REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE
CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO
MINUTES
Old First Presbyterian Church
1751 Sacramento
San Francisco CA 94109
Thursday, February 23, 2012 - 6:00 PM
Special Meeting
Members: Chair Eric McDonnell, Vice Chair Jenny Lam,
Mike Alonso, Myong Leigh, Sonia Melara, Marily Mondejar,
David Pilpel, Mark Schreiber, Melissa Tidwell
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
The meeting was called to order at 6:14 p.m. On the call of the roll, Member Melara was noted absent. Member Melara was noted present at 6:45 p.m.
2. Mapping. (6:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.)
The Task Force received public input and made modifications to the February 6, 2012 working draft map. The Task Force agreed to post the February 23, 2012 working draft on the Redistricting Task Force website.
Public Comment:
District 3 Supervisor David Chiu welcomed the Task Force to District 3. He thanked the Task Force for its hard work and community outreach. He stated that his perspective on the drawing of district lines was irrelevant because the drawing of district lines was the responsibility of citizens and not elected officials. He stated that District 3 would have to gain several thousand people and this could only be done by either going west or south. He requested that the Task Force keep communities of interest and neighborhoods united.
Frank Cannata, Middle Polk Neighborhood Association, requested that the Task Force keep Polk Street corridor in District 3. He stated that there is a community of interest in the Middle Polk area about issues such as crime abatement, beautification, etc.
Penelope Clark, Russian Hill Improvement Association, stated that Hyde Street could be an appropriate border between Districts 2 and 3. She stated that most people in the Russian Hill Neighborhood Association would like to see all of Russian Hill in District 3. She expressed concern with being unable to read the lines on the February 6, 2012 working draft map.
Bernard Choden, San Francisco Tomorrow and Japantown resident, addressed the Task Force about the Voting Rights Act relating to population representation and suggested that the Task Force load its database to include where voters live and issues relating to social class. He urged the Task Force to stop and reauthorize its budget and time in order to consider these aspects. In regards to communities of interest he stated that the current February 6, 2012 working draft map had divided the Islamic community of interest and that the Task Force should reconsider this and keep this religious community of interest united. He stated that the Japanese Americans and African Americans have a strong association with each other and should remain united in District 5. He requested that the California Pacific Medical Center project be in District 5. He requested that the Task Force move the area north of Chestnut Street into District 2, and that Golden Gate Park remains united and represented by only one Supervisor.
Elizabeth Jones, Westside Courts Housing Project, requested that the Task Force keep the Westside Courts Housing Project in District 5. She stated that residents of Westside Court use District 5 services and they would be lost in a different district.
Hiroshi Fukuda, Japantown Better Neighborhood Association and Japanese American Religious Federation, requested that the Task Force move the line between Districts 2 and 5 from Pine to California Street. He stated that three churches in the Federation were excluded from District 5 on the February 23, 2012 working draft map. He urged the Task Force to keep in District 5 the St. Benedict Xaviar Church (on Pine and Octavia Streets) and the Buddhist Church further east on Pine Street. He also urged the Task Force to keep the Japanese and African American communities in Japantown together in light of the long history of those two communities working together. He supported the previous speaker's suggestion to keep Westside Court with Japantown.
Karin Flood, Union Square Business Improvement District, thanked the Task Force for its hard work and requested that the Task Force keep the Union Square area intact. This is approximately a 27-block area, and its boundaries are Bush, Kearny, Market, and Mason or Taylor. There are not many voters in this area, but there are important business interests. She requested that the boundaries of District 3 be extended to include Market Street and Hallidie Plaza.
Linda Chapman, Nob Hill Association, requested that the Task Force make the northern boundary for District 3 Van Ness Avenue. She stated that the boundaries of Nob Hill are Van Ness to Broadway. The southern and eastern boundaries are more variable, but Van Ness is an absolute boundary that divides Nob Hill and Pacific Heights. She stated that Nob Hill is not all rich. There are some wealthy households at the top of the hill but there are lots of median income households lower doewn that do not have much in common with Pacific Heights.
Robyn Tucker, Avenue Association (PANA) Co-Chair Pacific, requested that the Task Force keep the Pacific Avenue Association area in District 3. She stated that they share many issues and areas of concern and communities of interest with District 3, including dense population and a focus on safety, zoning, quality of life, and small business issues. They work with Supervisor David Chiu to address these needs.
Kathleen Courtney, Chair of Housing and Zoning, Russian Hill Community Association, congratulated the Task Force on their redistricting process, and the attention they have given to the community input. She also expressed how well
staff keeps the public informed of meetings. She stated that her association is comfortable being in District 3 and works hard to address zoning, planning, and safety matters with other associations in District 3.
Alicia Gamez, District 8 resident, informed the Task Force that the maps which she had previously submitted, for Districts 5 and 8 have been approved by the District 8 Democratic Club and Liberty Hill Neighborhood Association. She submitted a map to the Task Force and stated that her map addresses the overpopulation in District 9.She stated that these maps would ensure equal representation for all residents in districts 8 and 9.
Tina Moylan, President, Russian Hill Neighbors Association, stated the boundary for Russian Hill is Van Ness Avenue to Mason Street and Pacific Avenue to North Point. She informed the Task Force that the Russian Hill Neighbors Association had voted unanimously to keep the lines as they are currently drawn on the February 6, 2012 working draft map. She stated that they are happy with having Russian Hill in two districts. She stated that they have a good working relationship with both Supervisor Chiu and Supervisor Farrell.
Richard Cardello, Russian Hill Neighbors Association, stated that he was satisfied with the district lines of District 3 as shown on the February 6, 2012 working draft map.
Marlene Morgan, Cathedral Hill Neighborhood Association, stated that she agreed with the changes made on the current February 6, 2012 working draft map to District 5 but she requested that the Task Force include California Pacific Medical Center proposed project in District 5. This would mean drawing the line for District 5 to Post Street. She also stated that Cathedral Hill and Japantown should be in District 5.
Chris Shulman stated that he was satisfied with the district line of District 3 as shown on the February 6, 2012 working draft map. He requested that the southern boundary not go further than Post Street.
Karen Kai, Japantown community member, stated that she was pleased to have Japantown in District 5 on the February 6, 2012 working draft. She provided the task force the proposed northern boundaries beginning on Gough up to California Street, west on California to Buchanan, south on Buchanan to Pine, west on Pine to Scott, south on Scott to Sutter, west on Sutter to Presidio, and south on Presidio to Geary. These proposed boundaries would bring all communities of interest of both Japanese Americans and African Americans to District 5.
Robert Rusky, Japantown resident, stated that he supports the lines as described by the previous speaker to bring together all the communities of interests, churches and service agencies for both the Japanese American and African American communities in District 5. These institutions include the Hamilton Recreation Center, Westside Courts, and the Booker T. Washington Center. He stated that it is important to keep Japantown and the Fillmore whole. Both communities are working together to recover from redevelopment and it is important to have one supervisor represent them.
Caroline Hsu, Asian Law Caucus, supported the map submitted by the Japantown and Western Addition associations and requested that the Task Force keep Booker T. Washington Service Center, Hamilton Community Center, Westside Courts Housing Project, JCYC, Rosa Parks Elementary School and Chibi-Chan preschool in District 5. Regarding District 11, she urged the Task Force to ask the consultant if it would be possible to make District 11 fifty-percent Asian citizen voting age population without dividing communities of interest. If not, she urgedt the Task Force to get as close as possible to 50% without dividing communities of interest.
Dr Justin Morgan, family physician in the Fillmore area, requested that the Task Force put Westside Courts Housing Project and Booker T. Washington Community Service Center in District 5, as they are part of the Western Addition and have communities of interest with the residents of District 5.
Rose Hillson, Jordan Park Improvement Association, requested that the Task Force keep Jordan Park in District 2. She also requested that the Task Force keep Japantown in District 5 and keep the Western Addition and Japantown united in District 5. She also requested that the Task Force include Western Addition Library in District 5.
Al Sodoni, Anza Vista Neighborhood Association, requested that the Task Force keep Anza Vista in District 2. He stated that his association has been working with the current District 2 Supervisor to address traffic issues related to the proposed building of the Target store at Masonic and Geary. He stated that his neighborhood is more residential than District 5, which is more business.
A female speaker, Chair, Middle Polk Association, requested that the Task Force keep the middle Polk area in District 3. She stated that the boundaries are Van Ness to Leavenworth and California to Broadway.
Kristine Zaback, President, Forest Knolls Association, stated that the homes in the West of Twin Peaks area are predominately zoned as RH-1 and are different from those homes in District 8. She requested that West of Twin Peaks area remain in District 7, which would allow effective representation by a Supervisor aware of the needs of single-family residences.
Carl Williams, property owner at 708 Broderick, east side on Broderick between McAllister and Fulton Streets. He stated that making the border of District 5 Fulton Street rather Turk divides a community of interest. He stated that he has been involved with the redevelopment activities of this area and there are still many adverse impacts from these redevelopment projects and proposals. There is a need for corrective action by the City and by the body, which will replace the Redevelopment Agency. He requested that the Task Force keep Turk Street the boundary for District 5.
Agonafer Shiferaw, African American Democratic Club, stated that the moving of the boundary for District 5 from Turk to Fulton has a serious significant impact for District 5. He stated that District 5 has an unfinished agenda and has been working effectively with the District 5 Supervisor. He requested that the Task Force move the boundary for District 5 to Turk rather than Fulton in order to keep communities of interest together who have worked together on housing issues, economic development and to address redevelopment issues in the past.
Otto Duffy, Central City Democratic Club, stated that planning agencies in North of Market are interested in keeping Geary in District 6 and requested that the northern boundary for District 3 go up to Post Street.
Steven Currier, OMMNA and District 11 Council, informed the Task Force that the District 11 Council would be submitting a letter with the proposed boundary lines for District 11 next week. He requested that if the Task Force was going to draw lines tonight, that they do not draw lines for District 11 so that they might have a chance to see the proposed boundaries submitted by District 11 Council.
Charles Spencer, President, African American Democratic Club, requested that the Task Force make Turk Street instead of Fulton the boundary for District 5. He also expressed concern with the boundary between Districts 7 and 11. He stated that African Americans often move west from Fillmore and it is concerning to see the Black community divided in half, which is contrary to what the Task Force’s mission should be.
Chris Bowman, 1995 Task Force member, provided a laminated copy of the 1995 Task Force proposal for their review. He stated that the boundaries for Russian Hill Russian Hill in 1995 were Leavenworth to Green over to Van Ness Avenue and that the northern boundary of District 5 was Sutter Street. He stated that the boundary for District 5 should up to Sutter Street to include Daniel Burnham housing.
He suggested proposed changes to Anza Vista area and restated that the 12-block area south of Anza Vista be in District 5.
3. Task Force Budget. (9:45 p.m. to 9:55 p.m.)
Member Mondejar, seconded by Member Leigh, moved to approve $6,000 to Creative i Studio for ethnic media outreach. This amount includes only print advertising and would exclude $3,000 for radio and TV advertising.
Member Pilpel, seconded by Member Alonso, moved to amend the motion by approving a total of $9,000 to include the printing of advertisements in neighborhood newspapers as well as ethnic newspapers. The amendment was agreed to without objection.
Public Comment: None
The motion passed by the following vote.
Ayes: 8 – Alonso, Lam, Leigh, Melara, McDonnell, Mondejar, Pilpel, Schreiber
Noes: 1 - Tidwell
Note: This item was taken out of order.
4. Community Outreach. (9:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.)
The Task Force discussed current and future outreach activities. Member Mondejar provided the Task Force with a proposal from Creative i Studio for ethnic media outreach. The $9,000 proposal includes $2,000 for concept development, $1,000 for print advertising production (multiple languages), $3,000 for print advertising insertion, $2,000 for a 30-second TV spot production (not including air time), and $1,000 for radio commercial production (not including air time).
Vice Chair Lam and Member Melara informed the Task Force that after reviewing certain legalities relating to auto telephone calling and the time constraints involved , that it would not be cost effective to engage these services from Hope Road Consulting at this time.
Public Comment:
Chris Bowman suggested that Task Force funds that had been budgeted for automatic telelphone calls could be used instead for telephone polling.
5. Task Force Member Reports. (9:55 p.m. to 9:58 p.m.)
Member Alsonso reported that he made a presentation on redistricting at San Francisco State University.
Member Leigh reported that he would be making a presentation on redistricting to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club.
Member Pilpel reported that he had made a presentation to the San Francisco Youth Commission on redistricting on February 21, 2012.
Chair McDonnell reported that he would be meeting with members of the Western Addition and Japantown communities in District 5 on February 29, 2012 to update them on the status of redistricting to date. He also reported that he would be making a presentation on February 27, 2012 to Professor Jim Sutton’s class at UC Hastings College of the Law.
Public Comment: None
6. Public Comment
None
7. Future Agenda Items. (9:58 p.m. to 9:59 p.m.)
Member Schreiber requested that an item relating to the process for preparing the final report and map be on the next agenda.
Vice Chair Lam requested that an item relating to the process to review citywide maps submitted by the public be on the next agenda.
Chair McDonnell requested that Mapping, Task Force Budget, Community Outreach, and a possible Closed Session relating to the Voting Rights Act, along with the regular items, be on the next agenda.
8. Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
