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City and County of San Francisco

Meeting Information



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Norma Block
Acting Chair

Vincent Behan
Ed Evans
Elizabeth Grigsby
Michael Kwok
August Longo
Denise Senhaux

Walter Park
Council Secretary

Mayor's Disability Council

Minutes
17 January 2003

1:05 p.m.

1 ROLL CALL

Mayor's Disability Council Members Present: Norma Block, Ed Evans, Elizabeth Grigsby, Michael Kwok, Denise Senhaux.

Absent: Vincent Behan, August Longo.

Mayor's Office on Disability: Walter Park, Director; Ken Stein, Program Administrator;, Josie J Lee, Acting Council Clerk.

Acting Chair, Norma Block called the meeting to order at 1:05 p.m.

2 APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

The agenda of the January 17, 2003 Mayor's Disability Council (MDC) meeting was approved.

3 APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

The minutes from the meeting of November 15, 2002 and December 20, 2002 were approved.

4 PUBLIC COMMENT.

  • Edith McMillan, a caller on the Bridge Line expressed concerns about inaccessibility for people who use wheelchairs and walkers at Union Square.

  • Pamela Dale, an opera singer, who addressed the Council in December, 2002 on the problem of theatrical fog and smoke stated that these items are heated antifreeze and chemicals that can cause permanent disability. People often think that fog is dry ice or steam. She is requesting the support of Supervisor Chris Daly and the Mayor's Disability Council to ban the use of these products in public buildings.

  • Marti Goddard, Access Services Manager at the San Francisco Public Library invited interested people to attend their neighborhood branch library to talk about needs in the disability community. The libraries will be upgrading and renovating braches throughout the city over the next 20 years. Ms. Goddard can be contacted by phone at: 415.557-4557.

  • Fred Dunn, a resident in San Francisco who uses a service dog reported on his difficulties with the San Francisco Police Department. He would like the MDC and Sargeant Mike Sullivan to organize a training program to educate the department that only service dogs in training are required to have an identification tag.

Michael Kwok suggested that Fred Dunn contact Supervisor Tom Ammiano to request funding for the training.

5 REPORT FROM THE CO-CHAIRS

No Report.

6 REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR

Walter Park reported on the following:

  • Jim Whipple, Access Compliance Officer, is currently working on the physical access plan reviews and providing technical information for the Mayor's Office on Disability.

  • Susan Mizner, Deputy Director, has returned to work part time at MOD.

  • MOD staff attended a meeting with the deaf and hard of hearing citywide coalition to continue the implementation on the Needs Assessment Report.

  • MOD staff attended a meeting with both the hardware manufacturer and Macromedia Designs authorizing programs that are used to create web pages and information kiosks and other kinds of information services. Their new products include accessibility to kiosks and web pages for persons who are visually impaired. MOD plans to work with the manufacturer on creating a demonstration project at City Hall.

  • Ken Stein, MOD Program Administrator is working with the Mayor's Office on Housing in completing the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Report. MOD welcomes comments and public input on how to make subsidized housing more accessible to people with disabilities.

  • A delegation technology group from Tokyo, Osaka, and Kinki University came to visit City Hall and MOD to trade assistive technology information in areas of transportation for people with disabilities.

  • A person who uses a wheelchair called the MOD office with a request for assistance after he lost a wheel from his wheelchair and was injuried while using an old non-code complying curb ramp on a sidewalk in San Francisco. The SF Police Department aided him home in an accessible van and MOD is working on having the wheelchair repaired.

  • MOD continues to prioritize work on curb ramp policies and construction.

7 COMMITTEE REPORTS.

Harry Mar, Programmatic Access Committee Chair reported that the subcommittee for Programmatic Access met on Friday, January 3, 2003.

Harry expressed his appreciation for Denise Senhaux in attending the PAC Meeting.

Walter Park reported that the Employment Committee Meeting did not meet.

Ed Evans reported that the Physical Access Committee did not meet due to lack of staff. Future discussions will include an inspection of the Union Square project; programs on websites and kiosks for persons who are blind, deaf and hard of hearing.

8 ELECTION OF MDC CO-CHAIR FOR SIX MONTH

Ed Evans was elected as Co-Chair.

9 ENFORCEMENT OF PARKING VIOLATIONS ON SIDEWALKS, BLUE ZONES, AND BLOCKING CURB RAMPS. PRESENTATION BY CITY STAFF ON FINE SCHEDULES, NUMBER OF DISABILITY CITATIONS, REVENUE CONSIDERATIONS AND REPORTING PROCEDURES.

  • Mary Ellen O'Brien, Deputy Director of the Department of Parking and Traffic and Manager of the Citation Division and Residential Parking Permit Program reported that her office is responsible for adjudicating tickets and addressing policies within the department. She explained that the term "PCO" refers to "Parking Control Officer". Within the Parking control division, the "CPO" or "Community Parking Officer" acts as a liaison to the community regarding disputes between neighbors of blocked driveways, double parking and other enforcement issues.

  • Ed Evans inquired on the status of a separate phone line for disability complaints being set up in the Department of Parking and Traffic.

Mary Ellen O'Brien replied that the Department of Parking and Traffic is housed in a privately owned business (Mental Health) and the phone lines are hooked up to the building's phone lines, with no additional lines accessible for hook up. The only possible alternative is to move to a new facility which DPT is looking into.

  • Darlene Delfino, Assistant Director of Enforcement and Head of the Disabled Placard Confiscation Team reported the following statistics from 2001 - 2002:

  • Number of placards confiscated (individuals improperly / illegally using them) and were cited as a misdemeanor (SF):

    Year 2001 = 8 were cited out of 539 placards confiscated

    Year 2002 = 9 were cited out of 852 placards confiscated

  • Number of placards issued:

    Year 2002 = 1,486,882 Total

  • Number of placards issued in surrounding counties of SF = 210,000

  • Number of placards issued in City of San Francisco = 32,000

  • Number of sidewalk violations:

    Year 2000-2001 = 125,982

  • Number of citations issued for parking in blue zones:

    Year 2000-2001 = 1,937

  • Ed Evans asked how much revenue was generated to the city by the citations.

Mary Ellen O'Brien replied that each ticket for the misuse of placard is $275. Multiplying that by the number of citations, if not protested, would give the potential revenue.

  • Ed Evans asked if a parking control officer could cite non-placard vehicles parked in blue zones of supermarket lots and shopping centers and if these lots were patrolled.

Mary Ellen O'Brien replied that the private companies hired to patrol the lots cannot cite but can call the Department of Parking and Traffic to do so.

  • Mary Ellen O'Brien noted that there is progress in inappropriate sidewalk parking since the citation was raised from $50.00 to $75.00 this year. In 2004, the fine will go to $100.00. As of 2002, issuance of sidewalk parking citations decreased by 50%.

  • Ed Evans stated that there has been an increased number of persons violating the red zones for Muni vehicles at the bus stops which prevents vehicles from pulling in and picking up the senior persons with disabilities. He would like more attention given to those violations.

Mary Ellen O'Brien responded that red zone citations have decreased by 14% since the cost of this ticket is $250.00

  • Michael Kwok asked about the procedure to request a dispatcher to cite a vehicle parked in a white zone.

Mary Ellen O'Brien responded that by the time a dispatcher arrives at the site, the vehicle has left which would take away from their department's ability to respond to a more serious, safety-related issue in enforcement. A proposal to the Board of Supervisors is in effect to change "white zones" to "tow-away zones".

  • Ed Evans stated that in front of his building, white zones were painted for parking during business hours which is not conducive to a senior housing development. He would like the zones to be marked for 24 hours.

  • Bob Planthold stated that in the State of California, there is the option to hire and train people with disabilities to enforce parking violations, however, the Department of Parking and Traffic has never authorized this option.

  • Susan Vaughn, a member of "Walk, San Francisco" addressed the following issues in regard to cars parking on sidewalks and blocking curb cuts:

  • Every car parked on any portion of a sidewalk is parked in a handicapped zone, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

  • A professional development workshop for parking control officers would be beneficial in demonstrating the danger to blind persons posed by parked cars on sidewalks.

  • The number of registered vehicles in San Francisco is increasing without enforcement of parking regulations.

  • Leslie Clark pointed out that people tend to park in areas where wheelchairs need to go.

  • Ed Evans applauded Bob Planthold for bringing up the fact that volunteers from the senior and disabled community could assist the regular parking control officers cite vehicles that are parked in places where access for the disabled and elderly are needed.

  • Ed Evans would like to suggest that the Department of Parking and Traffic and the Board of Supervisors arrange a percentage of the fines levied against people with infractions in disability areas to go toward making San Francisco more accessible.

  • Mary Ellen O'Brien responded that the Department of Parking and Traffic is taking their job seriously. Sidewalk violations have been reduced which indicates the job is getting done.

  • Michael Kwok and Ed Evans thanked Mary Ellen O'Brien and the Department of Parking and Traffic for their presentation and all their good work.

10 MAYOR'S DISABILILTY COUNCIL PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

Ed Evans would like to honor people who serve and provide in outstanding ways for the disability community on a monthly or quarterly basis. MDC welcomes suggestions for criterias, qualifications, and recommendations for selection of the award. Please submit to the Mayor's Disability Council, 401 Van Ness Avenue, Room 300, San Francisco, Ca 94102. Phone: 415. 554-6789; TTY: 415.554-6799, email:

[email protected]

11 CORRESPONDENCE

  • Josie Lee reported that MOD has received a letter from Ernestine Patterson raising three issues for the council's consideration.

  • Ken Stein reported that both Muni Access Advisory Committee (MAAC) and MTC Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee are seeking applicants for people to serve on the committees. Interested applicants may contact MAAC (meets the third Thursdays of the month) at: 415. 923-6142. Applicants for the MTC Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee (meets the first Thursday of the month in Oakland by Lake Merritt) call: 510.464-7783 for more information.

12 PUBLIC COMMENT

  • Bruce Allison, a volunteer instructor at Digital Bridge, a program that trains seniors and people with disabilities in beginning computer access guides. Mr. Allison welcomes interested students to contact Laurie at 415.703-0188. The address is: 1370 Mission Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, Ca.

13 MEMBER REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

  • Ed Evans would like an item on the next agenda that focuses on the sidewalk conditions in San Francisco. Property owners are responsible for the upkeep of their sidewalks but there are not enough inspectors from the Department of Public Works to enforce this situation.

14 COUNCILORS' COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Michael Kwok would like a representative from the MDC Executive Committee to meet with the Department of Parking and Traffic to work on policy changes.

15 ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m. in honor of Doug Martin, an author of The

Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the ADA Coordinator at U.C. Los Angeles.