San Francisco Youth Commission
Minutes
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
5:15-8:00pm
City Hall, Room 278

There will be public comment on each item.

 

 

1. Call to Order

Vice-Chair Liang called the meeting to order at 5:22pm.

Commissioners present: Marshall-Fricker, Liang, Sun, Perez, Fierro, Beaulac, Nauer, Kaminsky, Lin.
Commissioners absent: Zukerman, Hewitt, Herzstein, Chan, Benezra, Hirano.
Commissioners tardy: Yang, LaCroix.

2. Approval of Agenda (Action Item)

Commissioner Kaminsky, seconded by commissioner Marshall-Fricker, moved to approve the evening’s agenda. The agenda was approved unanimously by acclamation.

3. Public Comment on Items not on Agenda

Christine Revelo-Lee, a Youth Commissioner in the mid-2000s and current San Francisco State University student, announced that she was serving as a sporadic intern in the Youth Commission.

Greco Balatbat and Angelica Cabande (both representing residents and young people in the South of Market neighborhood, and the latter of whom is the Organizational Director of the South of Market Community Action Network) and Dean Bonilla (a young man and user of the Eureka Valley Recreation Center) urged the Youth Commission to support their work in trying to hold the Recreation and Parks department more accountable for the department’s changing of its recreation model.

6. Legislation Referred from the Board of Supervisors (Action Item)

A. File no. 110075 [Accept and Expend Grant - Safe Routes to School - $500,000]
Sponsor: Chiu
Presenter: Staff, Department of Public Health, Community Health Promotion and Prevention
Document A

Vice-Chair Liang then called item 6A out of order. Ana Validzik from the Department of Public Health walked the Youth Commission and the public through a PowerPoint presentation on the Safe Routes to School Program, which promotes walking and/or biking to school. Between 1969 and 2008, she explained, there has been a great historical decline in walking to school. Ms. Validzik. The state of California makes funds available to counties to pay for such

Commissioners Fierro, Sun, Yang, Lin and Benezra asked questions and offered comments.

Public Comment:
SOMA resident and youth Wendy Zheng emphasized that bicycling is dangerous in her neighborhood because of the high speed of cars.

SOMA resident and youth Cynthia Ayala expressed concern with pedestrian safety in the SOMA.

SOMA community organizer Angelica Cabande expressed a need for more pedestrian safety in the SOMA.

Commissioner Marshall-Fricker, seconded by commissioner Kaminsky, moved to support the piece of legislation before the Youth Commission. This motion was approved unanimously by the following roll call vote: Ayes—Marshall-Fricker, Liang, Sun, Perez, Fierro, Beaulac, Nauer, Yang, Kaminsky, Lin.

7. Presentations (All Items to follow Discussion and Possible Action)

A. Presentation on the Results of the Fall 2010 Youth Vote Student Survey
Presenter: Peter Lauterborn, Coordinator, Youth Vote Student Survey
Document B

Peter Lauterborn, Coordinator of the Youth Vote Student Survey (a mock-election and survey of San Francisco public high school students funded by the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families that informs the Youth Commission and City and school district policy makers of the greatest social issues facing San Francisco youth) walked through the results of the fall 2010 survey.

Commissioners Yang, Sun, Kaminsky and Lin asked questions. Commissioners Fierro and Kaminsky expressed a distinct interest in helping Mr. Lauterborn expand the Spring 2011 survey to independent and parochial high schools.

8. Special Order 6:30pm ** Recognition of Commendations**

A. Resolution celebrating 2011 Black History Month and commending various community-based organizations that serve the city’s African American youth and are committed to honoring the cultural traditions of the African Diaspora
Presenters and sponsors: Commissioners LaCroix, Liang, Benezra, Beaulac
Document D

What with the dozens of young people entering the meeting room, Vice-Chair Liang called item 8A, the evening’s special order.

Chair LaCroix read into the public record this resolution, which commends a number of community-based organizations that serve African-American young people and honor and develop the cultural traditions of the African Diaspora. In attendance were staff and young program participants from Inner City Youth, MO MAGIC, the African American Arts and Culture Complex, the Bayview/Hunter’s Point YMCA, and the CLAER Project, each of whom received a Certificate of Honor from the Youth Commission, and each of whom shared a bit about their work and programming. All in all, it was a celebratory and festive agenda item.

7. Presentations (All Items to follow Discussion and Possible Action)

B. Presentation on Tap Inside: a peer-to-peer campaign that lets young people teach friends, classmates and teammates about the unsustainable nature of bottled water and to build trust in our excellent and safe tap water supply
Presenter: Sean Sax, Founder, Tap Inside

Mr. Sax explained to the Youth Commission the great environmental detriments caused by the widespread production, consumption and disposal of bottled water. He asked the Youth Commission to support the Tap Inside campaign, a not-for-profit endeavor aimed at educating young people all over San Francisco—and, indeed, all over the country—about these detrimental effects.

Commissioners Fierro and LaCroix asked questions and offered remarks.

Commissioner Yang, seconded by commissioner Kaminsky, moved to endorse the Tap Inside campaign. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

9. Youth Commission Business (All Items to follow Discussion and Possible Action)

A. Creating Youth Commission Application for 2011-2012 Year
Presenter: Youth Commission Staff
Document E

Vice Chair Liang and staff Mario Yedidia encouraged Youth Commissioners to develop an application for the upcoming 2011-2012 term.

Commissioners Nauer, Fierro, Sun, Perez asked questions.

There was no official action taken.

4. Executive Committee & Staff Report (Informational Item)

Mario Yedidia reminded commissioners about the Youth Speaks/Youth Commission public forum & poetry slam open-mic coming up this Friday, February 25, 2011 at 7:00pm at 826 Valencia between 19th & 20th streets. He also reminded commissioners about the upcoming Tuesday, March 22, 2011 Youth Commission & Entertainment Commission joint hearing, to be held at 7:30pm in City Hall, room 400.

5. Committee Updates

Commissioner Beaulac invited the Youth Commission and public to the joint Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety Committee & Police Commission joint hearing regarding community policing, set for Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 6:30pm.

8. Attendance Review (Action Item)

9. Announcements (This includes Community Events)

There was none.

10. Adjournment

Vice Chair Liang adjourned the meeting at 7:36pm.

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 278. 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.