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MEETING AGENDA
Thursday, October 9, 2008
5:30 PM
Room 408
City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689
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Laurie Kennedy-Routhier, David Gordon, DVM, Angela L. Padilla, Andrea Brooks, Sally Stephens
Philip Gerrie, Pam Hemphill, Vicky Guldbech, William Herndon, Bob Palacio
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Mailing Address: City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 362
San Francisco, CA 94102
Commission Voicemail: (415) 554-6074
Website: www.sfgov.org/awcc
Commission Chairperson: Sally Stephens
(Note: Public comment will be taken on each item. Items are first introduced to the Commission, then there is public comment. After public comment, the Commission may further discuss the item and vote if it is an action item.)
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
2. General Public Comment
Members of the public may address the Commission with comments or recommendations on items within the Commission’s jurisdiction other than the items on the agenda at the beginning or end of the meeting, but not both.
3. Approval of Draft Minutes from the September 11, 2008 Meeting
[Discussion/Action Item]
4. Chairperson’s report and opening remarks
[Discussion Item]
5. Status and tracking of letters of recommendation approved by the Commission, requesting action by the Board of Supervisors
[Discussion Item]
A) Update on the status of the letter sent by the Commission to the Board of Supervisors urging them to hold hearings about animal welfare issues at the San Francisco Zoo.
[Commissioners Brooks]
6. Unfinished Business
[Discussion/Action Item]
A) Discussion and possible action to send a letter to the Board of Supervisors and the Recreation and Park Department regarding the recent Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park and its impact on animals (wildlife), and the habitat in which they live. The letter suggests that the fences erected for the festival, the numbers of people at the festival, and the music and lighting at night had a negative impact on wildlife and plants in the park, and asks that the City and RPD consider wildlife when planning future events.
[Commissioner Hemphill]
B) Discussion and possible action to send a resolution to the Board of Supervisors recommending that they develop an ordinance banning the renting of pets in San Francisco. In the past couple of years, several companies have started for-profit businesses renting dogs to people who want to enjoy the companionship of pets for a short time but who cannot care for a pet full time. Banning the renting of dogs and all pets (following the lead of Boston and the state of Massachusetts) would prevent this type of business from operating in San Francisco.
[Commissioner Brooks]
C) Update on the Commission’s study of “No Kill” for animal shelters in San Francisco. “No Kill” is the idea that no adoptable animal in a shelter (including those that can be helped by behavioral and medical intervention) is euthanized. Update will include an introduction to the topic by Fix SF, a local group advocating for No Kill in SF animal shelters.
[Commissioner Padilla]
7. General Public Comment
Members of the public may address the Commission with comments or recommendations on items within the Commission’s jurisdiction other than the items on the agenda at the beginning or end of the meeting, but not both.
8. Items to be put on the Calendar for Future Commission Meetings
[Discussion Item]
9. Closing Review of Task Allotments and Next Steps
[Discussion Item]
10. Adjournment
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Disability Access: Room 408 is wheelchair accessible. The closest accessible BART Station is Civic Center, three blocks from City Hall. Accessible MUNI lines serving this location are: #42 Downtown Loop, the #71 Haight/Noriega, the F Line to Market and Van Ness, and the Metro stations at Van Ness and Market and at Civic Center. For more information about MUNI accessible services, call 923-6142.
There is accessible parking at the following locations: two (2) designated blue curb spaces on the southwest corner of McAllister Street at Van Ness Avenue; the Performing Arts Garage (entrance on Grove Street between Franklin and Gough Streets), and at Civic Center Plaza Garage.
To obtain a disability-related modification or accommodation to participate in the meeting, please contact Carla Vaughn at 252-2500 (voice) or 252-2550 (TDD) at least two working days prior to the meeting.
In order to assist the City's efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical based products. Please help the City accommodate these individuals.
Policy on Cell Phones, Pagers, and Electronic Devices: The ringing of and use of cell phones, pagers, and similar sound-producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. Please be advised that the Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person(s) responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic devices.
Know Your Rights Under the Sunshine Ordinance: Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people's business. This Ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people's review. For more information on your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance (Chapter 67 of the San Francisco's Administrative Code) or to report a violation of the Ordinance, contact the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force. The current Sunshine Ordinance Task Force Administrator, Frank Darby Jr., can be contacted at the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, City Hall, Room 244, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102-4689; Office (415) 554-7724; Fax (415) 554-7854; E-mail: [email protected] Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can be obtained from the Clerk of the Sunshine Task Force, the San Francisco Public Library and on the City’s Web site at http://www.sfgov.org/sunshine.
Attention: Individuals and entities that influence or attempt to influence local legislative or administrative action may be required by the San Francisco Lobbyist Ordinance (SF Administrative Code 16.520 - 16.534) to register and report lobbying activity. For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, please contact the Ethics Commission at 1390 Market Street, #701, San Francisco, CA 94102, telephone (415) 554-9510; fax (415) 703-0121 and web site http://www.sfethics.org
Documents for Public Inspection: Any documents related to an item on this agenda that are distributed to the Commission in advance of the meeting are available for public inspection and copying at the Government Information Center, 5th Floor, SF Main Public Library, 100 Larkin St (at Grove), open seven days a week. They are also available on the Commission website: http://www.sfgov.org/awcc.
DRAFT OF LETTER FOR AGENDA ITEM 6A (10/9/08 ACWC Meeting)
Draft Letter to Board of Supervisors and Park and Recreation Department
About Outside Lands Festival and its Impact on Wildlife in Golden Gate Park
The Animal Control and Welfare Commission held a hearing on September 11th, 2008 regarding the recent Outside Lands concert in Golden Gate Park and its impact on park wildlife and habitat. Public comment was heard. Summarizing that, we would like to express our concern about the lack of planning for this concert and the lack of consideration given to wildlife.
For the Outside Lands concert (August 22nd to August 24th, 2008), a large area of Golden Gate Park was fenced for more than 10 days. The tall wire fence ran tightly to the ground, preventing the passage of even a small animal. The fence ran along Kennedy Drive, Transverse Drive, Middle Drive West, MLK Drive and Chain of Lakes Drive, completely enclosing the South Chain of Lakes, the Polo Field, Speedway Meadows, Lindley Meadows and Little Speedway Meadows. Inside the fence was part of the Chain of Lakes, some of the most important habitat in the park for urban wildlife, including raccoons, skunks, coyotes, foxes, owls and other birds. See map below.
Unlike previous concerts in the park, the Outside Lands concert had music until 10 PM at night and the fenced area was lighted all night long with lights powered by noisy gas generators. There were 130,000 people inside this fence over a period of three days. Vegetation was trampled. Another large concert, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass concert, does not perimeter fence, has a shorter set-up/take down window and does not have music at night. During the Outside Lands concert, animals that forage and have regular travel patterns at night could not get in or out of the area due to the fencing. Within the large outside fence, cross fencing was placed, which, in some areas, shut wildlife off from water. Animals that sleep during the day and feed at night had to contend with disturbance of their feeding patterns for more than 10 days.
The issue of wildlife that live in Golden Gate Park appears to have been ignored during the planning of this concert. Animal Care and Control was not aware of this event until two days before. The California Department of Fish and Game was also unaware. Golden Gate Park was originally developed from a wild area lying outside the limits of San Francisco (the Outside Lands), and has always had wildlife. The Park provides environmental education for children, bird watching and other wildlife-dependent activities. Wildlife are a part of our treasured Golden Gate Park.
The decision point is arriving as to which events are realistic for Golden Gate Park, events that still allow us to preserve habitat for wildlife. Fencing in place for more than 10 days, night lighting, and late night music ignore the creatures who call Golden Gate Park home. We hope that you will take our wildlife into account when planning future events.
Red line shows extent of fencing for Outside Lands Festival