San Francisco Youth Commission

Minutes

**Special Inaugural Meeting**

Thursday, September 8, 2016

6:00 pm-8:00 pm

City Hall, Room 278

1. Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl.

San Francisco, CA 94102

 

There will be public comment on each item.

 

Martin Krause, Lily Marshall-Fricker, Lisa Yu, Joshua Park, Cris Plunkett, Mary Claire Amable, Emma David, Noah David, Hugo Vargas, Cecilia Nicole Galeano, William Juarez, Madeleine Matz, Jarrett Mao, Johnathan Mesler, Tsia Blacksher, Griffin Ng, Chiara Lind

 

1. Call to Order and Roll Call for Attendance

 

Acting Chair Jarrett Mao called the meeting to order at 6:04pm.  Commissioners present: Martin Krause, Lily Marshall-Fricker, Lisa Yu, Joshua Park, Cris Plunkett, Mary Claire Amable, Emma David, Noah David, Hugo Vargas, Cecilia Nicole Galeano, William Juarez, Madeleine Matz, Jarrett Mao, Johnathan Mesler, Tsia Blacksher, Griffin Ng, Chiara Lind.

 

There was quorum.

 

Staff present: Adele Failes-Carpenter, Leah LaCroix, Kiely Hosmon

 

 

2. Approval of Agenda (Action Item)

 

Public comment-previous chair, Luis Avalos-Nunez, gave best of luck to new Commissioners and offered himself as a resource to them.

 

Commissioner Plunkett, seconded by Commissioner N. David, moved to approve the agenda. The motion was approved by acclamation.

 

 

3. Approval of Minutes (Action Item)

 

1. July 18, 2016

(Document A)

 

No public comment

 

Acting Chair Jarrett Mao clarifies that everyone can vote on the previous meeting minutes even though bylaws says they can’t.

 

Commissioner N. David, seconded by Commissioner Marshall-Fricker, motions to approve the minutes.  Motion passes by acclamation.

 

 

4. Public Comment on Items not on Agenda (Discussion Only)

 

There was no public comment

 

5. Presentations (All Items to Follow Discussion and Possible Action)

 

1. Overview of San Francisco Department of Elections Outreach to Young Voters

Presenters: Jill Fox, Outreach Manager, San Francisco Department of Elections; Aileen Villegas, San Francisco Department of Elections

 

Presentation from the Department of Elections which is located in the basement of City Hall. 

 

4 ways for youth to get involved in process of elections.

1. Be a voter

2. Be a poll worker

3. Be an ambassador for high schools

4. Promote the vote

 

The department can help everyone prepare, plan, and participate.  Presenters passed out a brochure with more information.  

 

Have to be 18 years old on Election Day, have to be a resident of SF, a US citizen, and registered to vote. Have to be registered by October 24^th.

 

Register on a paper card or register online at registertovote.ca.gov.  Need a CA drivers license or ID issues by DMV.

 

Update your registration when you move, change your name, want to change your political party preference.  Check to see if you are registered can go to website to check.

 

476,391 registered voters so far in SF.

 

On the November 8^th, 2016 SF ballot there are many offices being voted on as well as lots of measures.  Biggest ballot we have possibly ever had. Presenters showed what a ballot card looks like. Voter info guide will be over 300 pages long this year. Can read it online (voterguide.sfelections.org).

 

Ballot worksheets available at: department of elections city hall room 48 and sfelections.org. Passed out ballot worksheets. Don’t have to vote on everything so if you don’t know anything about it or don’t want to learn about it you can skip that content.  Rest of your votes will count.  Better to leave it blank than guess.

 

You can vote in SF: by mail (request before Nov. 1), voting in person (at City Hall beginning October 11-paid staff there to help you with the system), at your neighborhood polling place on Election Day.

 

Ways for youth to be involved:

Be a poll worker, earn while you learn, gain experience for you resume/college application, help carry out the most important even in our democracy-an election, serve your community, make money.

 

415-554-4395 for more information

Need bilingual poll workers: Chinese, Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese

Sfelections.org/pollworker

Only 1200 seats available for high school students

 

Be an ambassador:

Sept 19-30 are high school voter education weeks

Build leadership skills

Promote civic engagement and educate voters

Deadline is Monday, September 12^th

 

Attend training on sept. 17^th, register people to vote, promote awareness of the upcoming election, recruit fellow students to service as poll workers on Election Day, receive a certificate of Honor upon completion of the program

 

Commissioner Juarez asked about vote by mail/absentee ballot.

 

If assigned to be a poll worker you can request to be in your neighborhood and you can potentially be placed there or least within 20 minutes of where you live.

 

Commissioner Plunkett would like applications and brochures to give to his student club on campus.

 

Invite SF Elections to your events, follow them on social media, visit sfelections.org, watch sfgov.org

 

Commissioner Park-why are majority voters in SF over 50 and white? Presenters: your guess is as good as ours.

 

Commissioner Blacksher-are there an equal number of polling places in each district?  Answer: yes.  Done carefully to be equally distributed.

 

No public comment.

 

 

6. Youth Commission Business (All Items to Follow Discussion and Possible Action)

 

1. Adoption of 2016-17 Youth Commission Bylaws

(Document B)

 

Acting Chair Mao explained the purpose of the commission bylaws, which are the rules that hold us accountable to our jobs and duties as commissioners. He announced that commissioners will read the bylaws into the public record, then review each section for amendments followed by approving any amendments. Finally the commission will vote on the bylaws as amended. 

The commissioners read the bylaws into the public record. 

 

Commissioner Marshall-Fricker, seconded by Commissioner N. David, moved to adopt article I of the bylaws. This motion was passed by acclamation. 

Commissioner Matz, seconded by Commissioner Plunkett, moved to adopt article II of the bylaws. This motion was passed by acclamation. 

Commissioner N. David, seconded by Commissioner Krause, moved to adopt article III of the bylaws. This motion was passed by acclamation. 

 

Commissioner Vargas, seconded by Commissioner Mesler, moved to adopt article IV of the bylaws. This motion was passed by acclamation. 

 

Commissioner asked what a super majority vote is: 2/3 of the body needed.  Question-if a commissioner has an emergency and can’t let staff know about missing a meeting what are the consequences.  Answer- staff needs to know by Wednesday so staff doesn’t spend hours posting just to have folks not show up

 

Commissioner Ng, seconded by N. David, motioned to add the language of “discourage Executive Committee members from being in Chair positions of Committees” in article V.  Commissioner N. David, seconded by Commissioner Krause, substitute motioned to amend previous motion by adding “Executive Committee members not be allowed to be Chairs of issue based committees.

 

Roll call vote for substitute motion.  All in favor: Commissioner Krause,  Commissioner Lind, Commissioner Ng, Commissioner Blacksher, Commissioner Mesler, Commissioner Mao, Commissioner Matz, Commissioner Juarez, Commissioner Galeano, Commissioner Vargas, Commissioner David, Commissioner David, Commissioner Amable, Commissioner Plunkett, Commissioner Park, Commissioner Yu.  All opposed: Commissioner Marshall-Fricker. Motion passes with 16 ayes.

 

Questions: Does Vice Chair necessarily have to be on OCOF Council? No, Executive Committee can choose someone else and Vice Chair can serve until that new person is chosen.

 

Commissioner Matz, seconded by Commissioner E. David, motions to approve article V as amended.  Motion passes by acclamation.

 

Commissioner Galeano, seconded by Commissioner Yu, motions that the OCOF position not be chosen by the Executive Committee but by a full Commission vote in article VI and this be applied to all articles to where it applies.

 

Roll call vote. All in favor: Commissioner Krause,  Commissioner Lind, Commissioner Ng, Commissioner Blacksher, Commissioner Mao, Commissioner Matz, Commissioner Juarez, Commissioner Galeano, Commissioner Vargas, Commissioner David, Commissioner David, Commissioner Amable, Commissioner Plunkett, Commissioner Park, Commissioner Yu.  All opposed: Commissioner Marshall-Fricker. Absent: Commissioner Mesler. Motion passes with 15 ayes.

 

Commissioner Krause notes there is inconsistency of how OCOF position is worded in all articles where position is referenced.

 

Commissioner N. David, seconded by Commissioner Vargas, motioned to approve the article as amended.  Motion passed by acclamation.

 

Commissioner Marshall-Fricker, seconded by Commissioner Plunkett, moved to adopt article VII of the bylaws. This motion was passed by acclamation. 

 

Public comment-ok to have a different opinion than someone else.  Let’s always refer back to collective perspective of the body and not just the individual.

 

Commissioner N. David, seconded by Commissioner Amable, moved to adopt article VIII of the bylaws. This motion was passed by acclamation. 

 

Commissioner Marshall-Fricker, seconded by Commissioner Lind, moved to adopt article IX of the bylaws. This motion was passed by acclamation. 

 

Commissioner Plunkett, seconded by Commissioner Mesler, moved to adopt article X of the bylaws. This motion was passed by acclamation. 

 

Commissioner Marshall-Fricker moved to approve the bylaws as a whole. Commissioner Park seconded. The motion was approved by acclamation. 

 

2. Election of 2016-17 Youth Commission Executive Officers

 

Commissioner Mao acting as acting chair, reminded commissioners of the responsibilities involved in being on the executive committee and then reviewed the process for voting of officers. 

 

Commissioner Juarez, seconded by Commissioner Lind, nominated Commissioner Matz for chair. 

 

Commissioner N. David, seconded by Commissioner Vargas, nominated Commissioner Plunkett for chair. 

 

All accept nominations.  Both shared why they would like to be elected.

 

There was no public comment.

 

Staff then called a roll call vote:  11 votes Matz, 6 votes Plunkett.

 

Commissioner Matz was elected Chair of the Youth Commission for 2016-2017.

 

Commissioner Park, seconded by Commissioner Vargas, nominated Commission Juarez for Vice Chair. 

 

Commissioner Plunkett, seconded by Commissioner N. David, nominated Commissioner Plunkett for Vice Chair. 

 

All accept nominations.  Both shared why they would like to be elected.

 

There was no public comment.

 

Staff then called a roll call vote:  9 votes Juarez, 8 votes Plunkett.

 

Commissioner Juarez was elected Vice Chair of the Youth Commission for 2016-2017.

 

Commissioner N. David, seconded by Commissioner Matz, nominated Commission Plunkett for Legislative Affairs Officer. 

 

Commissioner Vargas , seconded by Commissioner Amable, nominated Commissioner Vargas for Legislative Affairs Officer.

 

Commissioner Galeano, seconded by Commissioner Blacksher, nominated Commissioner Galeano for Legislative Affairs Officer. 

 

All accept nominations.  All shared why they would like to be elected.

 

There was no public comment.

 

Staff then called a roll call vote:  9 votes Plunkett, 6 votes Galeano, 2 votes Vargas.

 

Commissioner Plunkett was elected Legislative Affairs Officer of the Youth Commission for 2016-2017.

 

Commissioner Juarez, seconded by Commissioner N. David, nominated Commissioner Lind and Commissioner Vargas for Outreach and Media Officers. 

 

Commissioner Mesler, seconded by Commissioner Matz, nominated Commissioner Mesler for Outreach and Media Officers.

 

All accept nominations.  All shared why they would like to be elected.

 

There was no public comment.

 

Staff then called a roll call vote:  17 votes Vargas, 12 votes Lind, 5 votes Mesler.

 

Commissioner Lind and Commissioner Vargas were elected Outreach and Media Officers of the Youth Commission for 2016-2017.

 

7.  Staff Report (Discussion Only)

 

Staff congratulated the new term for passing bylaws and electing officers.  Staff is working on committee assignments so please look out for that Friday or Monday with a calendar for the year.

 

Leah will reach out to the outreach team.

 

Commissioner Blacksher and Commissioner Lind need to schedule a review of the Orientation Retreat materials/trainings they missed.

 

D4 Youth Council is starting up again.  D7 also has a Youth Council.

 

8.  Announcements (This Includes Community Events)                                     

 

Commissioner Vargas said PODER is having first movie night at 17^th and Folsom in October. He will send staff information to put in the Weekly Internal.

 

9.  Adjournment

 

Meeting adjourned at 8:47pm