President Miles, Vice President Marks and Ms. Sonia
Melara attended the meeting.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
· Staff Report
A full written report was included in the Commissioner’s
packet.
Ms. Melara spoke on the following:
· Staffing: Introduction of Susan Murphy
as new Executive Assistant. President Miles acknowledged and commended
Christina Neuner and Carol Sacco for their support of the executive
assistant duties in the interim.
· 25 Year Report: A meeting was held
at former Commission President Patti Chang’s residence. Approximately
15 women attended who provided valuable information to be included in
the report.
· Annual Strategic Planning Meeting:
Will be held at the Golden Gate Club. The consultants have promised
that the needs assessment preliminary draft is going to be available
next week. The entire report will not be available until November.
· The Violence Against Women Event:
Will be held October 18, 2000, at Il Fornaio from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Once the invitations are completed they will be sent to all Commissioners.
· The Public Information Campaign: A
report sent by the consultants is attached. The department will receive
approximately $100,000 worth of placements for about $25,000.
· Reminder: Ms. Melara will be leaving
for medical leave as of October 20th and will be away for
approximately 6 weeks.
NEW BUSINESS
· Modes
of communication to Commissioners.
· Various Commissioners stated they had trouble
receiving attachments or had technical difficulty via e-mail.
· President Miles stated to fax urgent information.
· Commissioner Dorka Keehn stated if urgent to
call and leave a message.
· It was decided that as much as possible,
the department would use the most efficient form of communication to
communicate with the Commissioners.
· Presentation by Janet Lees, Program Director
for the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
Janet Lees, Program Director stated that they are
a non-profit organization that has been in existence since 1985. The Renaissance
Entrepreneurship Center’s mission is to empower and increase the entrepreneurial
capacity of social and economically diverse people and thereby strengthen
communities through the creation of new and sustainable businesses, new
jobs and the promotion of financial self-sufficiency.
The Center serves both men and women who want to
start or grow a business. The way they accomplish goals are through
programs and services such as intensive training classes, introduction
to business classes, business planning class, grow your own business
class, business incubator, financing research center, special loans
office, and women’s business center. The Center’s business incubator
is currently housing 25 start-up companies, which are housed for a period
of 6 months to 3 years. The objective is to create jobs for the local
economy.
The women’s business center focuses on women’s issues
and last year served 320 women. Presently, 60% of clients are women.
Women are starting business at twice the rate of men. They have a very
active linkage system. The types of issues that are particular to women
are balancing family, leadership, technology and finance. Women were
looking to be self-employed and to give themselves more flexibility.
There are a lot of design type business such as clothing, craft, food
(café, restaurants), arts, and staffing (graphic design, restaurants,
high tech, etc...).
In terms of what kind of support is given for the
financial support and technological divide, financial planning is covered
extensively in the classes as well as outside aspects such as consultants
who work with them. They offer training and are building more technology
into the curriculum.
The Center does surveys every year on their graduates
and the success rate is 80%. The Renaissance Center has a thorough screening
process. The incubator has an incredibly high rate.
· Presentation by Barbara Johnson, Executive
Director of the Women’s Initiative for Self Employment (WISE)
Barbara Johnson, Executive Director, stated that the
Women’s Initiative was founded in 1988. Their mission is to assists low-income
women to become economically self-sufficient by becoming successfully
self-employed. They offer business training and technical assistance in
English and Spanish. There are three sites located at Fox Plaza, Mission
and downtown Oakland. Ms. Johnson stated that the description of their
approach is similar to Ms. Lees. They also do community outreach through
one on one and community based organizations linkages, churches, other
organizations, childcare centers, word of mouth (strongest advocate) and
media. They have serviced 500 to 1000 women a year. There is an initial
screening and assessment process. The women have to be in the 50% median
income or below, 30% are in poverty by Federal, HUD standards when they
come into program. There is an 85-90% completion rate in the training
program. Most 80-85% are staying in business.
Through fortunate national support, WISE has established
a longitudinal tracking and violation system of businesses. In their pilot
they tracked 49 women, 7% of them were self sufficient akin to moderate
income, 44% by the end of 6 months were economically self- sufficient.
WISE has been able to help their families through patching; wage self-
employment, better money management, finding and reaching access to economic
resources and bringing that back to the households.
The Spanish language program has the same objectives
as the English language program but is not a translation of the English
program; the Spanish language program is a culturally defined informed
program, not an English interpretation.
A commercial kitchen incubator system in the Mission
district is currently in the predevelopment stages. They would like to
have linkages to markets and raw goods, the works. They are engaged in
a relationship with a non-profit housing provider in the East Bay live/work
space. There is a loan fund available because rarely will the women have
good credit or be bankable. They have an equity based loan fund that has
been built up and managed over the last 10 years. They have given loans
from $100 to $25,000 expansion loan and beyond, and there been a 95% payback
in the last 10 years
· Presentation by Cindy Mendoza, Interim Site
Manager of the Asian Neighborhood Design (AND) Employment Training Center
The Asian Neighborhood Design covers many facets of
enabling disenfranchised people in San Francisco and the Bay Area. They
also provide housing and community development, family and youth self-sufficiency
services, employment training, and job and business creation for low-income
communities. AND offers employment training with men and women in San
Francisco and Oakland in the work force development and in the construction
trades, provides hard skills training working on actual projects throughout
the week and teaches carpentry, electrical, trades related math classes
and life skills. They also work with welfare recipients - welfare to work
participants. AND has serviced 100 last year in San Francisco and almost
as many in Oakland. Half of the people in the program are women who are
working with case managers to address issues such as childcare, transportation,
and stable housing.
Another program AND works with is called the Construction
Career Advancement Program, which is a partnership with seven non-profit
organizations that work in the construction trades. Upon successful completion
of the program they offer job placement, job retention services and other
supportive services. They continue to offer supportive services and retention
six months beyond placement. They prepare the trainees to let them know
about the nature of the construction trade. They have brought in speakers
to address sexual harassment, for jobs that are non-traditional careers
for women. There is an 80% completion rate. The applicants must go through
a rigorous intake process and assessment. Women who have low skills or
no diploma will be able to make a livable wage.
70% of the participants were African American and
a smaller portion was Asian, Latino and Caucasian. Welfare to work is
referred by Department of Human Services and is referred with an employment
specialist.
· Discussion
The Commissioners were interested in the relationship
with Welfare to Work recipients and the racial ratio within the three
programs.
Barbara Johnson: They have been holding
steady at about 70% of the annual client service base for women of color
with the exception of the Asian population. Do not have the capability
to provide training in the various Asian languages. Have contracts with
San Francisco and Alameda County for Welfare to Work participants.
It basically costs about $10,000 over a 2½-year
average relationship with a woman to provide her the services. The recipients
are succeeding. .
Janet Lees: Agreed with Ms. Johnson’s
comments regarding the Welfare to Work issues. They were funded through
PIC and lost it this year. They are trying to serve more people with disabilities
and have a contract with Voc Rehab. There are currently 3 people coming
through. They serve 35%-40% predominately African American. They have
special outreach in the Bayview district. Don’t serve high percent of
Hispanic or Asian. Serve HIV positive clients as well.
Barbara Johnson: Would like the system
itself in both DHS and PIC be able to open itself up to be informed about
self-employment as an option. It has been extremely difficult.
Cindy Mendoza: Stated that they have
been challenged by trying to figure out how to account for retention,
due to the nature of the construction business.
Commissioner Keehn: She stated if they
could think of ways the Commission could support their programs such as
developing policies and presenting it to the Board of Supervisors etc...
Barbara Johnson: Stated they don’t lobby.
Has seen over the 25 years she has been doing women’s economic development
she has seen a lot of programs developed at Federal, State and local level
and it’s great to see changes; however, there hasn’t been a lot of creativity
in what really works. For example SBA lending, the forms have changed
but the underwriting criteria hasn’t where you need to show history, assets,
so forth. The women in these service-based businesses do not have this.
Need innovation to open up thinking in use of budgets, policies and resources,
to allow self-employment and non- traditional employment.
For example in 1988 the Mayor’s office of Community
Development had decided to take a bold step and use block grant money
to support self-employment. They went ahead and did it and it has gone
across the country. There is a very vibrant self-employment micro-enterprise
support base here in the city and county because of that.
Commissioner Keehn: Questioned if there
was an opportunity to further conversations with Aida Alvarez of the Small
Business Administration about the suggestions and recommendations.
Barbara Johnson: Stated she had met
with Ms. Alvarez on several occasions. Their main strategy is capital
access. They have come some distance with the provision of technical assistance
dollars. New money coming up on the Prime Act. Money going to support
technical assistance to micro-enterprise programs that are serving at
least 50% people in poverty.
Nothing is happening in State. Been pushing State
to support matching money for Prime when Prime comes down.
· Question of reauthorization of the CEDAW
Ordinance
Ann Lehman, Policy Analyst COSW, standing in for
Commissioner Murase.
Supervisor Kaufman who would introduce the reauthorization
of CEDAW felt that while there is still some need for technical improvement
in the language the issue of reauthorizing (extending the Sunset date)
and adding new members isn’t needed at this point and Commissioner Murase
agreed with this position. The CEDAW Task Force was set up to offer
expertise in human rights and to assist with the work needed to begin
the implementation process. If we think that we need the Task Force
continued after the next two years, we can discuss extending it next
year.
Eventually, we want to bring CEDAW under the Commission.
Having the task force has been instrumental in setting up the guideline
procedure, getting CEDAW implementation off the ground, and receiving
community and other department input. When this is brought in house
the community could continue in an advisory capacity.
· San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD)
Sexual Harassment Prevention Program
At the request of President Miles, Ms. Lehman updated
the Commissioners on the status of the Sexual Harassment Prevention Program
in the SFUSD. The School District is committed to having a full time coordinator,
but the position is not filled and Student Leaders Against Sexual Harassment
(SLASH) is going out of existence. With the resources left, SLASH will
be involved in the hiring process. The Commission’s involvement has also
been very helpful in promoting this project.
Commissioner Keehn asked is there was any way for
SLASH to get funding. Ms. Lehman said there were other resources they
were researching. Commissioner Keehn asked what the timeline for the position
was? Ms. Lehman said it was open. An in-house person (SFUSD) has the first
opportunity to fill the position; however, SLASH members were hoping to
find someone outside the system who has done a lot of work in this area.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There were no public comments.
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS
· Commissioner Keehn stated she would give a
full report on the Sexual Assault Task Force at the next meeting and asked
to be put on the agenda. Last February they decided they needed a policy
subcommittee. Eight months after that decision they finally had a meeting.
The committee decided to focus on housing. The policy subcommittee’s next
meeting will be Friday, October 6, 2000 at 11 a.m.
· President Miles indicated that the Commission
needed to be informed on the housing issues affecting women.
· Ms. Melara suggested that affordable housing
could be a topic at the neighborhood meeting of the Commission.
· Commissioner Shorter thanked former Commission
President Patti Chang for hosting the 25th Annual meeting in
her home and thanked Ms. Melara for facilitating the meeting. She stated
it was very inspiring.
She also wanted to acknowledge the opening of the
Women’s Building. She urges everyone to see it.
· Commissioner Keehn stated that something else
worth fighting for is the Violence Against Women’s Act is about to go
out on September 30, 2000, so any last calls.
· Ms. Melara stated that she had included in
her report was a copy of the national poll that was released today 9/27/00
by the National Policy Institute, policy on alternatives. One of the best
pieces of information on women’s issues because for the first time it
includes a wide sample of women of color around the country. She asked
the Commissioners to read it and take it into consideration for the annual
meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
President Miles called for the meeting to adjourn
at 6:34 p.m.
Know Your Rights under the Sunshine
Ordinance
(Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative
Code)
Government’s duty is to serve the public,
reaching its decision 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, or to
report a violation of the Ordinance, contact the Sunshine Ordinance Task
Force at 415-554-4851. To obtain a free copy of the Sunshine Ordinance
contact the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, Rachel Arnstine O’Hara, Clerk,
City Hall, Room 362, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA
94102-4683, phone: 415-554-6171, fax: 415-554-6177, email: rachel_arnstineo’hara@ci.sf.ca.us.
Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can also be obtained from the San Francisco
Public Library and on the City’s website at www.sfgov.org. To review
or obtain documents referred to on agenda, contact Susan Murphy at 25
Van Ness Ave, Room 130, San Francisco, CA 94102; phone: 415-252-2570,
fax: 415-252-2575.
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 Admin
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://sfgov.org/ethics.
