be in furtherance of the ordinance and also the reiteration of just procedure that it would again take four votes of this body and two thirds votes of the board of supervisors. That is enough to give me confidence in regard to the fact that nobody can easily tinker with it. You will have a chance before we go any further but lets finish up through this memo. Thank you. So, at least the sense i get the commission doesnt believe its necessary to make the changes that were suggested. The next is just good yes, on page 4, recommendation three, the thrust of this bozo would be to prohibit lobbyists from making any gift including gifts of travel. You would include a litany of individuals who also are included in that and it would in essence, remove the 25 existing to minimize that lobbyists are able to make an gifts per year to officials. The definition is used here would still be the definition and state law well be associated other exemptions that exist under state law. It would do 25 will demand a mess for rules and bandits of travel are we bound by the exemptions that are set forth in state law . Only to the extent we use the terms of the finance a lot. We could alternatively exempt or carve out some exemptions good if there are ones that as you heard earlier this evening, make sense to you that you think would be useful but its a pretty long complicated list of what the state treats as gifts and doesnt treat as gifts but we attach ourselves to that definition then we would be attached to those exemptions. We could add our own and others. Or we could delete some yes. So come i think would be helpful to see what that list of exemptions if we adopt the state, what the list of exemptions are to see whether theres any that we would were have been identified by some of the members of the public as being loopholes to what we are trying to accomplish. Purpose of drafting the do your best sense for the action do have a sense at this point has commissioners about the issue raised about events attended in the normal course of business by officials where everybody goes to the event gets a bottle of water, all three open events to the public, or did you want us to take look further at the exemptions are stupid look overall and make decisions next month . Well, the concerns raised by some, which i am sympathetic to, some of these, whether its an apple that has a convention or somebody else in a private parties that they set up and meet with the officials and thats one of the things that i think the public really reacts to. Yet, i think under the exemptions that would be perfectly all right. Yes, just to expand a little bit on that issue again to make sure comment that what you expect,. So, under state law, which is mostly what this is referring to incorporate us a lot definition of a gift, simply going to a party hosted by some corporate entity, that would be a gift to the official. That would . That would be a gift to the official. Since were lowering it from 25 down to zero, youd be anything at the party. So you walk in your bottled water thats a prohibitive gifted yoga class i, that the prohibited gift. You come in and have a bike of chips thats a prohibitive gift. Or completely limiting if the gift is from a lobbyist of course. Were talking about an apple, google, where to Company People choose to focus on some of these may not be lobbyist. Thats one thing to bear my worldly talk about gifts from lobbyists. Correct. One of the things that keeps coming up in discussion about the mission to conferences. Under state law admission to a conference, so long as that officials attending the purpose of gathering information the subject matter of the conference has some relevance to that officials duties, thats a gift exception. That allows you to go into a seminar, go into some breakout session or whatnot and listen to the information provided but it doesnt let you take all the freebies maybe associate with that conference. Its not uncommon for a lot of corporate conferences give associated dinners or cocktail parties or whatever. Grab bags of goodies and those sorts of things. Those things was to begins to be prohibited under this proposal subject to [inaudible] but these are gifts that are by lobbyists i can only talk about log gifts from lobbyists. Right frank lyons not sure how often that comes up but yes, that would be how it works. In general state law has couple dozen gift exemptions but those seem that we just talked about seem to be commit most in these discussions. Any discussion about the language thats recommended for gifts probation . Why wouldnt we allow the bottle of water in our de minimis amount of 25 . Or less, 10, 15 good i dont know why we would either but the likelihood a lot is giving a bottle of water, its a it seems to me that the convention or conference organized by the lobbyists. If its a nonlobbyist who is organizing the convention with a conference i wouldnt think the gift ban even comes into play doesnt . Again. As were talking up the luckiest given by lobbyists. I dont know how often that happens but i dont think its that common, perhaps. Certainly, you do want to build and diminish exception be helpful to get that direction tonight. Again as a point of reference, state law has a little less than a couple dozen gift exceptions so i dont know if you want to come back with all of them were down to the exemptions but theres a fair number of gift exceptions. So not sure exactly how you were present that issue in terms of coming back with a draft . I think will be helpful if into an City Attorney and the executive director and your staff were to review the long litany of gifts if you can make that available for us but have a recommendation as to what will be appropriate to include it or not in the definition of gifts. I think that would be helpful yes, that would be great. Any direction to be helpful and i think a lot of these exceptions are probably not objection good example 1 most common if the exception of zero are things provided by your family. Anything provided by the officials family is not a gift. I dont imagine it would be controversially. Perhaps we can do it quickly were some sort of highlight a couple for the commission to point out again just to make sure were not surprising you in terms of what we come back with the next month no. I think the suggestion that commissioner chiu is good and that is give us the list and we can decide whether or not we want to somehow or other excluded the exemption, from our definition of gift because thats really what were doing is saying were following the states definition of gift, except that we do not exempt from the definition of gift the following. Okay. Thank you. That is helpful contribution, i think weve limit on contribution i think we have covered that. Are there any questions yes. Again i will make sure i understand what the Commission Wants. So, on the contribution limit 12 alternatives. The first would be one that requires a lobbyist to preregister the Agency Official theyre going to lobby was her not currently required to do and under this registration model it be complete probation contributions. That would be option one. Option two is what we have i guess tonight which is there is no preregistration requirement but theres a lower dollar limit as opposed to an outright ban on lobbyist contributions. Is that correct . Right. Weve not discussed and decide what that band without lower contribution limit should be. 250 is 50 of what they can ordinarily give. 100 would be a fifth. Any of the commissioners have a view as to where they would like to see that limit be set . I like it to be set at 100 just in order to make some statement in regard to a limitation on it. To set it too low, like 50 or 10 or some other doesnt make it vulnerable to the whole idea that you are limiting symbolic speech by virtue of some sort of contribution. So, i think 100 would be a good amount to use. Any other i would agree. I think thats the sense of the commission to use 100. We will visit again when we do the final passage. Then, bundled contributions. So, based on the commissions sense so far the recommendation five, the approach would as is outlined here, would limit how much to be a limitation not an outright ban. Again thats the other question to address, but in this limitation approach, you would propose a lobbyist would be restricted to limit to transmitting or delivering no more than 100 in total, which would include the lobbyists on contribution and any contributions transmitted were delivered by the were others contributions. And if the other version were to be adopted, that is complete probation. There will be a complete probation on the lobbyists participating at any kind of bundling activity is that correct . I think thats an independent question. Thats what we have to clarify, yes if the Commission Wants to say theres no contributions being made under alternative one then the question i guess is still remains is a bundling band on the transmission of lobbyist contributions, is there a band and does it apply only to contributions since the lobbies would not be able to make their own contribution . So, there areim not sure if im being clear i guess id be more comfortable with it a complete probation the lobbies cannot participate in the collection and bundling of contributions to the candidates. And to a candidate controlled committee or to a committee that may have as its purpose some furthering of the candidates agenda would that be under the following the approach taken under alternative one if they preregister and identify which individuals which officials they were going to lobby then insofar as that is the approach taken they would not be able to, bundled contributions of those individuals as well right okay in other words, if they registered the intended only to lobby the Mayors Office, they will be free to bundle as any other individual bundle the board of supervisors candidates. So no limitations on bundling if there not loving that individual . Not lobbying a particular official. Is that many moving parts to this. I dont know. Thats gives me some pause in terms of as long as the register they can still go ahead and bundle of these massive amounts. I would like limitation on that and given to be consistent with what we have been doing to try to prevent abuse, trying to prevent corruption, i think would be a good idea if we kept , assuming the bundler does indeed does do all the things thats required of the bundler to bundle, that the bundler cannot give anymore in any of thesei would keep that situation of 100 as well. So if a lobbyist is registered to lobby certain officials, they cannot do have a contribution ban outright and they would also read bundling ban outright as to those official. Then, are you suggesting to the extent they do not preregister to lobby other officials a bundling district restriction was still applied in that scenario up to the 100 limit the stylish under a contribution that . Yes. Okay. One moment, please. So, as to bundling, we want to be clear were chatting to make sure we understand. Therell be a alternative one that comes forward that is founded on the presumption that they will be a ban on contributions to lobbyists to the extent they register to lobby certain officials were the contribution ban would apply to those officials. The lobbys ability to give to those officials. In addition, under that scenario there will also be a ban on lobbyists from transmitting as we describe your bundling as we do find it here from bundling any contribution to those officials but they also are registered to lobby. So, under that scenario if a lobbyist does not registering to lobby a certain city officials, they would be subject to a contribution limit offill in the blank for just a moment subject to contribution limit still as proposed and they would still be subject to a bundling limit to those officials that they are not directly lobbying as recommended in recommendation five . My having that so far it might make you more confused . No. I think you outlined it pretty well. I follow that. Thats what i would suggest, yes. So, we can certainly modify this alternative one is referring to it on the front but i would just observe im not sure for summative feeding the purpose. I thought the way chair renne had keep this up as one alternative for further consideration of the registration model and under that model essentially having more targeted approach but it seems like under this more targeted approach alternative one, we are broadening and again. Obviously thats what the commissions discretion do but i wonder for working a little bit at counter purposes. Well, it clearly was the inquiry about whether or not we could sort of have a high ground. In other words, we could put a complete ban on lobbying, lobbyists contributed to those officers offices to which is directly rob lobbying but have a general say if youre lobbyist even if youre not lobbying anybody else in the government we still can only contribute 100. The problem i have with it is that opens up whole question of whether or not its a targeted, whether weve targeted sufficiently to not interfere with their freespeech rights. That a lobbyist merely because he or she is a lobbyist doesnt mean they are not free to score political campaigns. The only purpose of a contribution, i mean a prohibition on contributions, is they should not be able to use money to try and influence the very people theyre lobbying. But, that is an approach hybrid approach which i would have some concern about that we might find the second half of that been struck down as being clearly where targeting them as a group and putting restrictions on him merely by the fact that lobby some city official. But i thought would talk about those restrictions would only refer to bundling, though. Is that. Again that were trying to clarify here. I didnt make sure we understand if youre lobbyist and your registered, i lobbied a man and i lobby to the board of supervisors. And you register then, and you go ahead and you want to give a contribution of your own to someone else who is the city official, in regard to something relating to that person, you could give the contribution limits. However, if you bundle them it would be limited to 100. Thats what i thought we were looking at. We would look at bundling as an approach that we were trying to draw some limitations on. Maybe i broken my own mind out of the pack here in him off on some i dont know. I mean, if youre going to put a 100 limit on bundling them i mean why would you bother to bundle . If youre lobbyist. If your blog is, would you going to do bundle 10. 10 and 10 checks . Thats silly. Just then bundling them. I mean, i would be inclined to say to the extent that a lobbyist identifies who he or she intends to lobby, lets say the mayor, if that same lobbyist wants to participate bundling for the city treasurer i dont think that we can have the same clear justification for why he or she should be able to do that. When anybody else can do that for the city, but in that scenario that would leave the lobbyists bundling for example to the treasurer to not be limited, and were contribution to be limited other than the existing limits under city law which is the 500. Right so this alternative would actually be an alternative in the proposal. I will defer to my colleagues concerns on that, then. Do you feel weve given you the guidance that you will bring to us in july a document which will be in the alternative to prepare for the November Ballot . If i can walk it through one more time. I think measured twice and cut once as they say. Still the lien alternative that spot forward that would establish a way of lobbyist identifying the officers among offices they will lobby. Under that approach then lobbyists would be prevented from intruding to that intruding to that officers those candidates those officers . They would also be prohibited from bundling as to those offices. So, if the lobbyists under the system does not register that theyre going to be lobbying a particular office individual, there then only subject to the existing 500 contribution limit and of the no limitation on bundling because theyre not in the practice of lobbying those officials. I think thats the last that we heard. Does that reflect accurately what you are conveying . Except on things that there should be if they fail to specify if theres a presumption that they intend to lobby across all city agencies and officials okay, we can include that. Thats helpful but if you just articulated , lost my colleagues here, heaven we just open the door, left the door open for them to bundle officials and candidates to whom theyve not registered to lobby . So you are justyou 25 officials, gov. Lobby to but i can still bundle the 23 correct. Perla. So what are we accomplishing by doing that . What youre accomplishing is i suppose in the real world they arent going to be identifying only one official that there intending to lobby. That they are prohibited from bundling either for all the city agencies for the ones that they say these are the ones to whom im going to lobby. But under the current draft we have now i mean i dont understand alternative but to draft, before us today, has prohibition on bundling anybody. To any official or candidate. Is that correct . Its limited. Im sorry its limited to 100. Wouldnt that be a broader reach to say you can bundle but you can only bundle 100, which is a very small amount. But then you can also say the broader reach to say rather than a probation on contribution, to say you can only contribute 100. You can reach more people with a small amount right theres no doubt that the broad limiting contribution reaches more people, but my concern is is vulnerable to the argument that its not carefully tailored to the problem that youre trying to deal with, and that is the ability of the lobbyist to make contributions. To a candidate. In terms of the bundling, how much protection is there with regard to i guess theres a big question for the City Attorney, how much constitutional protection is therefore a lobbyist to engage in free speech on behalf of third parties . I guess its a tricky question to answer, but i think again, weighing the legal risks and benefits is ultimately up to the commission but certainly if you do have a more targeted than were limitation there is the commission would be protecting themselves from legal challenges. Again it sort of a you have to weigh those things against one another. Ultimately im not sure whether you want to put it all together not i think what chair renne is pointed out it does make sense under some existing case law to focus on officials lobbyist is actually lobbying if what were concerned about his pay to play with the appearance of pay to play. Dont make sense whether you the lobbyist is delivering a check were you lobbyist on behalf of other people are delivering checks. Its the same i guess pay to play concern. Were also including [inaudible] as well. Okay. Ill call for Public Comment go ahead yes, they were pretty clear moreover alternative one. Alternative to would basically be what we have your tonight with 100 limit. We will bring that back to the spec to alternative one in alternative to promote will also bring back based on stats input and recommendation review further modifications and will be gift for these purposes. Is that correct . Yes thank you just to clarify as well on the recommendation six i think the commission has made it clear distinction alternative 6. 2, which would apply to both these recreations to apply to both conduct of expenditure lobbyist. That seems to be clearly the consensus of the commission. Lastly on the recommendation, recommendation seven regarding the was a comment by friends of ethics earlier this afternoon by modifying some of this one was that the regulations by which is appears is just the Ethics Commission and issue regulations to implement the section but they can establish exceptions from the limits and prohibitions set forth in the measures. If theres any additional comments or changes to that it would be helpful to know. All right. Ill call for public comon item numberment five. Thank you commissioners. Debbie bowman it again from the network. I just want such a little more on the gift question in response to some of your discussion. First of all, because this measure would include expenditure lobbyists which include nonprofits and because any exemptions need to be included in the measure itself under the last piece you just discussed, is very important to get it right the first time we look forward to look at those exemptions at the next meeting. I think what i am suggesting around these types of exemptions, first of all, his party example. Doesnt matter to me whether its Apple Developers are Human Services nonprofit as commissioner keane is pointed out we can look at content they should may not be the most popular cause or my pr favor caused we have to treat everyone the same. I do think its absurd to say that if an event is open to the general public in anybody can wander in and pick up a bottle of water, that we shouldnt have to say well, your public official, see you cant have that bottle of water because the host happens to be a lobbyist. Nonprofits may not become lobbyists under this under proposition c. Its something we need to be concerned about. My beholder part because you cut the ribbon on a new facility or you have a new executive director and i think with both the conference question and the party question for the Community Event question, the key really is is there some potential here for undue influence, and i think the key word in my mind would be special treatment. If everybody in the public and pick up an order for the table and public official can pick up in our dirt from the table but doesnt get anything extra then whats the problem . Involve speakers havent faded to your comments are getting lunch and free registration the Public Officials getting lunch and free registration i dont see the problem and if theres a reasonable i would understand that. I agree with a concern about private meet and greet and hospitality of things i get. That is a valid concern. I agree if its a 500 conference with fancy buffet or may lunches and things like that. But for the type of communitybased nonprofit conferences that we have where theres a couple hundred people and theres piled sandwiches on the table and the fee for the entire day is 50 or less than 100, just very journey base kind of event. I honestly dont see the undue influence i see many benefits from allowing Public Officials to participate as long as the not getting special treatment that other participants are not getting. Thank you. Thank you. I like to talk about the bundling limits. The idea behind the registering every lobbyists to a set of Public Officials over to lobby is a new system would be implementing that would need to be new enforcement mechanisms. This would be something totally new. Some new paper bureaucracy that would not be necessary with that comes a risk. If two lobbyists from the same firm lobby different parties but then crossover and bundles to each others target officials, that would be legal currently. If you outlaw back into lobbying firms get contacts with each other to other lobbyists cross bundling. The thing im afraid of by introducing this kind of level of bureaucracy that might be even more loopholes. It might be going to do rabbit hole would have to keep patching it up over and over again. So, i want to make sure that theres no age issue in the future that something gets passed now you will have to come back to it in a couple years in state now theyre going around it could we need to make more narrow law. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening commissioners my name is jonathanattorney at the senate law firm. I have a fear that some situations here you guys taken an approach kind of for regulating or regulation secured as opposed to really looking at a problem from identifying an issue trying to create a solution at all give you one example because of whether we regulate contribution lobbyists or Public Policy so im not going to bore you with details for one example i have include expenditure lobbyists. In this regime of limiting gifts and contributions. The reason i bring this up is because no one here has a divided Public Policy reason for doing so. Its one thing to say were not going to allow lobbyists who contact the board of supervisors every day to give gifts or political contributions because thats how you gain favor. These are people youre talking to every day. These are people you try to seek to influence. With expenditure lobbyists these are people indirectly seeking others to conduct the board of supervisors did these are people putting up that same call your board of supervisors and tell them dont support this or dont do that. Is there really a Public Policy reason for not allowing these organizations people whoever they may be to not give a gift of 100 to a city official give a pot to someone who does something good . I think thats a real concern. Same thing with the contribution limit. In what way are recurring favor what problem are you trying to solve a have an expense always not Profit Organization that says conduct your board of supervisors to increase Affordable Housing by voting for this measure . Will be really creating saving the public in any way by not allowing them to make contributions or gifts as was noted the contribution limit of 500 the gift limit on state limits would apply to all Public Officials of for 60 are not exactly huge in their respects either. Second point i want to bring up i really feel that you guys should follow the state definition of gift honestly just for simplicitys and the state definition of because of a handful of carveouts. These are very very simple card outs. This from your friends. A gift from family members. When you get a token plaque at a convention. This includes informational material which is the exception there was broken to about attending conferences but also includes pamphlets that someone may get out. We are talking when of the exceptions is you receive benefits from the red cross is a disaster should get i encourage you for simplicity sake for not having carved out in the city law that was there are actually initiatives presented in current regime because the sexual limits just to follow the state governments to give a little clarity to what it is and is not a gift. Thank you for your time. David capello again. Three points. I think sher renne properly called out the constitutional issues a zionist entity you need to have something narrowly tailored and so eliminating or restricting contributions from individuals that dont lobby or offices they dont lobby doesnt seem to fall within that so find a way around that make sense to some is loving a member or board of supervisors map that often running for the school board and see where they should be in a position limiting their contributions to candidates the school board. Secondly, this idea that you discussed it at some love. But the state motto identifying who someone is lobbying and restricting activities in that regard. That is i understand it, quite different from the way the law currently is structured in San Francisco. So, im wondering if on this particular measure, if the entire regulatory scheme in the city would have to be be written and go before the board of supervisors or if you would include that in this measure because that sort of again as i understand it, changes the way people would register and report. Just thirdly, i think as the previous speaker indicated, i am not sure that this idea of lobbyists contributing and that is a terribly corrupting influence is as much of a problem as as is suggested. Sorry, lobbyists can contribute occasionally do given our relatively low contribution limits and the considerable expense of running for office. Im not of the general view that lobbyists contribution whether individually or bundled has the kind of corrupting influence thats been suggested. So, i guess in conclusion, im sort of thinking this is kind of a solution in search of a problem. Thanks. Thank you. All right. We will turn to agenda items six. Discussion and possible action on proposal by supervisor peskin to prohibit city elected officials from establishing candidate controlled generalpurpose committees. Maybe this alum will explain how this comes before us and i believe there may be somebody from supervisor peskins office would like to speak to the issue . Yes, thank chair renne. This is Initiative Ordinance proposed by supervisor peskin on june 14. There was an earlier ordinance he introduced essentially the same topic on june 7. Its been referred to as the supervisor has requested that the commission have this item scheduled for you to take a look at it. There is a staff member here, i believe, the legislative aide for supervisor peskin who can provide additional background. I figure hope was the commission would provide some input recommendation with regard to it. Because we have not a gestapo had a chance to do any analysis those not included in the item before you believed to provide the legislative digest in a language as the ordinance was introduced. So, i dont know if a zionist in a, you requested that we give you an up and the staff an opportunity to weigh in and then put it on the agenda for the july 25th meeting and i the concern i had was whether or not that is sufficient time from supervisor peskins point of view to get our view on it or whether there is some time constraints to do with it tonight. But we will hear from the representative of supervisor peskins office yes figure chair renne, commissioners. Thank you for scheduling items six and seven this evening. We will start with items six. I can back up and provide a little bit of context for where this is coming from. So agenda items six is as you stated supervisor peskins proposal to prohibit elected officials from establishing candidate controlled generalpurpose committees which arises in part out of their 20132014 civil grand jury which referred to this as a significant backdoor for influenced by contractors and other seeking city approvals. Our intent with this prescribing as clean Government Measure to essentially tighten up one form of Campaign Contribution that in our Office Opinion and the opinion of Campaign Finance reform advocates whose bodies of work we drew upon here creates at least a theoretical possibility for the formation of suspect quick proquote relations between Campaign Donors and elected officials who control these committees. As you know, generalpurpose committees under the california government code a be established to collect money. That can ultimately spent on for four against any candidate or ballot measure that can exist ongoing over Unlimited Campaign cycles. You can create one of these in 2009 and last until 2024 without any specific about being attached to any specific ballot measure were candidate. Unlike when someone donates to a specific issue burning since in support or oppose a ballot measure on Affordable Housing bond for instance when sportive opposition to a specific candidate who can bid for elective office, when youre donating here theres known nexus between the dollars that you are spending and the idea were measure you are supporting. That nexus is lacking the generalpurpose committee. So what you are left with absent any idea of how your contribution is being spent, were for what your dark ends your dollar conservation are furthering a principal purpose that remains is to create a special relationship with the candidate or elected official whose controlling this committee. Thats essentially the problem we see in the problem we are trying to close with this piece of legislation were Initiative Ordinance is a maybe. Furthermore because there is no Campaign Contribution limit on the generalpurpose committees, what we are essentially allowing for is a loophole to exist that enables candidates to Mass Campaign were just abuse the soft money, slush funds, all the while circumventing the existing contribution limits jar as we know 500 on Canada Committee so we are grateful to have the support of the friends of ethics who been supportive since the outset on this. And for the support of bob stern who might be the father of the political reform act in california spoken eloquently on this issue before this Commission Last year and in other circumstances. Now, of course we seek the Ethics Commission supports into that and just a quick procedural note about where we are are at. Unlike items seven, where we are just here to further a conversation, we would will he appreciate yet the commissions were spent of this legislation tonight and the reason for that is because its a amendment to the campaignfinance reform at this Commission Must approve the legislation but for fifth Board Members before the board can adopt legislation that we would have as heard by committee of the board in midjuly and up to lately have it done by second reading before the deadline to remove this from the ballot that were willing to go to the ballot could i think its strong support for this of the board and this may done legislatively but of course we need support of this buddy to do so respectfully request that support this evening. Thats about all i have to say on it could all stick around in answer any additional questions but generally looking forward to the conversation on this item. Thank you. Henny commissioners have any questions or comments . Mr. Keane i appreciate the stance suggestion that they would like to study it further and gives a very substantive set of recommendations relating to it, but it is, as was indicated by speaker something were familiar with good we heard from mr. Stern and from friends of ethics. Weve heard it from the civil grand jury. It something that is indeed a fairly substantial problem and is addressed quite well in regard to supervisor peskins proposed ordinance. In light of the fact that it is time sensitive, and if we wait until the end of july, i think we moved it out any kind of recommendation that we have. I move that would support it. Do i hear a second . Only to clarify based on terials here the First Reading is on july 19 and final action on july 29. We have a second meeting before the final action . Is that correct . This is on items six. Yes. Yes, item 6 right my inner state your next meeting will be at the end of july and i would not unfortunately afford is enough time to go have it heard at a committee of the board before ultimately needs to be sent to the full board for First Reading. The latest theoretically we could be at a First Reading before the full board is july 26 which would allow for this to be read the second reading on august 2. The deadline to remove this from the ballot is 5 pm on august 2. So that would be cutting it incredibly close and my concern is that having the Ethics Commission on july 25 would not allow an opportunity for it to go to committee before going to the full board. This proposal is also something that the supervisor intends to put on the ballot if the full board doesnt not passive correct. That is correct, yes. I trust that in light of the support for the ethics mr. Laster that strong support for it this. That something we are willing to do but again i take our strong preferences we handle this legislatively and do it that way. I will second the motion. Any further discussion on the motion . Public comment on item number six . As opposed to my previous comment on the last agenda item i support this if you pass the motion tonight that would be great. It would put the commission in support and allow the board to act if youre not able to get unanimous vote tonight it might want to consider a special meeting in a couple of weeks so that the board, so that you could act in the board could timely act and hopefully avoid putting this on about the likely would not pass. In this case there really is a problem that there are at least two current officials that have generalpurpose committees. Others have in the past this clearly is an opportunity to circumvent limits and obtain access and that sort of thing. This is a problem that can be fixed legislative. I support this measure and support the motion before you. Thanks thank you. Alayna schmidt you party heard of friends of ethics strongly supports this. I am speaking personally as a person of a authority14 civil grand jury. This one of the big issues we had dinner five and am glad to see its moving forward and urge your support of a. Thank you. Thank you. Commissioners [inaudible] aaron peskin is my representative on the board of supervisors. I strongly support this motion. I hope you do, too. I see no reason to take longer time to look into. I think youre fairly clear on what its attempting to achieve. As mr. Pell pell said, this unidentified problem for which it is being proposed and i think the sooner it gets clear so that the board of supervisors can act without concern the better. Thank you. Seeing no other Public Comment i willyes . Dr. Garrett kerr. I support this proposal also. I suppose the alternative would be to limit contributions to 500 for these generalpurpose committees. But either way, banning them totally which is preferable or limiting them would show solidarity with people who are not wealthy and people who struggle even to contribute 500. Thats a lot of money for a lot of people. So, getting rid of these political inequalities is important and i hope you support this. Thanks. I will call the question. All those in favor say, aye [chorus of ayes] opposed . The record should reflect the past 40. Turning to item 7, which is also a proposal by supervisor peskin and as i understood, is he wants action on this one tonight particularly . Thank you again. This item is is less urgent than the prior item. For a couple of reasons. But among them that we are still in the process of amending this. This is not simultaneously theres no motion to put this on the ballot. This is going to the legislative process and this item im genuinely concerned just with the cultivating a good conversation this evening. Im happy to provide context about what we are doing here. If now was a good time for that . Well maybe if you could come back at the july meeting when we will have a staff report clarifying the status position on it and if you could come back at that time and we will address the question . That would be fine. It would be my recommendation that we follow the status request that they have until the next meeting to prepare an analysis and recommendation. Anybody disagree . I dont disagree but i would while you are here if you could just explain to some extent what the problem is here . Sure. I can outline some of the amendment we are thinking of that will further the discourse over the next month as well. Under current law, the payment of 5000 or more permissible sources made at the but past a local elected official for government or generalpurpose, beneficial must file a behest patient reported as it right now it does not apply to the city various commissions and boards and were specifically talking about those enumerated in section 3. 1 103 subsection 81 of the campaign governmental conduct code. We do a very rich Commission System is the San Francisco which serves the city in myriad ways. Some are most critical government functions are performed by the citys commissions and adjudicated were controlled by the individuals who sit on those bodies. But this legislation were purporting attempts to do shed light on the ecosystem charitable contributions that are solicited by those commissioners. In that sense this is primarily a transparency measure critically were not aiming to prohibit the act of soliciting contributions were are we attempting to pass any judgment on any commissioner involved in raising money for charitable purposes. I think its a very common thing we would in fact encouraged. To the extent though commissioners and port numbers are exercising their leverages public facing officials to raise funds for xyz charitable cause, we do think of the publics right to know what that ecosystem looks like. Of course, to the extent those solicitations are being made individuals or entities, and before commission or who have come before a commission for whatever cause be [inaudible] our Office Thinks that information is critical for the public to know. So unlike the previous item again were not seeking approval of this even get a mapping of this conversation in more depth in july could i do want to just the amendment we are considering, first, after consulting with ethics staff, will be amending legislation to allow for these reports to be made online or in a form other than the at the pc forum 803. If so capture the same information will allow some flex ability so on the one hand its easy to report on the other hand its easier for staff to process these reports. Second, we are proposing right now this proposal requires disclosure within 30 days of when contribution hits that 5000 limit in response we received from various commissions were willing to expand that to a quarterly reporting system with the caveat if youre soliciting concretion from an Interested Party would probably want that disclosed within 30 or 60 days from the time the contribution is solicited or the time at the point it comes to the commissioners attention that individual is in fact an Interested Party coming for the commission did that, we will make sure solicitations dont include things like auctioneering and i think theres a lot of at bbc letters interpreting what a solicitation is that would be illustrative and instructive here we want to make sure thats fairly clear so commissioners not concerned about activities that are not solicitations. Lastly, and most substantively, we are considering an exception for highlevel Nonprofit Fundraising staff still looking into how exactly to the find that that would look to your guidance and excellent piece in that regard whether its executive staff or staff is compensated for the purpose of performing fundraising activities. We understand there is an inherent burden in these reporting requirements we are interested in minimizing that as much as possible not really providing a disincentive for people to sit or who do work for nonprofits from wanting to serve as commissioners. I think thats a vital pool of individuals we want to be commissioners in our city we dont want to dissuade that. They would still have to report solicitations from interest parties coming before the commission but in general would not have to disclose every single solicitation a make over the course of their work duties. Thats the long and short of it. Sure conversations im looking forward to continuing this conversation in july. I have a followup question it could make this real with a concrete example may be cut ask you a question. If i were to serve as a class captain for my kids fundraising at school, and were to ask my fellow parents to digitally to the annual fund at school, with obvious solicitation left report it contribution came out came in at 5000 . Yes. That fund is a 501 c 3 organization, yes. That contributions are due to 501 c 3 organizations. Thats all we are getting at is over 5000, you have to disclose that. Correct. Yes. So, what is the evil that were trying to prevent here . Right. I think that i can be hypothetical my response. I suppose you have a commissioner on the Planning Commission and this may be the most obvious body that grants entitlements that high dollar value and they are soliciting a contribution from someone they know that i matter come before the commission for approval of a project or something that requires conditional use. That solicitation wouldwe would want that to be reported back rates a quick local relationship between the commissioner and the project sponsor coming before the commission say that commissioner requesting what are you give 10,000 to my kids fund my school fund. This Church Organization this ngo. Well see what we can get on that thing that is taking place but we want to know what that looks like it we want to expose and shed light on that exchange of money. So, i would just suggest that theres a way to more narrowly tailor to get at that kind of behavior as opposed to having all commissioners need to disclose how much theyre trying to fund raise for the Childrens School. It seems like you cast a very wide net, which is a big consume consumer of resources to go through our staff to go through all that. I understand the purpose of it but is there a way to work with director and her staff to come up with something that is can accomplish those goals. I think thats a good point and our office is open to suggestion you. There is going to be a learning curve with this. That said, this requirement does already applied to elected officials so we know how it works. We have a tangible system for how it plays out this would just be expanding the requirement to commissioners and it does cast a wide net right now, but i think thats in furtherance of the ultimate goal which is openness and transparency and this of course can be a lot of reporting that is not suspicious whatsoever. Theres no spurious intend to you wanting to raise money for your Childrens School fund and yes, its broad and inclusive of those but i think that you need to test abroad next to allow for quick scrutiny reveals some of the complicated relationships that might exist. That said, of course were willing to entertain suggestions and we have some time to do it. Following up on commissioner chius concerns, which i think are very legitimate, isnt it important as to who you are asking to give contributions to a 501 c 3 . In other words, if youre asking other parents of nothing to do with any of the work of the commission, as opposed to your Planning Commission, we are going to a contractor or builder or developer insane, when you give 10,000 to my sons school its much clear that its the source was putting the money up at the request of the public official. That is the possibility quid pro quo. This update parents at the commissioners school is going to get any favor from the commission. Right. By the same budget we could limit the pool of entities were 501 c 3 that are being donated to which i think is another interesting facet of this the flipside of the corn. Its not just who youre soliciting money from which are soliciting money for. I think would begin to narrow it to say just soliciting you may have to disclose your solicitation from interested parties when im coming before the commission, that actually creates a different type of burden on the person who is subject to the regulation. We are now they have to rise to the level of their own level scrutiny. Its their burden to determine whether a conflict exists there. I think that deprives the public of being able to provide that scrutiny themselves. I think theres a sense the four commissioners that will this will come back before the commissioners in july but ill offer Public Comment. Hello again. Charles marceau for the record. I did want to say that i think the situation has changed in San Francisco on behest of [inaudible] its value is now more appreciated than has been in the past. So that the supervisors are spending a fair amount of time on this. Its not really clear to the public how much energy has gone into these behest of payments and arrangements. I think that just as the state reached a point where it felt it had to do with those legislators, mr. Peskin coming back to the board now sees that things have changed and he, too, has come to that similar conclusion that the state came to, it mustve been 1520 years ago. I do remember this issue been a state issue in the newspapers. So, my suspicion is were my suggestion to you is that the easiest way to look at this is a simple disclosure matter. Just a simple Disclosure Requirements to just propose so we can get a an assessment of the magnitude of the issue and then look at the data and if we need to do something we deal with it then. I think right now the focus of the bill is simple , disclosure. I dont think you want to really complicate it with the impacts on the sectors , the beneficiaries of behest of payments. Were any of that until we really see whats going on. I think thats the first step. Thank you. Commissioners, Debbie Lerman from the Human Services now. I want to speak a little bit as to this exemption run commissioners who are also executive leaders in nonprofits so theres an understandable i were having this conversation with supervisor peskins office. We are looking for a narrow exemption the situation where a commissioner also its also their job responsibility to raise funds for the nonprofit that they work for. That exemption would not apply if the donor is an Interested Party with business before that commission. First of all, as a lead pastor said, the city does benefit when nonprofit leaders share their expertise to Public Service on commissions. But donors sometimes request confidentiality and nurse with jim and reasons for that. In our sector, is somewhat common for donors who are patients or clients dont want to be outed as somebody who is theirs to recipient of services for Mental Health were hivaids, sexual abuse and suicide prevention, domestic bounds, Substance Abuse treatment. So we do see that a lot. Also just people who have prefer privacy because of humility or they dont want other people to know they can afford a donation of that size, they dont want to be harassed for unpopular views. They dont want to be inundated for request from other people could wear their religious tidying traditions. So donor confidentiality in the nonprofit world is a longstanding tradition and its pretty important to our organizations. If you are a commissioner and youre required to disclose a contribution you are now placed in a conflict of interest situation if a donor is requesting confidentiality. Do you give up the ability to serve on City Commissions and deprive the city of that expertise or do you create a situation where youre unable to do your job properly and handling those kinds of contributions . As nonprofits with city contracts were under tremendous pressure from the city to raise independent funds and augment city funding and we should not enact laws that hamper the ability to do that by deterring donations. So, those are the reasons why we begin a dialogue with supervisor peskins office about this issue. Again, we believe it should be narrowly tailored and frankly we wouldve liked to include boards of directors, to because they also raise money for nonprofits but as stated, that exemption from disclosure would only apply as long as that donor is not an Interested Party in of that donor is an Interest Party then you have to say i cannot maintain your confidentiality request. Would have to be disclosed. That transparency would eliminate concerns of quid pro quo which is the purpose of the legislation. Thank you. David coppell again. A few things. Im not sure if we introduce himself did was we have not from supervisor peskins office. The background on the memo refers to the boards Government Accountability committee that actually the government audit and oversight committee. Perhaps it was just an oversight. As to the proposal i think this is an interesting idea to extend this from whats now what 24, 25 elected officials to roughly 800, but in scaling that concepts, that require some effort and requires some narrowing as was discussed. I think this would require staff time both at the commission measured identified for next month and within each department or agency to educate on a onetime basis and probably annually the government died in sunshine and ethics training what obligations members of boards and commission would have under this proposal has commissioner chiu properly asked some examples. How does this work if im raising funds for my kids school or some other nonprofit . Some examples of members of boards and commissions served as executive directors of nonprofits, commissioner andrew sue was on this commission served by things still serves as the head of a nonprofit. Tom nolan was on the mta board when appointed was that a project open hand. I believe rich hillis on the Planning Commission is the head of thefoundation it anyway, theres been others. So its not uncommon for the heads of nonprofits to serve as members of boards and commissions. I think the comment was also made this members of boards of directors of such entities. So, the point is having a proposal that is narrow and workable i think make sense having disclosure is a good idea generally but figure how to make this work within a complex web in San Francisco will take some time. So, i think having the Staff Reports back next month on the cost and implications of this and maybe what it is to tweak it make sense. We should probably do some version of this but we should do so thoughtfully and carefully. Thanks all right. Joe we take a 10 min. Break . We will come back at 8 10 pm. [recess] [gavel] we are back in session and turning to item number eight. Its a discussion and possible action on proposed Ethics Commission annual policy plan for fiscal year 2017. I will ask ms. Pallo to elaborate and want to say at the outset i complement her and congratulate her on the job shes done and i think this is wonderful proposal. Webs and right there, then. Thank you jared renne. This is an item that was on the agenda originally in april and has been put on hold pending other projects but is trying to bring it back to provide a way for the commission to help structure to the extent thats ever possible, it way of looking at policy issues that we on the agenda for the coming year and a way to think about how we prioritize staff and the public the kinds of issues that might be coming that tend to emerge that are time sensitive to the. Specifically, the memo you have that stated 22nd describes the purpose of an annual policy plan release the foundation for planning and to provide some predictability for the public and interested persons to be able to engage with us in the most effective way possible. So the idea is to try and lay out the conference of list of issues that have been pending with the commission since the last year when you had your discussions in mid2015 about what policy issues you want to see Going Forward could also items initiated by others is also items staff identified since the beginning of this calendar year. Weve included them on this sheet. Which is attachment excuse me, item 8 attachment one. Some issues that were discussed were touched on me in the april menu memo were addressed then shifted here to be kind of guiding sensible to consider. So, inputting items on the agenda and think about their sequencing and prioritize asian, trying to identify the most significant areas of policy most overdue. Obviously, the cubs a lot from some of the civil grand jury reports that have been outstanding areas of known policy gaps where there are some risks there really are the greatest we need to close. Current programs or policies most in need of evaluation to identify if effectiveness gaps exist in other policies delivering what we think are intended to. So, these items on the middle of page 2 are really trying to establish some ways to think about the principles that we guide ideally all things being equal, what is the Commission Wanted to see us coming forward each year Going Forward in terms of policy annual policy plan. The Commission Also discussed earlier this year the idea of giving is absurd policy summit to bring forward looking issues ring some thought leaders the National State seen, our peers that local agencies to try and identify where we can get leading practice to build on the work weve been doing as we go forward. That is something that this agenda or policy plan proposes to be following the november election that we would propose to start delving into that and take a closer look at the experience from november 2016 election and to work with you to put together a policy summit for early 2017 that would provide the basis for perhaps more comprehensive look at the campaignfinance law in the city what we need to subscribe than any of those. So, this again the idea will be to help advance the commissions role as a proactive in policy body and an independent policy contributor in the city to the issues that we administer and enforce. To create some predictability to help the public know when theyre engaging at the staff level on interested persons meeting and of course at the commission but with any plan, flexibility. This really is meant to be not a static document but a living document that my need some amending over time as issues as youve heard tonight on before you require some action because theyre more time sensitive than others so we might have identified in advance. Lastly whether the commission over time evolved a process that speaks in shorthand as identifying issues that might come forward that level i, urgent, something ive be a level ii or something might be significant but not something that you envisioned prioritizing over the coming year. That is also identified the report to see if theres any thought about how you want to consider items Going Forward when they come forward. And how you place them in the sequencing. So, attachment one is the list of broken down by policy areas. Youll see on the lefthand column. Identification of the policy issues or topics as we understood him to be outstanding or to be on our list currently. Then, just some cents from the current fiscal year what weve been looking at but also looking forward to the next fiscal year starting on july 1. Trying to identify roughly when issues might be coming forward, how long that might take it to staff level, a couple of months worth of items discussions before the commission. So this is a starting point. Its not command to be something locked in stone or written in stone at this point but a way to give you something to react to to see this is helpful in terms of think about the policy agenda you proceed Going Forward in a way to try and put some specificity to the order in which we plan to tackle things all being equal in a perfect world. This is also i would just lastly say its premised on the idea that we would be expanding our policy shop beyond the current ranks to expand the policy analysts we are first seen in the budget beginning fy seven. Thats a possible hiring will see start immediately in july assuming the board of supervisors with the final approval to the mayors recommendation for our budget, but it is clear that will take some months to do. Realistically anticipates having to policy analyst in the door probably at the end of this calendar year. That said, there would probably be a couple of items each month that the staff can tackle but again as a starting point for discussion for you we want to present this to see what your reaction was what your direction was and if theres anything that needs to be added or changed if this is something want to move forward with. Any questions or comments on by any of the commissioners . I agree with you german renne this is a fine set of policy for postals. Very good working document press to look at. I want to commend ms. Pallo as you did for preparation [inaudible] in. Did you contemplate this would be every month this document would be before us as either part of your executive report so that we could see where we, if we are moving and meeting his thomas . Yes. Either that placed initially or ideally, even having a policy item separately on the agenda. So it would enable a fuller discussion about the status of projects if things need to be moved around, identified generally whats on the rise and so would not have to be a lengthy document but again depending on your preference limits or leaves important to have it on the agenda and how we do that i imagine it would evolve over time. At a minimum the executive directors report processed in alone item that simply says heres where we are. Here are some things on the rise and its opportunity to check in and modify as we go along. I would echo chairman renne and commissioner keane on the detail and structure in the framework without driving is very very helpful and very good blueprint. I think for fy 17 Going Forward. Question for you on the topics listed in the attachment. Have you given any thought would you want to prioritize within here to say what are those areas that would be urgent or actually more priority were significant . Do you want to create work for the sake of creating work. Without the awful . Be careful when i asked what i probably couldve put priority numbers on things which i did not get but if you look at the chart starting in july, based on even this evenings discussions over, some of the things were coded as staff Level Research or analysis items at the staff level. Clearly moved to items before the commissioned by means the rest of this next four weeks going into that meeting their staff work will be done but in july, the restrictions for example the second item under lobbying the ballot measure would of course be for the commission as well as the behest donations report until we know that will not be staff work without people for the commission as shown under the second line from the bottom. So, i guess as you look across the chart the idea would be to see sort of a wave of items that are coded in blue were things that staff has been prioritizing followed by commissions discussions in that order. So youll see the sort of green when it becomes before the commission things are not listed in Chronological Order now because of broken up by policy area, but it certainly could be broken down to show a clear sense of the time i know whats coming before the commission. So, not sure thats answering a question other than the stock shot it shows your zen of the prioritization as i envision it at this moment. Again pending any direction or clarification or modifications from the commission. Thats not something that has to change this evening. Thats something that we could work on and modify each month as this item is brought forward. But if you have a sense of the general placement of where these issues also. Before you, that would be helpful to know as we go forward. Again its not something you have to decide tonight. But one thing for example you would see under campaigns, beginning in january theres a big block of blue and thats proposing that based on the 2016 report we would do about the required to do every year following an election we look at the Public Financing system and as we did earlier in march provider puts you into the board of supervisors. This envisions we would take that experience into a brief report will be the segue to much fiber analysis campaignfinance issues that would consume really commissions discussion towards the end of this fiscal year coming up. So late next spring this would in vision were coming to you all did talks about campaignfinance proposals and that at the end of next spring the staff would then also start taking up a more competent civil look at the more ethics laws we have. Thats kind of sequencing those you can see it sequenced in that order. I think one other thing i would note we try to do is to identify where reports are required under the law. There are some things that the law requires which would be more specific about as we go forward to 2017. Because as you all know, theres the permit Consultant Program review reports that we are required to send twice a year could we have not yet sent the one from april. This is been one of those priorities that would not been able to fulfill because of completing issues with limited staff. So that something we dont want a repeat. We need to providing the report as soon as we can but also need to keep it on time. This i think would help enable us to see looking forward with those gaza deadlines and requirements are but then also to be able to manage appropriately where we can spend a policy focus the staff level and meeting your expectations is commission at the commission level. I just want to say this is just terrific. It really is a map for where we are from months and months for us but also for the public to be aware of. So, thank you. Thank you. Is actually a plan we can look at it and see where were going to be at any given time. Any Public Comment . Commissioners directive San Francisco open government. In reviewing this proposed policy plant i feel divine one mentioned the commissions responsibility for enforcement of the sunshine ordinance. Thomas aquinas teaches willful ignorance of what one ought to note is a mortal sin. I would like to say the Ethics Commission remains knowingly and willfully eight parents of its responsibilities under that ordinance. For years, it is both knowingly and willfully deviated its responsibilities under that orbix ordinance. He spent two years parking around making it a ordinance to take anything referred from the sunshine ordinance passwords and basically dismissed all the complaints before you even have a chance to utilize it. I believe its lack of action and ineptitude in carrying out its duties is not only a mortal sin, but knowingly and willfully unlawful. This body does not care what the citizens of San Francisco wanted in their government by voting for the sunshine ordinance and insisting and amending in fact, open government and transparency in government. The repeated constant disclosure corruption in City Government are due largely important in action of this body and its members good on the whole, i believe this body to be morally deficient and lacking in integrity. This is political theater. It is nothing more, nothing less. I am not here as a supplicant like a lot of people come before only can say good things about you because they want something from you. I am to the point where i note your dishonest bunch as far as the sunshine ordinance goes. There is never in a single case except jule gomez been any effort by this buddy to do anything to enforce that law. Even though that law stipulates you are the enforcement body. I do as i said earlier believe its because you know you have not got the ability to enforce it and you wind it publicly embarrassing as in the case was jule gomez been unanimously recommended the mayor remove her from the Library Commission and he simply ignored you. Only time the mayor seems to think your of any value is what he wants to politically go after an opponent like[inaudible] and we spent billions of dollars wasted hours and thousands talk about staff timetalk about what we wasted there in doing that. But of course you do his bidding of those people. You dont hold him accountable. Thank you. David pilgrim. I think differently from that nice a nice things when it is warranted in here i think its wanted. This is good work. Its not just helpful but its colorful and i think it really does lay out the priorities for the commission and staff that youve discussed over months or years and i for one have asked many times that Something Like this be included in the executive directors or pocket i think thats a good place for good at the moment i would suggest would up this plan tonight with the understanding it is a living document and if you put it in the report every month with theres a question that comes up you could give direction to move things around i think its helpful to see not just where were going but we something where we have been. I think really helps in that regard. Just a couple of minor comments in the general area. Somewhere, i would add the annual election of commission officers. That is not in here. I think that the Budget Discussion which is scheduled for january, that often takes two meetings so whether its december, january or fabric january february, its important to block up just one meeting for that and i note some of these items that have been annual items like the audit is also a suggestion here there be policy and Program Review involving that at some other time. I also think the flexibility part of this is important because we will see what particular strengths the new Deputy Director of policy staff and other staff bring and that might in my opinion, change some of the sequencing of little bit but in the main, i think this certainly gets us to a better place a year from now and hopefully with a budget augmentation gives the commission a good place to get to. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening chair renne commissioners and executive director, i just want to say thank you to this document is wonderful step in the right direction. It gives everyone an idea as to where this commission is headed and keeping everybody on the same page. So, thank you very very much for your you and your staffs hard work and for you commissioners, too, for all the work you are doing a. Thank you so much thank you. Yes, i want to congratulate the executive director and staff for putting this together. Im sure took a collective mindset. Its colorful and certainly creative and i know that you had fun doing it. Its that type of thing that i like. This is the way i think of an analytical mind as well so i can see it reflects an analytical mind. I do have some items to add were some wrinkles. In, under bylaws, under general, i hope to raise the question of findings and how important they are. That gets me to what i was going to address when we discuss the bill that may go on the ballot in november and that is that the requirements of the stern proviso were super majority requirement is that not only you have a super majority of the board and the commission, but you also have to issueyou have to move in a way that supportive of the present law and basically furthers the purpose of the act. In the declaration of findings , if that device will be used for that purpose to demonstrate to the public were to speak to the public, as to how this reform or this proposal furthers the purposes of the act. It could be repealed, but more often, its additional law or modification of law and thats the purpose of it. On auditing, i think theres a lot that needs to be done with auditing. One of them is that we should look at the audit of people that report to the commission when theres particularly interest by other investigatory bodies were authorities. For instance, the fbi or the dist. Atty. Or Something Like that. There was an elected official recently who had several allegedly fundraisers working with him that were implicated and in fact indicted. So, it mightve been in fact appropriate for the commission to be auditing a particular elected official at that time. To best practices, too, we can look at other agencies and in the audit business and see what they do that we could maybe improve upon our present practice of doing random audits selection and i would also suggest under auditing we look at auto auditing which is how you can set of subroutines in the program to cross check the file for information to make sure everyone is disclosing as appropriate by comparing the numbers of two different types of reports. Thank you very much thank you. Thank you commission. Alayna schmitz. Just very quickly, under the bylaws review as i read the calendar you are doing it this june and this july. I would just say that there was a discussion to were three meetings ago when we were talking pulling the names out of the box for audits that may be there needed to be a bylaws review to see if theres other audits that should take place as in if they were criminal proceedings. So, i think that maybe that should be added to that. I was delighted to see living slate mailers is on the agenda. If i could, director halim, i have a question on your comment you made about the fact that after thein the january time frame after the election you be reporting on the election. There is a requirement, a charter mandated report on the effectiveness of San Francisco laws. Is that were talking about yes. Thank you for the clarification at the 2016 report that actually shown here is specifically the one refers the Public Financing program. Specific to that that we report after every eyelash. I think the point the funds of ethics made in the email earlier today was a useful one. My general view of an annual report, number one, should look like is exactly what you all have described in your report that needs to reflect the impact of the laws and try to get a sense of that. I think that something also were going to be working towards in every report we produce. Not just a Statistical Analysis but really trying to buy some context for those statistics tell us. So i think as we go through the year be hopeful to be in conversation with a lot of folks to Pay Attention to our work to make sure were hitting the mark correctly but thats clearly something we do want to embed in all of our reports because we want to take the time to understand experience of what were talking about and they should also have the opportunity get a sense to think about with that information tells us. Thanks for the clarification. Thank you. Move to item number 19. Discussion of possible amendment to the Ethics Commission bylaws establishing a process for the commission to respond to Public Records requests. Commissioner were not taken action on the previous item . If i could clarify asked the same question at the item is agenda the commission can act to adopt an annual policy plan if you want to again. Its up to you whether that something you want to do i will entertain a motion . Moved and seconded. The motion is to adopt the annual policy plan as spelled out in your recommendation. Moved and seconded. Any further discussion . I will call the question. All those in favor say, aye opposed . The motion is carried unanimously. Thank you turning now to the possible amendment to the Ethics Commission bylaws establishing a process for the commission to respond to Public Records requests. As a little background, this is wouldve a follow up to discussions that arose that were alluded to earlier in connection with mr. Grossmans request that as to what the process would be when a record of requests is received by the commission and the proposal that is set forth in nine would be to adopt the bylaw of that upon receipt of a Public Records for documents in the maybe and custody of members of the commission. Executive director must promptly forward any such request to the chairperson if the chairperson deems appropriate in consultation with the executive director and the City Attorneys office. The chairperson may respond on behalf of the commission. The chairperson may also at his or her discretion calendar any such request for the next Commission Meeting to allow for further consideration by the entire commission. I guess, the question i have is this all Public Record requests or is it Public Record requests that are directed to either individual commissioners records or what . Yes. If the latter. What we were anticipating is documents may be in the custody of members of the commission so either as an individual member or something you all may have had as a body. Give me an illustration. If we have a Public Record request for email communications on a particular topic there may be individual members that have email communications on topics and others that may not have, but that is an example. Something that may be in the custody of a commission member. The idea that our request to the we come to the staff, but if there were to have any examples . Yes. Just my impression of Public Records directed to the commission they usually as we imagine go to the staff and usually directed the commission is all. I actually dont know theres many instances in which an individual member the public has directed up particularly Public Records request that a Single Member of the commission it is possible but i think that occurs. Often if thats what your concern was i guess when the subject first came out two years ago when the executive director made the decision to assert that attorneyclient privilege on behalf of the commission. Some of us expressed the concern how can a director seeing how can executive director make a decision when the commission is not looked at the documents are that he or she is asserting attorneyclient privilege . Going back to the events from a couple years ago, i dont recall whether i think some of the communications or communications between my office and the staff is him and him probably also also address communications between my office and the commission. I cant recall a lot of detail how that breakdown was. Weather was 50 or more one side over the other. Certainly, this amendment i worked on with leeann is just a proposal. The commission does wish to view Public Records request actually review the documents at issue, thats only up to the commission. This was just a starting point for discussion. I recall quite well with the chairman is talking about in regard to the former executive director and it had outrageous consequences in a number of respects. So, to the extent that this does not allow the commission to be bypassed in regard to any kind of information or anything that is requested by either the public or anyone else we are a privileged needs to be asserted , the commission should know that. At least the chair should know about it. So, to the extent that this does this, i certainly endorse it. About the just a followup question. If its a document that is only in the possession of the staff something that is often transmitted to the commission in any form and the staff chooses to assert a privilege including attorneyclient privilege, do you still want to be informed of that claim or privilege . Yes. Anatomic claim of privilege is asserted on of the staff minor should turn it over but the Staff Members should at least consult with the chair as to whether or not the claimant public should be asserted. I dont think on the staff level decision to invoke Something Like the attorneyclient privilege or any privilege should be allowed. I think just in it by itself. I think the staff member can then tell the person or the entity you wherever it is whos seeking the information that we will get back to you and then at a minimum, confer with the chair as to whether or not a privilege should be in those. So far as a staff member having the authority to invoke eight attorneyclient privilege, that should not be done. The one time that i saw that we all knew it was going to be done in that horrible consequences for us. It may have been other done other times we dont know about given past executive director it probably was, but we should not go down that road again. When a request comes in for Public Records its directed to the commission . It depends on the request. It can come in a variety of ways. Do you have Public Record requests that are directed just to Staff Members . Yes, regularly. All right. So, i think the concern that commissioner keane and i addressed, is to the extent there is one to be an assertion of some privilege. The Commission Wants to know about it because it ultimately the action of the staff impacts the commission. Right . Maybe we can take a look at this in light of any other conversation the commission as we can come back with something to try to identify that to try to address that yes. So, just one issue i like to advise of the commission there certain kinds of request that strict time limitations. Some requests are required immediate disclosure request we need to provide response in the next business day. I just want to make the commission aware may be instances where there might be some time pressure about the executive director looping in the chair under such a proposal. That is an insurmountable i just want to alert you to some time limitations with respect to those instances where you want to seek to assert the privilege, its not uncommon that the immediate disclosure quest the staff to invoke privilege for respective documents as received. It took it could be attorneyclient privilege to double oneday term . Yes. Think smart under the sunshine ordinance immediate disclosure quest is a oneday business turnaround. For things that are in the under the california Public Records act it took its a threedayexcuse me, 10 days and it can be extended it doesnt need to put together other information or find it is not easily accessible. I want to clarify. If i misunderstand the commission. The concern you want to make sure that they request that is going to be met within anticipated assertion of attorneyclient privilege, those instances you want the chair notified of, or are you suggesting you need and would want to be notified where the chair notified any time were determining not to turn over records pursuant to a requested because i think theres a distinction i might have it alternative view is very clear guidelines about what needs to be or can be turned over under the Public Records act requested that doesnt cover all the trade pile client which my concern only goes to attorneyclient privilege i thought i heard you refer to any privileges . A privilege, what other privilege would you assert . Doctorpatient psychotherapist unofficial information that was the whistleblower percentages, 10401041. We could assert that as well thats fine. Fine in terms of a 1040 assertion. The staff member can make a determination i think for fairly pro forma basis whether something is indeed official information. Under 1040. And assert that was good i dont have a problem with that. When you elevate to the attorneyclient privilege, though ive got a big problem with that. Again these will be things have not necessarily shared with commissioner yes, sure in terms of 1040 im speaking trip in terms of the attorneyclient privilege. Say that again thats hypothesized we receive requests the Commission Staffer sees the arrest for document ship it in my office and director paolo for example. That may or may not be attorneyclient privilege but if it is we may invoke the privilege and are you saying you want the chair may be the commission to be treated not the Commission Just the chair space at just the chair should be notified thats right when director invokes the attorneyclient colleges not hypothetical but actually not even reach the commission of the chart all yes. Because in that situation that we have none of that stuff reaches the commission and then we are longtime after it it came cascading down on us and really had tremendous consequences. Because we do not know about it. No one on the commission to get just the exec director going his marry late and asserting privileges in regard to my Attorney Client privilege in regard to a matter of great importance that should have been decided by the commission. Isnt the requirement that the agency respond within one day, a response can be the attorneyclient assertion of privilege, correct . Correct. I never leave under the proposal with you and commissioner keane are putting forward she would notify you san diego before she invokes it. I guess im not clear. That she would advise the chair that she intends to evoke the attorneyclient privilege and the chair can consult with her and if the chair feels he wants to bring it before the full commission, it could be so advise the requester saying that the response to your request on document eight and b will be agendas for the next full board. Right im not clear. Do you want to be notified or you want to have the ability to approve the privilege . I was a notified because of the one day requirement in the chair may be and who knows where. I would take Public Comment on the proposed draft change to the bylaws commissioners [inaudible] i really take exception to the fact that except at the very end theres total ignorance of the sunshine ordinance. Which clearly lays out all these items you been discussing not until but during the process but at the very end. As far as and ivr maybe disclosure request under the law does require response by the close of business the following day but that response can include an indication of a 10 day extension. So, basically there is nothing that why that was presented you only have one day when thats not the case. Your oneday to respond and that response can be, we need further time to consider what to release what we may not release. I think sometimes theres probably some confusion about the things i say to this Ethics Commission which you have referred in this item yourself. The past executive director played fast and loose with the wolves. He just did whatever he wanted he was like some oriental potentate who sat in his office and simply decided he was an immigrant show you something. I think thats exactly happen with my complaints i submitted to you and were reviewed respectively 32 days and two days before a member of your staff simply said, no. We are not going to give mr. Hart a hearing. I think they totally usurped your authority and thats what mr. St. Croix used to do on a regular basis but he only did that with the knowledge and permission of then members of the Ethics Commission. It wasnt as if they were dumber than a box of rocks into gnocchi was doing it. Ive questions seriously whether he was directed in some cases to do it so you wouldnt have to deal with unpleasant matters. Like my second complaint had to do with the city library and all the City Commission members are appointed by the mayor and so to protect the mayors ass you dont want to hear that complaint. In other words you want to deny me to process. I have a right to a hearing. The fact that some lowlevel bureaucrat on your staff can simply deny me that hearing and deny me any possibility of having you as a listen to the fax is egregious. But my whole comment here is the fact that you simply to be working in this document you think sunshine ordinance clearly lays things out and says any person who possesses a Public Record is a custodian of record and is subject to disclosure. It doesnt matter whether youre a commission member, a staff member or anybody. If you have a Public Record is subject to disclosure unless you have an exemption you can cite you have to disclose it. It goes for all of you. Anybody City Government thank you. David buildout. The primary reason i came to. This actually images and somewhat dangerous item. I think a little confusion about the powers and duties of the commission and the staff in general and particularly with regard to Public Records request. Having served on the task force and being familiar with the sunshine ordinance and Public Records act let me say this could when a member of the public makes a properly framed Public Records request is up to the head of the department or agency in this case, leeann, to either sign it to staff were personally oversee the response and determine whether to produce documents that are held by the agency or invoke an extension, or somehow respond in a timely manner. He generally does not involve the commission. The way this original item was characterized, i thought it involves records that were primarily held by members of the commission and in that regard i would say if you get a letter or email that you believe involves Commission Business and was likely sent to a majority of the members, you should send a copy to the office so they have it and can respond. If you individually get a single piece of correspondence led to public business, and you hold it and not the staff, im not sure that the Public Record subject to disclosure. The gets very complicated and theres a state Supreme Court case the media with some issues about private medication with members of bodies and since your nonemployee officers of the city youre in a unique place thats different from employees on staff, but in any event, the general point here is that leeann has responsibilities to respond in a timely basis and adding in this notification requirement potentially some Approval Authority from the commission with regard to records request is different and unusual and not something ive seen elsewhere in City Government. Where theres a record requested the which the commission itself holds the privilege because it was a close session tape or some memo given to you in connection with the close session item. Then i can understand a surname asserting that attorneyclient glitch and youve ability to way that which as you did earlier tonight but with regard to same document the staff holds the universe seen, if there was an Attorney Client privilege associate with that document the director can assert that privilege against disclosure and that is in his or her sole discretion. Its not an action of the body to overturn that determination. It depends on who holds the privilege and use the client for purpose of that attorneyclient relationship. When the commission has the privilege [inaudible] when it says that its headed by the director. In less you have questions thats my position. Thanks. This will be the proposed bylaw will be on the july calendar. Turning to item 10, executive directors report. Ms. Pelham thank you chairman renne. The director executive directors report is an attachment 10. The think the most important headline and highlight from this activity were from this report is the budget. There is for your reference, a copy of the slides that the staff prepared for delivery at the Budget Committee hearing earlier this month. The Budget Committee determined that for the small departments that had not been the subject of the budget and legislative Analyst Report and recommendations the committee would not be hearing it presentations by the promise unless the governments chose to. The committees chair indicated it was the committees intent to not modify the budget of the small departments you for sending them to the full board of supervisors. So, that is good news we were one of the small departments whose budgets was not modified and again hoping when the dust settles the proposal be as is. I think theres good indication that all happened. The slides are there. I wont take it lot of your time in the interest of time this evening but we did walk through and did post these on our website so those who are interested in following the Commission Work and effort this year to really right size begins right size or budget could see our vision of what our mandate is, with the blueprint is we buy them by Going Forward for the coming year, or specific initiatives are including the efiling conversion project and also the recommendation of the Mayors Office has reached a provide a senior fellow to our office in the coming year to opus with our online tools and technology to make our online experience much more user focused, much more able to find the information they need to provide guidance and promote compliance. As well as the Additional Resources for policy folks we talked about increasing our enforcement resources with two additional investigators. One of the things the summary we provided showed breach of the public areas weve identified as priorities with the positions are the resources we do requested being recommended in the mayors budget. But also the benefits. I look at page 6 of the slide i want to point out we talk about benefits, those are also things that are translated to Key Performance indicators is been our commitment throughout this process to ensure as we go forward we will be with to demonstrate the investment of those limited scarce public dollars as translating into significant work and benefits for San Francisco. So, we have those identified for each of the positions. We are finalizing in the next week or so the job descriptions so we can post them as soon as possible. We are also going to be meeting with the comptroller who has offered his assistance from his office to assist us with the hiring process helping to understand and expedite the hiring process, so were engaged in those conversations and become one because it. Thats an Important News i think for the Commission Good news for us Going Forward. Im happy to answer any questions they might have learned questions might have about the executive directors report other items going on in the office. Would we stay with the Deputy Director . Ive initiated interviews with candidates and im hoping that of more news for you in the coming weeks. It is in process so a volume of candidates we have we have reviewed applications in a happy initiated interviews did i look forward to keeping you informed if theres news to share. Any commissioners have any questions or comments . Any Public Comment . Commissioners again raydir. Beaven . The overwhelming stench of corruption in San Francisco is due in large part to this Ethics Commission failure to use the resources over the years we which is been provided. Simply throwing goodmore money at the problem unfortunately will in my opinion turn out to be simply throwing good money after bad. I hope you prove me wrong in this next statement. But i predict you will actually do less with more. Under one session you talk about whistleblower protection which is nonexistent. Let dr. Kerr and other members of the public. That law are the changes that protect the citizens elected officials and protect the elected officials and government up employees from the whistleblowers. While. Were at least one city under another session you discussed the statement of economic Disclosure Program where at least one city department, lease director of the San Francisco public lobby committed perjury year after year after year and you remain willfully ignorant and the executive director the former executive director, excuse me, simply refuse to hear it and we are forced to take it to thewhich found him in violation basically, they said you were wrong. He did violate the law. You dont seem to take any interest in that whatsoever. Under investigation and enforcement we again see sunshine ordinance complains that the same number as it always is. One, solitary and alone. Lastly, under the listing under delinquent revenues we see a few small fish and you will bully into submission using your power and your attorneys and everything in the City Attorney, if necessary. One big whale which will never see land. Youre about as useful as tips on a boar hog. I was like when it gets to the point where it is looking you in the eye everybody has Something Else to do which is more important than listening to the public the board of supervisors is well known for this. Theyre totally dismissive of Public Comments. They go off on the side of that little private conversations and everything else. It basically sends the message to the public, we dont give a damn what you think. The simple fact that this is the only 2 min. In entire week that you ever have a chance to talk to any of us is irrelevant. The public should keep its nose out of the governments business. Very frankly, i think thats how you feel about the public unless they agree with you. Thank you. David covell three points here. I look forward to the policy plan update being included in these reports in the future. I would note on page 2 in the middle just before the policy and legislation section the reference to mea says a management employee associated that say the municipal executive association. I try to read whats provided. Lastly, the table showing the summary of pending formal complaints could as we heard what was it, 23 months ago. Theres so much larger number of complaints that are still in preliminary review. That was very enlightening the presentation was made that number. If its possible to include in the future executive director reports the number in that category elementary review again broken down by type thats helpful because it really gives us more of the sons in the public of the status of complaints and the workload there. So, when someones advocating for resources is helpful to be able to say theres only one or two investigators notches 24 complaints that are pending informal but more than that like 23 times as many in preliminary review. That information is helpful. So you could ask effective be provided in the future that would be excellent. Thank you. All right. Actually have a couple questions. First, congratulations on the budget. It looks wonderful. Im sure they were impressed with prepared materials you submitted on behalf of the commission. I have the same question that mr. Coco raised on the real magnitude of the complaints, formal complaints have been filed before the commission. I think it is useful to the public to see you working much harder than your 24 present number would indicate. Obviously you have a lot of screening to do. I had a couple of sticky questions. A not sure they can be raised were addressed public. I dont know but im wondering if the current status of ms. Sweet and whether that matter has been resolved . That is lynette sweet. The other question i have is whether in the process of the law, litigation with mr. Farrell whether we ought to automatically have standing for countersuit or counterclaim probably in dollar terms the monies that are in question. I dont know how that occurs. It was file. It was a counterclaim filed on behalf of the city there a good. I had not heard that. So, its been filed. I knows can resolve both items. Then, if you can answer the other one. If not i can speak privately with the executive director later. That is regarding ms. Sweet. Just to answer your question, on the first count, the july executive directors report will have the updated chart showing the number of matters in plenary review as well as the complaints we have had the previous couple months back and we will have that information updated at the next months meeting for you. [inaudible] i dont know if it will be done on a monthly basis but i can can can can guarantee was can be done at least quarter. Its an honest answer. The matter regarding ms. Sweet has been in Public Session because it was in the hearing on the merits. It moved to that stage of the committee the commission had rejected a settlement several months back. That process is moving forward. So i think ill leave it at that but its has not stalled. All right discussion item 11 discussion possible action on items for future meetings. Commissioners do you have any suggestions . Public comment . 12, additional opportunity for Public Comment on matters appearing or not appearing on the agenda pursuant to the Ethics Commission bylaw article section articles 7 section 2 i been doing with boards and commissions in the city for the last eight years after spending 25 years living in hawaii and getting used to the aloha spirit which is if you went to someone and pointed to them to the law they would simply say will let me check and they would come back and say thats what the law says. Thats what we will do. Here in this city that is not the way it works. The City Attorney dennis herrera, seems to feel instead of keeping people out of trouble by having him obey the law what you do is let them break the law and then come up with some sort of specious excuse as to why it wasnt really a violation of the law. Work, it would come here to the Ethics Commission and the former executive director was given latitude to simply dismiss things out of hand. Not even letting the commission know what was going on and you yourself have mentioned that tonight. So part of what you get from me is simply the knowledge meant that there have been years of bad behavior and it would take a little bit to make up for that rather than simply saying what just give us the benefit of the doubt. We do not ask that especially as weights of the sunshine ordinance for years. I myself have 24 orders of determination each and every one of them was a violation of either my First Amendment right where my rights under the Public Records act or the sunshine ordinance. With the brown act. Some of those were multiple violations and ive yet to have one of them even get a fair hearing. One hearing was outofstate. It was announced that i left the state the hearing was held the day before i got back a message. If you are me, would you look at a group that did Something Like that to you, the oneparty interest mr. St. Croix himself i wasnt surprised mr. Hart is not a good never missed a hearing before. We be surprised at all by dont look at eu askins and say, g i dont really trust you at all . Now individually, if the shoe fits, wear it. I say at least a couple occasions that she does fit. Because there were members of the commission when all this was going on and mr. St. Croixgot a [inaudible] stick your head under the best. Im going to come here and say the things that i feel need to be said and others wont say because theyre beholden to you and they need your support for things that they want. In fact, the First Amendment of the state constitution the brown act and the sunshine ordinance exist so people like me can come here and say things like this to people like you. You are your motion to adjourn moved and seconded. All those in favor say, aye [chorus of ayes] [gavel] [adjournment] go. Shop and dine the 49 promotes local businesses and changes san franciscans to do their shopping and dooipg within the 49 square miles by supporting local Services Within the neighborhood we help San Francisco remain unique, successful and vibrant so where will you shop and dine the 49 hi in my mind a ms. Medin welcome to another episode of safety on today is episode well show you how 0 retroactive youre home lets go inside and take a look. Hi and patrick chief officer and director of earthquake for the city and county of San Francisco welcome to another episode of stay safe in our model home with matt well talk about plywood. Great thanks. Where are we we if you notice bare studs those are prone to failure in an earthquake we need to stabilize those they dont lean over and plywood is effective as long as you nail along every edge of the plywood for the framing well nail along the sides and top and on the bottom 0 immediately youll see a problem in a typical San Francisco construction because nothing to nail the bottom of the plywood weve got to wind block between the studs and well secure this to the mud sill with nails or surface screws something to nail the bottom of the plywood. I notice we have not bolted the foundation in the previous episode thorough goes through options with different products so, now we have the blocking well a xoich attach the plywood. The third thing well attach the floor framing of the house above so the top of the braced walls one to have a steel angle on top of this wall and types of to the top of the wall with nails into the top plate and the nails in this direction driving a nail it difficult unless you have a specialized tool so this makes that easy this is good, good for about 5 hundred pounds of earthquake swinging before and after that mount to the face of wall it secures the top of wall and nailed into the top plate of the with triple wall and this gives us a secure to resist the forces. So you now see the space is totally available to dots blocking that he bottom and bolted the foundation in corneas what the code in the next episode youll see you apply