Full_Commission

CITY ANDCOUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO

JUVENILE PROBATION COMMISSION

JUVENILE PROBATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING

Regular Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

5:30 p.m.

City Hall, Room 408

#1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

San Francisco, CA 94102

Commissioners

Jacqueline Lingad Ricci, President

Susana Rojas, Vice President

Katharine Albright

Dirk Beijen

Elloise Patton

Rebecca Woodson

Minutes

1. Roll call. 
   Commission President called the meeting to order at 5:40 PM.  Commissioners Albright, Beijen, Lingad Ricci, Rojas and Woodson were present.  Commissioner Patton was not present. 
   
   

2.  Public Comment. 

• Bruce Fisher, Huckleberry House Representative.  Opposed Huckleberry House funding cuts effective February 20, 2009.  Mr. Fisher does not know how they are going to keep the program open from February 20^th to July 1^st.  The Juvenile Justice Providers Association (JJPA) wants to make a specific recommendation that all providers agree to take across the board cuts. 
• Denise Coleman, Representative from Huckleberry Youth Programs.  Opposed Huckleberry House budget cuts and are unable to operate on a $20,000 budget.
• Judy Young, Executive Director, Vietnamese Youth Development Center.  Opposed the Family Support Program funding cuts on February 20th.  Cutting these services will mean that youths will be on the streets, violence will increase, and more kids will be going to the Juvenile Justice System. 
• Jose, La Raza Representative and JJPA Member.  We would like the Probation Commission to reject the proposed cuts and review the processes. 
• Ricardo Garcia-Acosta, Case Manager, Community Liason for San Francisco General Hospital Trauma Center with UCSF Wraparound Project.  Opposed the de-funding of several critical programs that serve victims of violence and supports the JJPA recommendations of taking cuts across the board rather than singling out certain critical programs. 
• Lizette Gallegos, JJPA member and program coordinator for CARECEN, Central American Resource Center, thru the Second Chance Tattooing Removal Program.  Opposed the de-funding of the program.  It is the only tattooing removal clinic that is free to San Francisco residents. 
  
  

3.  Review and approval of the minutes from the meeting of November 12, 2008  (Action Item).  A motion to approve the minutes by Commission President Lingad Ricci passed unanimously.  To be recorded as written on November 12, 2008.
No public comments at this time. 

4.  Presentation by the Department of Children Youth and their Families on the findings on the latest communities needs assessments (Discussion).

• Director Margaret Brodkin indicated that this year the department will be working on an allocation plan for making recommendations regarding how the resources for the children, youth, and their families should be allocated. 

• Services such as childcare, good schools, youth employment programs, after school programs, and violent prevention programs are needed. 
• The Mayor wants to have after school care for all children by 2010. 
• The Youth Workforce Development is employing youths in the city.  The End-Up Program assists youths on probation to get jobs. 
• Truancy problem is an issue in San Francisco.  There are 5000 chronic truants in the city every year.  75% will ultimately drop out of school.  Our goal is to have 95% attendance in all schools.
• The Mayor has made a commitment for every young person who graduates from high school to attend San Francisco State University.  This program is called SF Promise and we are working toward implementing it.
• Looking at a program from Minnesota called “Circulated Buses,” which travels around the city just for young kids to bring them to school and libraries.
• Non-Profits: We have 400 contracts; 200 non-profit.  Agencies are not given enough money to stay open. 
• The Convener Initiative is to bring together all the services in that neighborhood for families. 
• The Children’s Amendment is on the ballot, which requires the city to set-aside a portion of property tax dollars for children and sets a baseline of children’s funding. 
  
  

5.  Reports to the Commission (Discussion):

·        Status report of CBO Contracts.  Chief Siffermann indicated that contracts have been completed, however, some were eliminated due to mid-year cuts. 

·        Log Cabin Ranch (LCR) Update Report.  The future of LCR was threatened when the population dipped below 15 and by the department’s mid-year cuts. 

·        Population at Juvenile Hall is 96.

·        Pursuing the idea of sale/lease of City owned property near Log Cabin Ranch as a source of revenue for the City.  Commission President Lingad Ricci said that this was proposed in the past and the City Attorney discovered that the title to the land prevents any sale due to certain conditions. 

·        Sue Wong, Finance Director, stated that the Mayor’s office issued a target to cut 2.1 million from the department to take effect January ’09.  The final proposal to be cut from our budget was $950,000.  In addition, the Mayor’s office issued the budget year cut target at 12.5% for 2009-2010, which equals 3.9 million dollars.  Commissioner Albright asked if that was a total of 9.1 million dollars for the annualized amount, plus the 25% cuts being asked and Ms. Wong confirmed.  Commissioner Albright asked when the mid-year cuts were made, if there was a list of principles and how the decisions were made.  Chief Siffermann said that the timing of the request did not provide them to do a focus group. 

·        Per the meeting with the Mayor’s office and department heads, there will be more cuts.  There is a crisis with the economy because SF relies on tourism and conventions, travel taxes, which has affected the economy.  The merchants and business rely on this business.  Commission Albright suggested a solution around the process.  One example, HSA Commission has provided support to staff in making cuts outlining the principles they will make. 

·        Mark Morris Associates RFP update at next Programs Committee Meeting

Public Comment:

·        Mr. Don.  Came to show support for the kids at Log Cabin Ranch.   He is deeply concerned about the services that are going to be cut and distressed about the future of kids. 

·        Bruce Fisher, Huckleberry House Representative.  Expressed his concern about Log Cabin and reiterated the across the board department cuts. 

6.  Announcements (Discussion):

• President Lingad Ricci moved Items #6 Election of Officers, and Item #7 Retreats, to the next Full Commission Meeting. 
• Commissioner Albright recommended holding a Special Full Commission meeting prior to Finance Committee meeting to address the budget cuts and to provide input to the department for the budget submission to the Mayor’s office due on February 20^th.
• Commissioner Rojas would also like to address the processes that were used to identify the budget mid-year cuts. 
• Commission President Lingad Ricci said that Congressman Arroyo from the Philippines visited the Juvenile Justice Center and would like to have an exchange program with our city and the Philippine government.
  
  

7.  Adjournment – (Action Item).  There were no further public comments and the meeting adjourned at 7:50 PM.