EnvironmentalCommittee
2009 2008 2007 2006 SF Board of Supervisors Asthma Task Force
Environmental Committee Meeting Minutes
January 9, 2008
Present: Anjali Nath, Karen Cohn, Vince Fabris, Gloria Thornton, Ray Manion, Ben Heckman (on phone), Stephanie Manfre
1) SFHA Evaluation- CAFA eval. Team produced 2 surveys to use for tenants and maintenance staff, as well as a data collection document. Cmte. gave feedback and once completed, Anjali will coordinate with SFHA to administer surveys. Potential to meet with new interim ED of SFHA once we receive evaluation results. Tenant survey may be replicated with ACORN clients (as a group who didn’t receive support from cameras). May be translated as needed. We need to provide self-addressed stamped envelopes for surveys. Will be sent back to Breathe California.
2) ACORN- Karen’s staff may table when ACORN does tax returns. Will give environmental health code enforcement information and referrals.
3) Healthy Housing Guide- Ben, Karen and Diana (DPH intern) consolidated and incorporated committee changes. Karen has been in conversation with California Home Performance Testing group- can be resource to persons receiving guide. Potential second document with housing code sections, which will reference Housing Guide (pull out benefits section and put into second document). Gloria suggests that medical providers would be able to pass out document. Karen asked who might be potential test readers for document- SFAA/Sean? Housing Rights/Tenants Rights Groups? Alameda County has a library of photos, Karen urged California Breathing to create a statewide resource of photos ( Janet Tobacman ). Karen will speak with Alameda County Healthy Housing program.
4) Legislative Proposals- Karen has created a new document that places proposals into packages.
i) Citizen Advisory Cmte and Public Awareness Campaign- which city agency would support CAC, funding stream? SFE potential admin role. SFDPH another possibility.
ii) Code Enforcement- DPH and DBI have frequent violators but no program designed to assist them (City of Oakland has done). Proactive inspection by DPH-EHS Code Enforcement, healthy neighborhood focus to specific issues (reference rodent abatement program in Chinatown as example).
iii) Modifying/Amending Specific Codes to Improve Current Housing Req.
(a) Vince will check into Housing code regarding heating requirement and required filter changes and other maintenance.
(b) Modify building code requiring mechanical vent. and windows
(c) Change housing code to allow tenants to remove carpet in private housing.
iv) Existing Housing Focus-
(a) Karen talking to California Building Performance Contractors Assn.- California Home Performance Program. They train residential retrofit contractors to use whole house performance testing. They use blower door tests, cameras as needed, etc. Ray asks if there is any post home evaluation to gage effectiveness of fixes. Cost is $400-700. Karen will ask if they evaluate VOC/Formaldehyde and are willing to do/handout tenant education pieces. We will need to frame their limitations. How will mitigation of problems be address- how can we mandate? City of Berkeley may include whole house performance testing with their solar program.
(b) Incentive to convert existing indoor and outdoor fireplaces to gas burning mode. Santa Clara currently doing. – Ben looked up- will send to Karen . BAQMD working on with Santa Clara County .
v) Public Funds Used for Housing and Child Care Rehab to Adopt Best Practices
(a) Fund MOH to implement best practices construction guidelines and asthma prevention and remediation in all MOH financed (CERF and CHIRP) Rehab projects. ATF buying MOH a camera- they are sending 5 people to training (ATF will pay for 3). Will cover family CC, not centers.
vi) Use of City Resources to improve SFHA- waiting for evaluation from camera work
vii) New Housing/Development
(a) Dust Control- already being pursued by Rajiv/Supervisor Maxwell- sitting at DBI Code Enforcement Committee currently. Vince will track agendas to see when dust control will be on the agenda
(b) Noise Control- ATF may be asked to do public comment in support of this. Noise can be directly connected to asthma.
(c) Land use/air quality conflicts- Rajiv will be working on- ATF will endorse
(d) Require market research of prospective occupants of all new housing developments to establish smoke free units and common areas in multi-unit housing. Tax credit available for 50% set aside, but affordable housing developers aren’t applying for. Smoke free housing considered to be discriminatory.
(2) Use of City Resources to Establish Property Developer Incentives- reward use of state tax credits for alternative energy, car share, green building materials, and smoke-free set asides
viii) Fund affordable housing developers using City pass through of funds to implement best practices
$3,000 from city funds available to hold stakeholder trainings on potential proposals to get feedback and insight.
5) Karen heard from Rajiv about her program- he wants more comprehensive framing of services, more proactive work in terms of healthy housing. Lead Code Enforcement inspectors also check on mold, pests, and make referrals to code enforcement. Karen doing outreach to other agencies (i.e. Acorn) to generate referrals and outreach about her departments work. Karen created menu of outreach topics that her department can provide.
6) Karen met with Chris Geiger- Karen will write first draft of respiratory criteria for City Purchasing Spec for Cleanings. Alicia Culver will provide reports about her work with SFUSD. Her contract is expired with SFE.
7) Green Seal GS-37 is being reviewed- competing issues with new proposed standards. Potential solution is that spec requires approved dilution systems. Industry being accused of promoting concentrated form, only bans asthmagens in diluted form. Letters being prepared by Alicia , Jennifer Flattery at California Department of Public Health- ATF encouraged to review. Karen put Chris in touch with Boston person who has been reviewing product for Boston schools.
