San Francisco Youth Commission
Monday, April 5, 2010
5:30-8:00pm
City Hall, Room 416

There will be public comment on each item.

1. Call to Order
Chair Quesada called the meeting to order at 5:37pm.

Commissioners present: Deng, Liang, J. Chan, Jones, Carlson, A. Chan, Hirano, Vasquez, LaCroix, Davidson, Quesada, Sanders

Commissioners Tardy: Ellington

Commissioners Absent: Marshall-Fricker (Excused)

2. Approval of Agenda (Action Item)
Commissioner Jones moved to approve the agenda, seconded by Liang. The agenda was approved unanimously by acclamation.

3. Approval of Minutes (Action Item)
Commissioner LaCroix moved to approve the minutes to the meeting of March 15, seconded by Jones. The minutes were approved unanimously by acclamation.

4. Public Comment on Items not on Agenda
After calling the item and seeing none, Chair Quesada closed public comment.

5. Staff Report
In the interest of presenters for items considered “New Business,” Staff Report was postponed.

6. New Business
A. Discussion and Possible Action: The Removal of Mission Beacon from Everett Middle School
Presenters: Maricar Bamba; Reyna Giron; Efrain Hernandez; Yasmine Alshuraidah; Nygjevie Rodriguez; Jessica Chel; Calvonnia Kelly; Chris Rapalo; Oscar Cruz; Carlos Martinez; Theresa Alvarez; Alejandra Mojica, Mission Beacon program participants and employees;
Maria Su, Director (Department of Children, Youth and Their Families)

Jessica Chel, a youth participant of programming at Mission Beacon for some years, expressed that she felt it was unfair for DCYF to consider moving the Beacon from Everett Middle School to Cesar Chavez Elementary. She asked the Youth Commission to come out against any potential moving of the Beacon.

Twelve-year old Kyara Flowers, a current Everett student, also lobbied the Youth Commission to support keeping the Mission Beacon at Everett.

Alaa Alhaj, a current Everett student, urged the Youth Commission to call for keeping the Mission Beacon at Everett.

Luis Chavez, Mission Beacon Program Coordinator, argued against moving the Mission Beacon.

Valerie Tulier, Mission Beacon Director, argued against moving the Mision Beacon. She asserted that DCYF’s justifications for moving the Mission Beacon have been constantly shifting and therefore dubious. Ms. Tulier signaled that her opposition to moving the Beacon is unrelated to her job as an employee of the community-based organization Mission Neighborhood Centers, which currently holds the contract with DCYF to run the Mission Beacon Programming; rather, Ms. Tulier said, she was against moving the Mission Beacon because its current location best serves its participants and there is a lack of services for middle school-aged children in the immediate Everett area, as opposed to elsewhere in the Mission.

Maria Su, Director of DCYF, explained that she was available to answer any questions commissioners have regarding DCYF’s process in selecting sites and community partners for grants. She spoke of how much DCYF values youth voice.

With respect to the possibility of moving Mission Beacon, Ms. Su explained that the initial Request for Proposals (RFP), which would have potentially (a) moved the Beacon to another location and potentially (b) placed the Mission Beacon programming under the auspices of another community-based organization (the Everett Mission Beacon is currently run by Mission Neighborhood Centers)—this RFP has been withdrawn. There will now be a community process, with a task force and/or steering committee, to determine where the Mission Beacon should be and what community organization should be contracted to run its programming.

Ms. Su invited the Youth Commission to select one of its members to be involved in this community process.

Commissioners Carlson, Jones, Liang, LaCroix, and Vasquez asked questions of Ms. Su, Mr. Chavez and Ms. Tulier. Jones, Carlson and Sanders expressed interest in potentially being involved in the community process mentioned by Ms. Su that DCYF will undertake to figure out where the Mission Beacon will be located in the coming years.

B. Discussion Only: San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department Presentation on Youth Services for Summer 2010
Presenter: Ana Alvarez, Superintendent, Citywide Services (Recreation and Parks Department)

In Ms. Alvarez’s absence, Bob Palacio, RPD Neighborhood Service Area Manager and acting Superintendant, provided a power point presentation concerning RPD’s budget deficit, planning process and summer programming for 2010. He stated that RPD is making a $250,000 commitment to scholarship in the coming years and that departmental policy is to never turn away a young person from programming because of a lack of ability to pay. He also provided a list of the recreation centers that would be used as sites of distribution for summer lunch.

Commissioners Jones, Sanders, Quesada, Carlson and LaCroix asked questions. Anne Marie Donnelly, an RPD administrator with expertise in the Department’s scholarship policy, also fielded questions. Chair Quesada thanked Mr. Palacios and Ms. Donnelly for their very informative presentation.

C. Discussion and Possible Action: Legislation Referred from the Board of Supervisors:
Proposed hearing file no. 100129
Truancy Initiatives by the San Francisco Unified School District and the City and County of San Francisco (Supervisor Dufty)
Presenters: Keith Choy, Coordinator, Truancy/Stay-in School Coalition (San Francisco Unified School District);
Liz Jackson-Simpson, Western Addition Family Resource Center Executive Director/Branch Manager, YMCA of San Francisco Urban Services;
Captain John Ehrlich, Family Services Division (Police Department)

Keith Choy, Liz Jackson-Simpson and Pete Mancilles provided some current demographic data on truancy in San Francisco, explained how and why truancy is against state law, discussed the way that (because of per-pupil funding) truancy is financially bad for the SFUSD as a whole, and mentioned how significant chronic and habitual truancy are as “social predictors” of future outcomes.

Eason Rampson, Director of the CARES Program at Bayview YMCA, explained the model of his small school, whereby each chronic truant receives individual academic and psychological assessment in the service of reengaging her or him in school.

Commissioners Sanders, Ellington and Carlson asked questions.

Commissioner Hirano moved to support the hearing, seconded by Carlson. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

5. Staff Report
At the request of Youth Commission staff, members of the Richmond Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Council, a proto-Commission of 14-21 year-olds, introduced themselves and explained that they were in the midst of trying to reestablish the Youth Council as a Commission with the same legal and political status as the San Francisco Youth Commission. San Francisco Youth Commissioners welcomed their counterparts from Richmond and offered them support in this endeavor.

6. New Business (Continued)
D. Discussion and Possible Action: The Youth Commission’s Budget Priorities for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 (1st Reading)

Directing their fellow commissioners (and the public) to follow along in the document provided in the agenda packets, commissioners Hirano, LaCroix, J. Chan, and Davidson reviewed the main points of the budget recommendations their respective committees were in the midst of drafting. There was some discussion and talk of scheduling committee meetings over the course of the next two weeks to flesh out these priorities.

7. Old Business
Chair Quesada called items 7A and 7B together:

A. Discussion and Possible Action: Resolution 09-10AL10
Resolution in Support of Proposed Ordinance File No. 100103 with the addition of the Tobacco Use Reduction Force’s Amendments (Commissioners Deng, Jones)
Presenter: Commissioner Deng, Commissioner Jones
Prohibition on tobacco Sales Within 1,000 Feet of a School (Mayor Newsom)

B. Discussion and Possible Action: Legislation Referred from the Board of Supervisors
Proposed ordinance file no. 100103 (Substitute)

Commissioner Jones urged the Youth Commission to consider tabling a discussion and vote on these two items, because Jones and Deng hadn’t discussed the Mayor’s revised (“substitute”) proposed ordinance with the Youth Leadership Institute (on behalf of whom Jones and Deng introduced Resolution 09-10AL10, which calls for specific amendments to the Mayor’s initial ordinance).

Commissioner Jones then moved to table items 7A and 7B, seconded by Deng. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

C. Discussion and Possible Action: Legislation Referred from the Board of Supervisors
Proposed resolution file no. 100408
MUNI Youth Lifeline Discount Pass (Supervisor Mirkarimi; Maxwell, Chiu and Dufty)
Presenters: Commissioner LaCroix, Commissioner Liang

Commissioners Liang and LaCroix, sponsors of Youth Commission resolution 09-10AL08 “Youth Lifeline Pass and Fare Increases,” explained that Supervisor Mirkarimi’s proposed resolution was an edited version of this Youth Commission resolution. Staff member Mario Yedidia explained that Supervisor Mirkarimi’s resolution had been referred to the Youth Commission as a “For Youth Information” only item, because of a technical legislative point of order (the resolution had been introduced but not sent to any committee and would therefore probably be voted on at the next Board of Supervisors meeting). LaCroix, Liang and Yedidia urged youth commissioners to lobby their respective appointing officers to support the Youth Lifeline policy!

8. Announcements (This includes Community Events)
Commissioner Deng explained that the Student Advisory Council would also be considering the Mayor’s proposed ordinance on youth tobacco use.

9. Adjournment
Chair Quesada adjourned the meeting at 8:33pm.

Supplemental documents for agenda items are available for review at City Hall Room 345. Minutes are also available on the Youth Commission Website at www.sfgov.org/youth_commission

ACCESSIBLE MEETING POLICY

The Youth Commission meeting will be held in City Hall Room 416. The formal address of City Hall is 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA. The closest accessible BART station is the Civic Center Station at the United Nations Plaza and Market Street. Accessible MUNI lines serving this location are: MUNI Metro Lines J-Church, K-Ingleside, L-Taraval, M-Oceanview, N-Judah, and T-Third Street at Van Ness and Civic Center Stations; 9-San Bruno, 19-Polk, 47-VanNess, and 71-Haight Noriega. For information about MUNI accessible services call 923-6142.

The Commission meeting room is wheelchair accessible. Accessible curbside parking spaces have been designated on the corners of McAllister and Polk, and Grove and Polk. There is accessible parking available within the Civic Center Underground Parking Garage at the corner of McAllister and Polk Streets, and within the Performing Arts Parking Garage at Grove and Franklin Streets.

If you require the use of an American sign language interpreter, a sound enhancement system, or a reader during the meeting, calendars and minutes of the meeting in alternative formats; such arrangements can be made by calling Mario Yedidia at (415) 554-6446, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. Late requests will be honored if possible.

Individuals with severe allergies, environmental illness, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities should call our accessibility hotline at (415) 554-8925 to discuss meeting accessibility. In order to assist the City’s efforts to accommodate such people, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical based products. Please help the City to accommodate these individuals.

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 decision in full public. Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people’s business. The 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 by mail: Administrator, Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, City Hall Room 224, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102; by phone at (415) 554-7724; by fax at (415) 554-7854; or by e-mail at sotf@sfgov.org.

Citizens interested in obtaining a free copy of the Sunshine Ordinance can request a copy from the Administrator, Sunshine Ordinance Task Force or by printing Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code on the internet, at http://www.sfgov.org/bdsupvrs/sunshine.htm