SUNSHINE ORDINANCE TASK FORCE
Education, Outreach and Training Committee
CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO
DRAFT MINUTES

Hearing Room 406
City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689

May 10, 2012 – 4:00 PM

Regular Meeting

Members: Jay Costa (Chair),
Suzanne Manneh, Jackson West

1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, AND AGENDA CHANGES

The meeting was called to order at 4:16 p.m. Member Manneh was noted present at 4:10 p.m. Member West was noted absent. There was a quorum.

2. File No. 11085: Hearing on the status of the December 14, 2011, Order of Determination of the Library Users Association against the Arts Commission for not providing the draft minutes of a meeting.

The complainant was noted absent. The respondent, Ms. Zoe Taleporos, was present. Ms. Taleporos told the Education, Outreach and Training committee that the Arts Commission staff completed Sunshine Ordinance training in 2011, with their City Attorney and that all measures have been taken to ensure that staff responds to requests in a timely fashion. Ms. Taleporos presented an example of draft minutes since the original complaint was filed as well as a communication between the Arts Commission and The Library Users Association responding to an immediate disclosure request dated October 27, 2011. She said this communication demonstrates how she and her colleagues are dedicated to complying with the Sunshine Ordinance. Chair Costa informed Ms. Taleporos that, when seeking to train the Arts Commission on matters of Sunshine, she and her colleagues should be aware that there are certain issues about which the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force and the City Attorney disagree. He encouraged her to contact the Education, Outreach and Training Committee should she have any questions or requests for clarifications, going forward.

3. File No. 12003: Hearing on the status April 4, 2012, Order of Determination of the Library Users Association against the Arts Commission for allegedly not allowing provisions for general public comment about the Bernal Heights Branch Library Mural.

The Complainant was noted absent. The respondent, Ms. Zoe Taleporos, was present. Ms. Taleporos said that the Arts Commission has improved their practices of public comment, and it s now part of the agenda. She presented recent Arts Commission meeting agendas that illustrate this change and said they have expanded their agenda to now include approximate presentation time. Chair Costa shared public comment practices of the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, where public comment is listed towards the end of the agenda, but is required to be taken an hour into the meeting (at 5:00 pm) or as soon thereafter as possible and suggested the Arts Commission consider adopting a similar approach.

4. Outreach to City agencies.

Chair Costa and Member Manneh discussed the importance to reaching out to city agencies, and mentioned that some agencies may not be aware that we want to work with them. Chair Costa is compiling a list of city agencies and their contacts (i.e. custodian of records) that will better assist with and inform the outreach process. Member Manneh extended an offer to help moving this forward.

5. Division of labor among the Education, Outreach and Training Committee.

Chair Costa outlined his vision for this division of labor to be a three-pronged approach, which would involve members of the Education, Outreach and Training committee to reach out to members of the press, city agencies, and the public. He suggested that it would be better to wait on making substantive decisions until new members of the Full Task Force are appointed. Member Manneh said she would help with reaching out to members of the press, and ethnic communities.

6. Public Comment Members of the public may address the Compliance and Amendments Committee on matters that are within Sunshine Ordinance Task Force’s jurisdiction but not on today’s agenda. (4:35 p.m.)

David Pilpel expressed disappointment that there will no longer be a clerk at the Education, Outreach, and Training Committee meetings. He also suggested that the full Sunshine Ordinance Task Force spend less time on complaints and hold two shorter meetings a month, instead of one long meeting.
Chair Costa recognized Mr. Pilpel's concerns and stated that the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force Procedures are not optimally structured.

7. Announcements, Comments, Questions, and Future Agenda Items (2:50 - 2:54)

Member Manneh suggested that the Education, Outreach, and Training Committee identify city agencies that would benefit most from a Sunshine Training and schedule those in the near future, but recognized that no action on this should be taken until all the renewals and reappointments for the full Task Force are final.

8. ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business, the Education, Outreach and Training Committee adjourned at the hour of 4:46 p.m.

There were no speakers. The motion PASSED without objection.