September 11, 1998

The meeting was call to order at 4:00 PM. Present: Aliga, Blake, Castillo, Crane, DeVries, Joun, Lugo, Mak (8) Tardy: Anderson, Sui (4:13), Eliapo (4:35), (3) Absent: Barraza, Cottonham, Isner, Lugo, Ramlochan, Turner (6).

Presentation by Cathy Garza of MOCYF:

-MOCYF was started under Mayor Agnos when the voters passed Prop J which sets aside money into a "children’s fund". This fund became MOCYFs operating budget.

-MOCYF holds community meetings (summits) to learn what the key issues are in each neighborhood and then grants the money to community based organizations through a request for proposal (RFP) process. At MOCYF an RFP states that MOCFY has money to give to certain types of services and asks people to apply to them for funding. These proposals are reviewed by MOCYF and MOCYF decides which projects it will give money to in order to help the given problems.

-MOCYF currently runs a budget of $13 million with 10% of that sum used for administrative costs.

-MOCYF focuses on Child Care, Youth Employment, School Readiness (Tutoring, after school programs) and Safety (prevention of violence).

-Organizations can request that MOCYF look at different issues in funding. The Commission of the Status of Women requested a Gender Parity study last year. This study analyzes how much money is spent on females compared to males. This year the LGBTQQ Youth Task Force of the Youth Commission has requested a similar report on the amount of money spent on LGBTQQ in proportion to the total LGBTQQ youth population..

-MOCYF helps foster the Beacon Initiative which runs the City’s 5 Beacon Centers. Beacon Centers are collaborative projects of schools, community based organizations (CBOs) and City government. Schools provide building space after school and CBOs provide services to children, youth and their families. The Beacon Centers hope to become all encompassing community centers which are part of the community, part of the support network and part of the political network. They act as focus areas where activities, forums and services can occur. The current Beacon Centers are located in:

Chinatown @ Jean Parker Elementary

Mission @ Everett Middle School

Richmond @ George Washington Middle School

Sunset @ AP Giannini Middle School

Visitacion Valley @ Visitacion Valley Elementary

3 new Beacon Center’s are slated to open by January 1999:

OMI @ Denman Elementary

Western Addition @ Ben Franklin Elementary

Bayview/ Hunters Point @ Gloria Davis Elementary

-Ways that Ms. Garza felt the Youth Commission could be involved with MOCYF:

Community Meetings will be held October 19-27, 1998. Youth Commissioners are welcome to come to any or all meetings and if they would like to help facilitate by serving as a recorder they could be involved that way.

Ms. Garza said she would like to see Youth Commission presence in deciding where funding goes for the next year. Youth Commissioners could be part of the talks when funding priorities are set.

Youth Commissioners could help to work on the Mayor’s Summit.

-Ms. Garza closed by offering support and guidance to the Youth Commissioners especially those that are college bound because she has a lot of college resources.

Discussion regarding Youth Vote was tabled until there was more information available.

Commissioner Castillo reminded all Commissioners that it is important to be present at all Youth Commission meetings and that our by laws state all Commissioners should be at meetings 15 minutes early. He stressed the importance of becoming familiar with the Youth Commission by laws and abiding by them. Commissioner Castillo also asked that during meetings everyone raise their hands so that every has a chance to speak.

Commissioner Eliapo requested that Special Meetings not be held at 4pm since it is hard to make it on time. *Special Meetings will not be held regularly and now that training is over we will have fewer extra meetings.

Commissioner DeVries requested that when Commissioner’s speak during meetings that they don’t echo each other’s ideas. If someone says something you were going to say don’t repeat their sentiments, this will help the meetings run more smoothly.