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March 21, 2012

Elections Commission Meeting

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

6:00 p.m.

City Hall, Room 408

1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

San Francisco, California 94102

Order of Business

 

 

  1. Call to Order & Roll Call

  2. Public comment on any issue within the Elections Commission’s general jurisdiction.

3.  Approval of Minutes

              Discussion and possible action to approve the Minutes of the February 15, 2012 Elections Commission Meeting.  (attachment: draft minutes)

4.   Director’s Report

  • Division Updates

 

  • Budget/Personnel
  • Technology Division
  • Campaign Services
  • Voter Services
  • Outreach
  • Publications
  •  
  • Poll Worker Division

 

5.    Commissioners’ Reports


● Meetings with public officials
● Oversight and Observation activities
● Long-range planning for Commission activities and areas of study       

● Proposed legislation which impacts elections

 

6.    Litigation Report

 

        Discussion regarding All of Us or None et al. v. Bowen et al., California Court of Appeal, first appellate district, case number A134775 (filed March 7, 2012).  (Attachment: writ petition with memorandum of points and authorities)

 Litigation Bowan 3 2012

7.    CLOSED SESSION. 

 

Closed Session is held 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

 

8.   Discussion and possible action regarding closed session action and deliberations.  Discussion and vote pursuant to Brown Act section 54957.1 and Sunshine Ordinance section 67.12 on whether to disclose any action taken or discussions held in closed session.

 

Motion: The Elections Commission finds 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.

 

9.                                                                             Discussion and possible action to determine procedures and criteria for the annual performance review of the Acting Commission Secretary.

 

10. Announcements

 

11. Discussion and possible action regarding items for future agendas.

Adjournment

There will be an opportunity for public comment on each agenda item.

Materials contained in the Commission packets for meetings are available for inspection and copying  during regular office hours at the Department of Elections, City Hall Room 48.  Materials are placed in the Elections Commission's Public Binder no later than 72 hours prior to meetings.  Any materials distributed to members of the Elections Commission within 72 of the meeting or after the agenda packet has been delivered to the members are available for inspection at the Department of Elections, City Hall Room 48, in the Commission's Public Binder, during normal office hours.

Cell phones, pagers and similar sound-producing electronic devices: The ringing of and use of cell phones, pagers and similar sound-producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. The Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic devices.

Disability Access: The Elections Commission meeting will be held in Room 408, City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA. The Commission meeting room is wheelchair accessible. The closest accessible BART station is the Civic Center Station at United Nations Plaza and Market Street. Accessible MUNI lines serving this location are: #42 Downtown Loop, and #71 Haight/Noriega and the F Line to Market and Van Ness and the Metro Stations at Van Ness and Market and at Civic Center. For information about MUNI accessible services call (415) 923-6142. There is accessible curbside parking adjacent to City Hall on Grove Street and Van Ness Avenue and in the vicinity of the Veterans Building at 401 Van Ness Avenue adjacent to Davies Hall and the War Memorial Complex.

To obtain a disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, to participate in a meeting, please contact the Department of Elections at least 48 hours before the meeting, except for Monday meetings, for which the deadline is 4:00 p.m. the previous Friday.  Late requests will be honored, if possible. Services available on request include the following:  American sign language interpreters or the use of a reader during a meeting, a sound enhancement system, and/or alternative formats of the agenda and minutes.  Please contact the Department of Elections at (415) 554- 4375 or our TDD at (415) 554-4386 to make arrangements for a disability-related modification or accommodation.

Chemical-Based Products: In order to assist the City's efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical-based products.  Please help the City accommodate these individuals.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE (Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code):  Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions 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, CITY HALL, ROOM 244, 1 DR. CARLTON B. GOODLETT PLACE, SAN FRANCISCO CA 94102-4689; PHONE: (415) 554-7724; FAX: (415) 554-7854; E-MAIL: [email protected]

Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can be obtained from the Clerk of the Sunshine Task Force, at the San Francisco Public Library, and on the City's website at http://www.sfgov.org.

Lobbyist Registration and Reporting Requirements:  Individuals that influence or attempt to influence local policy or administrative action may be required by the San Francisco Lobbyist Ordinance (San Francisco Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code sections 2.100 – 2.160) to register and report lobbying activity. For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, please contact the Ethics Commission at 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 220, San Francisco, CA 94102; telephone (415) 252-3100, fax (415) 252-3112; and website: http://www.sfethics.org/.

Draft Minutes

 Elections Commission Meeting

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

6:00 p.m. Room408

1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl

San Francisco, Ca 94102

 

 

 

Order of Business

 

  1. Call to Order & Roll Call : 6:05 pm

 

Present: Commissioner Gerard Gleason, Commissioner Rosabella Safont, Commissioner Arnold Townsend excused 6:10, Commissioner Catalina Ruiz-Healy, Commissioner Jill Rowe, Commissioner Winnie Yu and Commissioner Richard Matthews Also Present Director John Arntz and Deputy Attorney Mollie Lee

 

  1. Public comment on any issue within the Elections Commission’s general jurisdiction.

 

Public Speaker David Pilpel thanked the commission for its selection of the Redistricting appointees.

 

  1. Announcements:

President Gerard Gleason made an announcement of the new selection of members of the Budget and Oversight of Public Elections Committee he welcomed Chairperson Jill Rowe, Rich Matthews and Catalina Ruiz-Healy.

 

  1. Approval of Minutes :

Vote was taken and was unanimous to approve Minutes of January 18, 2012.      

 

  1. Director’s Report :

 

Director Arntz says that for the Budget there are no major changes however that some small changes are expected due to the pollworkers stipend increased by approximately 10 dollars because the department is continually adding new job functions.   Administrative The department is working on combining Publications and Outreach divisions to for Voter Information Division.  Combining the two divisions will increase the staffing pool for both areas and allow us to create uniform materials and benefit more from bilingual personnel.  Commissioner Matthews ask why the changes with the deadlines.  Director answered it is tied to finance and other studies regarding candidates.  Ballot Distribution the department has been working with Runbeck Election Services on the sorting equipment for Vote By Mail (VBM) and Provisional Voting envelopes reviewing upgrades to be able to have more information available on the outside of the envelope.  The department is working with the envelope vendor in office today, tomorrow and Friday with upgrades.  We have discussed tracking using radio frequency this will allow keeping  better track on numbers, people and processes in real time we hope to have this by June.  Campaign Services nominations began Monday February 13, 2012, today we have issued nomination papers to 28 people.  Outreach we will start interviewing next week. Director Arntz says the department conducted the first Community Network meeting February 9, we had 16 people attend and we received  good comments they provided 4 pages of ideas regarding Opt in or Opt out options.  Pollworkers we are sending out the second issue of the pollworkers training newsletter.  Commissioner Gleason commended the Department’s Pollworker Newsletter says he was impressed with the recent issue of the newsletter which focused on Election Day operations at polling places and how those functions impact the post election canvas.  Commissioner Yu made a comment regarding Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) asked if the information can be retrieved that was supplied by the pollworkers Director Arntz replied yes, this is a system that was created by the department verses a outside company that we rely on for monitoring and data input [Precinct Services the department has mailed polling place availability letters asking if their sites can be used for the coming elections in 2012.  Technology division has been working on  getting the equipment ready working, whether the batteries are ok and making sure that any machines that have had problems on more than three occasions is  replaced or checked.  Voter Services this year we have received more petitions than ever, we have increased our budget because of this.

 

  1. Commissioners’ Reports:

 

Commissioner Catalina Ruiz-Healy reported on a Department Outreach Meeting she attended. Commissioner Ruiz-Healy recommends and encourages new ways of getting the youth inspired and motivated in the elections 

 

7.       New Business

 

(a) Discussion and possible action to approve the proposed budget for FY 2012-13. Possible report from the Budget and Oversight and Public Elections Committee on this item. 

 

Vote was taken and was unanimous to approve.

 

(b)  Discussion and possible action regarding Commissioner’s Ethics and Sunshine Ordinance Training

 

President Gleason reminded the commissioners that the  periodic Ethics and Sunshine Ordinance Training is scheduled for Tuesday February 28, and it important for Commissions to attend.

 

 

8.       Old Business

 

The Commission moved to closed session for the following item:

 

(a)  PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Director of Elections John Arntz

 

CLOSED SESSION:  7:02

 

Closed Session is held 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.

 

The Commission returned to PUBLIC SESSION:  7:51

 

(b)  Discussion and possible action regarding closed session action and deliberations.  Discussion and vote pursuant to Brown Act section 54957.1 and Sunshine Ordinance section 67.12 on whether to disclose any action taken or discussions held in closed session.

 

Motion: The Elections Commission finds 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 taken and was unanimous to approve.

 

(c)  Discussion and possible action to determine procedures and criteria for annual performance review of the Action Commission Secretary.

 

This item was tabled until a future meeting.

 

 

9.  Discussion and possible action regarding items for future meeting agendas and meeting dates.

Public Speaker Roger Donaldson, former member the of Voting Task Force spoke on the release of voting totals the night of the elections he feels that the voters should have  access to the numbers.

 

President Gleason stated there will be a Special Meeting of the Full Elections Commission prior to the Budget and Oversight of Public elections Committee meeting to be held at 6:00PM on Wednesday March 7, 2012.

 

 Adjourn         8:00

 

 

Last updated: 2/3/2014 2:17:45 PM