MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OF THE ARTS COMMISSION

Monday, May 22, 2017
12:30 p.m.
401 Van Ness Avenue, Room 125

Minutes
 

President Beltran called the meeting to order at 12:33 p.m.

1. Roll Call
   Commissioners Present 
   JD Beltran, President
   Charles Collins
   Roberto Ordeñana, Vice President
   Abby Sadin Schnair
    
   Commissioners Absent 
   Simon Frankel
    
   President Beltran welcomed Commissioner Kimberlee Stryker, Chair of the Civic Design Review Committee, who was present because of the agenda item regarding the agreement with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development.
    
   President Beltran also announced that, for the sake of time, the Director’s Report would be moved to the end of the agenda, before New Business and Announcements.
    
2. General Public Comment
   There was no public comment.
    
3. Rescinding Requirement to Issue Two Certificates to Street Artists
   Street Artists Program Director Howard Lazar explained the history behind this item: in 1981, the Commission approved the issuance of two copies of the Street Artists license, or certificate, to accommodate the process of the lottery allocating selling spaces each day. With the changes in lottery and administrative procedures in recent years, including the fact that licenses are now all renewed on the same date, the second copy of the license is now superfluous. Mr. DeCaigny added that this resolution addresses what is properly an administrative issue, not dictated by the legislation, and inhibits staff from proactively managing the program.
    
   The Committee discussed the motion, and how the change would be communicated to the artists.
    
   There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to rescind Resolution Number 1981-988, which reads as follows:
   “RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby approve the adoption of a provision for the issuance of two certificates to each street artist: one to be affixed to the the [sic] display in a prominent location at all times while the artist is selling; the other to be carried by the artist for use in entering in and participating in the Art Commission's lottery system for the assignment of sales spaces.”
    
4. FY2017-2018 Cultural Equity Initiatives
   Vice President Ordeñana explained that he would recuse himself from consideration of this item and the following one because one of the fiscal sponsors, the Queer Cultural Center, rents space from his employer, the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center. He left the meeting room at 12:39 p.m.
    
   Commissioner Collins explained that grantee Chinese Historical Society of America works on some programs with his employer, the San Francisco YMCA, and he would have to recuse himself from consideration of that grantee.
    
   Mr. DeCaigny explained that because a grantee approved by the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee refused its grant, those funds were available to be awarded to the next four grantees recommended by the panel.
    
   There was no public comment, and the following motion was approved unanimously, with the recusal of Vice President Ordeñana.
    
   Motion to approve recommendations to award three grants totaling $77,251 in the 2016-2017 cycle of Cultural Equity Initiatives (“CEI”) to the following organizations, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreements with each organization for amounts not to exceed the following:
   Creative Labor (Fiscal Sponsor: Queer Cultural Center), $7,666
   OX (Fiscal Sponsor: CounterPulse), $35,000
   Queer Rebels Productions (Fiscal Sponsor: Queer Cultural Center), $34,585
    
   Commissioner Collins left the meeting room at 12:42 p.m., and Vice President Ordeñana returned at 12:43 p.m.
    
   There was no public comment, and the following motion was approved unanimously, with the recusal of Commissioner Collins.
    
   Motion to approve recommendations to award one grant totaling $25,000 in the 2016-2017 cycle of Cultural Equity Initiatives (“CEI”) to the following organization, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a grant agreement with the organization for an amount not to exceed the following: Chinese Historical Society of America, $25,000
    
5. FY2017-2018 Cultural Centers Advances
   Vice President Ordeñana left the room at 12:44 p.m., and Commissioner Collins returned.
    
   Mr. DeCaigny explained that this motion was a standard procedure to allow the Cultural Centers to operate until the City budget is finally approved, and he noted that with the transition to a new financial accounting system, the City might not make regular grant payments before late summer.
    
   There was no public comment, and the following motion was approved unanimously, with the recusal of Vice President Ordeñana.
    
   Motion to authorize advances to the following Cultural Centers for FY2017-2018 based on the prior year’s total grant allocation and pending approval of the City budget, in the following amounts:
   African American Art and Culture Complex (“AAACC”) $163,826 (including $137,093 to AAACC and $26,733 to Queer Cultural Center as sub-grantee of AAACC)
   Bayview Opera House, $86,186
   Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, $144,609
   SOMArts Cultural Center, $188,331 (including $161,598 to SOMArts Cultural Center and $26,733 to Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center as sub-grantee of SOMArts Cultural Center)
    
   Vice President Ordeñana returned to the room at 12:46 p.m.
    
6. Laguna Honda Mural Grant Increase and Extension
   Community Investments Program Director Judy Nemzoff explained that this motion extended a prior grant awarded through a District 7 Supervisorial addback, for completion of a mural at Laguna Honda Hospital.
    
   There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to increase the 2016-2017 Special Project Grant with Precita Eyes Muralists Association, Inc. (authorized by Resolution No. 0912-16-246) by $25,000 for a total grant amount not to exceed $50,000, and to extend the grant window to June 30, 2018. The grant is to complete a mural at the entrance of Laguna Honda Hospital with funding from the Participatory Budget process in District 7.
    
7. District 10 Participatory Budget Grant
   Ms. Nemzoff explained that this grant was awarded through the participatory budget process in which district residents submitted ideas and voted to choose one.
    
   There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to enter into a grant agreement with Economic Development on Third for an amount not to exceed $25,000 for a Jazz Street festival in the Bayview, as selected by the District 10 Participatory Budget process.
    
8. Public Art Trust Memorandum of Understanding with Oceanwide Center LLC
   Director of Public Art Trust and Special Initiatives Jill Manton explained that this was the third Memorandum of Understanding for Public Art Trust funds. She explained that the funds contributed by the developer would be granted to the Museum of the African Diaspora (“MOAD”), under the management of Community Investments staff.
    
   Mr. DeCaigny explained that under the Planning Code, a contribution to the Public Art Trust is voluntary, and in this case, the developer specifically stipulated that they wanted it to be granted to MOAD; otherwise, they would simply pay the Public Art Fee and not make a contribution to the Trust. He assured the Committee that the City Attorney’s office has carefully reviewed this proposal.
    
   The Committee discussed the motion and what precedent might be set. Mr. DeCaigny added that staff is consulting with the City Attorney’s office on possible future changes to the legislation that might be required.
    
   President Beltran left the meeting at 1:00 p.m.
    
   The Committee asked Mr. DeCaigny about how MOAD might use the funds. He explained that while it is still early, he has begun preliminary discussions with their leadership about possible efforts in capacity-building, programming and capital improvements. He stressed the importance of taking a long-term view with such a grant.
    
   There was no public comment, and the Committee unanimously approved the motion as follows.
    
   Motion to approve the following resolution.
    
   Whereas Oceanwide Center LLC (“Oceanwide”) desires to contribute $1,000,000 to the Public Artwork Trust Fund (“trust fund”) for distribution to the Museum of the African Diaspora as partial fulfillment of Oceanwide’s Public Art Fee; and
   Whereas Oceanwide may elect a refund of trust fund monies should the contribution not be distributed to the Museum of the African Diaspora; and
   Whereas the nature of Oceanwide’s contribution to the trust fund is such that competitive proposals would be unavailing, and a competitive process is impracticable;
   Therefore be it resolved that the contribution by Oceanwide Center LLC of $1,000,000 to the Public Artwork Trust Fund for distribution to the Museum of the African Diaspora is approved, pending final approval by the Arts Commission; and
   Be it resolved that the Director of Cultural Affairs is authorized to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Oceanwide Center LLC regarding Oceanwide’s contribution of $1,000,000 to the Public Artwork Trust Fund for distribution to the Museum of the African Diaspora, pending final approval by the Arts Commission.
    
9. Agreement with Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development Regarding Civic Design Review and Public Art Requirements for Affordable Housing Projects
   Mr. DeCaigny introduced Mara Blitzer of the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (“MOHCD”), who was available for any questions from the Committee, and he noted that Civic Design Review Committee Chair Kimberlee Stryker was also present.
    
   Mr. DeCaigny began by explaining that in the past, public housing developments were not reviewed by the Arts Commission because until recently, the City would gift the land to the developer, and so the projects were built on what became private land. Unfortunately for affordability, once the affordability requirement period was over, the rents went to market rate. To address that, the City is now retaining ownership of the land and giving ground leases of 99 years to the developer, which means the projects are now being built on City-owned property, triggering the Charter requirements for Arts Commission review and public art.
    
   He explained that MOHCD staff had presented an overview of some of the past projects, whose design quality was high. He explained that the proposed agreement was intended to address the priorities of both departments, seeking design excellence and providing public art, as well as meeting the tight timelines and budgets of the projects.
    
   He reported on the discussions held between staff of the two departments, and explained that MOHCD normally selects the design of the project at the time the design team is selected, so that design review after that point is too late for meaningful input. The proposal is for a Civic Design Commissioner to sit on the panel when MOHCD reviews and selects the design. As for the appropriate portion of the budget for art enrichment, the proposal is to base the percentage on the public funds involved in the project.
    
   Commissioner Stryker suggested that Civic Design work with MOHCD over a pilot period of three to six months to help clarify the best way to serve them, and to evaluate the time commitment required of Commissioners. Commissioner Schnair, who also serves on the Civic Design Review Committee, agreed. The Committee discussed the relative merits of continuity, having one Commissioner on all of the review panels, versus rotating the workload among different Commissioners.
    
   Ms. Blitzer explained that the MOHCD process moves very quickly, and that she hoped to be able to clarify the review procedure soon, learning from experience and making a swift decision without an extended evaluation period. She said that uncertainty is very difficult for developers to manage, and noted that she anticipates several more Requests for Proposals (“RFP”) in the coming months.
    
   Commissioner Collins asked about the projects proposed to be exempted in the agreement drafted by MOHCD. Mr. DeCaigny explained that these projects were too far along to be effectively reviewed, and their budgets had already been finalized. Commissioner Collins said that he would have to recuse himself from decisions regarding items 5 and 7 in the agreement, the projects at 88 Broadway and 735 Davis, and at 260 Geneva (Balboa Park Upper Yard), because his employer, the San Francisco YMCA, was involved with these projects. Vice President Ordeñana severed these projects for consideration by the full Commission at its next meeting, and discussion proceeded with regard to the remaining projects.
    
   Ms. Blitzer agreed to share the relevant portions of RFPs with the Arts Commission, including the criteria for evaluation of the proposals.
    
   The Committee requested that the draft agreement be amended to indicate that the Civic Design Review paragraph applies through December 31, 2017, when the parties will revisit its terms.
    
   There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to approve an agreement as amended between the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development regarding Civic Design Review and Public Art requirements for affordable housing projects.
    
10. Director’s Report
    Because the meeting was going to lose quorum, Mr. DeCaigny deferred his report to the next meeting of the full Commission. There was no public comment.
     
11. New Business and Announcements
    There was no new business or announcements, and no public comment.
     
12. Adjournment 
    There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1:27 p.m.
     

posted 6/2/17 1:30 p.m. spr
approved 6/5/17

 

---

Language Accessibility

Translated written materials and interpretation services are available to you at no cost. For assistance, please notify Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2256, sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.

我們將為閣下提供免費的書面翻譯資料和口譯服務。如需協助，Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2256, sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.

Materiales traducidos y servicios de interpretación están disponibles para usted de manera gratuita. Para asistencia, notifique a Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2256, sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.