San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

1. Call to Order and Roll Call
Chair Kennelly called the meeting to order at 5:52 pm.
Present: Chair Kennelly, Vice Chair Paz
Not Present: Commissioner Khojasteh
Staff Present: Deputy Director Fernández Sykes, Commission Clerk Shore

2. Public Comment
There was no public comment.

3. Action Item: Approval of previous minutes
(Information/Discussion/Action)
a. Approval of April 25, 2018 Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
Chair Kennelly motioned to adopt the minutes from April 25, 2018. Vice Chair Paz seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.

4. Old Business
(Information/Discussion/Action)
a.   Staff Report (Deputy Director Fernández Sykes)
Deputy Director Fernández Sykes provided a brief update on the office’s May 23, 2018 Language Access Ordinance training for City departments. The next San Francisco Pathways to Citizenship workshop will be held on June 2, 2018 at City College John Adams campus, 1860 Hayes Street, and Commissioners are welcome to volunteer or attend.

Chair Kennelly asked staff to remind Commissioners about the workshop. Commissioner Clerk Shore will email Commissioners. Vice Chair Paz suggested Lick-Wilmerding High School as another possible venue for future workshops.

Chair Kennelly asked if the Executive Committee could review the latest draft of the strategic plan. Vice Chair Paz asked if the committee could revisit the latest draft of the annual report. Deputy Director Fernández Sykes suggested that a copy of both drafts be included in their folders for the next Executive Committee meeting and that the Executive Committee develop a timeline to update both drafts before presenting them to the Full Commission.

Chair Kennelly asked staff for an update on the poll of Commissioners’ summer schedules. Commission Clerk Shore provided the update and will send a reminder to Commissioners.

b.   Annual Awards Event Planning – June 11, 2018
Deputy Director Fernández Sykes provided an update on honorees and the role of commissioners. The Executive Committee discussed the nominees for the Youth Leadership category. Commission Clerk Shore will follow up with Commissioners who have not confirmed their participation. Chair Kennelly and Vice Chair Paz discussed outreach and planning for the event. Vice Chair Paz suggested screening a short film at the beginning of the program. Staff will confirm whether a large screen is available. Chair Kennelly suggested scheduling a phone call with Director Pon at the end of next week to discuss the program and script for the Chair and Vice Chair.

c.   Holocaust Remembrance Day (Commissioner Gurvits)
Deputy Director Fernández Sykes presented genocide research previously requested by Chair Kennelly. Commissioners discussed how to release statements on two genocides without excluding others.

5. New Business
(Information/Discussion/Action)
a. Killing of Palestinians in Gaza (Commissioner Radwan)
Commissioners drew similarities between this item and the previous item on the agenda, and discussed the practicality of issuing a statement without excluding other groups.

In response to both agenda items, Vice Chair Paz suggested releasing a universal statement on human dignity and life, noting that such a general statement still did not adequately address either of the two requests. Chair Kennelly suggested that she work with Director Pon to see whether drafting such a statement would be effective.

b. Rent Increases for Mixed-Status Families (Vice Chair Paz)
Vice Chair Paz recommended inviting representatives from the Housing Authority, SF Hope and Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development to a future Commission meeting. He discussed the two-year stopgap measure to subsidize rent increases but noted that in the long term, the rent hikes could push more immigrant families into crisis.

Chair Kennelly suggested that the agenda item be added to the next Full Commission meeting. However, the July and August Full Commission meetings may not have a quorum.

Chair Kennelly stated that she would reach out to Supervisor Tang’s office to discuss a possible Neighborhood Commission meeting in September in District 4. She will ask the Supervisor about whether to combine the neighborhood meeting with a hearing focused on housing.

Deputy Director Fernández Sykes suggested that another possibility would be to invite housing representatives to an Executive Committee meeting to strategize, then present a proposed plan of action to the Full Commission.

Chair Kennelly asked Vice Chair Paz for an update on 2017 Immigrant Leadership Honoree Alba Guerra, who has faced rent increases that threaten her business. Vice Chair Paz provided an update on the support she is receiving from the community.

Chair Kennelly stated that she would discuss with Deputy Director Whipple how the Commission could respond to the upcoming changes to public charge.

6. Adjournment
Chair Kennelly adjourned the meeting at 6:52 pm.