Meeting Information

COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN

City and County of San Francisco

MINUTES

Community Meeting

Wednesday, March 28, 2001 at 6:00 P.M.

Whitney Young Child Development Center

100 Whitney Young Circle

San Francisco, California 94124

American Sign Language interpreters and a Sound Amplification System provided upon request with 48-hour advance notice to 415-252-2570. Limited accessible street parking available. Accessible MUNI Lines are the 15, 44, 23 and 24 lines. Accessible seating for persons with disabilities (including those using wheelchairs) will be available. Meeting proceedings available in alternative formats. In order to assist the City’s efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illness, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical based products. Please help the City to accommodate these individuals. To make arrangements or for accessibility information, contact Susan Murphy at 415-252-2570 (Voice) or 415-252-2550 (TDD).

MEMBERS PRESENT STAFF PRESENT

President Juanita Miles Rosario Navarrette

Vice President Carolene Marks Susan Murphy

Commissioner Julie Burton Carol Sacco

Commissioner Dorka Keehn

Commissioner Emily Murase

Commissioner Andrea Shorter

Commissioner Valerie Tulier

1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL

President Miles called the meeting to order at 6:10 p.m.

2. ADOPTION OF AGENDA

m/s/c (Marks, Murase, Unanimous) To adopt the agenda for the Wednesday, March 28, 2001, community meeting.

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

m/s/c (Murase, Marks, Unanimous) To approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held Wednesday, February 28, 2001.

4. PRESIDENT’S REPORT

· Proclamation on behalf of the Commission on the Status of Women (COSW) presented to Ms. Cheyenne Bell by Commissioner Andrea Shorter. Ms. Bell thanked the Commission, and she spoke about her background, experience and issues that currently need to be met, especially dealing with women and girls issues in the Juvenile Justice system.

· President Miles announced that the job description for the Executive Director’s position is ready to be printed. A three member hiring committee has been formed. Commissioners Miles, Marks and Tulier will participate. President Miles asked for another Commissioner to act as an alternate. She stated the search will be local and national.

· Commissioner Murase requested that when given items to review by the Department, that the Commissioners be given enough time to respond.

5. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

· Women Making History Event On Monday, March 19, 2001, the Commission and Department hosted another successful Women Making History event. The Board of Supervisors recognized women during the regularly scheduled Board meeting. A reception followed the Board ceremony in the North Light Court. It included a farewell for Sonia Melara, former Executive Director of the Commission and Department on the Status of Women. Ms. Navarrette, Interim Executive Director, thanked Commissioner Murase for stepping in as emcee and thanked Commissioners Shorter and Tulier for speaking. The event was well received, attended, and appreciated. This was a year of making history as well; this was the first time a transgender woman received an award for Woman Making History month in the history of San Francisco.

· 25-Year Report The 25-year report reflects what has happened since the inception of the Commission on the Status of Women. Also included is the 1999-2000 Annual Report. Members of the Commission and Department on the Status of Women are pleased with the report and appreciate all of the work Carol Sacco did to bring it to fruition. Due to the publication cost, a $10 fee/donation is being requested for a copy of the 25-Year Report.

6. SUPERVISOR SOPHIE MAXWELL

· Due to a miscommunication Supervisor Maxwell did not attend. She was not aware of the change in location for the meeting.

7. PUBLIC COMMENT

· Francine Carter, Coordinator of the African American Coalition on Health Improvement & Empowerment (AACHIE); in partnership with the Department of Public Health (DPH)

Ms. Carter stated that she would like to see pro-action from the Commissioners to join with other City departments to make things work. Ms. Carter stated that there are high rates of breast cancer, asthma, hypertension and violence in the Bayview Hunters Point community, and government needs to come together through City agencies to help streamline some of the problems that are not being met in the community. She asked: What is being done to address the grieving youth? Who has approached them? How does the community work with City government to make it work? Instead of being bombarded by other Commissions, how can the agenda be moved forward? Ms. Carter stated that hopefully the Commission will work with the community and not overpower them. She also stated that the community is looking forward to future legislation from COSW regarding these issues. AACHIE is in the process of "asset mapping" and targeting the communities of Oceanview, Merced and Ingleside (OMI), Fillmore, Hunters Point, and Visitation Valley; they are also working on peer mediation.

· Commissioner Marks greeted Ms. Carter and informed her that she is working with community members to develop a conference in September to address some of the issues Ms. Carter had stated and hopefully come up with solutions with input from the community.

· President Miles asked about coordination of services available to which Ms. Carter responded that AACHIE is 90% completed with compiling community services information in the Bayview.

· Cathy Garza, Department of Children, Youth and Families

Ms. Garza stated there is an asset map that is already complete. She also stated that there is a Youth Opportunity grant available for twenty-eight million dollars for the course of the next three years, for youths age fourteen to twenty-one. Currently asthma rates in District 10 of San Francisco are "off the charts" nationwide and health issues are nine to one concerning African American women in the Bayview Hunters Point area in comparison to their counterparts.

· Barbara Brown, Director, United Council of Human Services (UCHS)

Ms. Brown announced that UCHS is having a grand opening of their facilities on Sunday, April 1, 2001, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at 311 Jennings Street and invited the Commissioners and public present to attend. She also stated that she would like to collaborate with the agencies in the Bayview.

· Janice Umbry, Neighborhood Network Centers

Ms. Umbry stated that available funds are published on the internet every week. Profiles of donors and foundations where you can get grant money is obtainable and can be downloaded. Ms. Umbry would like to establish an infrastructure for Bayview.

· Kathy Summers, Co-Chair of the Bayview Hunters Point Health Task Force, Nurse and Teacher for City College of San Francisco

Ms. Summers stated that the Task Force was instrumental in collaborating with Health Environmental Resource Center (HERC). The Task Force has thirteen representatives/volunteers from various organizations who meet once a month and talk about various health and environmental issues. Ms. Summers stated that there is a high rate of breast cancer in the Bayview and that HERC had started the door-to-door self examinations in the community. She is on the advisory board for the Breast Cancer Fund and stated that if anyone knows of women located in the Bayview who are breast cancer clients in need funds, they can receive a one-time emergency fund of $600. Ms. Summers will also be addressing hypertension and diabetes in the Bayview Hunters Point community.

· Commissioner Murase stated that the Commission will support, co-sponsor, and lend the Commission on the Status of Women’s name to functions.

· Margie Cherry, Breast Cancer Survivor and Representative for Cynthia Selmar, Executive Director of African American Coalition on Healthier Improvement and Empowerment (AACHIE)

Ms. Cherry stated that due to Ms. Summers’ teaching of self-breast examinations, she was able to detect and survive her own breast cancer. She was also diagnosed as an adult with asthma. Ms. Cherry wanted to make people aware of what women without insurance or jobs must go through and was advocating for support of these women. Ms. Cherry suggested working with the faith-based community. Ms. Cherry, also representing AACHIE, stated that they provide empowerment information and feel that the community is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to violence. Ms. Cherry announced that on Wednesday, April 4, 2001, at 12:30 p.m. at the Bayview Opera House, AACHIE is inviting the members of the community to come out and voice opinions about the current health and environmental issues affecting them.

· Karen Patterson-Matthews, Executive Director for Bayview Hunters Point Foundation (BVHPF)

Ms. Karen Patterson-Matthews stated that in 1971 as a multi-resource program, BVHPF incorporated crime and mental health and substance abuse. It is a program which responds to the changing needs of the community. There was an outcry from the community at the last meeting of the Environment Commission regarding the high level of asthma, breast cancer, cancer, short life expectancy, and rates of illness of the African Americans in the Bayview. Ms. Patterson-Matthews wondered how people get information to this community, examples range from the mold in houses to the smoldering fires, information of these health hazards are not getting to the Bayview community which is being affected. Health conditions arise due to things that are no longer in the community, expansion of services, educational outreach, forums, transportation and childcare. Ms. Patterson-Matthews stated that the community needs to find ways to stay on top of all the information. They are receiving a layering of information and by the time the community gets the information, often it is too late and reactionary. She wants to be proactive. What is needed is to garner all the information from all the powers that be with follow-up assistance. Ms. Patterson-Matthews stated that the Commission can show support by being involved in the process, through partnerships. She stated that it is going to take everyone at all levels of leadership to make this happen.

· Commissioner Murase offered resolutions from the Commission as a form of support.

· Diedra Epps-Miller

Ms. Epps-Miller stated that it would be helpful to listen to the community as well as respect the authenticity of what they are saying. Ms. Epps-Miller stated that no one can be judgmental of someone else’s reality.

· Commissioner Murase stated that the Commission could issue resolutions with facts and that they are happy to work with the community to put resolutions together.

· Reverend Hawkins, Double Rock Baptist Church, Victims Assistance Program and Vice-Chair of the PAC Board

Reverend Hawkins stated that he was born and raised in the Bayview and had been working with the Victims Assistance program as well as a grief counselor for the past seven years. He has seen people grieving and dying from environmental issues for the last 40 years. Reverend Hawkins suggested to the Commissioners to show they cared, that they attend the meetings in the community and show concern. Out of the sixty-three homicides in San Francisco, twenty were in the Bayview community. Grieving is a process, recovery is a choice. He feels that the City government has not stepped in; therefore, there is a mistrust by the community; meetings are held, meetings end, people go away and nothing happens. Reverend Hawkins announced that he has a revolving account to assist grieving families with issues such as; medical, dental, burial, counseling, loss of wages etc. for victims of violent crime. It also includes funds for spousal abuse and elder abuse. Reverend Hawkins announced that on April 26, 2001, at Southeast Community Facility at 6 p.m. he will be holding the seventh annual quilt ceremony. He invited the Commissioners and everyone present to attend.

· Commissioner Shorter suggested that Reverend Hawkins avail the Commission with Victims Assistance materials that can be maintained at the Department office. If people call the office they can be directed to Victims Witness Assistance program.

· Commissioner Keehn apologized as she had to leave.

· Milton Marks, III, Executive Director, Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF)

Mr. Marks thanked the Commission for holding this meeting. He stated that it is important to understand that trees are not just pretty. The trees that the FUF have planted every year have eliminated 3,600 tons of carbon dioxide as well as absorbed 6.4 tons of smog and seventeen tons of sulfur dioxide which causes acid rain. The FUF program depends heavily on the City for funding and request that the Commission speak to the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, and the Department of Public Works to let them know how important it is to get the FUF program into the budget. Many of the tree planters are women. FUF also works with youth programs, informing them of the importance of trees and responsibility of planting and caring for them. Mr. Marks requests that the Commissioners help the program; he would like the Commissioners to help get people involved. FUF wants to understand the needs of the community and feels that trees are part of the solution to environmental concerns.

· Wendy Brummer-Kocks, Community Activists, India Basin Neighborhood Association

Ms. Bummer-Kocks stated that she has studied the health statistics over the years for the Bayview/India Basin area. Ms. Brummer-Kocks stated that she and Ms. Carter sat with the Department of Public Health asking for statistics on breast cancer and asthma and at that time they were not available. More information has come along since then. Her personal standpoint is to stop environmental contaminants from coming into the community. Ms. Brummer-Kocks suggested trying to get better monitoring and better technologies for the polluters. She feels that the City of San Francisco needs policy and decentralization. She asked why the Southeast sewage plant services 80% of the City’s water waste? She feels that no one neighborhood should have to bear the burden of having all the nuclears in their area and at the expense of that community’s health.

9. NEW BUSINESS

8. ANNOUNCEMENTS

· Million Mom March - March for Sensible Gun Laws, Mother’s Day, May 13, 2001, Sacramento, 11:00 a.m. at the West steps of the State Capitol

· All Access (Front Row, Backstage. LIVE) - Special pre-screening of ALL ACCESS, April 3, 2001, Sony IMAX Theatre at the Metreon, 7 p.m.

· Undoing Racism Workshop - May 18 -20, 2001, Eastmont Town Center, Oakland, California

· Cesar E. Chavez Holiday Parade and Festival - March 31, 2001, 10 a.m. Interfaith Service, 11 a.m. Assemble for Parade at Justin Herman Plaza, San Francisco

· 11^th Annual Jenkins-Summers Memorial Scholarship Dinner Dance - May 5, 2001, San Francisco Airport Marriott, 6:30 - 12 midnight

· Bayview Hunters Point Health Care Task Force - meet the first Tuesday of each month at 6301 3^rd Street, 2^nd Floor, San Francisco

10. ADJOURNMENT

President Miles called for the meeting to adjourn at 8:10 p.m.

Know Your Rights under the Sunshine Ordinance

(Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code)

Government’s duty is to serve the public, reaching its decision in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people’s business. This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people’s review. For more information on your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance, or to report a violation of the Ordinance, contact the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force at 415-554-7724. To obtain a free copy of the Sunshine Ordinance contact the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, Donna Hall, Clerk, City Hall, Room 409, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102-4683, phone: 415-554-7724, fax: 415-554-7854, email: Donna_Hall@ci.sf.ca.us. Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can also be obtained from the San Francisco Public Library and on the City’s website at www.ci.sf.ca.us.