Meeting Notes/Decisions

Desired Outcome

Introductions & Sign In

Facilitator:  Karen Cohn                                Recorder:  Anjali Nath

1.      Review Agenda and Minutes

2.      Update on Camera Purchase

Things are finally set in case we ever wanted to purchase cameras in the future

FLIR commented that we were innovative as a city.

FLIR has to cut a check to get a business license in SF.  Karen managed to make purchase happen

Darrell will facilitate connection to Scott for training once equipment is purchased.

3.      Update on Meeting with Supervisor Maxwell

Sophie wanted to review MOE with Connie

Sophie agreed to write a letter to Gregg Fortner – Anjali drafted a letter

Goal is to brief Mr. Fortner in advance and then prepare for a hearing

Karen is gone July 7^th-24^th

Supervisor Maxwell went on walkthroughs at Oakdale and other SFHA sites.  As a tradesperson herself (electrician), Sophie saw a lot of issues around prioritization and was greatly concerned.  Felt SFHA should be using their funds to do quality work, even if they do need additional funds overall.

Sophie is interested in following up with us in CERF and CHIRP loans (for owner-occupied low-income people to fix code enforcement issues)

Karen feels that if we are going to move policy we should help find resources.

We understand there is a form that drives inspections.  To what extent does that allow SFHA to have abig picture versus unit by unit.

Are they allowed to prioritize a certain fixing over others?  Doesn’t seem to be prioritization for things that are not an emergency.

Addressing being able to prioritize so don’t have to waste resources.

To what extent does HUD allow for this kind of prioritization to occur?

Anjali will call Melina Whitehead of HUD to understand the HUD mandate for preventive maintenance.

4.      Preparation for Hearing

In pre-meeting, Supervisor Maxwell should be asking if there is anything they do not agree to

We need a monitoring plan

She would like Mayor out with SFHA using camera. 

Neil suggested that we be able to monitor and evaluate work done and changes made

Hearing Testimonies:

People come testify about baseline conditions

Ben can educate about what equipment will do – can use visuals which will be displayed on screens and is recorded as public testimony

Liability & Operations Committee – Jake McGoldrick, Bevan Dufty, Fiona Ma

Neil suggested approaching Supervisors

Timeline:

Give Supervisor Maxwell & Mr. Fortner expert briefing on equipment

ATF will pre-brief Supervisors on the committee that the hearing is assigned to.

ATF will provide a list of testimonies in the order we hope to present- DPH (Karen), Technical Expert (Ben), SFHA (Gregg), Public Comment on what they hope to see (Environmental Health/Housing Inspection Code Enforcement, HERC)

Karen can present on issues documented by her staff

HERC- examples of things that camera could resolve

Anjali will ensure that letter is sent to SFHA & determine which committee hearing will be under

Karen will follow up on working evaluation of tenant perception of change into HERC’s renewal contract.

Ben will attend meeting with Gregg Fortner at Supervisor Maxwell’s office.

Karen will work with Naja and Alex to coordinate trainings.

5.      Private Housing Agenda –

Discussion around modeling private housing work done in the UK

Rajiv is working on the social construct of housing

ATF has been working on the toxic soup in people’s homes

Looking for a way to hook into the right path for housing issues

Current Housing Initiatives:

Community Council of Housing Orgs.  – Chinatown Development Center, Asian Housing Inc., Mission , Tenderloin, Bernal Heights

MOCD – Fred Blackwell

Karen handed out information from National Center for Healthy Housing:  Comparing Green Building and Healthy Homes practices

Karen suggested it will be more feasible for us to work on the consumer end rather than the policy end.  Training people to provide education on asthma issues.

Does occupant health factor into current green building efforts?

When DCYF is constructing policy around family retention, is there anything can we can be putting in regarding healthy, affordable housing.

Anjali will follow up with September Jarrett of DCYF.

Karen will ask Dr. Katz if we can present to body that issued paper on family retention in SF.

Anjali will check description on DCYF website.

6.      Announcements –

Karen testified that formaldehyde is an asthma trigger.  Biggest stumbling block is emissions.

Diane Bailey, NRDC and others are working with Supervisor Maxwell to draft a clean construction ordinance.  Seems to be like equivalent of 12B -equal benefits to employees (is a result of an ordinance). Outside vendors wanting to do business with City.

6.       Next Meeting & Agenda

Next Meetings of Committee: 

a.      Wednesday, July 5, 2006

b.      Wednesday, July 19, 2006