ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSION

City and County of San Francisco

 

ACTION HEARING MINUTES OF THE 

Tuesday, November 20, 2018 HEARING

City Hall, Hearing Room 416

Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

San Francisco, CA  94102

 

 

 

COMMISSIONERS

 

Present

 

Dori Caminong

Bryant Tan

Laura Thomas

Steven Lee

 

 

STAFF

 

Present

 

Executive Director, Maggie Weiland

Deputy Director, Kaitlyn Azevedo

Senior Sound Inspector, Sean Burke

Senior Analyst, Community & Cultural Events, Dylan Rice

Commission Aide, Crystal Stewart 

 

 

 

 

CALL TO ORDER

 

The meeting came to order at 5:38PM.

 

ROLL CALL 

 

Members of the public may address the Commission on items of interest to the public that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Commission. With respect to agenda items, members of the public may address the Commission for up to three minutes at the time such item is called.  

 

Absent were Al Perez, Ben Bleiman and Dave Falzon. 

 

1. General Public comment.

 

Members of the public may address the Commission on items of interest to the public that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Commission. With respect to agenda items, members of the public may address the Commission for up to three minutes at the time such item is called.

 

Public comment  

 

No public comment. 

 

2. Approval of Meeting Minutes.  Discussion and possible action to approve the minutes of November 6, 2018 Commission meetings. [Discussion and Possible Action Item]

 

Commissioner Lee had one correction to the November 6, 2018.  He added SOMA should read SOMA Safety Commission. 

 

Public comment

 

No public comment.

 

Commissioner Tan moved to approve the November 6, 2018 minutes with one minor correction Commissioner Thomas second the motion

Vote:

Yeas - Commissioner Thomas Commissioner Caminong, 

Commissioner Tan & Commissioner Lee 

Absent: Commissioner Perez, Commissioner Bleiman and Commissioner Falzon

Noes - none

 

3. Report from Executive Director: Legislative/Policy Update: Update on World Cities Culture Forum; Update on Sound Diplomacy Music Industry Study; Staff and Office Update: Introduction to Deputy Director Kaitlyn Azevedo; Reminder to Commissioners to share attendance for upcoming Commission meetings during the holiday season; Update on Board of Appeals Actions: Nothing to Report; Corrective Actions: Notice to Appear Issued to #EC-1377 POE & EHP dba Halcyon for December 4, 2018 Commission Meeting. [Discussion Item]

 

 

Executive Director Maggie Weiland introduce the new Deputy Director Kaitlyn Azevedo to the Commission. 

 

Deputy Director Kaitlyn Azevedo stated she came from Alameda County and previously worked for the Superior court of California.  She added she was excited to join the Entertainment Commission team and looked forward to working together.

 

No public comment was made. 

 

4. Report from Senior Inspector: Inspector Sean Burke reports on recent venue inspections and activities. [Discussion Item]

 

COMPLAINTS                                                   

 

11/5/18 7:11 PM El Techo 2516 Mission NA "El Techo has loud karaoke going on roof way above acceptable levels. Called management - they said they couldn't do anything." (MONDAY)

 

11/7/18 9:37 PM Knockout 3223 Mission POE "The clubs open till 2am every day and longer on weekends. The drunk people come out and we see fights, verbal assault, and loud music coming from the cars parked outside. People urinating outside and doing #2 outside. This has been for many years and none takes any responsibility for these." (WEDNESDAY) Roccapulco 3140 Mission POE 11/10/18 12:24 AM Asiento 2730 21st POE "Loud music from Asiento bar" (SATURDAY) 11/10/18 1:43 AM R Bar 1176 Sutter NA "This business is playing music very high volume almost every night. We are living upstairs and my pregnant wife can’t sleep." - No entertainment. Will forward to SFPD.

11/11/2018 8:34 PM & 10:05:00 PM Zeitgeist 199 Valencia NA "Excess volume with live band." & "Very loud live Music" (SUNDAY)

11/11/2018 10:00 PM & 10:21 PM Russian Center   2450 Sutter POE "Wedding party for the whole neighborhood. The band sounds good, but it should really not be clearly audible in everyone's house" & "Concert noise" (SUNDAY)

11/13/18 10:10 PM Great American Music Hall 850 O'Farrell   POE "Loud music, drum from the great American music hall. Thx" (ANONYMOUS)

11/15/18 8:26 PM Swig 561 Geary   POE "Club has excessively loud music every night, from 5pm to 2am. Customer is concerned that this may be violating their permit." (THURSDAY)

11/15/18 10:34 PM St. Joseph's Church 1401 Howard     NA "Loud music" (THURSDAY) - Aware of permitting process. Inspector will follow up.

11/17/18 1:18 AM Riptide 3639 Taraval   POE "Excessive music volume starting at 1 am. Patrons also being excessively loud." (SAT)

11/18/18 1:20 AM Alloy Event Space 431 Tehama NA "1:18 AM event with amplified sound without permit taking place. Called SFPD non-emergency 3 times." - Inspector will be following up regarding permitting. (SUNDAY)

                       

INSPECTIONS                                                  

11/9/18 10:45 PM Halcyon 314 11th St POE/EHP Visit after text complaint. In compliance with sound limits.

11/9/18 11:00 PM 1015 Folsom 1015 Folsom POE/EHP Visit after email complaint of barricades blocking sidewalk. Barricades were rented for Halloween event, have yet to be picked up, and 1015 is doing everything they can to speed up pickup. 

11/10/18 12:15 AM El Techo 2516 Mission NA 311 Complaint follow-up. Will introduce to staff for FPAS permit.

11/10/18 12:45 AM Laszlo 2526 Mission NA   Entertainment present. No permit on site. No permit on file in EC office. Informed of Good Neighbor Policy due to open door. Door closed. Will bring into compliance.

11/10/18 1:33 AM Raven 1151 Folsom POE Dispersed crowd well upon closing.

11/10/18 11:10 PM   Asiento 2730 21st POE 311 Complaint follow-up. Spoke with bartender on duty. They will be mindful of volume.   

11/16/18 10:23 PM 

Hamburger Mary's 531 Castro POE   

Email sound complaint follow-up. Issued verbal warning for being over limit. Worked with operator to set limiter and bring into compliance.

11/16/18 11:20 PM

 Zeitgeist 199 Valencia NA 311 sound complaint follow-up. They have the occasional live band on the patio. Got contact information for owner. Will work towards compliance.

11/16/18 11:56 PM Great American Music Hall 859 O'Farrell POE 311 sound complaint follow-up. Show in question was louder than their standard programming. Anonymous complaint. Will work with venue to ensure compliance with sound limit.

11/17/18 8:40 PM

Howell's 2373 Chestnut NA Visit following 311 complaint for Cultivar (next door). Has amplified sound on patio. Will attempt to bring into compliance with Fixed Place Outdoor Amplified Sound permit.

11/17/18 11:36 PM Jones 620 Jones LLP Visited 15 minutes after receipt of complaint. No entertainment being hosted. In touch with operator who will be applying for one-time event permits for any future events.

11/17/18 12:13 AM Swig 561 Geary POE        311 sound complaint follow-up. GM recently met with owner of residential building next door to discuss sound levels. Will continue to monitor and conduct sound test if necessary.

11/17/18 1:05 AM Halcyon 314 14th St.  POE/EHP Visit after text complaint. In compliance with sound limits.

11/17/18 1:20 AM Emporium 616 Divisadero POE Sound inspection. Measured above limit. Will be issuing verbal warning and continue to monitor.

11/17/18 2:10 AM Riptide 3639 Taraval POE 311 complaint response. Venue closed.

                                                

ONGOING COMPLAINTS                                              

Original:  Since last hearing:

11/14/16 Halcyon 314 11th St POE/EHP 

11/11/18 11:39 PM (SUN) 11/12 2:20 AM (MON) 11/17/18 1:20 AM (SAT) 11/18/18 11:30 PM (SUN) 9/29/17 Double Dutch     3192 16th St POE No complaints since last hearing.

7/15/18 Verdi Club 2424 Mariposa POE No complaints since last hearing.

9/25/18 Jones 620 Jones  POE  11/11/2018  5:42:00 PM (SUN) - Customer reports that per his measurement he recently recorded at noise level of 110 decibels, and the permit allows 68 decibels. This measurement was taken on a Sunday, and this is a regular occurrence on Sundays, during their "musical brunch" 11/15/2018 8:52 AM (THU) 11/16/2018 11:03 AM (FRI) 11/17/2018 11:16 PM (SAT)

11/1/2018 Charmaine's 1110 Market      FPAS      11/9/2018 11:34:00 PM (FRI) - Noise / music from rooftop bar

 

5. Report from the Senior Analyst: Dylan Rice provides an update on the Entertainment Commission’s education and networking initiatives for the outdoor event industry. [Discussion Item]

 

Senior Analyst Dylan Rice reported on the education and networking initiatives he has been working on that had not happened at the last hearing.  He added his last S.F. Outdoor Events Network mixer at El Rio

held on November 7, 2018, and the panel discussion consisted of how producers can leverage technology to increase their revenue streams and increase customer loyalty.  He added there were 25 people who attended the event and they really wanted to learn more about how they can increase their Wi-Fi bandwidth at events and captured data.   He added every single phone has a unique paying to it and you can capture a ping and measure the number of people attending as well as where they are at the event location without knowing whom the person is and you can still keep that data anonymized.  He added the other piece of it was increasing food and beverage sales.  He added he would do a survey at the next mixer as well as his general assessments to make sure he is doing the kind of topics that are really interesting and important to our stakeholders.  He added he has not done a survey on that in over a year and confirmed the next event will be on January 28th at Manny's and it will be a cannabis themed topic.   He added the other educational initiative he was doing was his first webinar that was last Wednesday on the Outdoor Events Guide and the title of it was how to navigate the rules and regulations for outdoor special events in San Francisco. He added the point was to position the producers so they were more informed with their business decisions and they can produce safer and more successful events.  He added he did a general overview of the guide estimator and how they can find the information, they need.   He added there were 29 rsvp is and 15 participants in the webinar.  He added he would also have a video of the webinar that he will post for people who couldn't attend or who want to review what was discussed. I felt like we had seven or eight questions.  I think there is potential to really grow this idea of distance learning and online engagement and therefore, I think there is room to grow with that. I also think I will know more once we get into winter and spring of 2019. 

 

6. Police Department Comments & Questions. This item allows any member of the SFPD to address the Commission regarding matters related to nightlife and public safety. [Discussion Item]

 

No comments were made. 

 

7. Hearing and Possible Action regarding applications for permits under the jurisdiction of the Entertainment Commission. [Discussion and Possible Action Item]  

 

Regular Agenda:

 

a) EC-1465 – Woods, James of MateVeza, LLC, Woods Polk Station, 2255 Polk Street, Limited Live Performance Permit.

 

Pablo Serrano stated he was the bar manager at the Woods Polk Station and would speak on behalf of James Wood who could not attend the meeting.  He added he did the legwork and public outreach for the permit application.  He added they there were one of five locations located in the bay area and this one is located in Russian Hill on Polk and Green Street and is the smallest location at 350 square feet.

He added they were applying for a Limited Live Permit to add to the atmosphere of the cabin lodge cozy them of their location and to add to the location for patrons to have an enjoyable experience.  He added he personally reached out to many residents as well as businesses, 

at for the most part, we received very positive responses and he had copies of letters of support from some patrons as well as neighboring businesses in the area.

He added they have met with some people with who had concerns.  He added the entertainment 

would include 1 to 2 sets 

mostly soloists and maybe duos of folk or jazz types of musicians with minimal amplification.  He added he was currently doing research on magnetic window frames that you can attach to acrylic glass so they could contain the sound. 

 

Commissioner Tan recommended that the applicant get a sound meter and he could rely on it and to test what his actual disciple level would be. He added he supported the permit application.  

 

No Public comment. 

 

Commissioner Tan moved to approve with the Entertainment Commissions’ Good Neighbor Policy Commissioner Thomas second the motion

Vote:

Yeas - Commissioner Caminong, Commissioner Thomas, 

Commissioner Tan & Commissioner 

Absent: Commissioner Perez, Commissioner Bleiman and Commissioner Falzon

Noes - none

 

b) EC-1466 – Sanchez, John Eric of Zechsan Business Development, Inc., Executive Order Bar & Lounge, 868 Mission Street, Place of Entertainment Permit.

 

John Sanchez stated he applied for a place of entertainment permit.  He added thirteen years ago, he did this for SIP Bar and it was very nice to have the permit process streamlined and organized in a more efficient manner.   He added he ran Sip for about 13 years and was told by my property owner they had to do a soft story retrofit on his building in Chinatown.  He added that process would have entailed moving everything that he had accumulated over 13 years.  He added having to move that out so they could retrofit the whole ground floor and then come back and potentially have to face a rent increase or different terms in my lease, I stopped the

opportunity to find a place where I might be a little bit more successful and have more foot traffic and it would be closer to home.  He added he lives in the district south of market.  He added he has gone the ability, once again, to have standup comedy on weeknights, acoustic performers, something different and just seven nights a week of D.J. Music and be 

able to provide different kinds of programming.

 

 

Katrina Lawanna stated she was with Soma Filipina and wanted to express their support

For John Sanchez and his team to open the Executive order Bar & Lounge.  She added Mr. Sanchez expressed a firm commitment to be a good neighbor to us and to work collaboratively with Soma Filipinas to enhance our goals around cultural disability, community development without further displacement, and the connect injustice economic injustice that we tried to deal with in the district.    She added they were are happy to support a business that has committed to working with local businesses to open up entry-level job opportunities working with Soma Filipinas art and culture committee already in creating and curating additional art pieces that incorporate Filipino and Filipina history into its decor.  She added they are hoping that also with these performance nights, it can provide a platform for Filipino creatives to explore their

talents and to propagate current issues in the neighborhood.  She added they were also excited that the executive bar has also committed to hosting six only pop up dinners for aspiring Filipino food businesses with no venue rental fees, explore possibility of commissary, and to open bids for Filipino pastry chefs for its daily Filipino coffee program. She added they were hopeful that Executive Order Lounge would contribute to the commercial corridor when its eventual activation happens.

She added the community members and residents have really been looking for nightlife for quite some time, especially one that is not just outside of the undiscovered just once a month and they were excited. 

 

Public comment closed.

 

Commissioner Tan moved to approve with SFPD conditions No. 3 & No. 8 and amending No. 8 to notify the Entertainment Commission of calendared of special events and striking all the rest Commissioner Thomas second the motion

Vote:

Yeas - Commissioner Caminong, Commissioner Thomas, 

Commissioner Tan & Commissioner Lee 

Absent: Commissioner Perez, Commissioner Bleiman and Commissioner Falzon

Noes - none

8. Commissioner Comments & Questions. [Announcements]

 

Commissioner Lee commented on Mezzanine Bar closing because they lost their lease and SIP Bar closing because they have to retrofit.  He added it was what is happening in San Francisco and places like south of market, old buildings are going to be sold or unfortunately go out of business.  He added the Commission should push to the Supervisors some type of Legacy business and hope Debra finds another place for Mezzanine.  

 

Commissioner Thomas stated they should try to figure out some way to get new development to include entertainment venues as part of what was considered part of what new development has to include.  She added she did not know if that was possible to do, but I feel like the new development that goes up never has any entertainment venues, and they end up closing down the other ones, driving up the property values or driving up the noise.   She added how do we make it part of an expected contribution to a community when you build something new.

 

Executive Director Maggie Weiland announced the Entertainment Commission’s Holiday Party on December 10, 2018 at August Hall.   She added Honey Mahogany is the MC and the Hellements is the opening the opening band from the Blue Bear School of music age 13 to 15.  She added the closing band was Litia and the Projects, which is an African American female soul band.  She added Mayor Breed and Supervisor Weiner would attend the Entertainment Commission’s holiday party.  

 

Vice Chair Caminong stated on behalf of the Entertainment Commission family, to extend our deepest condolences to Commissioner Thomas on the loss of your partner Kanani Koga.  She added they were deeply saddened and our hearts and prayers go out to you and your family, your loved ones.  She added that she dedicated tonight's meeting in memory of her beautiful spirit and legacy.

 

Adjourned at 6:52 PM