May 23, 2012

COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, May 22, 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 Media & Community Affairs Director Aimee Allison
Commissioner Alicia Gamez Outreach and Development Manager Stacey Hoang
Commissioner Nancy Kirshner- Grants Administrator Carol Sacco
Rodriguez Commission Secretary Cynthia Vasquez
Commissioner Becca Prowda
Commissioner Andrea Shorter
Commissioner Stephanie Simmons

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 (Soo/Kirshner-Rodriguez/Simmons/Unanimous)

II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Action: Approve minutes from April 25, 2012.
m/s/c (Soo/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 was pleased to report that the Department was notified that the Gender Equality Principles Initiative (GEP) was selected as the winner of the International WorkLife Balance Award for Continent America by the Lombardy Regional Government of Italy. The GEP Initiative was among 147 projects submitted throughout the world for consideration. Policy Director Ann Lehman and Dr. Murase will travel to Milan, Italy from May 28 – June 2 to accept the award. Dr. Murase recognized Outreach & Development Manager Stacey Hoang for her role in submitting the application for the award.

Dr. Murase encouraged Commissioners to attend the June 2 Town Hall where Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s MissRepresention documentary will be screened for a borad audience of participants, especially young women. Dr. Murase thanked Media & Community Affairs Director Aimee Allison for spearheading this project.

Dr. Murase announced the soft launch of the 2012 Girls Report. A full hearing of the report will take place at the June 27 Commission meeting. Dr. Murase acknowledged Policy Director Ann Lehman, Grants Administrator Carol Sacco, Graduate Fellows Janet Connor and Alexandra Ledyard for their effort in finalizing the updated report. Copies of the report will be available at the June 2 Town Hall and the June Commission meeting will be dedicated to testimony about the status of girls in San Francisco.

B. Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic (CROC)
Emberly Cross, Coordinating Attorney of CROC, provided an update on the work of the agency which is funded, in part, by the Violence Against Women Prevention & Intervention Grants Program of the Department. CROC is a collaborative city-wide project which helps domestic violence survivors in San Francisco get restraining orders against their abusers and child custody orders. CROC Partners with Bay Area Legal Aid, Volunteer Legal Services Program of the Bar Association of San Francisco, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, and the Riley Center of St. Vincent de Paul Society. The services are free and confidential, and represent the main way in which women in San Francisco obtain restraining orders. CROC represents sexual assault and stalking survivors in obtaining civil harassment restraining orders in civil court as well.

CROC is able to provide services with 3 full time employees and many volunteers. CROC provides weekly clinics as well as weekend and evening appointments, with the option of having child care provided. CROC staff also schedule appointments outside of clinic hours as some clients may not be available during clinic hours, and provide telephone advice and referrals.

Ms. Cross reported that CROC serves 800-1000 survivors per year. CROC has the ability to serve clients in the following languages: English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Japanese, Russian, American Sign Language, Hindi, Korean, and Portuguese. CROC also has no income guidelines for clients served. CROC also serves the following communities as follows:
• 5% LGBT
• 18% identify as having a disability
• Race/ethnicity
• 34% Latina/o
• 18% Caucasian
• 15% African American
• Other/unknown/declined to state 16%
• Asian Pacific Islander 10%
• Bi/multi-ethnic 5%
• Native American 1%

Commissioner Soo stated that there are extreme funding cuts proposed to the family courts and it is important to rally for court funding because family courts affect everyday lives.

Dr. Murase recognized Ms. Cross for her 16 years of dedication to CROC and the community. Ms. Cross has played a very important role in budget advocacy and in recent Mother’s Day Press conference.

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 (Soo/Simmons/Unanimous)

A. Resolution Recognizing Alice Bierman During Asian Pacific American Month
B. Resolution Recognizing Susan Mizner
C. Resolution Recognizing Helynna Brooke During Mental Health Month
D. Resolution Recognizing the 20th Anniversary of Shalom Bayit

Alice Bierman was unable to accept the honor in person as she has 2 young children. Commissioner Soo recognized Ms. Bierman for being a domestic violence survivor who is now an advocate for victims, a visually impaired woman who has volunteered at the Riley Center and Asian Women’s Shelter. Ms. Bierman was also an instructor in the Cross-Training Institute, which cross trained domestic violence first responders in Chinese.

Susan Mizner thanked the Commission for the resolution and expressed what a pleasure it has been to work with the Commission/Department. Ms. Mizner introduced Carla Johnson who will be taking her place as she moves on to the National Office of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Ms. Johnson explained that it has been a great opportunity to work with Ms. Mizner and she looks forward to working with the Commission. Ms. Johnson has worked for the City for 23 years and a big project she worked on was getting all City Hall hearing rooms accessible to the disabled, and disaster planning for people with disabilities. The Commission praised Ms. Mizner for her leadership and contributions.

Dr. Murase introduced Helynna Brooke who has been the Executive Director of the Mental Health Board of San Francisco since 1999. Ms. Brooke recognized a serious gender gap in the development and delivery of gender-specific mental health services, and pioneered an innovative project now called San Francisco Women and Girls, (formerly “GABHS for Gals” Gender Appropriate Behavior Health Services for Women, Girls, and Families), to improve the mental health of women, children, and families in San Francisco. Ms. Brooke thanked the Commission and Department for acknowledging her effort to provide health care to all in San Francisco. Ms. Brooke specifically thanked her mother who was in attendance for her support and leadership from a very young age.

Naomi Tucker, Executive Director of Shalom Bayit, thanked the Commission for recognizing her agency’s 20th Anniversary of providing vital services to women in the Jewish Community. Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez recognized Shalom Bayit for working with the Jewish Community on what was formerly considered a very private issue.

Commissioners expressed how important it is to work with faith-based organizations on critical issues such as domestic violence.

Beverly Upton acknowledged Alice Bierman as a wonderful advocate for domestic violence survivors and Naomi Tucker as a long-time leader on the Domestic Violence Consortium.

V. NEW BUSINESS

A. HOUSING UPDATE

1. Housing Opportunity, Partnerships, and Engagement (HOPE SF) Report
Bevan Dufty, Director of HOPE SF, provided an overview and goals for this new initiative. HOPE SF is an initiative that seeks to transform 8 of San Francisco’s most distressed public housing sites into vibrant, thriving communities through holistic revitalization. Mr. Dufty reports that the first phase of HOPE SF will rebuild more than 2,000 units in five public housing sites. Modern design principles will be used to transform more than 100 acres of dilapidated apartments into 3,000 additional homes, including both rental and for-sale units.

HOPE SF will:
• Transform 2,500 severely deteriorated public housing sites into sustainable, mixed-income communities with neighborhood stores, community centers, parks, and playgrounds.
• Replace public housing units and add new homes to the eight project sites: Hunters View, Potrero Terrace, Potrero Annex, Sunnydale, Westside Courts, Alice Griffith
Hunters Point, Westbrook/Hunters Point East. The final mix of housing will include public housing, market-rate, and affordable rental and ownership housing.
• Respect and support the existing community. Rebuilding each site will occur in phases to minimize disruption to existing residents.
• Plan collaboratively with residents and neighbors. An inclusive, community-led process will ensure that new sites meet the needs of current residents. Four sites are currently in planning stages.
• Catalyze neighborhood improvements so residents at all income levels can take advantage of new economic opportunities, improved schools, and community amenities.
• Provide Service Connectors and Community Builders to engage the community and to focus on the needs of individual households, linking them with appropriate services and tracking their progress.
• Create a new financial model for public housing revitalization. Market-rate home sales will help subsidize the cost of public housing reconstruction.
• Implement best practices and avoid past mistakes by consulting continuously with nationwide experts and residents.

Mr. Dufty reviewed challenges to how housing and shelters are accessed: 27,000 families are on the housing waiting list, or the Section 8 list being closed since 2001 with 10,000 people on the list. Mr. Dufty welcomed working the Department, other City agencies, and the right partners who have housing tools to ensure that all populations are served. One goal is to work with Animal Care and Control to possibly consider creating housing units in the building and somehow partner the tenants with pets. Mr. Dufty also reported that his office is engaging companies that are moving into neighborhoods to hire local residents. There are jobs that are being created that

Commissioners thanked Mr. Dufty for the information he provided and offered to work closely to ensure that survivors of violence and families are provided housing resources. Mr. Dufty concluded that it is important to fight the homeless problem in San Francisco collaboratively as we have an array of services at our finger tips.

2. Mary Elizabeth Inn, Justice & Courage Housing Committee Update
Executive Director Dion Roberts provided an update on the work of the Housing Committee of the Justice & Courage Oversight Panel which she chairs. The Mary Elizabeth Inn (MEI) is a nonprofit organization that provides permanent housing and supportive services to formerly homeless women with low-income and special needs, and many who are survivors of domestic violence. MEI was founded in 1914 and continues to operate at its original location, 1040 Bush Street, and, in 2009, opened a second building, the Verona Hotel, at 317 Leavenworth. Currently, in partnership with the City and County of San Francisco Human Services Agency and the Department on the Status of Women, MEI is able to provide a total of 157 permanent housing opportunities for women. DOSW has been a long-time partner of MEI, since 1996. Both the City and the Department provide operating subsidies so that reduced rent rates are passed along to the residents. MEI also partners with La Casa De Las Madres for the provision of supportive services. Case managers are on- site at each building and provide one-on-one case management and other services and activities that assist women to become stably housed.

Summary of MEI’s clients:
• Over half are aged 50-69.
• Over half are Caucasian and about a quarter are African American.
• Half of the clients suffer from mental illness.
• A quarter are physically disabled.

Prior to joining MEI, Ms. Roberts was a Program Manager with the City for 11 years, providing permanent supportive housing for families. Ms. Roberts also chairs the Justice and Courage Oversight Panel’s Committee on Housing and has made quite a bit of progress. Since 2010, Ms. Roberts has chaired the Justice & Courage Oversight Panel Subcommittee on Housing focusing on expanding safe housing opportunities for survivors of domestic violence and addressing housing issues that have or will lead to improving access to safe and permanent housing for domestic violence survivors. The Committee is actively involved in the San Francisco Housing Authority’s Annual Plan process where Committee members are advocating for preferences for DV survivors who apply for public housing as well as those who currently reside in public housing and need emergency relocation assistance.

B. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMISSIONS FOR WOMEN REPORT
Cecilia Zamora, President of the National Association of Commissions for Women (NACW) and current Vice President of the Marin Commission on the Status of Women, introduced Mary Anne Hover, current Chair of the Marin Commission on the Status of Women, and provided an update and overview of what is happening with the NACW and the upcoming 42nd Annual Conference that is slated for July 25-28 in Charleston, West Virginia. There are approximately 200 commissions all over the country with only half being NACW members and some are threatened with defunding. The conference will be an opportunity to share resources and strategies. The San Francisco Commission is groundbreaking in its initiatives and policies would serve as an example of how a successful Commission can work. Ms. Zamora encouraged the Commission to join the NACW. Ms. Zamora also stated that the San Francisco and Mari Commissions should begin conversations on how to bridge networks of women resources since we are in the same region. Ms. Zamora presented Commissioners with the book Vera: First Lady of Marin by Evelyn M. Radford.

C. NOMINATIONS OF OFFICERS FOR 2012-2013
President Gulbengay entertained nominations for President and Vice President of the Commission for 2012-2013. The election will take place at the June 27 Commission meeting.

Action: To nominate Commissioner Julie Soo as President of the Commission for FY12-13.
m/s/c (Gulbengay/Simmons/Unanimous)

Action: To nominate Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez as Vice President of the Commission for FY12-13.
m/s/c (Soo/Gulbengay/Unanimous)

VI. REPORTS
Commissioners can report on activities related to the work of the Commission.

A. Justice & Courage Oversight Panel
The Justice & Courage Oversight Panel met on May 2. Panel Members met with the following meetings with Department Heads: Human Services Director Trent Rhorer, Human Resources Director Micki Callahan, Emergency Management Director Anne Kronenberg, Public Defender Jeff Adachi, District Attorney George Gascon, and Interim Sheriff Vicki Hennessey.

Captain Antonio Parra, who leads the Police Department’s Special Victims Unit (SVU), was invited to provide an update on the efforts of the SVU, the Domestic Violence Response Unit, and staffing. In October 2011, what was once 12 investigative units merged to become the SVU that handles cases ranging from human trafficking to domestic violence to sexual assault to financial elder abuse. There are a total of 63 people in the unit, 52 of which are sworn officers. Captain Parra also announced his plan to retire, but he reassured Panel Members that the foundation of the SVU has been laid to allow for fine tuning by the new replacements.

Elizabeth Hilton, Managing Attorney with the Misdemeanor Unit at the Public Defender’s Officer, was invited to provide suggestions on the San Francisco’s response to domestic violence cases. To break the cycle of violence and to minimize recidivism, her office proposes pretrial diversion (e.g., pre-conviction counseling) as an alternative to convictions. The next Justice & Courage Oversight Panel meeting is scheduled for August 1, 2012.

Commissioner Gamez explained that she is interested in discussing pretrial diversion programs as an alternative to convictions.

B. Family Violence Council
Commissioner Simmons reported that the Family Violence Council met on May 16 which included a comprehensive presentation by Talitha Guinn of the Institute on Aging about elder and recommended having her present at a future Commission meeting. Superior Court Judge Ron Albers also reported on the deep budget cuts slated to hit the courts in the current version of the Governor’s budget. The most important item of business was the election of a Family Violence Council representative to the newly formed San Francisco Sentencing Commission which will convene in a few weeks to develop a strategy for handling the dozens of former state inmates who will be released to county custody in the so-called “realignment” program initiated by the Governor to reduce state incarceration expenses. The Council unanimously elected Minouche Kandel, who is an attorney with Bay Area Legal Aid who is an expert on domestic violence and housing issues.

C. Health
Commissioner Soo reported that she continues to sit on the St. Francisco Memorial Hospital Board. She attend the Healthy San Francisco meeting and stated that it is important to get out the message to those enrolled in Healthy San Francisco that they have to re-enroll themselves each year.

D. Gender Equality Principles Initiative
President Gulbengay reiterated the great news of the Gender Equality Principles Initiative being was selected as the winner of the International WorkLife Balance Award for Continent America by the Lombardy Regional Government of Italy. President Gulbengay hopes to work with the Board of Supervisors to support the GEP and having City agencies participated in this initiative.

E. Association of California Commissions for Women
Commissioner Gamez reported that the ACCW will be holding its annual meeting in Contra Costa County on June 30 and asked if Commissioners are available to attend. Commission Secretary Cynthia Vasquez will follow up with Commissioners.

F. Violence Against Women Prevention and Intervention Programs
Commissioner Becca Prowda was delighted to report that the Mayor committed to preserving funding for domestic violence programs for the next 2 years at the Mother’s Day Press Conference that was held on May 10.

G. 5th World Conference on Women
Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez thanked Department staff members for all of their support with the various 5WCW meetings. The Department met with the Mayor’s Protocol Office and SF Travel, and has began outreach and discussions with United Nations staff to determine scope and logistics information. We also received the Mayor’s enthusiastic support to have San Francisco bid for the 5WCW.

H. Other Reports
Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez thanked Kathy Black, Executive Director of La Casa de las Madres, for the tour of her agency.

Commissioner Soo invited Commissioner and the public to attend a screening of the Vagina Monologues that will be held on Friday, May 22 at the Herbst Theaters.

VII. PUBLIC COMMENT
None.

VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned in memory of Nancy Hatamia. Meeting was adjourned at 7:25 pm.
m/s/c (Soo/Kirshner-Rodriguez/Unanimous)
No public comment.

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