San Francisco Youth Commission
Executive Committee
Minutes
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
4:00-6:00pm
City Hall, Room 345A

There will be public comment on each item.

1. Call to Order and Roll Call

The meeting was called to order at 4:14pm. Commissioners present: Bonner, Brodwin, LaCroix, Yang. Staff present: Yedidia.

2. Approval of Agenda (Action Item)

Commissioner Bonner, seconded by Commissioner LaCroix, moved to approve the day’s agenda. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

3. Approval of Minutes (Action Item)

A. November 30, 211

Commissioner Brodwin, seconded by Commissioner LaCroix, moved to approve the minutes to the Executive Committee meeting of November 30, 2011. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

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

There was none.

5. Staff Report/Update on Communications, etc.

Yedidia thanked Commissioners for their presence at this, the final meeting of the 2011 calendar year. He reminded Commissioners of the metaphor employed back in the committee’s first meetings in September of the Executive Committee being both the Youth Commission’s head—that is, it’s intellectual and policy-minded center (hence agenda item 6B, which would engage Commissioners in the policy details of each of the work undertaken thus far by the Youth Commission’s issue-based committees)—and also the Youth Commission’s heart—that is, the center of fellow-feeling, positivity, and social connectedness where Commissioners can connect with one another and support each other.

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

A. Updates on Executive Officer Duties
a. Legislative Affairs Officer
Commissioner Bonner passed around the Legislative Affairs Officer Public Binder, a newly created repository that contains the weekly list of Legislation Introduced at the Board of Supervisors.
b. Community Outreach Officer
Commissioner Brodwin said she’d almost wholly communicated with the entire Youth Commission regarding each Commissioner’s respective outreach plan for the rest of the year. These conversations have resulted in a combination of targeted, specific outreach plans and more general commitments to go to community events.
c. Media and Community Relations Officer
In her absence, this item was tabled.
d. All Executive Officers: Check-Ins with other Commissioners
Commissioner Bonner said that too many of her colleagues on the Commission do not understand that they have the power to determine the Commission’s meeting agendas. Commissioner Brodwin suggested that the Mid Year Retreat include time for each Executive Officer to meet with their respective clusters of Commissioners to remind them of this power. Commissioner Bonner and LaCroix agreed, and stated that one of the goals the Mid Year Retreat should be to increase Commissioners’ ownership of the Commission as a whole.

B. Updates on Committee Work (Youth Employment, Youth Immigration, Youth Justice, Youth City Services, School District Student Support)
Let’s make sure each and every one of us knows what each member of the YC is working on—and can articulate why our colleagues are working on that! This is especially important in the case of those commissioners who have interests very different from our own. The bottom line is that as Executive Committee members, it’s our responsibility to understand and discuss the various issue and policy priorities the Youth Commission is exploring.

Executive Committee members read and discussed each committee’s mid year committee report. Commissioner Yang suggested that the Mid Year Retreat involve committees reporting to the full Commission on the details of their work.

C. Discussion and curriculum review of January 21 and 22, 2012 mid year retreat

• Have a public speaking workshop
o Perhaps bring in the Bay Area Urban Debate League
o Make sure that the workshop is geared toward the YC & SAC’s work; in other words, make sure the public speaking that we practice in the workshop is the kind of public speaking in which YCers and SACers are engaged, in particular:
 Public comment at meetings
 Smaller, private meetings with City department officials

• On the budget priorities workshop:
o Make sure the YC is presented with a clear timeline and a clear expectation for what it must deliver (maybe revise the yellow budget timeline document)

• In general: At the Mid Year Retreat, both as YCers and as YC staff, we need to find ways for all YCers to TAKE OWNDERSHIP of their projects and of the Commission as a whole!
o For example, during the budget priorities workshop, maybe we should have the YC actually write its own deadline for when it will produce its budget priorities—we need BUY IN and OWNERSHIP by commissioners

• With respect to content, the Orientation Retreat was “very general;” let’s make sure the Mid Year Retreat is more specific
o For example, let’s actually do work in committees

• Important questions to consider about work in committees:
o What do we do about non-YCer/non-SACer committee members?
o Let’s be wary of making all small group work committee work—let’s make sure we mix up YCers

• As YCers and YC staff responsible for leading workshops, let’s do a better job of time management; in particular, let’s make sure that workshops that require much time have enough time budgeted for them
o On the other hand, some found the pressure of the Orientation Retreat “inspiring”

• Have a professional email etiquette workshop

• Top priorities for the retreat:
o Budget priorities
o Public speaking
o Concrete goal setting (as committees and as YC and YC/SAC)

• Next steps to solicit YCer involvement
o Announce 2 retreat planning meetings at the next full YC meeting of January 9
o Make these 2 retreat planning meetings open to all
o The final prioritizing, curriculum-approval, etc. for the retreat will be done in these meetings

7. Adjournment

Commissioner Yang adjourned the meeting at 5:30pm.

Any materials distributed to the members of the Youth Commission within 72 hours of the meeting or after the agenda packet has been delivered to the members are available for inspection—along with minutes of previous Youth Commission meetings and all supplementary information—at the Youth Commission office during regular office hours (9am to 6pm, Monday—Friday). The Youth Commission office is located at:
City Hall, Room 345
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 554-6446, Fax: (415) 554-6140
Email: youthcom@sfgov.org
www.sfgov.org/yc

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE
(Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code)
Government’s duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people’s business. This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people’s review.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE OR TO REPORT A VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE, CONTACT THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE TASK FORCE, please contact:
Sunshine Ordinance Task Force
City Hall, Room 244
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102‐4689
Phone: (415) 554‐7724, Fax: (415) 554‐5784
E‐mail: sotf@sfgov.org
Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can be obtained from the Clerk of the Sunshine Ordinance
Task Force, at the San Francisco Public Library, and on the City’s website at
http://www.sfgov.org.

The ringing and use of cell phones, pagers, and similar sound‐producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. The Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound‐producing electronic device.

In order to assist the City’s efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity, or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical‐based products. Please help the City accommodate these individuals.

To obtain a disability‐related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, to participate in the meeting, please contact Mario Yedidia, Youth Commission Director [phone: 415-554 6254; email: mario.yedidia@sfgov.org] at least 48 hours before the meeting, except for Monday meetings, for which the deadline is 4:00 p.m. the previous Friday.