MEETING AGENDA
Thursday, October 14, 2010
5:30 PM
Room 408
City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689
…………………………………………………………………………………….
Susanna Russo, Geneva Page, Jack Aldridge, DVM, Andrea
Brooks, Sally Stephens
Philip Gerrie, Pam Hemphill, Vicky Guldbech, William Herndon, Bob Palacio
…………………………….……………………………………………………………………………………….
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, and 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 9, 2010 Meeting
[Discussion/Action Item]
4. Chairperson’s report and
opening remarks
[Discussion Item]
5. Unfinished Business
A) Presentation
by Teresa Murphy, from Cavy Spirit Guinea Pig Rescue, about work she has done
in recent weeks to investigate the feasibility of implementing the “Pet Ready”
program that she proposed at the August 2010 Commission meeting. The “Pet
Ready” program would educate people (through online or in-person courses
similar to traffic schools) about different types of pets, e.g., guinea pigs or
hamsters, including general information about the animals’ behavior and health,
as well as what is needed to care for the animal properly. Each type of animal,
e.g., guinea pigs or hamsters, would have a separate course. People would get a
certificate upon completion of the “Pet Ready” program and would present that
certificate to pet stores before they would be able to purchase that type of
animal. The idea is to make sure people make informed decisions about pets, and
prevent them from making uninformed, impulse buys that later do not work out,
at which point the animal is surrendered to city shelters. The “Pet Ready”
program idea was brought to the Commission as a possible alternative to a ban
on the sale of animals at pet stores. The ban was originally discussed as a way
to reduce the number of healthy small animals (guinea pigs, hamsters, rats,
etc.) that are euthanized at city shelters because there is no one to take them
home, as well as reducing the market for puppies, kittens, and other animals
bred in “puppy mills” under appalling conditions. The Commission put further
discussion of the ban on hold to allow Murphy time to work out the details of
her “Pet Ready” program more fully. [Discussion only] [Commissioner Stephens]
B) Discussion only of the 2010 Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park and
the ongoing problem of animals caught inside fencing erected for the
weekend-long festival. In past years, wildlife and feral cats have been kept
from their normal sources of food and water by the fences put up to control
crowds and ensure people pay for the concerts. This update will discuss efforts
made to protect trapped wildlife and feral cats during this year’s
concert. [Discussion only]
[Commissioner Hemphill]
6.
New
Business
A) Discussion of
the high death rate of Western gulls in the Pier 94 wetlands area on land
controlled by the Port of San Francisco. This problem has been occurring for
several years. In the last year alone there were 65 documented deaths in a
three-acre area. Some gulls have been found with an oily substance on their
feathers. Necropsy has revealed that some died from rodenticides and infectious
diseases. This will be a short report on the findings. [Discussion only]
[Commission Hemphill]
B) Discussion and possible action to send a quarterly report on Commission
activities to the Board of Supervisors. The SF Health Code sec. 41.3 states
that “The Commission shall render written report of its activities to the Board
quarterly.” The Commission will discuss and take possible action to decide what
should be included in the Fall 2010 quarterly report. [Discussion/Action Item]
[Commissioner Stephens]
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.
