2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 MEETING AGENDA
Thursday, September 11, 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 August 14, 2008 Meeting
[Discussion/Action Item]
4. Status and tracking of letters of recommendation approved by the Commission, requesting action by the Board of Supervisors
[Discussion Item/Action]
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 and Stephens]
5. Old Business
[Discussion/Action Item]
A) Discussion and possible action to send a letter to the Grants for the Arts/SF Hotel Tax Fund suggesting they take the San Francisco Art Institute's exhibit of videos showing animals being killed into account when considering future funding for the Institute.
[Commissioner Gerrie]
6. New Business
[Discussion/Action Item]
A) 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. Flexpetz, in particular, plans to open a San Francisco location. 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]
B) Discussion and possible action to send a letter to the Board of Supervisors and the Recreation and Park Department regarding the recent Outside Lands concert in Golden Gate Park and its impact on animals (wildlife), and the habitat in which they live. For the August 22nd to August 24th concert, a high wire fence that ran tightly to the ground was in place for approximately 10 days. The fence ran along Kennedy Drive, Transverse Drive, MLK and Chain of Lakes Drive, completely enclosing the South Chain of Lakes, the Polo Field, Speedway Meadows, Lindley Meadows and Little Speedway Meadows. Unlike in previous events, the music lasted until 10PM and the area was lighted all night, powered by noisy generators. During the 3 days, 140,000 people came inside this area. Inside the fence was part of the Chain of Lakes, some of the most important habitat in the park. Animals that forage for food could not go in or out of the area and vegetation was trampled. This event, again proposed for the future, needs evaluation.
[Commissioner Hemphill]
C) Discussion only of the Commission's approach to studying the issue of a "No-Kill" policy for San Francisco animal shelters, in which no adoptable animal (including those with problems that can be helped through medical or behavioral intervention) is euthanized. The public's input on potential speakers on the subject, different perspectives on the issue that should be considered, and other municipal policies that should be studied is desired.
[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. Calendar Items
9. Closing Review of Task Allotment and Next Steps
[Review 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: Documents 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 5A
To Kary Shulman,
Director of Grants for the Arts
Our Commission has held a hearing about the incident that took place at the SF Art
Institute in March, 2008. It was concerning the video exhibit “Don’t Trust Me” by the Paris-based artist Adel Abdessemed. This exhibit consisted of six television videos (images) of six different animals; a doe, a goat, a horse, an ox, a pig, and a sheep being bludgeoned to death with a large sledgehammer in order to be filmed as “art”. These acts of violence to animals were sanctioned by the SF Art Institute. The SFAI even originally defended the exhibit defending it as art on the grounds that animals are killed in this way all the time.
Our Commission understands that GFTA gives a small percentage of SFAI’s total operating budget, approximately $82,000 in fiscal 2007-2008. The money comes from the Hotel Tax Fund. The money can only be spent on general operating expenses for the institution. No money can be spent on individual shows, artists, nor exhibits. However to qualify for the GFTA funding there are several criteria to be considered. A few of the funding criteria include; “produce consistently high quality work”, “ serve a local constituency and demonstrate community support”, and “attract visitors to SF through publicly advertised programs”.
It is our view, that the SFAI, through the negative publicity and defensiveness around this exhibit falls short on these criteria. We doubt if anything will occur again along these lines, but we strongly wish to express our concern that the GFTA take this incident into consideration when choosing which institutions qualify for funding from you.
Thank you,
Commissioner Philip Gerrie
Commissioner Pam Hemphill