Discussion and possible action to approve the Minutes of the December 15, 2010 Elections
Commission meeting.
President Phair stated that revisions should be made to the December 15, 2010 minutes. Therefore,
this item will be continued to a future meeting
Public Speaker Mr. David Schenone came to describe his experience seeking a poll worker’s position
for the November 2010 election. He was unhappy with the treatment and the final out come.
5. Directors Report
Division Updates
Budget/ Personnel preparing a draft budget compiling data for the 6 month budget review. We have been working with vendors to get quotes for their services for the fiscal year 2011-2012. Working with Inter-departments to get cost quotes for their services for the fiscal year 2011-2012. In the process of preparing the Senate Bill 90 for reimbursement of cost for the fiscal year 2009-2010. Preparing Bart, San Francisco Unified School District and City College reimbursement for fiscal year 2010
Campaign Services PPC- receive fillings for semi annual deadline January 31, 2010. Review 2011 Election Laws and update guides. Archive 2010 files (public files, MVFs, SOS Memos, etc) removing older files to make room for 2010 files. Review budget for next fiscal year. Review power point presentations for ballot arguments and candidates workshops
Outreach the outreach is compiling inventory of all brochures and will shortly begin reviewing and revising materials to address the top two candidate primary system that will be in place for the next Statewide Primary Election. The division has also been attending bi-monthly USCIS Naturalization Ceremonies and currently preparing to participate in the Chinese New Year Festival.
Publications working on creating templates for voter guide to allow for automatically populating of pages with candidate and ballot measure information.
Poll Worker Division pollworker/training is revising training materials and will be shortly sending a survey to the existing pool of pollworkers to determine recruitment goal for conducting early polling places on Saturday before Election.
Technology Division warehouse inventory database enhancements. Added paper trail and image capabilities, there are more features in the works. We are near completion of voter services Time Tracking Application. Continued work on the VIP database to improve and speed up the pamphlet creation process. We have completed the U.S. Election Assistance commission survey.
Voter Services
1. Working with Voter file maintenance (registration and changed/cancellation)
2. Working with Post Elections record retention
3. Finalizing Post Election survey:
(a) Election Day Survey- completed
(b) Federal Voting Assistance Program Survey – in process
4. Finalize Staffing/Budget projection for year 2011-2012
5. Election planning for the potential June 2011 Special Statewide, November 2011, February 2012, and November 2012 Elections.
6. Reviewing election laws that will impact this November 2011 (Saturday Voting) and Primary elections (Proposition 14)
7. Reviewing purge time lines
Precinct Services
Attending ArcGIS training classes
Preparing for the release of the Census data for redistricting and preparing sample maps of population by supervisorial districts
Planning for Saturday Voting
Working on upgrading the front counter’s accessible station
Reviewing feedback from elections day in order to make improvements
6. Commissioners’ Reports No reports from the commissioners
7. Old Business
Discussion and possible action to hire a Commission’s Secretary.
Commissioner Safont said she has approximately 34 applications that she continues to evaluate and that HR has approx. 104 additional applications received. Possibly February she hopes to be at a point to which she will have the applicants that are strongest with the skills she feels is best suited for the position.
8. Closed Session
Closed session. Closed Session pursuant to Brown Act section 54957(b) and Sunshine Ordinance section 67.10(b) to discuss annual performance evaluation of a public employee. Discussion and possible action.
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Director of Elections John Arntz
Closed Session Director Arntz, Acting Commissions Secretary and public speaker were
instructed to leave meeting. Closed Session began at 6:58
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Director of Elections John Arntz
9. Discussion and possible action regarding closed session and deliberation.
(a) Discussion and vote pursuant to Brown Act section 54957.1 and Sunshie Ordinance section 67.12 on whether to disclose any action taken or discussions held in closed session.
Motion: The Elections Commission find that it is in the best interest of the public (not) to disclose its closed session deliberations regarding the performance evaluation of the Director of Elections.
Vote was unanimous to approve this motion
Present during closed session
Commissioner Richard Matthews, Commissioner Rosabella Safont, President Joseph Phair, Vice President Winnie Yu, Commissioner Arnold Townsend and Commissioner Gerard Gleason
Also in attendance Deputy City Attorney Mollie Lee and Elizabeth Solveson
Director John Arntz joined in part of the close session.
Commissioner Arnold Townsend left closed session at 8:10
Closed Session ended at 9:57
10. New Business
Discussion and possible action to approve the Commission’s Annual Report for calendar year 2010.
Vote was unanimous to approve the Annual Report for calendar year 2010
11. Discussion and possible action regarding items for future meeting agendas and meeting dates.
(a) Forward looking calendar for the Commission;
President Phair suggests that the commission make sure that things are covered and always
anticipate the possibilities, such as special elections, things that are not planned. Ensure that we are always in compliance.
(b) Establish performance goals for the Director, Department of Elections at start of each calendar year;
President Phair strongly suggest we plan and place things on the agenda for discussion, as early as December or January.
(c) Discussion of the Motor Voter Commissioner Gleason asked that this item be held over on a future agenda as an action item.
(d) Discussion of Hospital Voting Commissioner Gleason asked that this item be placed on a future agenda as an information piece
(e) Saturday Voting Commissioner Gleason asked that this item be placed on the February 16th Commission meeting for discussion. Gleason would like to have excess to records and information that have been given to Department of Elections, as well any proponents that are available and a representative from the Controller’s Office.
Deputy City Attorney Mollie Lee says it is fine to invite the proponents or Controllers to give comment however at this point it has been adopted by the voters, what is now controlling is the legal text, and at this point the proponents don’t have any legal affect.
President Phair says that he feels it’s important for the proponents to hear the issues and difficulties that we face. It may be that the item was drawn up in a manner that perhaps they can appreciate discussion. Commissioner Gleason says yes, a full discussion is what was lacking from Rank Choice Voting involving the proponents and the public. Deputy Attorney City Attorney Lee says she does not mean to discourage proponents or anyone from the public from discussion however at this point proponents are no different from the public.
12. Discussion and possible action to elect Officers of the San Francisco Elections Commission.
The process shall be as follows: The current president will open nominations first for the office of president of the Elections Commission. When there are no further nominations, the president will close nominations. Public comment will then be sought. At the conclusion of public comment, there will be a roll call vote of all commissioners during which each commissioner shall say then name of a nominee for whom he or she wishes to vote. Any nominee receiving four votes shall be elected president. The same process will then be followed for the office of vice president. The terms of office for the new officers begin immediately at the conclusion of tonight’s meeting. (Elec. Comm. Bylaws, Art. V, Sec.
1 (B).)
Vote was taken and Richard Matthews is voted unanimously as new President
Vote was taken and Winnie Yu is voted unanimously as new Vice President
Commissioner Richard Matthews thanked the Public Defender’s Office for appointing Joseph Phair to the Commission. He commended Joseph Phair on his knowledge and commitment to the City of San Francisco and to the Commission.
Adjournment 10:33