2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997
ANGELA WILLIAMS
President
KATHERINE MUNTER
Vice President
ANDREA EVANS
Commissioner
DORKA KEEHN
Commissioner
JING XU LEE
Commissioner
CAROLENE MARKS
Commissioner
ANDREA SHORTER
Commissioner
EMILY MURASE, PhD
Executive Director
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COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
Members Present Staff Present
Commissioner Andrea Evans Executive Director Emily Murase, Ph.D.
Commissioner Jing Xu Lee (5:10) Policy Analyst Kim-Shree Maufas
Commissioner Carolene Marks Justice & Courage Policy Analyst Colleen Montoya
Commissioner Katherine Munter Policy Analyst Carol Sacco
Commissioner Andrea Shorter Executive Secretary Cynthia Vasquez
Graduate Intern Laura Marshall
Members Excused
Commissioner Angela Williams
Commissioner Dorka Keehn
I. CALL TO ORDER/AGENDA CHANGES
Vice President Munter called the meeting to order at 5:08 pm.
Vice President Munter requested that purely commendatory resolutions be added to the agenda, as allowed by public meeting laws. She also requested to move the presentation by the Department of Public Works up in the agenda.
Vice President Munter acknowledged media that were present and stated that the meeting was subject to video taping as required by public meeting laws.
Action: Approved amended agenda.
m/s/c (Shorter/Evans/Unanimous).
No public comment.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Action: Approved draft minutes from January 24 and February 28, 2007.
m/s/c/ (Evans/Shorter/Unanimous).
No public comment.
III. EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS REPORT
A. Executive Director Report
In the interest of time, Dr. Murase directed Commissioners to her written report. Commissioners had no questions.
B. Violence Against Women Prevention & Intervention Grants Program:
Anti-Human Trafficking Campaign
Orchid Pusey with Asian Women's Shelter (AWS) explained that the Asian Anti Trafficking Collaborative (AATC) was comprised of AWS, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO), Donaldina Cameron House, and Narika.
On March 23, a press conference was held with Mayor Gavin Newsom and members of the AATC showcasing the new bus shelter campaign against human trafficking. Funded by the Department on the Status of Women, the bus shelter posters not only help trafficked people self-identify, but also assist community members to identify trafficked people and link them to assistance.
The bus shelters are located at:
· Stockton Street & Broadway Avenue
· Sutter Street & Buchanan Street
· Geary Boulevard & Webster Street
· Market Street & Larkin Street
· Stockton Street (mid block) between Clay and Sacramento
· Geary Boulevard & Laguna
· Hayes Street & Larkin Street
· Post Street & Laguna Street
V. CONSENT AGENDA
All matters listed hereunder constitute a Consent Agenda and are considered to be routine by the Commission on the Status of Women. They will be acted upon by a single roll call vote of the Commission. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the Commission so requests, in which event the matter shall be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered as a separate item. Members of the public may speak on each item listed on the Consent Agenda.
A. Resolution Recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month
B. Resolution Honoring Soroptimist International of San Francisco on the Occasion of its 85th Anniversary
C. Resolution Recognizing April 27, 2006 as "Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work" Day
D. Resolution Recognizing Karri Cormican and Hannah Bridgeman-Oxley for Heroism
E. Resolution in Appreciation of Colleen Montoya
F. Resolution Extending Condolences to the Family of Antwanisha Morgan
Action: Approved Consent Agenda.
m/s/c (Evans/Lee/Unanimous)
Commissioner Shorter thanked former Commissioner Juanita Miles, great aunt of Antwanisha Morgan, Malika Crosby mother of Antwanisha Morgan, and her family for their presence at the meeting and offered condolences to the family. Commissioner Shorter read the resolution as follows:
Whereas, Ms. Antwanisha Morgan was an exuberant, talented, and ambitious young woman whose life was tragically ended by gang violence on Friday, March 16; and,
Whereas, Ms. Morgan, a student at South San Francisco High School where she anchored the school's televised morning announcement, was active in the choir of the Providence Baptist Church in the Bayview and a long-time volunteer at the Bayview Hunters Point Foundation for Community Improvement where she tutored young children, including the night of her death; and these communities deeply mourn the loss of Ms. Morgan's inspiration and spirit; and,
Whereas, former Commissioner Juanita Miles was a mentor to Ms. Morgan, instilling in her leadership, volunteerism, and commitment to the community from a young age, all qualities that Commissioner Miles contributed during her tenure serving the City and County of San Francisco;
Now therefore be it resolved that the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Antwanisha Morgan upon their profound loss.
Former Commissioner Juanita Miles thanked the Commission for honoring the life of a future activist, possibly a future Commissioner, when honoring Antwanisha Morgan.
Lody Mayfield, a member of the public, encouraged community leaders to invest time and effort into supporting families in the Bayview/Hunters Point neighborhood as the lives of too many youth are being taken on a daily basis.
Commissioner Marks shared the concern of the amount of violence in the Bayview/Hunters Point neighborhood.
VI. OLD BUSINESS
A. Girls Committee
The Commission reviewed candidates to serve on the Commission's newly-formed Girls Committee. Eileen Li, a University High School student, thanked the Commission for the opportunity to serve in such a dynamic group.
Ms. Li believes this opportunity will provide her experience in working with a public body.
Dawn Liu, a School of the Arts High School student, thanked the Commission for developing the Girls Committee and is looking forward to engaging on issues that affect girls in San Francisco.
Action: To approved Passionae Anderson, Eileen Li, and Melissa Padilla as members of the Girls Committee.
m/s/c/ (Shorter/Marks/Unanimous).
No public comment.
Policy Analyst Kim-Shree Maufas presented the resolutions honoring the work of the Girls Committee members and requested that the Commission adopt the resolutions.
Action: To adopt resolutions honoring the Girls Committee members.
m/s/c/ (Shorter/Marks/Unanimous).
No public comment.
VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. Project Homeless Connect -
Judith Klain, Director of Project Homeless Connect (PHC) at the Human Services Agency, gave a brief overview of services. PHC is a volunteer-based program that occurs several times a year where a variety of health and city services are provided to the homeless population in San Francisco at one location. The goals are to:
· Improve access to services and housing for the homeless in San Francisco;
· Engage and increase the collaborative involvement of homeless consumers, business, non-profit community, and volunteers working together to end homelessness;
· To improve the system of care by creating opportunities for collaborations and sharing of best practices among homeless service providers;
· To leverage private, corporate, foundation funding, and in-kind support to increase housing options and build service capacity for the homeless in San Francisco.
Those individuals who seek assistance at PHC receive access to city services, free identification cards, setting up bank accounts, pet and veterinary care, veteran services, dental and medical screenings, wheelchair assistance, employment services, and more.
Judith Klain encouraged Commissioners, staff, and anyone who wanted to help to volunteer for an upcoming PHC. At the last PHC, over 112 families received assistance. The next PHC will take place on April 11 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and there will be a PHC event held in the Bayview District in June.
Ms. Klain informed the Commission that over 70% of the women seeking assistance are victims of domestic violence. She urged the domestic violence shelters that the Department works with to participate at a future PHC event. Services that are always needed are childcare assistance, housing assistance, employment services, and mentoring.
Lisa Wheeler, a former PHC client, discussed the assistance she received. Ms. Wheeler was very appreciative of the support, and has now become a dedicated volunteer herself.
Commissioners asked Ms. Klain whether the event was family friendly and welcoming of women who were homeless. Ms. Klain responded that, based on feedback from clients, PHC has created a play space for children so that clients with children would be provided childcare while they were accessing services.
B. Dress for Success -
Renee Surcouf, Executive Director of the new local Dress for Success chapter, provided an over view of services. The mission of Dress for Successis to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and the career development tools to help them thrive in work and in life. Dress for Success serves clients by referral only, and women must have job interviews scheduled before receiving clothing. Their clients come from a continually expanding and diverse group of non-profit and government agencies including homeless shelters, immigration services, job training programs, educational institutions, and domestic violence shelters, among many other organizations. More than 2,500 organizations throughout the world send women to Dress for Success chapters for professional apparel and career development services. To meet the need for services that would help women both secure and keep jobs, the organization has established the Professional Women's Group (PWG) program, which provides ongoing support to enable women to successfully transition into the workforce, build thriving careers and prosper in the mainstream workplace. Once a woman joins PWG, she becomes a member for life, eligible to attend meetings at any affiliate throughout the world, and can benefit from additional employment retention and mentoring programs.
Ms. Surcouf requested the assistance of the Commission and Department to increase the visibility of Dress for Success which has a surplus of clothing at this point. Commissioners suggested providing Ms. Surcouf with a list of the Department' Partner Agencies we work with to begin to create a network of agencies that they can work with.
Commissioner Shorter offered to provide a letter from the Commission encouraging partnerships with organizations.
C. Department of Public Works Gender Analysis Update
In 1999, the Department conducted a gender analysis of the Department of Public Works (DPW) per the U.N. Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Ordinance, adopted in San Francisco in 1998. Dr. Fred Abadi, Director of the Department of Public Works provided the Commission with an update of the CEDAW implementation with the Department of Public Works. He began with an overview of the department and its 1500 employees. Dr. Abadi highlighted some progress in workforce composition, noting an overall increase of 17% women in the miscellaneous professionals category, but recognized that the recruitment of women was an on-going process. Among internships, many of which leveraged into full-time positions, women accounted for 40%. In the Project Pull apprenticeship program, Dr. Abadi noted a female participation rate of 45%.
DPW Equal Employment Opportunity Programs Manager Janie White discussed employee town halls that attracted participants from 14 different bureaus and 4 program areas. She is also concerned with the recruitment of women in non-traditional fields and stated that such recruitment required early intervention.
Deputy Director of Operations Mohammad Nehru provided details of various workforce development programs. A Supervisor's Academy, composed of a 12- week course has been convened. Already, 4 classes of 12 - 15 participants each have participated in the program. DPW has also initiated a manager training program. Last November, DPW graduated its first class in the apprenticeship program. Executive Director Murase reported that, based on feedback from the Commission's CEDAW Committee, DPW has changed the location of the apprenticeship program to increase accessibility to participants who may have childcare issues.
Raquel Smith, President of the DPW Women's Enrichment Group, reported that since the first meeting of the group last summer, it has grown from a dozen women to over 70, and is open to men as well. Discussion has focused on promotional opportunities for women. The group established a monthly "Honorship Award" to recognize the achievements of women staff. Notes from the 7 meetings of the group were provided to the Department.
Commissioner Marks asked about the number of women participating in the apprenticeship program. Deputy Director Nehru responded by stating that between 25% - 32% of each class were women. Commissioner Shorter requested budget information and the allocation of resources by gender at DPW. Douglas Lake, DPW Manager of Budget and Finance stated that he will be working with CEDAW Policy Analyst Ann Lehman to provide this information at a later time. Commissioner Munter noted that while recruitment of women to non-traditional positions was important, retention was also key. Commissioner Evans asked how flexible schedules were administered. Dr. Abadi responded that requests for flexible schedules are considered on a case-by-case basis. Commissioner Lee requested a gender breakdown of participants in the Supervisor's Academy. Dr. Abadi responded that roughly 20% were women.
Commissioners thanks Dr. Abadi and his staff for their presentation. Executive Director Murase recognized Christine Falvey, DPW Director of Office of Communications and Public Affairs, for her dedicated efforts in pulling the CEDAW update together.
VIII. REPORTS
A. Health
Commissioner Marks reported that the Mayor's Health Access Plan Advisory Committee (HAP) is moving along and making changes to parts of the ordinance and will provide the Commission with an update at the April meeting.
Commissioner Marks is also working with the UCSF Center on Excellence in Women’s Health Working Group which is planning a 2007 Women’s Health Advocacy Day in Sacramento, California and the 2nd Annual Women’s Summit in San Francisco. She has also convened a group of community stakeholders to address the specific issue of mortality of African American women in the Bayview District with breast cancer.
B. Justice & Courage
Policy Analyst Colleen Montoya reported that the Department is in the process of setting up meetings with the Mayor and the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice to brief them with the Domestic Violence Victim Safety & Accountability Audit. The Justice & Courage Oversight Panel is planning a community meeting for May 30 which will be held to get feedback on the safety audit from the public. The Panel has embarked on a strategic planning process and will meet on April 11 to plan the agenda. The tentative date for the retreat is June 26. The Domestic Violence Response Cross-Training Institute is scheduled to launch on May 3. The Department has contracted with Mark Morris Associates to conduct a program evaluation of the training institute. Commissioners thanked Policy Analyst Montoya for her dedicated service to the Department.
C. Violence Against Women Prevention & Intervention (VAW) Grants Program
Vice President Munter stated that Lisa Korwin of Korwin Consulting will provide an update on the Needs Assessment at the April meeting.
D. Girls Committee
Commissioner Shorter reported that the Girls Committee is working closely with the organizers of GiRLFEST 2007 Bay Area. GiRLFEST 2007 Bay Area will be a 4-day event held July 19 -22 in San Francisco to change peer culture and prevent violence against young women and girls through education and outreach based on collaborations with a variety of artists, educators, health professionals, craftswomen, elected officials, and families. The Girls Committee will meet on April 7 with GiRLFEST coordinators to go over logistics. The Girls Committee hopes to meet with the Mayor and brief him on this event.
E. Family Violence Council
Commissioner Evans reported that the Family Violence Council legislation is close to being finalized by the City Attorney's Office. Commissioner Evans will participate in a conference call to review the legislation with the City Attorney. She hopes to present the legislation to the Commission at the April or May meeting.
E. CEDAW
Executive Director Murase reported that the CEDAW Committee has not met. The next meeting will be on May 10 with the location still to be determined.
IX. PUBLIC COMMENT
Daisy Anarchy thanked Colleen Montoya for all of her work with the Department and on behalf of women and girls in San Francisco. Ms. Anarchy also made the request to the Commission to have public comment after old business. Ms. Anarchy expressed her concern with the amount of time that the City Attorney's Office has taken in reviewing the Exotic Dancer Legislation.
X. ADJOURNMENT
Action: To Adjourn meeting
m/s/c (Evans/Shorter/Unanimous).
The meeting was at 7:05 pm.
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.
Explanatory documents: For copies of explanatory documents listed in this agenda, and other related materials received by COSW, please contact the Department on the Status of Women at 25 Van Ness Ave, Suite 130, San Francisco, CA 94102; phone: 415-252-2570, fax: 415-252-2575. Also, to the extent possible, documents will be available on the COSW website at http://www.sfgov.org/cosw.
Know Your Rights under the Sunshine Ordinance(Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code)
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Individuals and entities that influence or attempt to influence local legislative or administrative action may be required by the San Francisco Lobbyist Ordinance [SF Campaign & Governmental Conduct Code § 2.100] to register and report lobbying activity. For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, please contact the San Francisco Ethics Commission at 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 220, San Francisco, CA 94102; phone: 415-252-3100, fax: 415-252-3112; web site: sfgov.org/ethics.
