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COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
Members Present Staff Present
President Shorter Executive Director Emily Murase, Ph.D.
Vice President Williams Grants Administrator Richard Eijima
Commissioner Andrea Evans CEDAW Analyst Kim-Shree Maufas
Commissioner Dorka Keehn Justice & Courage Analyst Colleen Montoya
Commissioner Jing Xu Lee Commission Commission Secretary Cynthia Vasquez
Commissioner Carolene Marks Department Intern Miwa Hashimoto
Commissioner Katherine Munter
I. CALL TO ORDER/AGENDA CHANGES
President Williams called the meeting to order at 5:10 pm.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Action: Approved draft minutes from August 16, 2006.
m/s/c/ (Munter/Williams/Unanimous). No public comment.
III. PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President Williams reported that, on September 12, she and Commissioner Andrea Shorter, Executive Director Emily Murase, Policy Analyst Carol Sacco attended the San Francisco 49ers community update on the team's diversity initiatives at Zeum. She also announced that the Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women (Friends) would be holding a community event in partnership with the San Francisco 49ers on October 3 at the Gum Moon Women’s Residence in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
President Williams reported that, at the CEDAW Committee on September 14, the Department of Public Works (DPW) presented a progress update on their original 1999 gender analysis and 2001 report.
President Williams reviewed the planned agenda themes for the next 10 months, and requested input from the other Commissioners.
· October 2006 **Community Meeting** Economic Development
· November 2006 CEDAW Training
· December 2006 Closed Session – Executive Directors Performance Evaluation
· January 2007 Girls
· February 2007 African American Heritage Month
· March 2007 Women’s History Month
· April 2007 Parenting, Childcare & Education
· May 2007 Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month
· June 2007 Domestic Violence
· July 2007 Strategic Planning Retreat
IV. EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS REPORT
A. Executive Director
Executive Director Murase referred Commissioners to her written report, but highlighted the Uniform Visitor Policy (UVP) that the Department is working in partnership with housing advocates and the Department of Human Services to amend so that housing designed to serve survivors of domestic violence an/or sexual violence can be exempt in order to protect the safety of residents.
B. Staff Report - 311 Project
On behalf of the Department, Jennifer Baker has been attending weekly 311 Customer Service Call Center meetings. 311 is a customer service line that will provide information on government services and resources to the public. It is expected to be launched on March 11, 2006 and will serve as a 24 hours, 7 days a week information line that will be accessible from any San Francisco telephone by dialing 3-1-1. The 311 Call Center will serve as a backup for the emergency 911 number and is intended to improve the customer experience for citizens, businesses, and visitors to San Francisco.
C. Violence Against Women (VAW) Partner Agency Profile - Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach
Dean Ito Taylor, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO; formerly Nihonmachi Legal Outreach), explained that APILO is a community-based, social justice organization serving the Asian and Pacific Islander communities of the Greater Bay Area. APILO provides legal, social, and educational services in more than a dozen different non-English languages. APILO works to promote culturally and linguistically appropriate services and is currently focused in the areas of domestic violence, violence against women, immigration and immigrant rights, senior law and elder abuse, human trafficking, public benefits, and social justice issues. APILO is currently developing an online peer counseling program directed at working with youth providing information on sexual harassment and sexual assaults on youth. A major project that the APILO has undertaken is working to end Human Trafficking. APILO provides legal representation to trafficked individuals in order to stabilize their immigration status, protect and advocate for them during the ensuing criminal investigation and prosecution, and provide them with housing referrals, medical help, access to refugee benefits, counseling, as well as job training and placement for the future.
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.
Action: Approved Consent Agenda. m/s/c (Williams/Marks/Unanimous)
- Res. 2006-045: Resolution in Honor of La Casa de las Madres’ 30th Anniversary Celebration
- Res. 2006-046: Resolution Honoring October as Domestic Violence Month
- Res. 2006-047: Resolution Recognizing President Gail Bishop and the Sisters Network – San Francisco affiliate chapter
- Res. 2006-048: Resolution Recognizing Bayview Hunters Point Family Resource Center and their 2006 Award Honorees
VI. NEW BUSINESS
A. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Assessment
Krishanti Dharmaraj, Executive Director of the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development for Human Rights (WILD), provided an overview of CEDAW in a global context. She then discussed plans for a formal assessment of San Francisco’s implementation of CEDAW. She has engaged Professor Debra Liebowitz of Drew University, who specializes in gender policy studies, to conduct the assessment which will begin in November and conclude by April 2007. Ms. Dharmaraj concluded by announcing that she would be leaving WILD in December of 2006. Commissioners thanked her for her service to the Commission as an early advocate for the adoption of the CEDAW Ordinance. Members of the public also thanks Ms. Dharmaraj for her many contributions to the community.
B. Upcoming CEDAW Training
Executive Director Murase announced that a 2- hour CEDAW training has been scheduled for the November 16 COSW meeting and that materials for that meeting is provided to Commissioners in this month's meeting packet. The interactive training will take the form of a PowerPoint presentation, with additional hand-on exercises. She asked that Commissioners review the materials in advance of the training session..
C. Department Request for Proposal (RFP) Process
In order to provide Commissioners with a context for the Department's RFP work, Executive Director Murase reviewed an prior RFP timeline that the Department had released, pointing out that the process of releasing an RFP, having a review team meet to review proposals and make recommendations that are forwarded to a funding committee and, ultimately, the Commission, can take upwards of 5 - 6 months. Commissioner Munter explained that one of the largest challenges in the process is recruiting review panel members and asked that Commissioners provide support by referring possible candidates to the Department. The next RFP scheduled to be released by the Department is the needs assessment of anti-violence against women programs.
Executive Director Murase announced that the Mayor's Office of Community Development (MOCD) has released an RFP for women's micro-enterprise development programs and MOCD is seeking review panel members. She asked that interested Commissioners contact Commission Secretary Cynthia Vasquez.
D. Anti-Human Trafficking Outreach Grant
Executive Director Murase reported that the funding committee recommended that the one-time Anti-Human Trafficking Education & Outreach Grant for $31,567 be awarded to Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach. This grant, for a 6-month period (December 1, 2006-June 2007), is designed to provide education and outreach around available resources not only to victims of human trafficking, but also to raise awareness about the issue in the general public. Executive Director Murase thanks Policy Analyst Kim-Shree Maufas for her dedicated work on the RFP.
Daisy Anarchy with Sex Workers Organized for Labor, Human, and Civil Rights commended the Commission and the Department for investing funds into education and outreach to victims of human trafficking.
Becky Masaki, Executive Director of Asian Women's Shelter, reported that her agency provides services to victims of human trafficking and is honored to work in collaboration with APILO on this important grant.
She also stated that she would like to initiate a discussion with San Francisco Women Against Rape (SF WAR) on ways to collaborate further on this issue. Ms. Masaki also thanked Ms. Maufas for her continued work with this RFP.
Action: Approve Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach as recipients of the $31,567 Anti Human Trafficking Outreach Grant.
m/s/c/(Marks /Evans/Unanimous). Commissioner Andrea Shorter recussed herself from the vote.
E. Violence Against Women Prevention & Intervention (VAW) Grants Program
Executive Director Murase announced that she has submitted for the Commission's approval a 17% increase to all Partner Agencies of the VAW Grants Program, based on monies resulting from the advocacy of these agencies at the Board of Supervisors Budget & Finance Committee.
In public comment, Beverly Upton, Executive Director of the Domestic Violence Consortium thanked the Department and Partner Agencies who advocated for the increases and reinforced how important it is to keep women's issues in the public eye.
Janelle White, Executive Director of SF WAR, reported that SF WAR has taken 30,000 calls in the last year and provided in-person counseling to 84 survivors of sexual assault. She reported that advocacy and accompaniment are now available on evenings and weekends and that the agency began serving victims during these hours in June.
Becky Masaki urged Partner Agencies to work in collaboration, support one another's work, and coordinate services to maximize resources as funds are being cut from providers all around.
Action: Approve 17% increase in Allocations for Partner Agencies of the Violence Against Women Prevention & Intervention Grant Program. m/s/c/(Shorter/Munter/Unanimous).
F. Girls Committee
Policy Analyst Maufas, with the assistance of Commissioner Andrea Shorter, has been working with community-based organizations and the San Francisco Unified School District to recruit young women between the ages 13-17 for members for the Girls Committee. Ms. Maufus was happy to report that thanks to the Friends of the COSW, the members of the Girls Committee will receive stipends. So far, the Girls Committee officially has one member who has previously worked with the Youth Commission.
G. Proposed COSW Attendance Policy
Executive Director Murase reported that in an effort by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to increase consistent attendance of appointed representatives to the City's Boards and Commissions, the Mayor has requested that all Commissions develop an attendance policy. Executive Director Murase reviewed the draft Commission attendance policy. Commissioners requested to amend the proposed attendance policy to reflect a 12-month calendar year rather than a fiscal year and to align the policy with existing Commission by-laws.
Moving forward, President Williams requested a 6-month report from the Commission Secretary on the attendance of all Commissioners.
Action: Approve amended Attendance Policy reflecting the unexcused absences in a 12 month year.
m/s/c/(Munter/Shorter/Unanimous).
H. Ideas for Women’s History Month
Executive Director Murasereminded the Commission that March is Women's History Month and it is important that the COSW put thought into the activities for the month. In the past, the Commission and Department have hosted the Women Making History event at the Board of Supervisors as well as a Women in City Leadership luncheon. Commissioners requested that staff come back at a future meeting with possible suggestions on activities or events for the month of March.
VII. REPORTS
A. Health
Commissioner Marks reported that the Governor did not sign the Universal Health Care Bill and that it will not go before the Governor again until 2007. Commissioner Marks is working with Ms. Maufas and Department Intern Miwa Hashimoto to conduct telephone surveys in order to evaluate the cancer detection program Every Women Counts which is run by the California Department of Health Services with the purpose of providing access to mammograms and other resources to those experiencing breast cancer.
Commissioner Marks has been appointed to the San Francisco Health Access Program (SFHAP) Advisory Committee. This committee will provide the Department of Public Health, the San Francisco Health Plan, the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement and Private Providers with expert consultation on implementation of employee spending mandate, membership, rates, benefits, network, utilization, financing and evaluation.
B. Justice & Courage
VIII. Public Comment
Melissa Gira informed the Commission that SpeakOut is working in collaboration with the Department of Public Health on a 6-month pilot project to take telephone feedback from sex industry workers on a tip line and to and compile an assessment of the needs of the community. Ms. Guerra requested that the Commission suspend presenting the Board of Supervisors with the exotic dancer legislation until the assessment has been completed.
Victoria Powell re-emphasized the 6-month postponement of the Exotic Dancer Legislation until the assessment is completed by the DPH and SpeakOut.
Daisy Anarchy expressed her grievances with Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP), DPH, and the St. James Infirmary, arguing that the tip line reflects an effort to undermine important work to reform the working conditions of exotic dancers.
Geninifer Hirano with SWOP requested postponement of the Exotic Dancer legislation as SWOP will be holding a meeting on October 3rd and will be able to report back to the COSW what she believes to be a larger issue.
President Angela Williams excused herself at 7:30 pm from the meeting and requested that Vice President Katherine Munter chair the remaining part of meeting.
X. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 pm.
Action: Adjourn meeting. m/s/c (Shorter/Marks/Unanimous)
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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