January 21, 2012

Mike Alonso, Myong Leigh, Sonia Melara, Marily Mondejar, David Pilpel, Mark Schreiber, Melissa Tidwell

1. Call to Order and Roll Call (10:19 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.)
The meeting was called to order at 10:19 a.m. On the call of the roll, Member Lam was noted absent. Member Pilpel, seconded by Member Mondejar, moved to excuse Member Lam.
The motion passed without objection.

Note: This item was taken out of order.

2. Approval of RDTF Minutes of January 4, 2012 (2:25 p.m. to 2:26 p.m.)
Member Tidwell, seconded by Member Mondejar, moved to approve the January 4, 2012 minutes with corrections. The motions passed without objection.

Note: This item was taken out of order.

3. Mapping (10:21 a.m. to 2:21 p.m.)
The Task Force received public input and made modifications to the January 4, 2012 working draft map. The Task Force did not finalize the changes to the working draft map and agreed to make further modifications to the working draft map as the Task Force receives more public input. The Task Force agreed not to post the changes to the working draft map pending further changes to the working draft map.

Public Comment:
Bernadette Sy, Filipino American Development Foundation and Director, Bayanihan Center, provided a proposed redrawn map of the SoMa area and requested that the Filipino community remain in District 6.
Robin Havens, Valencia/McCoppin Neighborhood Watch, requested that the area of Market/Guerrero to Van Ness /Market to Mission/South Van Ness to Duboce/Misison to Guerrero/Duboce (sometimes called "the Hub") remain in District 6. She noted that this area is a community of interest united by safety concerns.
Veronica requested that the areas area of Market/Guerrero to Van Ness /Market to Mission/South Van Ness to Duboce/Misison to Guerrero/Duboce remain in District 6.
Teresa Dulalas requested that the Filipino community remain in District 6, and stated that the community shares many common interests in part because it has a large number of families with children. She stated that Bessie Carmichael School is a bi-lingual school serving the Filipino community in District 6.
Allan Manalo, Bindlestiff Studio and Filipino American Arts Organization, requested that the Task Force keep the Filipino community in District 6.
Katy Liddell, South Beach, requested that the Task Force keep the Transbay Terminal and the Transbay in District 6.
Susan Parker, McCoppin, Valencia Neighborhood Watch, requested that the area of Market/Guerrero to Van Ness /Market to Mission/South Van Ness to Duboce/Misison to Guerrero/Duboce remain in District 6. She stated that the community shares an interest in public safety issues.
Kevin Stull, employee of the Central City SRO Collaborative, requested the northern boundary of District 6 be Post Street in order to keep SROs in one district as communities of interest.
Tad Bogdan, member of the Board of Directors of The Metropolitan, requested that the Task Force keep the Transbay area and Mission Bay in District 6. The neighborhood has common interests because all the residents are concerned about Bay Bridge traffic and that if the lines were drawn to move these areas out of District 6 he requested that they remain intact in one district.
A male speaker reviewed with the Task Force the history of the Filipino community in San Francisco and requested the Task Force to keep the Filipino community in District 6.
Al Perez, Entertainment Commission member and Filipino American Arts Exhibition, stated that the Filipino community has a rich historical tradition in SoMa and requested that the Filipino community be kept intact in District 6.
Paul Hogarth, Tenderloin Housing Clinic, stated that the current working draft map takes Supervisor Jane Kim out of her district along with the triangle area around McCoppin, Valencia, Duboce, and Guerrero streets. He proposed making the Central Freeway the boundary for District 6. He suggested taking 4 blocks around 16th and Potrero Streets and moving them to District 9 to help reduce the population in District 6. He also requested that the northern boundary of District 6 be Post Street and not south of Geary Street because that would remove three more SROs from their community of interest in District 6.
Corrine Woods, Mission Creek Harbor Association and Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee, requested that the Task Force to keep the Mission Bay area intact. The Board of the Mission Creek Harbors had voted to keep the Mission Bay intact. She indicated that 10 years ago, during the last redistricting process, the area was not very populated and that now if lines were drawn at 16th Street they would divide the UCSF Mission Bay campus. She stated her preference that the South Beach and Rincon Hill neighborhoods be in District 6 these neighborhoods have more in common with the Mission Bay and Transbay areas than they do with north of Market area. These neighborhoods are growing, working out safety and traffic issues, and share more with SoMa than with the north of Market area.
Karen Johnson requested area of Market/Guerrero to Van Ness /Market to Mission/South Van Ness to Duboce/Misison to Guerrero/Duboce remains in District 6. She stated that the McCoppin-Valencia area works together as a neighborhood.
Weyman Jones, Member of the San Francisco Manila Sister City Committee and Chair, American Filipino Commission, stated that one of the Commission’s concerns is Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and commended the Task Force with the current working draft map lines in District 11 that keep the Filipino community intact. He requested that the Filipino community remain in District 6 and that a Historic District be created for District 6 recognizing the Filipino communities history in the SOMA.
Rudy Corpes, Executive Director, Violence Prevention Program located on Mission Street between 7th and 8th Streets, has been a resident of the neighborhood for 50 years along with many of his family members. He stated that there are other neighborhoods Mission District for the Latino community, Chinatown, Japantown, and Bay View Hunters Point, and that District 6 is the last neighborhood for the Filipino community along with the Excelsior District. He requested that the Filipino community remain intact in District 6 and that the Task Force not divide the power of the Filipino community.
Elijah was raised in District 6 and requested that the Task Force keep the Filipino community in District 6.
Felid, United Playaz, was raised in District 6 and requested that the Task Force keep the Filipino community in District 6.
Rudy Corpes III, United Playaz, was raised in District 6 and requested that the Task Force keep the Filipino community in District 6.
Hiroshi Fukuda, Japantown Better Neighborhood Planning Organization, requested that the Japantown area not be divided. He stated that Geary Boulevard should not be used to divide the Western Addition. He requested that the Task Force keep Japantown in District 5 by moving the dividing line to at least Pine Street, and not move it into District 2. The area is more closely aligned with the Western Addition and lower Fillmore area. He requested that the Task Force keep the Asian population intact in District 5 and also requested that Laurel Heights and Jordan Park remain in District 2.
Jon Nulty, Co-Founder, Tenants Coalition for San Francisco, requested that the Task Force make the northern boundary of District 6 Post Street. He stated that there is an Uptown Historic District already established in the area that would be divided. He expressed concern with the working draft map as the most of the proposed changes were being made to District 6 and not evenly across the City. He stated that future growth in the City is going to occur in District 6.
Joshua Arce, Brightline Defense, stated the Tenderloin and SoMa are communities of interest and should remain intact. He requested that the Task Force move the area around 16th Street and Potrero Streets, (4 blocks) as previously mentioned back, to District 6. He stated that the OMI and other areas of District 11 share a community of interest around working households with union ties and requested that OMI remain in District 11.
Sarah Davis, SoMa Cultural Center, requested that the area near 9th and Brannan remain in District 6. As a member of the Mission Creek Harbor Association she indicated that there are many houseboat children who attend Daniel Webster and Bessie Carmichael Schools.
Susan Byrant, resident of District 6 for 21 years, requested that the northern boundary of District 6 be Post Street, which is a better fit for the Tenderloin area.
Thea Selby expressed concern about dividing Districts of 5 and 6 along Geary Boulevard. Geary Boulevard itself has many transit issues affecting people on both sides of the street. She stated that dividing along Geary Boulevard would mean that there would be two Supervisors representing the area, and that this presents a problem for the community. She stated that there is a need to keep the African American and Japanese American communities together in this area of the City because of the ties between their communities and that making Post Street the northern boundary of District 5 would accomplish this. She also stated that Rosa Parks School is a bilingual and bicultural school that combines the African American and Japanese American cultures and that many children from both communities attend the school.
Michael Pangilinan, Filipino American Democratic Club, requested that the Task Force keep the Filipino community in District 6 and keep District 11 intact. He resubmitted a proposed map for District 6. He stated that the Filipino community has been the swing vote in District 6 in the last Supervisorial elections.
Chris Bowman, 1995 Task Force member, reviewed the Asian American population and African American populations in District 5. He suggested moving up the northern boundary to the traditional California Street boundary and moving the southern boundary to north of Duboce Street. He stated that the Task Force’s major problems are in the populated areas of Districts 5, 6, and 11. He suggested making the Portola District whole and moving it to District 6, moving Potrero Hill into District 6, and moving Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island into District 3.
Michael Alfaro, Titan Management Group and District 6 resident, requested that the Task Force keep the Transbay Terminal in District 6. He stated that from the early development stages of the Transbay Terminal it was designed to be the crown jewel of District 6 and needs to remain part of District 6. He has worked with many groups in the Transbay area and the communities need to be united in addressing the many traffic issues in the area. Also, by taking housing density out of District 6 the need for parks or schools is no longer justified and District 6 needs parks and schools.
Howard Cheng, President of the Board of The Metropolitan, a 340-condominium complex in SoMa, stated that he is concerned over the division of the Transbay area. He requested the Task Force not to let the population rebalancing of the neighborhood be the deciding factor but to let the daily living conditions of the neighborhood be their factor for the drawing of the lines in District 6.
Leo Chiang, resident of The Metropolitan, requested that the Task Force keep the Transbay area in District 6.
Lorenzo, resident of the Tenderloin and Filipino community, requested the Task Force to keep the Tenderloin Filipino community in District 6.
Yvette Torres, Filipino Advocates for Justice and Creative Arts, requested that the Task Force keep the Filipino community in District 6.
Shalini Bhatiu requested that the Task Force keep the Transbay Terminal in District 6 due to common community interests related to traffic. She indicated that the Folsom corridor is critical for parks and schools.
Michael Nulty, Executive Director, Alliance for a Better District 6 and President, Central City Democrats, requested that the boundaries of District 6 should be up to Post Street to Van Ness Avenue, down to 16th Street, and Post Street to Market Street. He suggested moving Treasure Island and Alcatraz to another district. He also requested that the Task Force keep SROs united in District 6 and keep the Transbay Terminal, Mission Bay, and the Filipino community in District 6.
Otto Duffy, North of Market resident, stated that the proposed California Pacific Medical Center development on Van Ness Avenue will have a major impact on the North of Market area and requested that the boundary be Post Street to keep the North of Market area intact.
Marcella, General Manager, The Metropolitan, requested that the Transbay area remain in District 6, and if not in District 6 that it remain intact in one district.
Klaus Nicholson, resident of The Metropolitan, stated that Transbay development issues are District 6 issues not District 3 issues.
District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim expressed her gratitude to the Task Force and community members for coming to District 6 today. She provided a brief history of District 6 and concluded that District 6 residents are neighbors in transition and that the district is tied together in many areas of common interests.
Supervisor Kim requested that the Filipino community remain in District 6 and that the SRO communities be kept united in District 6 south of Post Street, and that the McCoppin Triangle be kept in District 6. She stated that she is the Chair of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, that many future planning projects are in District 6, that Rincon Hill and South Beach developments and Transbay Redevelopment projects need to stay intact in District 6.
She indicated that Folsom Street has been considered the Boulevard for the SoMa and needs to remain intact for future planning. She stated District 6 is a high-rise residential area unique to San Francisco and that the residents in the area have different needs. She indicated that Treasure Island uses the same community-based organizations used by residents in District 6 and that many of the children who live on Treasure Island attend the same schools and after school programs as children in District 6. She stated that District 6 is a mixed used neighborhood and residents of District 6 understand and realize that their neighborhood is not a traditional retail neighborhood like those in other parts of the City. She stated that District 6 has the second highest percentage of African Americans in the City and there is a large population of African Americans living on Treasure Island. She stated that District 6 is the smallest district on the working draft map at this time and that there is room to add areas in District 6, especially residential.

RECESS
The Task Force recessed at 11:42 p.m. and reconvened at 11:58 p.m.
The Task Force also recessed at 2:15 p.m. and reconvened at 2:21 p.m.

Note: Task Force returned to Item 2 on the agenda.

4. Community Outreach (2:21 p.m. to 2:25 p.m.)
The Task Force reviewed current and future outreach activities.

Public Comment:
Otto Duffy requested that a copy of today’s working draft map be made available to the public.
Steven Currier, Outer Mission Merchants and Residents Association, inquired as to whether or not the public would receive emails from the Redistricting Task Force notifying them of future meetings.
David Hooper, President of the New Mission Terrace Improvement Association, provided the Task Force members with copies of the guidelines for the New Mission Terrace Improvement Association.
A female speaker stated that she was not pleased with the Task Force’s proposed modifications to the areas of 16th Mission Street. She requested the Task Force to make changes in that area.

5. Task Force Budget (2:26 p.m. to 2:27 p.m.)
Chair McDonnell informed Task Force members that there is additional funding available to the Redistricting Task Force. He will present this information to the members at the next meeting.

Public Comment: None

6. Voting Rights Act Analysis (2:27 p.m. to 2:34 p.m.)
A. Public comment on all matters pertaining to agenda item 6.

None
B. Potential Closed session – CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION.
i. Motion to invoke the attorney-client privilege and go into closed session to confer with or receive advice from legal counsel

ii. Closed session held pursuant to Brown Act section 54956.9(b) (Cal. Gov. Code §54956.9(b)) and Sunshine Ordinance section 67.10(d)(2) (S.F. Admin. Code §67.10(d)(2)). Significant exposure to litigation as defendant. Number of potential cases: At least one. (Discussion and possible action.) The closed session discussion will focus on potential legal challenges based on Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1973, to the City's redistricting of supervisorial districts. [Note: If the Task Force chooses not to hold a closed session, it may choose to discuss this item in open session.]

C. Reconvene in open session.
i. Vote regarding disclosure of closed session action and deliberations. (Action.) Vote pursuant to Sunshine Ordinance section 67.12(a) (S.F. Admin. Code § 67.12(a)) on whether to disclose any portion of closed session discussion.

ii. Disclosure of action taken (if any) to the extent required by Brown Act section 54957.1(a) (Cal. Gov. Code §54957.1(a)) and Sunshine Ordinance section 67.12(b) (S.F. Admin. Code §67.12(b)).

Member Leigh, seconded by Member Melara, moved to continue this item to the meeting of January 26, 2012. The motion passed without objection.

7. Task Force Member Reports (2:35 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.)
Member Mondejar reported that the Assembly District 17 meeting which she had previously asked to speak at had been cancelled.
Member Pilpel reported that he had been invited by David Latterman to participate in a forum on redistricting at UC Hastings College of the Law on January 28, 2012. Member Pilpel reiterated his request for copies of the new Congressional and Assembly District maps for San Francisco and requested clarification on Task Force member assignments to review public comment. Membe Pilpel requested that he receive all public comments submitted and not just those related to his District assignment.

Public Comment: None

8. Public Comment: (2:40 p.m. to 2:47 p.m.)
Chris Bowman, 1995 Task Force member, suggested that Task Force keep a record of editorials and articles written relating to the redistricting process. He also stated the staff at ReDrawSF have been very helpful and responsive to his questions. He highlighted some problems he noticed concerning the program but indicated that the staff was working to correcting those problems.
Kristine Zaback, Forest Knolls Neighborhood Association, provided the Task Force a map outlining specific traffic issues in the West Of Twin Peaks neighborhood.

9. Future Agenda Items (2:47 p.m. to 2:48 p.m.)
Members Tidwell, Mondejar and Melara requested that the closed session item be scheduled prior the Mapping item on the January 26, 2012 meeting agenda.
Member Leigh requested an item to discuss how the Task Force will handle the distribution of the Task Force’s working draft maps to the public as modifications are made. Chair McDonnell indicated that this could be discussed during the Mapping item.

10. Adjournment
There being no further business, the Task Force adjourned at 2:49 p.m.