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CALL TO ORDER

 

The Chair called the meeting to order at 5: 15 P.M.

 

ROLL CALL

 

Executive Director Robert Davis called the Roll. 

 

Present at the meeting were Commissioners Jim Meko, Terrance Alan, Audrey Joseph, John Newlin, Joseph Pred and Justin Roja.

 

Absent at the time of roll call were:  Jordan Shlain

 

Staff present was, Robert Davis, Jocelyn Kane and Crystal Stewart.

 

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

 

1. Public Comment

 

No public comment.

 

2. Review and Approve the Minutes ofJanuary 20, 2009.

 

Public Comment

No public comment.

 

Commissioner Meko moved to approve the minutes of January 20, 2009 Commissioner Pred second the motion

VOTE:

AYES - Commissioner Alan, Commissioner Joseph, Commissioner Roja and Meko Commissioner Pred

NOES- None

Abstain - Commissioner Newlin

 

3. Report from the Executive Director. Neighborhood issues, Mission, North beach, Fourth Street and South of Market. Update on the Entertainment Commission Annual Report Vajra Granelli report on recent venue sound inspections and report of activities by staff.

 

Executive Director Robert Davis stated in the area of the 500 block of Florida, there have been issues of violence in the neighborhood associated with Whispers and Circolo when patrons leave the venues.   He has been in correspondence about issues He added community meetings would be held and the commission will be updated on the outcome of the meetings.  He added there was an incident this week in the 600 block of Jackson Street a shooting that involved a 21 year old from Oakland and the suspect was a 17 year old from San Francisco.  He added it was a venue that was permitted under police Chief Jordan and the report does not indicate it was specific to the venue.   He added they were working with the police to determine if the club Lamoure was involved with the incident.   He added there was no negative feedback from Suede since their revised security plan and there were some improvements.  He added there was a stabbing around the corner from Calientae and he has met with the club owners on increasing security.  He added two years ago Commission asked about the issue of debris of event flyers and he is working with the Department of Public Works on a nighttime inspection of nightclubs.  He added the venue owners will be informed and will be warned in advance on the inspection.  

 

John Carroll representing Karnes Group for Suede stated their security plan going well and since then some of the numbers have dropped.

 

Officer Nicole Bruckert stated Calientae has had incidents involving a few stabbings and it has been an issue for some months.  She added there were frequent fights and noise at the location and they need a more accurate security plan. She added there were numerous complaints from residents and restaurant owners with regard to from Calientae and she felt the venue needed more training.    She suggested they begin at the base and start from there and suggested the venue should be brought before the Commission.   

 

Commissioner Pred stated they needed to be held accountable.

 

Commissioner Alan asked could the police reports to be forwarded to the Commissioner and agreed that Calientae should come before the Commission.

 

Public comment

None

 

4. Modification to the Entertainment Commission Good Neighbor Policy to include the following language: permit holder agrees to be responsible for all operations under which the permit is granted including but not limited to an adequate security plan as required.

 

Chair Joseph stated the permit holder need to know they are responsible for the activities of their venue and not the promoter.

 

Commissioner Meko supported the addition to the Good Neighbor Policy.

 

Commissioner Alan supported the modification and suggested the word adequate be removed.

 

Commissioner Pred supported removing the word adequate with approved.

 

Public comment

None

 

Commissioner Meko moved to adopt the modified language to the Good Neighbor Policy replacing the word adequate with “security”

 

VOTE:

AYES - Commissioner Pred, Commissioner Joseph, Commissioner Meko Commissioner Roja, Commissioner Alan and Commissioner Newlin

NOES- None

Absent - Commissioner Shlain

 

5. Discussion of policy and directions to staff to help new owners in transition during period between transfers of ownership.

 

Chair Joseph stated they need to find a mechanism to deal with the situation since it was a hardship on the purchaser of the business.  She appointed Executive Director Bob Davis, Commissioner Alan, and Commissioner Roja to the adhoc committee to report back to the Commission at the March 3, 2009 meeting.

 

6. Report from the President.

 

a) Town hall meeting sponsored by Entertainment Commission and the Small Business Commission.

 

Chair Joseph stated there would be a town hall meeting March 30, between 3:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. at the Corrine Auditorium at the public library and co-sponsored by the Entertainment Commission and the Small Business Commission.  She added the purpose of forum was how to survive in the economic climate and Deputy Director Jocelyn Kane will forward a link to a survey and the information from the survey will be discussed at the meeting.   She added the program and agenda was in progress and would be based on the survey and what people needed.

 

7. Police Department Comments & Questions.

(This item allows any member of the SFPD to address the Commission regarding matters related to nightlife and public safety.

None.

 

8. Hearing and Possible Action regarding applications for permits under the jurisdiction of the entertainment commission.

 

a)Bellmore, John, dba Q Bar, 456 Castro Street, One Time Event Permits, 9:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M.,  Tuesday, February 17, 2009 and Wednesday, February 18, 2009, Friday February 20, 2009, Saturday February 21, 2009, Tuesday February 24, 2009, Wednesday February 25, 2009, Friday February 27, 2009, Saturday February 28, 2009.

 

Deputy Director Kane stated the permanent place of entertainment permit application would be before the Commission on March 3, 2009.  She added the applicant had to repost because they did not have access to post at the location and they were working with Charles Salter & Associates and the neighbors.

 

John Bellmore stated their applications were presented to continue to have some entertainment until their final Place of Entertainment permit was completed.  He added the intention was to attract and maintain a similar open diverse clientele with live Dj’s.   He added their intent was to on maintain a neighborly status.  He added they have had no complaints about their business practices prior and their intention was to make improvements on the venue and to run it sufficiently.

 

Commissioner Alan stated the applicants were in a wonderful position because they had a complete blueprint of what not to do and as long as they took into consideration they would have a successful operation.

 

Commissioner Meko asked about the speakers in the front patio and smoking in the back area.

 

John Bellmore stated they would not be using the speakers outside and did not have access to the smoking area.

 

Public comment

None.

 

Commissioner Newlin moved to approve Commissioner Meko second the motion. 

 

VOTE:

AYES – Commissioner Joseph, Commissioner Meko, Commissioner Roja, Commissioner Alan, Commissioner Newlin and Commissioner Pred

NOES- None

Absent - Commissioner Shlain

 

9. Presentation on the Music Culture and Sustainability Policy.

 

Commissioner Alan stated the Music Culture and Sustainability Policy was less about licensed place of entertainment and more about the echo system of entertainment that allowed license places of entertainment to exist, like the street fairs, the cultural institutions, the community groups the cultural centers a and the art galleries and alternative spaces that were not licensed by the Commission or One Night Events.

 

Jeremy Pollock with Supervisors Ross Mirkarimi’s office stated the ordinance came about from fielding concerns on outdoor events in San Francisco, street fairs and cultural event to balance the needs of the neighborhoods while encouraging the events.  He added the events were critical to the economy and culture as a city.   He added the goal was to come up with a holistic approach to deal with outdoor events.   He added the broad scope was to review the city code and how the code impact outdoor events did and what was working and what was not working and working with event organizers and looking at what issues and problems they ran into neighbors who had complaints about events.  

 

Commissioner Meko asked if anyone reached out to any of the neighborhood groups.

 

Jeremy Pollock stated he did not believe there was much outreach but were open to the input and added the Supervisors office was one of the first to be contacted on neighborhood issues.

 

Nathan Perkis stated they started the work on the idea about a year and half ago and saw a recurring theme addressing problem after problem and in the development of the Entertainment Commission itself one of the things that were missing was a guiding set of principles about what they were trying to promote and support.   He added supporting entertainment and outdoor events was not enough and a clearer set of principles were a policy gave clear direction to city stakeholders that the neighborhoods were important assets to the city that ought to be protected.  He added no where was it stated that the outdoor cultural events and places of entertainment events were important assets to the city that should be protected.  He added the Good Neighbor Policy went hand and hand with the policy in order to sustain outdoor cultural events and place of entertainment and have them to be good neighbors when they did the work they do.

He added he would like to meet with staff on what the problems were with the permitting systems.   He added it was a goal for other city departments to work with the Entertainment Commission.  He added they need to come up with a draft implementation and long term action plan to get a sense of how to implement tangible goals overtime.

 

Deborah Walker stated she was talking from the perspective of the Arts Taskforce that recently met to look at the info structure of the arts and the basic first premise of their recommendation  established was there was a lack of coordination overall in the arts.  She added there were specific things that had almost none and the fairs and festivals and outdoor activities and connecting policy.  She added it was a good way of establishing a path forward and a lot to discuss and the community needed to be involved because most of the events happened in mixed0-use neighborhoods that had some work to do on how to resolve conflicts.   She agreed it would be something to discuss as they prioritize and give the support that the industry needs.  She suggested as a first that the Commission met with the director’s of Department of Building Inspection and the Planning Department to talk about the online system they currently use.

 

Chair Joseph stated she appreciated the presentation but felt it did not address the nighttime economy enough and the nighttime events faced a different set of challenges than what happened during the day.  

 

Commissioner Alan stated the Entertainment Commission began its career in an advocacy role and not enough in an enforcement role and perhaps the after effect of the advocacy position on the part of the Commission was a lot of the struggles the Commission was currently trying to resolve one by one.   He added the policy was an attempt to take a step back and to rethink the issue and make it all sustainable and was the challenge that lied ahead.

 

10. Entertainment promotion in San Francisco. (This item allows commissioners to suggest and discuss ways in which the Commission could improve promotion of entertainment in San Francisco).

None.

 

11. Commissioner’s Comments & Questions.

 

Commissioner Pred stated San Francisco was a city that was known to be edgy that people come to experience the artistic expression and the efforts to prevent those kinds of events from happening was killing the vitality of the city.    He added he would not be present at the March 3, 2009 meeting.

 

Commissioner Meko stated next Wednesday  the SOMA Task Force would meet in room 421 at 6:00 P.M. regarding future entertainment in the south of market and the task force would be voting on whether or not to adopt some polices that have come forward from the business and land use committee. He added the most important one was a recommendation that all forms of place of entertainment become a fully permitted use in an area called the SLI south of Harrison Street in San Francisco about policy of land use.

 

Commissioner Roja stated as time hard times have come peoples enjoyment of their lives needs to be lifted.  He added the crazy thing that was happening with all of this was proving the worth of the Entertainment Industry and for people to understand the weight the Commission held with the economy.   He added he like the steps with the Music and Culture Sustainability Policy and realizing that the arts and culture were an important entity to our lives and the economy.

 

Commissioner Alan stated on Friday Hastings Law School there would be a continuation of North of Market Neighborhood Improvement Corporation from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. meet and greet that focused on creating an arts and entertainment which was a three block long district on Taylor Street starting with Warfield going to the Golden Gate Theater.

 

Chair Joseph stated the Bay to Bay Breakers did not want to allow drinking or anymore nudity.    She Commissioners should give staff items to address and help the industry at large for forum on March 30^, 2009.  

 

12. New Business Requests for Future Agenda Items.

(This item is to allow Commissioners to introduce agenda items for future consideration).  

 

Club Caliente to be added on the March 3, 2009 agenda as an action item to consider additional conditions.

 

Adjournment. 7:18 P.M.