April 25, 2012

COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
5:00 PM
City Hall, Room 408
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

Members Present Staff Present
President Kay Gulbengay Executive Director Emily M. Murase, PhD
Vice President Julie Soo Ann Lehman, Policy Director
Commissioner Alicia Gamez Media & Community Affairs Director Aimee Allison
Commissioner Nancy Kirshner- Outreach and Development Manager Stacey Hoang
Rodriguez Grants Administrator Carol Sacco
Commissioner Andrea Shorter Commission Secretary Cynthia Vasquez
Commissioner Stephanie Simmons

Excused: Commissioner Becca Prowda

I. Welcome
President Kay Gulbengay called the meeting to order at 5:05 pm. President Gulbengay asked to postpone the Department of Public Works presentation to a future meeting and move up Commissioner Reports on the agenda.
Action: Approve amended agenda.
m/s/c (Alicia/Simmons/Unanimous)

II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Action: Approve minutes from March 28, 2012.
m/s/c (Kirshner-Rodriguez/Shorter/Unanimous)
No public comment.

III. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

A. Executive Director's Report
Explanatory document: The Executive Director’s Report discusses the work of the Department based on the Commission’s Strategic Plan which reflects the principles of the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Dr. Murase highlighted key parts of the Executive Director's report. Dr. Murase reported that the 5WCW Strategy Team, composed of Media & Community Affairs Director Aimee Allison, consultant Paul Oliva, Deloitte Partner Esther Colwill, her Deloitte colleague Delphine Jaquin and her, prepared a briefing document for the Mayor’s Office that benchmarked the proposed conference against recent UN conferences.

Dr. Murase also reported that, on April 18, the Department, in partnership with the San Francisco Department on Child Support Services hosted its 5th workshop for VAW Partner Agencies.

Dr. Murase also attended a press conference with Mayor Edwin Lee to announce the goal of providing 5,000 new paid internships and jobs for youth in the summer. The program is seeking job applicants as well as employers who would like to participate (www.hiresfyouth.com). The Department will continue to participate in the Youth Works program.

Ann Lehman, Policy Director, reported that the Gender Equality Principles Initiative (GEP) Roundtable “Gender & Generations: What are the Best Practices and Biggest Challenges?” was held on April 18. Hosted at the offices of Deloitte, the event featured an expert panel to discuss changing generational and gender dynamics in the American workforce and workplaces. The panel was moderated by Brian Maxwell, Deloitte’s Services Talent Leader and Regional Talent Leader for the West. Panelists included:
? Ann Lehman, Policy Director of SF Department on the Status of Women.
? Marily Mondejar, President of the Filipina Women’s Network
? Christie Smith, the Consulting Life Sciences Principal for Deloitte Consulting
? Patricia Gillette, Partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and a member of the Employment Law Group,
The event was attended by 46 people. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive from attendees which included corporate representatives from Gap Inc., PG&E, Levis Strauss, Recology, and Ernst & Young.

IV. 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: Approve consent agenda.
m/s/c (Simmons/Gamez/Unanimous)

A. Resolution Recognizing the Benioff Donation to Create the Star Community Home
B. Resolution Recognizing Eileen Hirst
C. Resolution Recognizing Shalom Bayit on its 20th Anniversary
D. Resolution Recognizing On Lok Lifeways on its 40th Anniversary

Barbara D. Kibbe, Chief Operating Officer of the Salesforce.com Foundation, provided an overview of the Star Community Home. Star Community Home provides housing and services to homeless single mothers with children at the former convent at Star of the Sea Parish. Available services include:
• Intake and specialized case management for up to 12 families at a time.
• Community living environment including family-style meals and common living areas.
• Children’s activities.
• Information, resources, and referral to community support services.
Ms. Kibbe thanked the Commission for the recognition on behalf of the Benioff’s.

Eileen Hirst thanked colleagues, the JUSTIS Governance Council, the Justice & Courage Oversight Panel, and Dr. Murase for their support and continued effort to help crime victims. Dr. Murase and Commissioner Shorter thanked Ms. Hirst for her years of dedicated service to the City.

Dr. Murase introduced Interim Sheriff Vicki Hennessy. Dr. Murase explained that the Department has worked closely with Sheriff Hennessy in her role at the Department of Emergency Management in the past and looks forward to working with her in her new role.

Valorie Villela, a member of the Senior Management Team at On Lok, thanked the Commission for honoring the work or the agency. Ms. Villela explained that On Lok services started in a little office in the outer Mission District and have now expanded to include 6 centers here in San Francisco and locations in Santa Clara and Fremont. Commissioner Julie Soo thanked Ms. Villela for the valued work the agency does with seniors.

V. NEW BUSINESS
A. Rent Board Gender Analysis Update
Rent Board Supervisor Jennifer Rakowski provided an update on the agency’s gender equality work. The Rent Board is responsible for overseeing compliance with the Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Ordinance which regulates rents and evictions in San Francisco. The Rent Board underwent a CEDAW gender analysis in 2001, with updates in 2002, 2009, and 2012. Ms. Rakowski stated that Rent Board Clients complete a client satisfaction survey and that is how the agency receives data on the clients that are served. She reported, however, that there has been a decrease in number of clients that complete the form that is now available on-line. Gender demographics is an optional question on the survey and can be skipped. The US Census data for San Francisco shows the median age of people residing in the City as 55 years of age. Currently renters in San Francisco are 52% female and 49% male, and homeowners are 46% female, 64% males. In terms of language access, the Rent Board offers its clients 387 documents translated into Chinese and Spanish. Office staff speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish. The agency website is also trilingual. Regarding flexible work options, staff many elect a 9/80 schedule and 41% of the staff telecommute at some point. The agency also offers maternity/paternity leave and a nursing room. As for the office staff, 48% of the staff are female, 42% male. Those with over 5 years of service with the Department account for 86% of all staff.

In February 2009, the Board of Supervisors added to the Rent Ordinance definitions of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault, provisions to expand confidentiality, and protections against nuisance evictions for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault. or stalking. In 2009, the Rent Board staff also received training on domestic violence, stalking, and sexual abuse. In 2010, the Board of Supervisors again amended the Rent Ordinance to prevent the eviction of families with school age children during the school year.
Dr. Murase expressed concern about the lack of demographic data on clients and suggested having a conversation of how to capture that data. Commissioner Soo suggested using the data template that the Department designed for 311 data collection. Ms. Rakowski stated that there is tremendous amount of data collected by the agency as required by law and clients are reluctant to complete the optional data.

B. Department of Public Works Gender Analysis Update
The Department of Public Works will present at a future meeting.

C. Commission Media Protocol
President Gulbengay explained that it is the role of the President to release statements and articles to the media and would be interested in seeing a media protocol developed. Commissioner Julie Soo presented information related to different levels of media response and how to build a rapid response media team. Usually the Rapid Response team is comprised of the Executive Director, President/Chair, a staff member and a 2nd board member.

She elaborated that there are 4 levels of media response.
1. Full media response: goal is to get something out in 48 hours
2. Refer primary response to a Partner Agency and express support for that agency’s position.
3. Send a letter of concern.
4. Not respond publicly but rather to the person responsible for the concern.
Media Affairs Director Aimee Allison will work with Commissioner Soo to develop a Commission policy.

VI. REPORTS
Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez reported that the 5WCW Steering Committee formed the following sub-committees: research, social media, and fundraising.

Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez also attended the San Francisco Collaboration Against Human Trafficking which met on April 23 with representatives from 20 public and nonprofit sectors. Two speakers gave presentations. Catherine Carlton, Co-Chair of the State Public Affairs Committee of the Junior League, provided a summary of pending legislation on human trafficking and Sergeant Arlin Vanderbilt from the Police Department’s Special Victims Unit provided an update on child sex trafficking cases in the City.

Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez also acknowledged Shalom Bayit in honor of their 20th Anniversary and the agency’s great work with domestic violence survivors.

Commissioner Shorter reported that the Justice and Courage Oversight Panel members continue to meet with City Departments such as the District Attorney, the Public Defender, the newly appointed Sheriff, and the Director of the Human Services Agency. The Panel members will be meeting with the Police Chief, Presiding Judge, and Adult Probation Departments in the next few weeks. The next meeting of the Oversight Panel is on May 2.

President Gulbengay reported that she attended the Friends Board meeting. The board is in full planning mode for the September 17 CEDAW Awards Luncheon. President Gulbengay has also attended meetings with key members of the Mayor’s Office to update them on the 5WCW planning efforts.

Commissioner Soo reported that she attended the Healthy San Francisco meeting. To date there are 46,503 individuals signed up with Healthy San Francisco; 50% are men and 50% are women. Commissioner Soo also attended the 40th Anniversary of the Asian Law Caucus.

Commissioner Stephanie Simmons reminded Commissioners that the next meeting of the Family Violence Council will be held on May 16.

Commissioner Alicia Gamez reported that she has been in contact with members of the Latino community and explained that many Latinos feel that, given the current policies and practices, domestic violence reporting and enforcement has a very negative impact on the family and community. Commissioner Gamez has heard feedback from the community that many fear reporting domestic violence to the police because this will lead to conviction of the batterers which is a basis for deportation, thereby tearing apart families. Commissioner Gamez recommended developing a diversion program in lieu of conviction for minor domestic violence cases that might otherwise go unaddressed. Commissioner Gamez introduced Elizabeth Hilton, Supervisor of the Misdemeanor Unit who has served in the Public Defender’s Office for 16 years. Currently, 2 of her staff handling domestic violence cases. Ms. Hilton reported that 1/3 of those charged with domestic violence participate in counseling. She explained that a domestic violence conviction can lead to the loss of a job, loss of housing, and deportation. She also noted that when women do not participate in the prosecution, cases are often dropped and the assailants go free. She expressed that if counseling was available, more women would feel empowered, recidivism would be reduced, and it would be possible to keep families together.

President Kay Gulbengay referred this issue to the Justice and Courage Oversight Panel, the Commission committee responsible for domestic violence policy reforms. Commissioner Andrea Shorter, chair of the Oversight Panel, invited Ms. Hilton to attend the next Panel meeting on May 2.

Tammy Bryant, a domestic violence survivor, urged the Commission to work towards developing a pre-trial diversion program. She expressed that the perpetrator in most domestic violence cases is a loved one or a family member and should be allowed to get the help and guidance he or she needs.

Emberly Cross of the Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic stated that pre-trail diversion programs have been prohibited for domestic violence since 1995 when SB 196 was enacted into state law.

Beverly Upton, Executive Director of the Domestic Violence Consortium, explained that, in response to concerns voiced by immigrant communities, the domestic violence community would like to see fundamental reform of the federal Secure Communities program that enables the Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency to deport undocumented residents who are taken into custody or cited by local police for even minor infractions such as driving without a license. These unjustified deportations create obstacles to better crime reporting and accountability. She stated that Assemblymember Tom Ammiano’s office is working on legislation that would enable states to opt-out of the Secure Communities program as it is currently enforced.

VII. PUBLIC COMMENT
None.

VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn the meeting in memory of Dorothy Cox, who was a long-time City Hall aide for several mayors, and pioneered the way for African American and minority women to participate in local government at the highest levels. Meeting adjourned at 6:45 pm.
m/s/c (Soo/Kirshner-Rodriguez/Unanimous)
No public comment.

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