San Francisco Youth Commission
Minutes
Monday, October 18, 2010
5:30-8:00pm
City Hall, Room 416
There will be public comment on each item.
1. Call to Order
Chair LaCroix called the meeting to order at 5:36pm.
Commissioners present: Zukerman, Marshall-Fricker, Sun, Hewitt, Perez, Hirano, Beaulac, Nauer, Yang, Benezra, Herzstein, Kaminsky, Chan, LaCroix, Lin.
Commissioners tardy: Liang (arrived at 6:32pm), Fierro (arrived at 6:12pm).
Staff present: Jay, Yedidia.
2. Approval of Agenda (Action Item)
Given that commissioner Liang was noted absent, commissioner Kaminsky moved to table item 8b, seconded by commissioner Marshall-Fricker. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.
Commissioner Kaminsky, seconded by commissioner Sun, moved to approve the agenda as amended. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.
3. Approval of Minutes (Action Item)
Document A
Commissioner Zukerman, seconded by commissioner Yang, moved to approve the minutes to the meeting of October 4, 2010.
4. Public Comment on Items not on Agenda
Teteh Kisseh, liaison of the Richmond Youth Commission, introduced Richmond Youth Commissioners Claudia and Said, who were present in the audience. He explained that they had come to the San Francisco Youth Commission to observe and study the way it conducts public meetings.
Eddy Zheng of the Community Youth Center invited the Youth Commission and the public to the Multi-Ethnic Love Movement, an event to be held at Civic Center Plaza on Saturday, October 23, 2010 that is being organized by faith-based and community-based organizations to publicly address the absence of many fathers of color in the lives of their children.
Mr. Zheng also invited the Youth Commission and the public to “Living Beyond Limits,” an event organized by the Third Street Baptist Church and will be held on November 13 from 8-10pm and will address violence between African-Americans and Chinese-Americans in the Bayview/Hunter’s Point District.
5. Executive Committee & Staff Report
Chair LaCroix explained that the New Leadership Institute in a non-profit organization that seeks to encourage environmental conservation and protection by celebrating young environmentalists with an award ceremony called the Brower Awards. Chair LaCroix noted that this year, two-term former Youth Commissioner (and 2008-2009 Youth Commission Chair) De’Anthony Jones was among this year’s Brower Award Winners. Chair LaCroix, seconded by commissioner Yang, moved to approve six resolutions of commendation, one for each of the 2010 Brower Award winners. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.
6. Legislation Referred from the Board of Supervisors
7. Presentations
A. Presentation on San Francisco’s Youth Workforce Development Programs (Discussion Only)
Presenters: Glenn Eagleson, Director of Policy & Planning, Office of Economic and Workforce Development; Sandra Naughton, Senior Planner & Policy Analyst, Department of Children, Youth and Their Families
Documents B, C
Glenn Eagleson of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OWED) provided a high-level overview of the job-training services provided to young people by the City and County of San Francisco. Mr. Eagleson explained that the City has two primary streams of money for youth workforce programming—the City’s General Fund and federal dollars instituted by a piece of legislation called the Workforce Investment Act (WIA); he noted that City government supplements these two funding streams with modest revenue from the state and the Children’s Fund.
Job training programming is bureaucratically divided in the following way: OEWD is responsible for coordinating all workforce programming (like the “One Stop Centers”) for 16-24 year olds, while the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF), serves 13-18 year olds. The Youth Council—a public body of young people, service providers, and academics and City officials—makes policy decisions about the strategic and programmatic use of workforce development funding.
Mr. Eagleson went on to explain that in this present moment of huge fiscal deficits, the Youth Council had decided to prioritize the most needy 12-25 year olds. The Youth Council made the policy decision to define needy young people as those who are “system-involved” (that is, involved in the juvenile justice, foster care and/or mental health systems) and/or pregnant and parenting. The Youth Council also determined to set three goals for youth workforce development in San Francisco: that programs focus on educational attainment (especially for those young people without high school diplomas or GEDs) on the quality of program services (though the City funds over 70 job training projects, internships and the like, the quality of such programs has been very inconsistent. Finally, Mr. Eagleson explained that the Youth Council has been critical in identifying how OEWD and DCYF should align their funding stream and bidding procedures—so that the many different streams of money and the patchwork of workforce projects that the City funds are being used and supported strategically.
Public comment:
Eddy Zheng expressed his thankfulness to Mr. Eagleson for his presentation, and went on to that in his work as a community organizer and counselor with the Community Youth Center, Mr. Zheng does outreach to lots of young people who are unemployed—there are still too many unemployed young people who want to have jobs, for whom the lure of easy money (through dealing drugs, for example) is a great temptation.
Beck, a Youth Program Coordinator with the San Francisco LGBTQ Community Center, explained that the Center used to have 2 stipended internship positions funded by DCYF that targeted queer and transgender youth on the streets; the Center’s LGBTQ population has been systematically defunded he said. Beck asked Mr. Eagleson and DCYF—and encouraged the Youth Commission to ask—if HIV positive, queer and transgender youth were included in the City’s definition of at risk youth.
Commissioners LaCroix, Chan and Benezra asked clarifying questions of Mr. Eagleson, who addressed the concerns raised by the speakers in public comment by readily conceding that the City is unable to provide all of the resources that are needed for San Francisco’s young people; the City’s immense budget deficits have gravely affected youth workforce funding.
In closing, Chair LaCroix thanked Mr. Eagleson for his presentation, and Mr. Eagleson invited the Youth Commission to the next meeting of the Youth Council, set for Monday, October 25 at 4:30pm at 1 South Van Ness Ave.
B. Presentation and Request for Help on Recreation and Park Youth Access and Accountability Campaign—a collaboration of the South of Market Community Action Network, Connect 2 Protect, Youth Empowering SOMA and Queer Youth Leadership Team (Discussion and Possible Action)
Presenter: Adele Carpenter, Connect 2 Protect, and others
Document D
Mai Doan, Youth Organizer with the South of Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN), began the presentation by reminding the Youth Commission that SOMCAN’s youth members have been engaging with the City’s Recreation and Parks Department (RPD)—and its new programming and staffing models in particular—for the last year or so. In September of 2009, for example, SOMCAN came to the Youth Commission and successfully urged the commission to call on RPD to reverse recent policy changes at the Eugene Friend Recreation Center in the SoMa—policy changes that SOMCAN and the Youth Commission contended were greatly restricting young people’s access to RPD resources.
Ms. Doan went on to explain that, in light of recent, citywide RPD policy changes, SOMCAN, Connect 2 Protect, Youth Empowering SoMa, the Queer Youth Leadership team and other community organizations had formed a coalition recently named the “Youth Uniting to Reclaim Recreation Space” (YURRS). YURRS has been formed and as has come to the Youth Commission to seek assistance in holding RPD accountable to the diverse communities of San Francisco young people—and to assure that RPD facilities remain accessible to all (and especially the most vulnerable, at risk and needy) young people.
Dean Bonilla then spoke about spending time at the Eureka Valley Rec Center, where there are many LGBTQ young people (especially between the ages of 18-24). Mr. Bonilla said that the Eureka Valley Rec Center is important because it is one of the few all-ages and cost-free spaces in the Castro where young people can build healthy relationships outside of the club and bar scene that dominates that neighborhood’s social life. He also argued against RPD’s recent demand that young people pay to use the Eureka Valley Rec Center and bring documentation in order to enroll in the department’s scholarship policy—for low-income, transient, homeless and/or transitionally housed LGBTQ youth these two facts restrict access.
Adele Carpenter of the Connect 2 Protect Coalition and Beck, Youth Program Coordinator at the SF LGBTQ Community Center argued that it has been difficult to work with RPD since its recent restructure in the last few months. Ms. Carpenter explained that the incipient YURRS coalition had developed a list of community-generated suggestions that they would like to
Greco of Youth Empowering SoMa spoke of his feelings regarding new staff at the Eugene Friend Rec Center in the SoMa, who are not as friendly as Greco would like. Harris from SOMCAN and Sander spoke a bit more about the community-generated suggestions that YURRS will present to RPD, including the creation of a Youth Council within RPD that will have the ability to evaluate and change youth programs and their budgets.
Commissioners Zukerman, Chan and Benezra asked questions fielded by Ms. Carpenter. Commissioner Chan, seconded by commissioner Kaminsky, moved to support the YURRS campaign “as an idea.” This motion was adopted by the following roll call vote. Ayes—Zukerman, Marshall-Fricker, sun, Hewitt, Perez, Fierro, Hirano, Beaulac, Nauer, Yang, Benezra, Herzstein, Kaminsky, Chan, LaCroix, Lin.
Chair LaCroix thanked the members of the YURRS coalition for their presentation.
C. Presentation on MyVerse, “The Ultimate Website for Teens and Young Adults” (Discussion and Possible Action)
Presenter: Wayne Sharp, Founder/CEO, MyVerse
See www.myverse.com
Given Mr. Sharp’s absence, this item was tabled.
D. Presentation and Request for Help on Eddy Zheng’s Legal Status and Career (Discussion and Possible Action)
Presenter: Eddy Zheng, Counselor, Community Youth Center
Documents E, F
Eddy Zheng, counselor at the Community Youth Center, read a poem and explained his autobiography to the Youth Commission. A teenage immigrant recently come to San Francisco’s Chinatown from mainland China, he committed a kidnapping and robbery. Charged as an adult, Mr. Zheng was charged and convicted as adult; he spent 19 years in state prison and then another 2 years in federal prison. Because of his documentation status—Mr. Zheng is not a legal resident of the United States—he is seeking a pardon from Governor of the State of California, which provide the San Francisco District Attorney with opportunity to amend the charges of which he was convicted. Without such amending of his charges, Mr. Zheng, a convicted felon, will be unable to obtain legal residency in the U.S. He was a model prisoner and mentor and has served as a counselor to at-risk youth for the vast majority of the less-than-nine months he has lived out of prison. He is a member of various editorial, nonprofit, and social service boards. The Board of Supervisors has already unanimously adopted two resolutions calling on the Governor to grant Mr. Zheng a full pardon.
Commissioners Yang, Zukerman, Benezra, Fierro, Nauer, Herzstein and Hirano asked questions and made comments.
Commissioner Zukerman, seconded by commissioner Chan, moved to support Eddy Zheng’s request to write a resolution calling on the Governor to grant him a full pardon and to write a resolution articulating as much. This motion was adopted unanimously by acclamation.
E. Presentation on a New Day for Learning Initiative (Discussion and Possible Action)
Presenters: Margaret Brodkin and Jamie Harris, New Day for Learning Initiative
Document G, H
Given Ms. Brodkin and Ms. Harris’ absence, this item was tabled.
8. Youth Commission Business (All Items below Action Items)
A. Resolution 1011—AL01: Affirming All LGBTQ Youth & Denouncing all Forms of Bullying and Ridicule (Commissioners Marshall-Fricker, Chan, Hirano)
Presenters: Commissioners Marshall-Fricker, Chan, Hirano
Document I
Per Commissioner Marshall-Fricker’s request, Commissioner Hirano read the resolution into the public record.
Commissioner Kaminsky suggested that on line 3 of page 1, first time LGBTQ is employed, that this acronym be spelled out. Chair LaCroix suggested that footnotes be added with the sources of any cited statistics.
Commissioners Yang, Sun and Hirano led a conversation about the utility of this resolution. What is the point of writing and passing a resolution such as this one which will, from one point of view, “do nothing” in the “real world” to stop the harassment of LGBTQ youth? Commissioners argued that, however symbolic, resolutions such as this were important in changing the phenomenon of intolerance in general and homophobia in particular in our society.
Given the gravity of recent events and the desire to have the Youth Commission speak out quickly and forcefully on this pressing issue, Chair LaCroix, seconded by commissioner Kaminsky, moved to suspend the Youth Commission bylaws and vote on this resolution on the first reading. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.
Chair LaCroix, seconded by commissioner Kaminsky, moved to adopt this resolution. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.
B. Supporting a Lowell High School U.S. History Class’s Campaign to Reconsider the Status of American
Vision as an Approved U.S. History Text
Presenter: Commissioner Liang
Documents J, K
Commissioner Liang, being present, took item 8B from the table, and went on to explain the campaign being waged by her history teacher at Lowell High School that questions the objectivity and political effects of the approved U.S. history text, The American Vision.
Commissioners Sun, Fierro, Kaminsky, Herzstein, and Nauer asked questions. Commissioner Kaminsky suggested this item be taken up by the joint Youth Commission/Student Advisory Council meeting; commissioner Liang agreed. The Youth Commission took no official position on this issue.
C. Amending Youth Commission By-Laws: Adding Additional Community Outreach Officer Position
Presenters: Executive Committee & Youth Commission staff
Document L
Chair LaCroix and commissioner Fierro explained that, given commissioner Fierro’s busy schedule, it would be most expeditious for the Youth Commission to have two Community Outreach Officers. To elect a second community outreach officer, the commission would have to amend its bylaws.
Commissioners Yang and Benezra asked questions.
After discussion, commissioner Nauer, seconded by commissioner Fierro, moved to amend the Youth Commission bylaws by adding a second community outreach officer to the elected officer positions. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.
D. Election of Second Community Outreach Officer
Presenter: Youth Commission staff
Staff Mario Yedidia explained that, as per the bylaws, this item called for nominations, speeches and voting for a second Community Outreach Officer.
Commissioner Nauer nominated commissioner Zukerman, who declined to run.
Commissioner Benezra nominated commissioner Nauer, who declined to run.
Commissioner Fierro nominated commissioner Beaulac.
Commissioner Yang nominated herself.
After commissioners Beaulac and Yang gave their brief remarks, the Youth Commission voted on whom to elect to the position of Community Outreach Officer. Commissioner Beaulac was elected by the following vote: Beaulac—Marshall-Fricker, Sun, Perez, Fierro, Beaulac, Nauer, Herzstein, Kaminsky, Chan, Lin. Yang—Zukerman, Liang, Hewitt, Hirano, Yang, Benezra, LaCroix.
E. Finalizing the 2010 Youth Survey and Establishing: (1) Number of Surveys to be conducted; (2)
Deadline for completing Surveys; (3) Outreach Plan
Presenters: Executive Committee & Youth Commission staff
Document M
After an introduction to this item by Chair LaCroix and Youth Commission staff, Commissioner Herzstein initiated an involved, commission-wide conversation on the nature, necessity, origin and utility of the 2010 Youth Commission survey. Topics discussed included: the utility of the survey given the existence of other youth polling sources, like the Youth Vote Student Survey and Youth Risk Behavior Survey; the utility of the survey given the limited reach of these other surveys.
Questions were addressed to Youth Commission Interim Director Jill Jay, who explained that the Youth Commission survey was not a duplication of cost and effort when compared with Youth Vote and other surveys of San Francisco’s youth, given that most surveys are based in the public high schools. Given that the job of the Youth Commission is to represent all of San Francisco’s 12-23 year olds, the new survey goes a long way towards helping the Youth Commission fulfill its duties as they are outline in Section 4.124 of the City Charter.
After much discussion, commissioner Zukerman, seconded by commissioner Nauer, moved to (1) allow Chair LaCroix to appoint a special committee that would meet this week to discuss the Youth Commission survey and develop a plan and proposal that would be considered at (2) a special meeting of the Youth Commission that will be held before Monday, November 1 (i.e., before the next regularly scheduled Youth Commission meeting). This motion was approved by the following roll call vote. Ayes—Zukerman, Liang, Sun, Hewitt, Perez, Fierro, Hirano, Beaulac, Nauer, Yang, Benezra, Herzstein, Kaminsky, Chan, LaCroix, Lin.
9. Attendance Review (Action Item)
A. Commissioner Fierro, October 4, 2010
Commissioner Fierro explained the personal, familial reasons she was unable to attend the meeting of October 4, 2010. Commissioner Nauer, seconded by commissioner Liang, moved to excuse commissioner Fierro’s absence. This motion was approved by the following vote: Ayes—Liang, Sun, Hewitt, Perez, Fierro, Hirano, Beaulac, Nauer, Yang, Benezra, Herzstein, Kaminsky, Chan, LaCroix, Lin; No’s--Zukerman.
10. Announcements (This includes Community Events)
Commissioner Chan announced an upcoming series of musical concerts at the School of the Arts, to be held Friday & Saturday, October 22 and 23, beginning at 7:30pm.
Commissioner Benezra invited her colleagues to a debate and discussion concerning the Civil Sidewalks ballot measure (Proposition L), to be held at Lick-Wilmerding High School on October 27.
Commissioner Fierro invited commissioners to the upcoming school play at St. Ignatius High School.
11. Adjournment
Chair LaCroix adjourned the meeting at 9:03pm.
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 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 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.sfbos.org/index.aspx?page=4459.
The ringing of and use of cell phones, pagers, and similar sound-producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. Please be advised that the Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person(s) responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic device. (Admin. Code § 67A.1).
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.