- Personnel matters, Executive
Director's evaluation will be reviewed at the February meeting during
a closed session.
- Resolution and Policies &
Procedures training is being planned for the next two months.
- President Delgado announced
that effective at the end of this meeting, she would be resigning as the
President of the Commission and from the Commission entirely. According
to the By-Laws, Vice-President Juanita Miles will take over as President.
The Commission will hold elections in February for Vice President.
Commissioners wished
President Delgado the best and expressed gratitude for her work with the
Commission.
Sonia Melara added
the Commission's Policies & Procedures training with the consultants
will take place at the March meeting. She recommended, due to the fullness
of the February meeting, moving the resolutions training with the City Attorney
to the March meeting as well.
- Sonia Melara, Executive Director,
submitted a written report and highlighted the following:
- She met with the new State
Commissioners in Sacramento, as President of the Association of Commission
for Women. The California Commission for Women has decided to hold its
meeting in July of 2000 in San Francisco.
- The February community meeting
will be held at the Board Room of the St. Francis Medical Hospital in
the Tenderloin. Ms. Melara proposes that we take this opportunity to focus
on presentations regarding health issues.
- The Grand Jury paid the Commission
office a friendly visit. COSW was informed by the City Attorney ‘s Office
that the Grand Jury wants to look at City departments throughout the City,
not just those with problems.
- Commission staff held a Sunshine
Ordinance training. Information from the Sunshine Ordinance is included
in the Commissioner's packets. It's important that Commissioners attend
a training as the new Ordinance is very complex.
- Women's History Month event
is scheduled for March 6th 1:00pm in the Board of Supervisors
Chambers. The Board of Supervisors will present proclamations to women
that they have selected. Ms. Melara is working with the Legion of Honor
on the possibility of holding a reception that evening.
- How to Get That Appointment
seminar will be held on April 11th in the Board of Supervisors
Board Room, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
- Bring Your Daughter to Work
Day is scheduled for April 27th.
- Included in the Commission
packets are:
- A copy of correspondence
between the Commission office and the Board of Supervisors regarding
homeless services as they apply to COSW,
- An article from the San
Francisco Examiner regarding CEDAW,
- A flyer on the Beijing Plus
Five Conference February 25 - February 26, 2000.
Sonia Melara discussed
the upgrades to the plan mailed out earlier to the Commissioners. Commissioners
Keehn and Marks called with their suggestions.
- Commissioner Marks suggested
to include the word primarily right after the word focusing in
our mission statement.
- Ms. Melara also changed
the sentence, "including young women and all parts of their work"
to "Include young women in all work related to girls issues."
The remainder
of the document is as it was mailed to Commissioners.
ACTION: m/s/c (Marks/Miles/Unanimous)
To approve the 3-Year Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2000-2003.
The Commission's
Calendar was discussed and was decided to accept it as presented, plus hold
the quarterly meetings as follows:
- February
meeting in the Tenderloin
- April meeting
in the Richmond
- July meeting
in Bayview
- October meeting
in the Mission
ACTION: m/s/c (Murase/Miles/Unanimous)
To adopt the 2000 Meeting Calendar with locations for neighborhood
meetings.
Ann Lehman, Policy
Analyst, presented a report on possible action on recommendations for policy
considerations on Living Wage.
- After an extended discussion
the Commissioners took action to support a living wage amount and to revisit
the following in the future:
- How best to increase wages
for non-profit staff
- Whether to advocate for
a city wide minimum wage
- How to keep costs to the
city consistent with current resources
- How to increase public information
regarding the earned income tax credit
ACTION: m/s/c (Murase/Marks/Unanimous)
To support the Living Wage proposal at $11.00 an hour wage with benefits
and with the inclusion of In-Home Health Service workers, with a caveat
to revisit this issue in February.
- 2000 - 2001 Budget Proposal
- Ms. Melara
stated that the budget is as it was last year, except for the $100,000 for
the public information campaign, which was included in last year's budget
as a one time expense. This amount will be requested on our wish list to
the Mayor this year. In addition, last year Supervisor Becerril allocated
$25,000 to the Mission Girls YWCA, this was a one time only allocation and
it is not in the budget for this year.
- Commissioner
Murase asked whether the present staffing shortage was related to the budget.
Ms. Melara indicated that present staffing matters are due more to City
bureaucracy, rather than budgetary issues.
ACTION: m/s/c (Marks
/Miles/Unanimous) To approve Fiscal Year 2000-2001 Budget proposal.
- Ms. Melara
reported that the department has $20,000 in savings from one of the programs
and proposes to establish an emergency fund to provide for women's needs
similar to the ones expressed by Ms. Jennifer Hudson of the Housing Authority.
The Commission would develop the criteria. Ms. Melara has requested the
Mayor's office to allocate $25,000 in next year's budget.
- Commissioners
expressed support for the creation of the fund and seeing it grow. They
would like to look at the criteria established.
ACTION: m/s/c (Murase/Miles/Unanimous)
For the establishment of an emergency fund for violence against women.
- The United Nations Women's
Resource Center is having a National Women's Day celebration on March
8, 2000 and they have requested the Commission be a co-sponsoring organization,
at no cost to the department. We will receive more information as it becomes
available.
ACTION: m/s/c (Murase/Miles/Unanimous)
To be a Co-Sponsor of Women's International Day (March 8, 2000) sponsored
by the Resource Center of the United Nations (at no cost to the department).
Commissioner Emily
Murase reported:
- The Commission
and Task Force have been very active. The departments to undergo the gender
analysis next are the Rent Board, Commission on the Environment, Art Commission,
and Adult Probation.
- Sonia Melara
commented that some departments have expressed concerns over being able
to participate due to the size of their departments and staffing. Ms. Melara
explained that the Commission does not make the decision as to who is chosen
or excluded. This is a decision of the Task Force by City Ordinance. Departments
with concerns should approach the Task Force directly.
- VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: Public
Information Campaign
- Granate Sosnoff from Feminist
Media gave a report on the Violence Against Women public information campaign.
Her organization is creating two outdoor campaigns.
- They have obtained
over $33,000 in donated or reduced rate advertisement.
- The ads will be in Spanish,
Chinese and English, including 25 bus shelters, 19 billboards, 8 sheet
billboards, 200 interior bus cards, 50 Muni Metro interior cards, 20 interior
cards in restaurants and bars.
- There is a possibility of
a one page ad in the Western edition of the New York Times.
- The first series
is the Respect series which deals with communication and education and is
targeted to be launched on March 1.
- The second
part of the campaign (provided they receive more funding) is "Call
it What it Is." This will be a more controversial campaign. Ms. Sosnoff
projects April for launching it.
- Commissioners
discussed the photographs and suggested using images that are more representative
of San Francisco communities. Ms. Sosnoff spoke to the challenges of the
campaign and suggested using different images for the second part of the
campaign. Ms. Sosnoff agreed to further discuss the images and ideas with
the Executive Director.
- Ms. Sosnoff
spoke to the challenge of donated media and limited spaces and resources.
- Commissioners
expressed an interest in the outcomes of this campaign and it's effectiveness.
Ms. Melara commented that the Mayor's Budget Office has also asked for this
information. She is hoping to have some numbers by late April.
- Commissioners
want community groups to be informed, to ensure direct service providers
are prepared for the increase in phone calls and requests for services.
-
PUBLIC COMMENT
Lark Curtain, member
of the public stated: "This is my first Commission meeting I've attended,
and I'm really excited to finally be here. And I think your media campaign
is absolutely wonderful, and if my opinion matters at all, I think it's
going to be a great success."
-
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Commissioner Miles
stated that Commissioner Marks had previously requested salary information
and she has not received it. Ms. Melara responded that since this was an
additional task recently requested, it is being worked on and will be available
soon.
Commissioner Miles
announced that she is attending the Working Women's Convention in Chicago
March 10-12, 2000.
She also reminder
everyone that the Mayor's Women's Summit will take place on April 25, 2000.
Commissioner Tulier
gave a brief report about her meeting with the Friends of COSW Board of
Directors. She stated that the Friends Board would like to increase their
relationship with the Commission. The Board would also like to reinstate
the standing Friends Report at Commission meetings. Commissioner Tulier
has volunteered to work with them on an on going basis and extended that
invitation to other interested Commissioners.
Sonia Melara announced
that this Friday is the first Planning Committee for the National Association
of Commissions Convention. If Commissioners would like to attend, it will
be Friday, January 28, 8:00 am at 25 Van Ness Avenue, Room 70.
-
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting was adjourned
at 6:35 pm.
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.
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.
