1. CALL TO ORDER/ AGENDA CHANGES

President Breanna Zwart called the meeting to order at 5:07 pm.

No Public Comment.

Action: To approve agenda.                                                                                m/s/c(Soo/Miry/Unanimous)

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

No changes to the minutes from the Commission meeting on December 11, 2019.

No Public Comment.

Action: To approve minutes from the Commission meeting on December 11, 2019.

m/s/c(Soo/Andary/Unanimous)

3. DIRECTORS REPORT

Dr. Emily Murase provided highlights from the Director's Report, and included the timeline for the RFP process and that the deadline for accepting RFPs is 12 noon on Friday, January 24. Dr. Murase reported the success of the SFCAHT press conference on January 13 and noted that it was the 10^th anniversary since the launch of SFCAHT by then-Mayor Gavin Newsom, then-District Attorney Kamala Harris, and others at City Hall. Dr. Murase told the Commission that the Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women donated $25,000 to the Department to be used towards the Policy Fellows Program.

Dr. Murase reported the following action steps for the Department’s new Strategic Plan:

1. Share the plan with the Mayor’s Office, Members of the Board of Supervisors, and stakeholders.
2. Engage in conversations and collaborations to support and implement the plan.
3. Discuss with President Zwart about finding additional resources for the Department.
4. Work with Department staff to create an action plan.

President Zwart asked when the Commission can review an execution plan for the new strategic plan that the Commission adopted in December 2019. Director Murase stated that she would have it for the March Commission meeting. President Zwart suggested that the Commission take a deep dive on one aspect of the strategic plan at each meeting.

No Public Comment.

4. NEW BUSINESS

1. Proposed FY2020/2021 and FY2021/2022 Department Budget

Policy Analyst Andrea Lynn and Senior Policy Analyst Anna Duning from the Mayor's Office of Public Policy and Finance gave a brief overview of the city-wide budget outlook and department instructions. Ms. Lynn reported that the City is facing a $419.5 million deficit over the next two budget years. Commissioners asked how other departments demonstrate efficiency and effectiveness during the budget process. Ms. Duning elaborated that departments provide written justifications as part of their budget book submissions. Commissioners expressed that, compared to much larger departments, the Department on the Status of Women, does not have much cushion to absorb budget cuts and that in general there is a disproportionate impact of the budget cuts on small departments.

Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst Natalie Alvarez reviewed the Department’s two-year budget proposal.

Commission discussion focused on ways to demonstrate impact, because they said they want to be able to communicate outcomes from the department’s work.

President Zwart expressed her goal of securing additional resources for the department and that sustainable growth relies on support from the Mayor. She expressed concern that the department has not grown, and she encouraged everyone to think big. She asked the Mayor’s Budget Office staff which departments are comparable in size to DOSW. Ms. Duning identified the Ethics Commission and the Rent Board. President Zwart asked for clarification on the process for asking for additional resources. The Mayor’s Budget Office staff explained that, separate from submitting the budget, departments can propose budget augmentations in a memo to the department’s budget analyst. They stated that the deadline for department submissions is February 21. They further explained that discussions about budget submissions and argumentation proposals occur during the Mayor’s phase of the budget between February and the end of May, and that the Mayor is required by law to submit a balanced budget to the Board of Supervisors by June 1.

Commission discussion focused on how to present the case for increasing department resources during the time timeframe.

No Public Comment.

Action: To approve the Proposed FY2020/2021 and FY2021/2022 Department Budget with a commitment to restore any budget cuts and the following additional documentation: 1) the budget submission process, 2) full citations of spending authority, 3) manner in which the budget proposal supports the strategic plan, and 4) an augmentation memo.                                                           

m/s/c(Shorter/Soo/Unanimous)

Public Comment:

1. Mary Martinez Associate Director at WOMAN, Inc. explained that her agency operates the 24-hour crisis line and it currently serves several non-profit agencies, including the Riley Center, Asian Women’s Shelter, and an agency in Alameda County. Ms. Martinez reported that in the past, WOMAN, Inc. has served CORA, a domestic violence victim services agency San Mateo. Ms. Martinez explained that WOMAN, Inc. developed a Domestic Violence Referral and Information Center (DVRIC) that provides domestic violence survivors with placements among its 55 member agencies. Ms. Martinez said she would like to see an expansion of services to include a text line, at an estimated cost of $30,000.
2. Beverly Upton, Executive Director of the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium, explained that the Department’s grants program addresses stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, and domestic violence in many different communities. Ms. Upton expressed support for an expansion of the Department’s budget.

2. Leveraging Collaboration to End Domestic Violence Grant

Policy and Grants Manager Elise Hansell and Policy and Grants Associate Kyoko Peterson, presented an update on the Leveraging Collaboration to End Domestic Violence Grant, funded by the Blue Shield of California Foundation. Ms. Peterson explained that the grant focuses on bringing nontraditional partners to the table to address domestic violence in Bayview View Hunters Point. She said that the collaboration is between the Department, Safe & Sound, BAYCAT, and Young Community Developers (YCD). Destiny Davis from YCD gave a presentation on the YCD program.

No Public Comment.

C.      Friends of the Commission on Status of Women Strategic Update

Executive Director Verna Liza Caba of the Friends of the Commission on Status of Women gave a presentation on their latest Strategic Plan and an update on the salary negotiations workshops to close the gender gap. Ms. Caba said that their organization looked to the Commission’s new strategic plan in designing their own plan. She reported that they will catalyze women and girls in San Francisco by focusing on the following four pillars: Empower Woman and Girls, Stop Human Trafficking, Eliminate Domestic Violence, and Achieve Gender Equity. Ms. Caba explained that the main activity to supporting the pillars will be to raise awareness and funds to support the Commission and Department on the Status of Women. She said that they revised their mission statement to read: “Principally support the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women and its policy of working for equal economic, social and education opportunities and to give equal services and protection by public agencies to women and girls in San Francisco.” Ms. Caba finished her presentation by reporting that the Friends had just given the Department $25,000 to fund the fellowship program.

No Public Comment.

5. COMMISSIONER REPORTS

Because of time limits President Zwart asked to postpone the Commissioner reports.

Action: To postpone Commissioner Reports.                                                            m/s/c(Shorter/Miry/Unanimous)

6. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT

No Public Comment.

7. ADJOURNMENT

Action: To adjourn.                                                                                                    m/s/c(Soo/Andary/Unanimous)

Meeting adjourned at 7:15 pm.