Meeting Information

COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
City and County of San Francisco
MINUTES
Neighborhood Meeting
Wednesday, July 26, 2000 at 5:30 P.M.
San Francisco Public Library Bayview-Walden Branch
5057 Third Street (at Revere)
San Francisco, California 94124

American Sign Language interpreters and a Sound Amplification System provided upon request with 48-hour advance notice to 415-252-2570. Limited accessible street parking available. Accessible MUNI Lines are the 15, 44, 23 and 24 lines. Accessible seating for persons with disabilities (including those using wheelchairs) will be available. Meeting proceedings available in alternative formats. In order to assist the City’s efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illness, 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 to accommodate these individuals. To make arrangements or for accessibility information, contact Rosario Navarrette at 415-252-2570 (Voice) or 415-252-2550 (TDD).

1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL

President Miles called to order at 5:33 p.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT
President Juanita Miles   
Vice President Carolene Marks
Commissioner Emily Murase
Commissioner Andrea Shorter

STAFF PRESENT
Sonia Melara
Ann Lehman
Rosario Navarrette
Christina Neuner

MEMBERS EXCUSED

Commissioner Dorka Keehn
Commissioner Valerie Tulier

1. ADOPTION OF AGENDA (ACTION ITEM)

m/s/c (Marks, Murase, Unanimous) To adopt the agenda for Wednesday, July 26, 2000.

 

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

m/s/c (Marks, Murase, Unanimous) To approve the amended minutes of the Special Meeting held Wednesday, June 28, 2000. Item 19 will read, "To submit without documentation and provide a 1% bonus."

3. PRESIDENT'S REPORT

• Certificates of Merit for Ms. Ruby Dee, Ms. Helena-Joyce Wright, and the Oakland Ensemble Theatre

President Miles states she did not get to make a report the last meeting but thanks the Commission and staff for their support in presenting certificates of merit to Ruby Dee, Helena-Joyce Wright, and the Oakland Ensemble Theatre.

• Monthly Conferences with Vice President Marks and Sonia Melara, Executive Director

•Monthly conference calls between Vice President Marks and Sonia Melara will resume August 14, 2000, for updates on staff and any other issues on which Commissioners should be notified.

•President Miles commended staff for their efforts hosting the National Association of Commissions for Women(NACW) Annual Convention. She added that it was a wonderful convention and that women across the nation were very pleased.

4. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

• National Association of Commissions for Women Convention

•Ms. Melara stated a complete report is not available but at the next Commission meeting she will issue a full report of the NACW Convention. She mentioned that the convention was very successful and involved various members of the community, both locally and nationally. However, the revenue expected was not realized. She received good feedback and thanked the Commissioners for being there and for their support.

•Commissioner Murase echoed President Miles and Ms. Melara’ s words on the convention. She asked if evaulations would be available. Ms. Melara replied they will be available with the full report.

5. NEW BUSINESS

• Violence Against Women Emergency Fund Report-Beverly Upton, Director, W.O.M.A.N., Inc.

Beverly Upton thanked the Commission for being moved up on the agenda as well as for the emergency fund. She explained the details and success of the emergency fund as providing services such as counseling and hotlines for women victims of domestic violence. With financial backing and support she believes these women can get out of their abusive situations. She brought anecdotal information and shared stories of the women who have been helped through the emergency fund. The turnaround is usually same day for cash, otherwise usually the following day. Sometimes it takes a couple of days if they are waiting to get documentation such as a lease. Word is getting out about the program. She presented an intake form created from the department’s criteria. Clarification regarding when determination is made to help a woman throught the emergency fund was made. Commissioner Murase expressed concern about renewal of this fund and suggested publicizing, especially to bring W.O.M.A.N., Inc. to the attention of the Board of Supervisors.

• Presentation by Tracy Brown on the YWCA Mission Girls Services

•Tracy Brown, Director of YWCA Mission Girls Services, spoke on the recent accomplishments of YWCA to provide educational services for girls in the Mission district which are now in Spanish. COSW funding allows them to produce a magazine to educate girls on abuse, surveys on how to tell if you are in an abusive relationship, and a video that educates on statuatory rape. Lidia Sanchez, the group facilitator, stated they go to schools with a curriculum which includes topics such as body image, sexual harrassment, a self defense workshop (through SFWAR), statuatory rape, and relationship abuse. Upon Commissioner Shorter’s questioning, Ms. Brown explained that they are funded to conduct girl specific programs; what they have found in working with you in the schools is that after viewing the material presented by girls, boys in the audience are the ones who ask all the questions and are generally more vocal.

Commissioner Shorter requests a five minute break. President Miles calls the meeting to resume at 6:31 p.m.

•Vylma Ortiz, Staff Attorney at Community Defenders Office of the Bayview/Hunters Point Foundation, spoke on their program working to prevent domestic violence among youth. She works with peer educators who talk with boys and girls on the importance of having a peer relationship. They are in the process of producing a video about domestic violence with different scenarios and are going to present it to a group of teens.

• Presentation by Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)

•Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez has been Director of DCYF for about 19 months. She was directed by the Mayor to develop polices for best practices, innovative activities, expansion of services in the City as well as promote access, improve quality, and engage community. Their budget has increased to $27.5 million for 2000-2001. They have received calls from all over the country for having created a national model for childcare and early childhood education. Now they are looking at what the expanding needs for children are in San Francisco. This year they have funded 17 new organizations and are looking at the changing demographics of children in the City, especially focusing on expanding services to areas like the Richmond, Sunset, and others.

This year DCYF has served over 72, 000 youth ages 0-17; approximately half the number of children in San Francisco. This year they are spending $485, 000 on gender specific girls and young women’s programs as compared to $50, 000 on boys’ services. Their mission in not just to serve girls, but what they have found in co-ed programs is that boys typically dominate, leaving less attention for girls.

Fellow staff member Dolores Terrazas spoke of the high attrition rate of childcare providers due to low wages. She explained how DCYF is rewarding those entering the childcare industry as well as those who have stayed by providing them with a stipend. She distributed the first report on children ages 0-5.

Beverly Green Simmons, Project Director of SafeStart, said that the focus of SafeStart is to work towards family and community violence prevention for children 0-6 yrs old. Their approach is prevention, intervention, and treatment, with a comprehensive service delivery for children. Ms. Alvarez-Rodriguez responded to a question about the impact of the living wage by stating that there is an initiative separate from the living wage proposal to bring wages of childcare providers in San Francisco up to $9/hr.

Vice President Marks leaves at 7:10 p.m.

Ms. Alvarez-Rodriguez mentioned that DCYF changed their Mission Statement to work with parents, youth, community-based organizations, and to build the capacity of neighborhoods. The Children's Fund new initiative amendment will be on ballot this year and she requested the Commission’s support.

• Presentation on United Council of Human Services-Barbara Brown

President Miles noted that Barbara Brown was not present and therefore no presentation was available.

• Presentation on WFN Women's Financial Network

The item was to be introduced by Vice President Marks who had already left. Ms. Melara explained that WFN is a for profit organization that is trying to recruit customers, and it is not an appropriate organization for the Commission or Department to be involved with.

6. REPORTS

• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Task Force

Commissioner Murase spoke about two recent articles by the CEDAW Task Force and staff that were featured in newspapers: one was an editorial in the Chronicle about the 20th anniversary of CEDAW; the other was an editorial in the Daily Journal which also gave details on the Juvenile Probation Department and the Department of Public Works which are the first two departments the CEDAW Task Force has worked with.

• Updates

Living wage

Ms. Lehman distributed a living wage fact sheet, including most of the suggestions made by COSW. She said the requirements regarding health care benefits apply to more people than the Living Wage Initiative.

• San Francisco Unified School District Sexual Harassment Prevention Program

Ms. Lehman announced that the School Board has hired a half time Sexual Harrassment Coordinator who will be under Student Services rather than Student Health and will be announced at the SFUSD Board of Education meeting in August.

• Paid Parental Leave

The unemployment regulation is now permanent and permits states to use unemployment funds to allow parents to take paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child.

7. PUBLIC COMMENT

8. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS

President Miles announced that COSW will take action to pass a resolution for theEmployment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA) at the next meeting.

9.  ADJOURNMENT

President Miles called for the meeting to adjourn at 7:33 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 Kit Chau 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.