2.

(ACTION) Review and approval of November 15, 2006 meeting minutes

The minutes were approved as written.

(public comments)
There were none.

3.

Public comment on any matter within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Juvenile Probation Commission
There were none.

4.

(DISCUSSION) Chief Probation Officer’s report:

The Chief reported that Allen Nance would return to the Dept around Feb. 19. He said that from now on he will have division managers report during the Commission meetings.

G. Bieringer on actions to address the JH population: reasons for spike in population.. since August to Dec stayed high. 27% increase in youth brought to JH (878 total). Many of them are being filed as 707b (considered adult).  9 resolved, 8 still pending. There are contested jurisdictions/dispositions. This creates delays. The courts are now committing youth to juvenile hall for various lengths of stay (90 to 360 days). Probation Dept actions: increasing attention to weekly case reviews to try releasing kids.  Enhancing cases from one division to another.. to cut case processing time.  Many more undocumented kids… worked out an agreement with Huckleberry House to work with these kids.  Publishing a daily grid of detention alternatives to let people know what’s available for use that day.. so others in the system know.

System steps:  been having meetings with many City departments to analyze the problem to see where any changes can be made.  Agreements made: need more interaction of system partners so information from each can be shared and extracted when needed.  Partners need more training.

Comm Queen asked why there were more 707s. Bieringer said that many of the youth are co-defendants in cases of violence. He also said that because of better technology many more are caught now where before they were not ID’ed (eg. muni buses, school safety officers). The Chief said they are looking at how charges/over charging is done so that they can get a clearer picture of how this impacts population. On pleas in 707 cases, a commitment to a secure facility results in them being committed to JH.

Comm Woodson: any timetable for the training?  Bieringer: not yet. He’ like it to happen by spring.

Comm Stiglich expressed her concern as to looking at initial arrest charges and what the ultimate adjudicated charges are as if that somehow informs the first decision. She said the reality is that the final charges are many times the efforts of all to not give the youth a “strike”. It doesn’t mean that the crime was not really what was originally charged, so can be misleading.  Bieringer said that there was a court ruling today that if a youth admits to a “707b” then that is counted as a strike. Just being adjudicated on a 707b will not be the same.  Until this is appealed, the decision will begin to impact our operations.

Comm Queen suggested that the Chief review the violence prevention plan put forward by the African American Community Police Relations Board for many of the points on coordination of services, etc.

D. Doyle on the current operations of JH: move was completed on Dec. 29. all are “enjoying” the facilities (the space, the newness). There is a better climate and atmosphere in it and its configuration makes for easier supervision on the units.  Logistics still having issues: population movement from units to school, to courts, to visiting areas.. staff needs to do this.  Some of the mechanical systems are still acting up… electronic controls for doors being fixed.  The outdoor areas are now in process of being created.  Overall the deficiencies are overshadowed by the positives.  Still a “work in progress”. (he gave a similar report at Programs Comm)

N. Yalon said that CARC referrals are steady (approx 30 /mo)  they continue to meet with CARC staff on processing.  The girls unit ad hoc committee drafted a resolution for the Commission. Its next meeting will be Feb. 28. 

Report on LCR will be made next month.

Comm Stiglich asked Doyle to keep the Commission apprised of what comes up re. staffing needs.

(public comments)

Jessica H. Al-Tawqi suggested looking at the Controller’s report on JH staffing, because it had found that less staff would be needed in the new facility.  Maybe another analysis has to be done.

She also said that the co-ed housing of youth on the units seems to be problematic.  The providers group feels that this needs to be addressed.

Denise Coleman, Huckleberry Youth: regarding meeting Chief mentioned with police.  She said that arrests are up in SF, despite a national reduction. She mentioned that this is still an issue for disproportionate confinement, and that there is still a tendency for overcharging by police.

5.

(DISCUSSION/ACTION) Hearing and Possible Approval of an Amendment to Juvenile Probation Commission Rule 7.02, Regular Meetings, to schedule regular meetings on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. 

Comm. Queen moved, and Comm Beijen 2^nd.  there was no discussion and upon voice vote, the motion carried 6-0.

(public comments)

There were none.

6.

(DISCUSSION/ACTION) Review and possible action to approve draft Statement of Incompatible Activities.  

The Chief said he reviewed the previous document submitted by former CPOs, and has made revisions to it.  

Comm Beijen agreed with the draft as he was given and hoped the Commission could act on it. After a short discussion it was decided to further review it and take action at the next meeting.

(public comments)

There were none.

7.

(DISCUSSION/ACTION) Review of the Dept’s draft 07-08 budget with possible recommendations for approving and/or revising Finance Comm recommendations.

A Magee represented the Dept in explaining this.  Comm Fetiçō had questions: there are now more admin positions (with hers).  She said that her position was added to the budget during the last budget cycle so when the position was added, so was the funding for that position. She said that initially their positions (hers and M. Lui’s) had similar titles so that might have been confusing. But they’re actually quite different.  The CFO (Lui) now has the ability to focus on the dept’s budget and finance primarily contracts, facilities, purchasing and so on which was the initial intent of that position. It was never intended for him to cover all administrative aspects in the dept. in the reductions of the past 4 yrs, M. Lui has absorbed all those decreases in the functions he’s been performing. Her (Magee) position was brought on to serve as another layer of oversight for this Chief to relieve him of many administrative duties he doesn’t need to be doing. Her goal is oversee M Lui’s position, as well as HR, Information Services, and also working with Community Programs in their contracting processes to make sure that goes smoothly.

There was a short back and forth about the timeliness of correspondence and written documents. 

Comm Fetiçō asked what the SF Charter says about exempt positions in the dept. A Magee said that every year the Controller approves a certain number of exempt positions for each dept. She said the city as a whole has a certain number of exempt positions allowed by the Charter (baseline yr 1994), so that it cannot exceed the number it had in 1994. So every year the dept requests a number of exempt positions and are either approved or denied by the Controller. Our dept has in the current year 9 approved exempt positions. (she had a copy of the annual salary ordinance showing the positions that have been approved). It was Comm Fetiçō’s understanding that the Commission has the authority to approve exempt positions in the dept, and asked for a ruling by the city attorney on this.  A Magee said that the Commission approves the budget when it is submitted to the Mayor, but the Controller makes the final decision on the number of exempt

positions. There was a discussion about upgrading two positions being upgraded (a 1632 accounting position and a personnel clerk).  Magee said that it wasn’t necessarily the incumbents being upgraded, but the jobs. She said the upgrades would expand the capacity of those positions. She used as example the HR division.  There are 2 positions there. A 1244 Sr analyst  and a 1203 personnel tech, carrying the whole dept on their shoulders.  They want a 1241 (personnel analyst) so that the job can perform a wider range of functions to better support the unit and dept. The current job description doesn’t allow them to perform those functions. By upgrading it, it expands the capacity without having to bring in new staff.  The current 1203 is significantly lower in level and capacity served. By upgrading the position they can support S. Kinghorne in a better manner. If they work out of their job class, the dept can get in trouble. He said that both incumbents have taken the exam for the higher jobs and are on the list.  By upgrading rather than adding new staff, they are allowing the current staff to do more. Kinghorne said he was hired as a workman’s comp specialist.

If the current staff can’t qualify for the new role, then they will go outside to tire.  People cannot be asked to work “out of their class”. Their job class only allows them to perform certain functions. They would have to apply and go through the application process, but they are qualified.

Comm Beijen asked if we have a “like pay – like job” issue where someone is working out of class but paid at the higher class while they’re doing the job. Kinghorne said there are provisions to do that but currently no one is working out of class.

The Chief gave an example of past inability to hire into 3 positions in the budget, saying it was due to lack of HR personnel. He said that now with the number of new hires they can do, they need a level of work, even more work output from HR.  So instead of hiring another person, they will upgrade the current position’s class so that that person can do this extra work.

Comm Stiglich asked what the recommendation of the Finance Comm was. Comm Beijen, Chair, said that it was reviewed, and the committee recommended the full Commission approve the changes.

Comm Beijen moved to approve the Finance Committee’s recommendation to approve the budget changes.  Comm Queen 2^nd.  there was no public comment. Upon voice vote, the motion carried 5-1, with Comm Fetiçō opposing.

(public comments)

There were none.

8.

(DISCUSSION) Report on status of CBO contracts.

L. Holmes could not appear tonight so this was tabled to the next meeting. Comm Queen asked about the communication problems that seemed to have been the problem of contracts, last reported to the Commission.  The Chief said that those were cleared up but new ones have replaced them, not necessarily on the same scale.  This one had to do with an invoice in arrears, before he came on board.

(public comments)

There were none.

9.

(DISCUSSION) Discussion for resolution regarding the Gang Injunction.

This item was tabled to the next meeting.

(public comments)

There were none.

10.

(DISCUSSION/ACTION) Possible action to adopt a commission attendance policy, per request from the Mayor and Bd. Of Supervisors. 

Comm Stiglich asked if there were any comments about this.  Comm Lingad Ricci asked about a recent action regarding the ability of commissioners/supervisors to participate meetings via teleconferencing.  Comm Stiglich commented that she thought there wasn’t anything that was unreasonable in the request, since the commissioners serve at the Mayor pleasure and accountability to him through consistent attendance is just common sense.

Comm Beijen moved, and Comm Lingad Ricci 2^nd.  Upon voice vote, the motion carried 6-0.

(public comment)

There were none.

11.

(DISCUSSION) Committee reports, other reports

·         Program committee

Comm Fetiçō asked Comm Beijen to report on the girls’ services committee’s work.  Comm Beijen read the recommended resolution arrived at from those meetings (see attached) that the Committee hopes the full Commission will act on at their next meeting.

Comm Fetiçō summarized some of the information presented by community programs staff (Holmes), and juvenile hall.  He commented that he still felt that line staff levels are weak, vis-à-vis the “up-line” administrative positions.

·         Finance committee

Comm Beijen commented that the subject matter of the meeting was covered in tonight’s discussion on the budget.

·         Facilities committee

This committee hasn’t met recently.

·         Ad Hoc committee on performance evaluations

This committee needs to be reconstituted with new membership.

(public comments)

There were none.

12.

Public comment on any matter within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Juvenile Probation Commission

There were none.

13.

(DISCUSSION) Requests for future agenda items. 

Comm Lingad Ricci asked to set up a commission retreat.

Comm Beijen asked to include a JPC commendation.

Comm Stiglich offered the possibility that Feb’s meeting will be on either Tuesday or Thursday (13/15).

14.

(ACTION)  Adjournment

Comm Stiglich wanted to adjourn the meeting in recognition of Rebecca Woodson (whom she appointed to the Ad Hoc Committee),  Damone Hale, and in memory of officer Brian Tuvera.  

Comm Queen commented that Damone Hale was an extraordinary commissioner, and an advocate in the Bayview for years with the Community Defenders program, working for youth in athletic leagues and now doing pro bono work on the gang injunction issue.  His departure from the commission is a tremendous loss.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:05pm;

In recognition of new Commissioner Rebecca Woodson,

Damone Hale,

                    And in memory of Officer Brian Tuvera