Transcripts For SFGTV 20150515

There are other bodys like this elsewhere in the state of california . Actually there are not any local Sentencing Commission to my knowledge that exist anywhere else in the United States and we are the first of its kind, local Sentencing Commission, and there are 21 states, that have state level Sentencing Commissions. And so, without the other similar bodies elsewhere and in other county in the state of california who are your partners around the state . That you are working with to help, look at changing state law. Yeah, so, we are working with a Little Hoover Commission and we presented testimony before the Little Hoover Commission in the fall of 2012 and again in the spring of 2013. And they have been on the state level, spear heading the efforts and associated with the creating the state level Sentencing Commission and we are also, working with the senate and assembly and also the Governors Office and to reinforce the value of a state level Sentencing Commission. Great, thank you. Supervisor cohen. Thank you, i wanted to give a brief description of the amendments for the folks that are listening at homes and for those that dont have the legislation in front of them and on page 3, lines 12 through 13 we have added the language that indicate that the members serve we pleasure of the appointing authority and on page, 3, lines, 14 to 18 and we have added the language and regarding the member attendance and the requirement and on page 5, lines 17 through 18, we have amended to indicate that the members will serve for the life of the commission. Thank you. Okay. Very good, thank you for your presentation and your work on the commission. Yes, thank you for your work. And we can go to Public Comment, any member of the public that would like to comment on this item . And seeing none we will close Public Comment. And okay. Great. Mr. Chair, i would love to make a motion to adopt the amendment and move for a positive recommendation. Second. And we will take that. Okay. Without objection. So we will accept the amendment and moving it forward with a recommendation. Thank you. Okay. Next item, please . Item 4, the hearing to consider appointing one member to the Bicycle Advisory Committee, term ending november 19 2016 or for the tenure of the nominating supervisor, whichever is shorter in duration, there is one seat and one applicant. Okay. Good morning, power, with the supervisor Mayors Office and i am here today respectfully requesting the committee to support the appointment of diane serafini, and she is a long time cyclist in the city and she cycles as a primary mode of transportation and has engaged in the safety advocacy work for many years she is well known and respected in both the bicycle and the street Advocacy Community and we agree that she will be a great addition to the commission and she is here today. Okay. Great, thank you. Serafini . Hello. Good morning, thank you for considering my application, it is really an honor to have this opportunity. I have lived in San Francisco for 34 years now. And i love it here. And i bike most of those years. So, i have seen the changes that have happened in the infrastructure in San Francisco that has helped the biking and the behavior in the bicyclists and drivers, and the drivers are more accommodating, and we should be creating a culture where everyone gets to where they want to go safely and efficiently and more cooperation on the road the safer it is for someone and that is why i am interested on being on the Bicycle Advisory Committee and why i sold my hair salon that i had for 24 years to dedicate my life to bicycling because 15 years ago, i was started thinking about what can i do about Global Warming . And my idea that i came upon ten years ago was to get more people on bikes. It takes less energy, to be on a bike, and you are not burning fossil fuels and you are not creating Greenhouse Gases and it is healthier and helps with diabetes and it brings people together because you are not isolated in your metal box and i have been working with hert hill teaching here and i helped to create a middle School Program with 511, and i teach in the south bay, also, and the only thing that i like, better than riding a bike is talking about bikes. I also was in a really devastating crash with a car two years ago. A driver made an illegal left turn in front of me and then stopped because there was pedestrians crossing the driveway that he was entering and i smashed into his car and i sustained a traumatic brain injuries and multiple brakes and my shoulder was wrecked and so i know first hand when the people are not as aware as she should be and i have left ideas, like educational billboards on the side of buses to diagram where there is a bike lane and not a bike lane and i am, committed to bicycling as a form of transportation, cooperating with other people on the road. Thank you. Very good. Just from your discuss, i think that you are very qualified to be on the Advisory Committee and also, since you have been involved for so many, and lets, is this the first time that you have applied. Yes. Well it is great, you applied now. So, also, i noted your working on Global Warming issues, 15 years ago, which was not very common and thank you for leading the way at that time, as well. And so i dont see any other questions from the colleagues here. So we can go to the Public Comment. Thank you, the Public Comment is now open and any member of the public that would like to comment come forward and i do have one card and melinda mcveil. Thank you supervisors and i am just going to read that, if that is okay. A year ago, i was on cycling and on a whim i purchased a bike, since that i have not done since i was a teenager and so that was 30 years off of the bike, i begged my friends to purchase bikes and they did, i dont know why and they were very Diverse Group of people and some had cycled for years and others didnt know how to change their gears. But i quickly discovered that if i did not do something because we were riding on a regular basis, soon, that tragedy would ensue because our skill levels were all over the place and so i went online and i searched for someone that could teach us to safety, i realize that the bikes are vulnerable to cars, and there is a hierarchy and this being San Francisco there was no shortage of companies that can teach you about the Bicycle Safety and so all things being equallied to figure out how do i choose the best company because i really love the people that i cycle with. And it came down to the reviews. I have worked in technology for many years, and one thing that i found diane and she was working with Bicycle Solutions and i knew right away you cannot fake the joy in those reviews every single one is a 5, this could not be real. By the time that i finished the reviews i was laughing and crying and called them immediately. When i learned, right away is that after we took the class, with diane, she actually did an exam session where she taught us everything with a powerpoint and we took an exam and hit the road with her that her knowledge and her skills are profound, and her ability to work with a Diverse Group of people, and understand the individual needs and unparalleled, and for, those fortunate enough to ride with her, you quickly realize and there are a few, and i mean few, who are on her level and this is why. She did not just teach us how to ride safely. I am sorry, if you could just wrap up that was your time. Sure. And the last thing that i want to add is that she taught us that riding is a commitment, that we are here to ride with cars, not against them. And that is what we got out of her she is amazing. Thank you. Any other member of the public that would like to comment . And seeing none, we will close the Public Comment. And i am very happy that we recommend to seat her in the seat eight and thank you for all that you are doing and you spread a lot of joy about it to the rest of staoet and everyone who you encounter. Next item. Item five, hearing to consider appointing one member ending august, 2, 2017 and one member ending august 2, 2019 to the citizen Advisory Committee for the Central Market street and there is two seats and one applicant. Has one withdrawn. Yes, diane evans withdraw her application this america. So we have sam. Welcome. Thank you. Good morning and i am sam, and i live and work in the tender loin and so if there is a resident seat vacant i would qualify but i also qualify for the direct service, we provide arts programs and Education Programs and accompaniment programs and in this instance advocacy for the tender loin community, in each of those roles, our primary goal is to create relationships among the people who might not otherwise meet so that they may build the community together. My role in the last two years has taken me into the connection with the Market Street for the coalition that has been active in this area and through that i have been attending the cac meetings, and pretty religiously for the last two years. And it is no surprise that the tender loin is experiencing a crunch on space and displacement is probably the number one issue and every day we come across the people who cannot find a place to live or who are displaced from where they are living right now we have a couple of builders that are looking to be built in our area that will create concerns with the light access and air access and affordability and there is a lot of tension around these issues and my role in the context of these issues has been to bring together the groups that they can actually speak to each other. What i have seen over the last two and a half three years is that the cac process around the Community Benefit agreements have gone from really struggling to get a sufficient level of Community Give back, volunteerism, and the grants and those kinds of things where we have seen the vcas grow in that area and to now we need to find ways to create greater dialogue and find the places that are interests overlap. And just last night i was talking with our account ant when works for another nonsmall profit as well who has just been displaced because the rent is going up three times and they are moving to a smaller space and so many of the workers will have to westboundinger work off site now, it does not benefit a small start up business and it does not benefit, twitter or the other companies, when we have radical increases in rent, it is not really helping anyone, and part of what we need to do is to find ways, for residents and businesses and Large Businesses to all be able to talk with each other, and at some point, start bringing the developers, and land owners into the conversation. And because, this is a complicated issue, and there are not simple answers, and it is not like we could just say, stop building, or build like crazy, or the market will take care of it, it is nuanced and we have wisdom that will come from a lot of different places from the most experienced of legislators and to the developers, who know what their Economic Needs are to the people who are actually living on the street and understanding what the difficulties are when housing disappears. We also need to bring in the Small Businesses that are feeling the crunch as well, we have a business next door to us that a year ago we were in a contentious relationship about an entertainment license and through our diligence we were able to bring it to the table and every time that it gets over the agreed upon limit i can text them and the noise goes down and that is the model of conversation around displacement that i would bring to the tac and i also know a number of the cac and we work well together and i know the tech liaison as well. And many of them have been over to the faithful fools for the order and a glass of wine to sit and talk more informally about what we have in common and what we can do, and i am honored that you are looking at my application and i would be honored to serve on this committee. Thank you very much it seems like you have been serving on the committee in a lot of different ways. And i am very encourage about your participation and i want to support that i dont have any questions here i think that your presentation was very thorough and covered a lot about your interest and expertise and your enthusiasm and that to me is shows a lot and so i will be supporting and we will go to Public Comment now. Thank you. Take a vote. Thank you. So Public Comment, is now open, on this item. Any member of the public that would like to comment and seeing none, we will close Public Comment. And colleagues . Supervisor tang . Yes, thank you, so much for your service and i would like to then recommend sam dennison to seat 6 of the citizens Advisory Committee and send that forward with a positive recommendation to the full board. And seconded and we will be leaving seat 9 for a future date. Okay. Colleagues we can take that without objection. So, item number 6. Please . Hearing to consider appointing one member term ending april 27, 2016, and one member term ending april, 27, 2017, to the Sunshine Ordinance Task force. There are two seats and four applicants. And okay. So we have two seats four applicants for the Sunshine Task force. And why dont we take the applicants in the order that they are on the list and we will start with mr. Bruce wolfe. And i see that every applicant has also applied for each seat. So one will end next year and one will end the year after and so we will work that out when we make our decisions welcome. Thank you. Mr. Chair. And members and supervisors how are you doing . My name is bruce wolfe and i am applying to the appointment for the Sunshine Ordinance Task force and as you know, you know who i am and you know my history and you made and i want to alleviate any concerns about the letters of support and i did not ask anybody to come and support me today. And it is not that i dont carry favor with anybody, i just felt that at this point that they have been here so many times that there is a lot of support for me to be here. But just to be here on my own merits and i feel that my work in the open Government Community and field, and my continued work in the consumer advocacy, and in community he have ferts around the city lend to what i can bring to the task force at this time. And there is a major area, that the task force still has the difficulties with and that is in the area of technology and that is something that i bring to it or i can bring to it and i have brought to it before and the areas around the meta data and how the documents are maintained. Building of data bases, and so that both the members, and the members of the public can easily track what is happening with the task force and that is something that i feel is needed desperately, at the task force at this time. And would appreciate your consideration. Okay. So, supervisor cohen, thank you. Thank you. Hi, mr. Wolfe i have questions for you. How many years did you serve before on the task force . Probably almost 7. 7 years already, so i am curious to know what can you bring that you have not already given to the task force in your seven years of service . I believe in the area of technology. This is an area where they are in the as well versed in the area of technology and i work with the regular job and it is part of the work that i do in my regular job. With the justice. Yes. And i think that it is an area that not even the staffer for the task force is in the as well versed. And there, and it is very specific area, that is not covered in a lot of other areas except maybe in the city attorneys office. The struggle in the area that you served 7 years already and i am interesting in seeing some you know some other people having the opportunity to serve San Francisco. And i will leave my remarks there. It is not a comment on your professionalism or experience, but there are a lot of people who want to give back to San Francisco and that is my petion and where i stand and i would love to hear the conversation from my colleagues. Thank you and i actually think that someone with a lot of experience on the Sunshine Ordinance Task force would be essential to have as well and someone who does have experience in technology. And just know that mr. Wolfe has been worked in a lot of different ways to really advance what government can do, and how it can interact with our communities and consumers in San Francisco. And that to me, i have relied on a lot for the work around whether it is clean power, or looking at underground and wiring, or just about alcohol justice work that is done and he has been a very good advocate and someone like that would be great to have the expertise on the sunshine, Ordinance Task force and i would like to support him last time that he was up for reappointment at that time as well. So, i think that having that experience, is something that is really important and we do have two seats that are available and so one can bring in a new person as well that i would like to consider that we have a balanced approach about how we move forward with our appointments today. And that is just me talking and supervisor, tang. Thank you, and thank you very much, mr. Wolfe and my question is more a general for all of the applicants and although i have heard from you and another applicant and so there are two new ones before us, in terms of this committee. If you could. Come up and state what are the goals that you hope to achieve and maybe if there is some issues that you would like to work to address technology is really the area of not being addressed well and when those kinds of issues come up and it is important to have some Institutional Knowledge on the body itself, and also, core rob rating with its council and with others that are from the general public and it makes it a lot easier, sometimes, when the complaints come and they have technical aspects and maybe having to postpone a meeting and causing a backlog, if there was someone that was on the task force that could answer those questions, and educate the rest of the members of the body, and the public, that is there, maybe even to the respondent, and also, i think that that is very, helpful. To move things along and bring a lot of additional efficiency. And additionally, there is no data base for any of the past decisions of the task force, that is the members of the task force can refer to. So, it is almost as if every case is a new case, even if it is the same exact issue. And problem. That is coming before them. And that, could easily be responded to by the task force and not have to take up a valuable hours if not days of time. And that is something that i have suggested before, that i have wanted to work on before. And lack of resources, and lack of will. I would be assertive and dedicate a lot of time to make this happen even if it was a paper binder it with be helpful. And you know, but i think that with, where we are with the technology right now, and i think that in the city attorneys office, at least, whoever is serving, they have some certificate of tracking system, for previous decisions that was made, but, i dont know how robust it is. It is in the available to anybody. Except for them. And so that, those two areas i think are really important, and i think that as chair avalos suggested that some historical knowledge is important also and we do have a lot of new if not all new members of the task force in this last round. And there is continually new people that have come on. But there are a couple that have been on there for much longer than i have. You know, like mr. Pill pal he has been there since almost the beginning in the 90s. And so, i think that you know, there is room for having folks to come back, that want to serve, and continue to serve in their area of expertise. And interest. Thank you. Thank you. And it seems like in the case of mr. Pill pal there has been decision to actually have him continue just by the years that he has been on there. We will go to the next applicant, shaun haines. Good afternoon everybody and thank you for considering my application for the Sunshine Task force ordinance and thank you, supervisor katie tang for reiterating that question of what a persons who are interested in coming, thank you, to the task force would be able to contribute, do i have a background in Information Technology and Information Management and created systems from scratch and so i would be happy to along the side the colleague that i will be working with be able to institute a program that would do some of the things that i have understood or are problems on the committee is that there is a backlog of minutes that would be something that i would be happy to address. And as an Information Management person and creating structures around that would help to stream line that and make it easier for us to collectively look at back logs of data, and to more rapidly respond to persons who are putting forth complaints and i understand that there are is a history of a over sat ration of complaints and having it like that would be more rapidly to address that problem and so would i like to offer my backgrounds and experiences in that regard to augment the group and some additional reasons why i am interested in serving on the committee is that as a San Francisco native i have been working within the different aspects to increase the diversity within our city governor ans and i think that will be a valuable voice as this community, at this point does not have anybody that is African American. And these are some of the reasons why i am here before you today to request your support. And i would like to open it up to any questions that you may have of me. Certainly. Very simple and generic one is, the standard one that we have here in on the committee, why are you interested . Well, i am definitely interested in open governance and being a San Francisco native and a person from an African American community and someone who is widespread within the San Francisco community, because of all of my various associations. And serving on the hrcs and serving as a member of the coalition and serving as a member of the minidemocratic clubs and i am able to kind of bridge the gap between the opportunity and the governance and to be able to use my experiences working within all of those different aspects to educate both sides, as to the benefit and values of any situation and to be able to bring all of this various background to bear in a positive manners. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So we will go on to our next applicant thank you. Thank you for your interest and your candidacy. Thank you. Fiona hinze . Can you hear me . Yeah. Good afternoon supervisors, i am speaking for the reappointment to the Sunshine Ordinance Task force. Seat eleven, and Disability Community seat. I am just by way of background, i was the system change Coordinator Committee organizer at the independent Living Resource Center and i get to have a first hand knowledge of the citys advocacy and been there for the people with disabilities in San Francisco. Including having all government materials and giving alternative formats and accessible for people with disabilities. I have always had an interest in open government. And as i have entered with assembly, former assembly woman, and where i have gone to see first hand the importance of serving constituents, as having an or a more open and transparent government as possible. And i have had the pleasure of serving on the task force since october, and we have had many, we have been working on many issues that i would like to