REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE
CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO
MINUTES
Monday, March 12, 2012 - 6:00 p.m.
West Portal School Auditorium
5 Lenox Way
San Francisco CA 94127
Members: Chair Eric McDonnell, Vice Chair Jenny Lam,
Mike Alonso, Myong Leigh, Sonia Melara, Marily Mondejar
David Pilpel, Mark Schreiber, Melissa Tidwell
Special Meeting
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
The meeting was called to order at 6:17 p.m. On the call of the roll, all members were present.
2. Approval of RDTF Minutes of February 17, 2012. (6:18 p.m. to 6:19 p.m.)
Member Melara, seconded by Member Tidwell, moved to approve the minutes for the meeting of February 17, 2012 with corrections. The motion passed without objection.
Public Comment: None
3. Community Outreach. (6:19 p.m. to 6:20 p.m.) Member Mondejar provided a copy of the advertisement for the ethnic media publications.
Public Comment: None
4. Consideration of Citywide Maps. (6:20 p.m. to 7:02 p.m.) Task Force provided an opportunity to Alicia Gamez and Bernard Choden to make presentations about their proposed citywide maps.
Public Comment:
Nancy Crowley, Lakeshore Acres resident, stated the Lakeshore Acres has a community of interest in common with San Francisco State University, Stonestown, Park Merced and Lake Merced. She requested that the Task Force keep Lakeshore Acres and Merced Manor in District 7.
Mick Ames, Glen Park Association, requested that the Task Force keep the Sunnyside area in District 8. He requested that the Task Force use Congo Street as the east/west dividing line between Districts 7 and 8.
Paul Berman, Mt. Sutro Woods Homeowners Association, requested that the Task Force keep Mt. Sutro Woods in District 7. He stated that the community that lives at a 650-foot elevation on Mt. Sutro Woods does not relate to the District 5 community at sea level. He also stated that long-term residents live in the West of Twin Peaks area and want to keep it that way.
Chris Bowman, 1995 past Task Force member, commended the individuals for submitting proposed citywide maps. He provided the Task Force with a comparison of the two citywide proposed maps. He stated that the Valencia corridor should remain intact but that the Task Force should use alleyways between Valencia and Guerrero.
A male speaker from the Lakeshore Acres Improvement Club requested that the Task Force keep Lakeshore Acres and Merced Manor in District 7.
Karen Breslin, Miraloma Park Improvement Association, President, requested that the Task Force keep Miraloma Park in District 7.
Ed Reed, Janet Pomeroy Center Co-Chair, requested that the Task Force keep the Janet Pomeroy Center in District 7.
David Bisho, 2002 past Task Force member, stated his support for the map submitted by the West of Twin Peaks Central Council and requested that the Task Force keep all of the West of Twin Peaks neighborhoods united in District 7.
Otto Duffy requested that the Task Force keep the North of Market and South of Market areas as the core of District 6. He stated that the
Chinese Americans Voters Education Committee (CAVEC) does a good job of preserving the rental market in the / South of Market area.
Norman Yee, San Francisco School Board President, requested that the Task Force keep Lakeshore Acres, Merced Manor, and the Mt. Sutro Woods area in District 7.
David Lynch, District 1 resident, stated that the boundary between Districts 1 and 2 should be on Lake Street instead of California Street.
Matt Chamberlain, West of Twin Peaks Central Council President, requested that the Task Force keep Lakeshore Acres and Merced Manor in District 7. He noted that most neighborhoods in District 7 are planned neighborhoods, opened up by the Twin Peaks Tunnel, for people to have an almost rural lifestyle.
Paul Conroy, Ingleside Residents Association, stated that the West of Twin Peaks area has self -indentified as a community of interest and requested that the Task Force accept the submitted district map by the West of Twin Peaks Central Council.
5. Mapping. (7:02 p.m. to 9:08 p.m.) The Task Force received public input and made modifications to the February 23, 2012 working draft map. The Task Force agreed to post the March 12, 2012 working draft map on the Redistricting Task Force website.
Public Comment:
Kristine Zayback, Forest Knolls Neighborhood Association President, stated that the West of Twin Peaks areas are a diverse community of interest with tremendous community outreach.
Steven Currier, District 11 Council and Outer Mission Merchants and Residents Association (OMMRA), requested that the Task Force include the Saddleback neighborhood and Walbridge housing projects in District 11.
Alicia Gamez requested that the Task Force keep the Valencia corridor in District 8 for population reasons.
Chris Bowman, 1995 past Task Force member, reviewed the 1% deviation relating to the Russian Hill neighborhood. He stated that University of San Francisco should be united in District 1, Kaiser Hospital should be united in District 5, and Mission Bay should be united in one district.
Denise LaPointe, West of Twin Peaks Central Council, and Twin Peaks Improvement Association, stated that she was satisfied with the February 23, 2012 working draft map. She urged the Task Force to keep all of Twin Peaks Boulevard in District 7. She expressed concern with individual Task Force members submitting a citywide map contrary to community proposed submitted citywide maps.
Karen Breslin, Miraloma Park Improvement Association, stated that she supports the district map submitted by West of Twin Peaks Central Council. She urged the Task Force to keep Miraloma Park in District 7.
George Wooding stated the West of Twin Peaks area includes neighborhoods of families. He also stated that the West of Twin Peaks area has a common community of interest and should remain in District 7. He supports the February 23, 2012 working draft map.
Roger Ritter, Balboa Terrace Homes Association, requested that the Task Force keep Balboa Terrace in District 7. He supports the district map submitted by the West of Twin Peaks Central Council.
David Hooper, New Mission Terrace Improvement Association President, requested that the border between Districts 7 and 11 should be at Garfield. Barbara Chionsin, Lakeshore Acres Improvement Club, requested that the Task Force keep Lakeshore Acres in District 7. A big issue for the area is San Francisco State University (SFSU) and being in District 7 helps them communicate with the administration at SFSU.
John Hentz requested that the Task Force keep the West of Twin Peaks area united in District 7.
Jim Wetzel requested that the Task Force keep Lakeshore Acres and Merced Manor in District 7.
Dr. Samuel Sobol requested that the Task Force keep Forest Knolls and Mt. Sutro Woods in District 7.
Judy Clark, The Woods of San Francisco, requested that the Task Force keep the current boundaries for District 7 as shown on the February 23, 2012 working draft map. She stated that The Woods has been a neighborhood since 1977 and has much in common with its District 7 neighbors.
Paul Conroy, Ingleside Terraces, stated that the West of Twin Peaks Central Council map unifies Ocean Avenue. He stated that Ocean Avenue would be represented by one Supervisor rather than by two and would provide a better representation as projects move forward on Ocean Avenue.
Mary Harris, District 11 Council and Ocenview-Merced-Ingleside (OMI) Neighbors in Action, requested that the District 11 boundary be to Holloway and to keep the OMI united in District 11. She thanked the Task Force for its hard work and for the professional manner in which the meetings had been conducted. She also thanked the support staff of the Task Force.
Lynne Lynch, Merced Manor, requested that Merced Manor remain in District 7 and to keep communities of interest together in District 7.
Dr. Justin Morgan requested that the border of District 11 be at Holloway and not at Shields in order to keep communities of interest united.
Otto Duffy requested that the Task Force keep the Tenderloin Historic District united in District 6.
Judy Berkovitz, Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods (CSFN) and East Mission Improvement Association, stated that she had reviewed the February 23, 2012 working draft map and the San Francisco Association of Realtors map with the executive committee of CSFN. She stated that CSFN was not included in any of the redentions of the community unity map and that she was not aware of the community unity map until she attended the March 7, 2012 Task Force meeting. She requested that the Task Force keep San Francisco General Hospital in District 9 and that the eastern boundary be at the James Lick Freeway.
Claire Zvanski, District 11 resident, requested that the Task Force keep the OMI united in District 11 as a community of interest. She stated that all of OMI is a working class to lower-middle class neighborhood and that it should be kept together in one district.
RECESS
The Task Force recessed at 7:40 p.m. and reconvened at 7:56 p.m.
6. Format of Final Task Force Map and Report. (9:08 p.m. to 9:09 p.m.) Chair McDonnell informed the Task Force that he will be providing a draft of the final report with assignments to the Task Force.
Public Comment: None
7. Budget. (9:09 p.m. to -9:15 p.m.)
Vice Chair Lam reported that the Consultant contract has $47,000 remaining and that outreach is well under budget. Member Pilpel requested and the Task Force discussed televising future meetings. Kay Gulbengay, Task Force Clerk informed the Task Force that arrangements have been made to televise the March 29, 2012 meeting at a cost of approximately $1,800 for 5-6 hours.
Public Comment: None
8. Task Force Member Reports (9:15 p.m. to 9:16 p.m.) Member Alonso reported that he will be making a presentation on redistricting to the East Mission Neighborhood Association on March 13, 2012.
Public Comment: None
A male speaker requested that the Task Force continue outreach using social networking.
9. Future Agenda Items. (9:16 p.m. to 9:54 p.m.)
Member Melara requested that an item regarding Task Force member’s summaries of public submittals for each of their assigned districts be agendized for a future Task Force meeting.
Member Pilpel requested that he be allowed to make a presentation to the Task Force on his submitted citywide map at a future meeting. The Task Force discussed this request. Member Melara, seconded by Member Tidwell, moved not to agendize a presentation of Member Pilpel’s submitted citywide map. Member Leigh further amended the motion to replace “Member Pilpel” with “any Task Force member”. The motion as amended passed by the following vote:
Ayes: 5 - Lam, Leigh, McDonnell, Melara, Tidwell
Noes: 4 - Alonso, Mondejar, Pilpel, Schreiber
Member Tidwell, seconded by Member Melara, moved that the Task Force not agendize, even as part of the mapping discussion, an entire citywide map proposal by a member of the Task Force. This would not prevent Task Force members from presenting proposals for a series of changes in a region of the City. The motion passed by the following vote:
Ayes: 7- Lam, Leigh, McDonnell, Melara, Mondejar, Schreiber, Tidwell
Noes: 2 - Alonso, Pilpel
Public Comment:
Otto Duffy stated that the Task Force should let Member Pilpel present his map and criticize it if they disagreed with it.
Chris Bowman stated that he was of several minds about this issue and described similar issues that arose during the 2002 Task Force meetings.
Andrew Bley inquired if there was an issue in the past of a Task Force member submitting a citywide map.
10. Adjournment.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m.
