Meeting Information
MINUTES
Special Meeting
Friday, February 22, 2002, 9:00 a.m.
City Hall, Board of Supervisors Chambers, Room 250
Acting Chair: Commissioner Ammiano
Members: Commissioners McGoldrick, Gonzalez and Hall
Alternate: Commissioner Peskin
Clerk: Monica Fish
SPECIAL AGENDA
(There will be public comment on each item)
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
The meeting was called to order by Commissioner Ammiano, Acting Chair, at 9:10 a.m.
Members Present: Commissioners Ammiano, McGoldrick, Gonzalez and Hall
Members Absent: None
2. Interview and possible appointment of Public Member. The candidates are: Marc A. Levin, Diane Fellman, Joel K. Rubinstein, Hope Schmeltzer, and Joseph DeUlloa. (Continued from the February 7, 2002 meeting.) Discussion and Action Item.
Commissioner Ammiano announced that a note was received from Marc A. Levin stating that he had removed himself from consideration. He stated that Diane Fellman made a presentation at the meeting of February 7, 2002 and asked if she had anything to add.
Diane Fellman, candidate, stated that she would be happy to answer any questions.
Commissioner Ammiano stated that the Commission had received a memorandum from legal counsel establishing that there would be no conflict of interest if Diane Fellman were appointed as a public member to SF LAFCo.
Commissioner Ammiano asked Diane Fellman if she had ever worked for or represented Enron Corporation.
Diane Fellman stated she had never worked for or represented Enron in her career.
Joel Rubinstein, candidate, introduced himself at the February 7, 2002, meeting and asked if there were any questions.
Hope Schmeltzer, candidate stated that she is an attorney for the University of California and represents them in environmental and land use matters. Prior to working with the University of California, she worked in the Governor’s Office as director of the Governor’s Clean Energy Green Team and as a senior policy advisor on energy matters at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. Her work was particularly on PG&E’s proposed divestiture of their hydro-electric facilities. At the Green Team, she worked on permitting issues for power plants and alternative energy sources, particularly in coordinating issues between different levels of government. She lives in San Francisco and sees the potential for the City to do something in this area.
Commissioner McGoldrick asked Hope Schmeltzer if she would highlight the work she did at the Governor’s Office as a senior policy advisor, particularly the issues of the divestiture of PG&E’s hydro-electric cases, PG&E’s general rate cases, the fiber-optic cable installation policies, and other matters.
Hope Schmeltzer stated that PG&E’s proposed hydro-electric divestiture proposal was made to the legislature in a closed manner. The Governor’s Office did not have a lot of information. She started working on trying to understand and explain the proposal and what it would mean for the state. She had worked with the Resources Agency and all of their different departments to start to figure out what the proposal would mean for state lands and for its impact on the environment. Through that process, the state submitted extensive filings on the CEQA procedure at the Public Utilities Commission. Over the course of the next year, the state participated extensively in scoping procedures under CEQA, commenting on a range of issues such as how it would affect state recreational facilities, endangered species, water quality, and other issues. The state ended up submitting several hundred pages of comments and then worked with the United States Forest Service and several other federal agencies who submitted extensive comments in that process. Before the fiber-optic industry started experiencing financial difficulties, there was a big race to try and lay as much cable as different companies could across the state. The Public Utilities Commission had been giving permission to companies to lay cable; however, the extent of that authority was being misinterpreted and in some cases there was cable being laid in places where there was no permission--occasionally on state land. They were working with the different state agencies to insure that they were aware what was allowed and not allowed under the given permissions. Those agencies were concerned that a lot of cable was being laid along roadways and rights of way. CALTRANS and Park Lands had a lot of concerns so it was a multi agency coordination effort, as well as a CEQA issue.
Commissioner McGoldrick asked Hope Schmeltzer about her experience in financing programs and stated that her resume indicates that she worked with the Governor’s Clean Energy Green Team and that she has experience with financing programs for renewable power sources.
Hope Schmeltzer stated that as the Director of the Governor’s Clean Energy Green Team, they worked with companies that were looking to start new alternative energy sources helping them through local permitting procedures by making sure that they understood the procedures and that local governments understood what these types of energy sources were. In addition, they took a look at what is being done nationwide to fund or provide financing to alternative energy sources. They looked at programs in as many states as they could find and looked at local programs as well. They took a look at what was being done in California and made suggestions about what could be done. Some of those things were moved forward in the legislature, such as a new loan financing program through the economic development agencies and other proposals the governor made.
Joseph DeUlloa, candidate was not in attendance.
No Public Comment
Public Comment Closed
Commissioner Ammiano stated that the Commission would be appointing a public member as well as an alternate public member today.
Commissioner McGoldrick nominated Hope Schmeltzer as a regular public member and Diane Fellman as an alternate public member; Commissioner Ammiano seconded. No objection.
Gloria L. Young, Executive Officer swore in the two new appointees and stated they could sit in for the rest of the meeting if they chose to do so.
3. Election of 2001-2002 Officers for the San Francisco Local Agency Formation Commission (SF LAFCo). (Continued from the February 7, 2002 Commission Meeting.) Action Item.
Gloria L. Young, Executive Officer stated that the election would be of a Chair and Vice-Chair.
Commissioner Ammiano nominated Commissioner Gonzalez as Chair; Commissioner Hall seconded. No objection.
Commissioner Hall nominated Commissioner McGoldrick as Vice-Chair; Commissioner Ammiano seconded. No objection.
No Public Comment
Public Comment Closed
4. Future Agenda Items
Gloria L. Young, Executive Officer stated that the Commission received five responses to the Request for Qualifications for Energy Consultant. She suggested that she work with the legal counsel to set up a panel to interview the five consultants and to then make a recommendation to the Commission to interview two or three of the finalists. No vote was necessary to proceed.
No discussion was held.
No Public Comment
Public Comment Closed
Chair Gonzalez recommended that Gloria L. Young proceed with her recommendation.
5. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda
No Public Comment
Public Comment Closed
6. Adjournment
The meeting of the San Francisco Local Agency Formation Commission adjourned at 9:29 a.m.
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