October 15, 1998

The San Francisco Youth Commission MinutesDATE:        Thursday, October 15, 1998
TIME:         5:00 p.m.
PLACE:     401 Van Ness Avenue, Rm. 207
 

1. Call to Order and Roll Call
The meeting was call to order at 5:00 PM. Commissioners present: Aliga, Anderson, Barraza, Blake, Castillo, Castro, Cottonham, DeVries, Eliapo, Isner, Lugo, Ramlochan, Turner (13). Commissioners tardy: Joun (excused) (1), Commissioners excused: Crane, Mak, Siu (3).

2. Motion to approve agenda: Commissioner Castillo motioned that the agenda be amended to move working group reports after presentations. Seconded and approved.

3. Motion to approve minutes of 10.1.98: Seconded and approved.

4. Motion to excuse absences for the Meeting of 10.1.98: Commissioners Crane, Mak and Siu excused. Seconded and approved.

5. New Business
 

A. Presentation by Amy Kershaw of Starting Points:
Ms. Kershaw spoke about the importance of serving youth 0-3 years of age and the long term, positive effects service to this population can have. San Francisco has money to coordinate children services in the city. The issues of Starting Points focuses on are health, emotional health, child care, family support, economic well being and child welfare. Starting Points will focus on increased access to child care, increased quality of child care programs and increased access to mental health services for children and their families.
Ways the Youth Commission and Starting Points can work together is by providing youth input, work on developing parenting trainings, prevention of teens becoming parents and support of teen parents.
 
B. Presentation by Karen Licavoli, Chair of Tobacco Free Coalition:
Ms. Licavoli informed the Commission that currently it is illegal in San Francisco for stores to have self service displays for cigarettes, advertisement for tobacco outside of their stores as well as sell cigarettes to minors. Even though there are laws which prohibit these activities many stores do not comply. The Tobacco Free Coalition is proposing a tobacco permit in which stores would have to apply for a permit to sell tobacco. If vendors were not compliant with current tobacco regulations their tobacco permit could be revoked. The Coalition was asking for the Youth Commissions support of this plan. Commissioners brought up many issues including having a copy of the proposed ordinance before they made any decision. The topic will be an item of debate at the next meeting.

C. Presentation by Kim Gallant of the Power Teen Project:
Ms. Gallant is coordinating a health education program targeting youth in the Inner and Outer Mission. PTP runs a ten week curriculum covering issues like HIV, Sexual Transmitted Infections and Pregnancy Prevention. PTP currently has two sites, one in Potrero Hill and one at the Precita Valley Recreation Center, with plans for 4-6 sites total. Ms. Gallant was informing the Commission about her project and asked for any support or advice we could offer.

D. Youth Suicide Legislation, discussion and possible action: The Youth Suicide Legislation was passed by the Board of Supervisors to urge the Youth Commission and Department of Human Services: Mental Health Division to address the issues of youth suicide, especially gay youth. DPH has pulled a group of professional together to address this issues and are developing a briefing paper which will discuss where the problem is and how it can be addressed. Once the paper is drafted the Youth Commission will be involved in deciding how the problem is addressed. The LGBTQQ Youth Task Force of the Youth Commission is also working on this issue. There was a motion to forward the legislation to the Legislative Action Working Group, Commissioner Isner objected and then withdrew his objection, motion passes.

E. Update Letter of Inquiry re: Youth Services in the Tenderloin
No update was available, the Youth Commission will not be addressing this issues.
 

6. Working Group Reports and Business

A. Report re: Task Force of the Sexual Assault of Girls and Young Women:
Joshua Todd reported for Camille Broussard. The SATF is working with the San Francisco Women Against Rape to train young women to do presentations on sexual assault awareness. They are working to develop a survey to test if presentations help to increase awareness and decrease risk related to sexual assault. The next meeting is October 29th, 4:30pm @ 25 Van Ness Avenue, Room 330. Currently no Youth Commissioners serve on this Task Force.

B. Report re: LGBTQQ Youth Task Force
Mr. Todd stated that the Task Force has finished prioritizing the recommendations and is breaking up into working groups. The working groups will be Youth and Schools, Family and Housing and Shelter, Health and Mental Health, Youth Services and Juvenile Justice. The next meeting of the Task Force will be October 27th, from 6-8pm at 401 Van Ness in Room 322.

C. Report re: Advocacy Working Group
The Advocacy working group will be focusing on the Young Active Citizens program, outreach for both the YC and YAC and would like to do outreach in local schools.

D. Report re: Legislative Action Working Group
The Leg group decided that their goals for the year would be to create at least 3 new pieces of legislation, coordinate a youth clean up project and review all legislation before the Commission.

The next meeting will be Wednesday, October 22nd , 6:00 at Spuntino’s on Van Ness.

E. Report re: Community Outreach
Community Outreach Working group decided they would focus on spreading the word of the Youth Commission through the Youth Empowerment Conference and community presentations as well as find out what is going on in the community.

F. Staff Report: Next Tuesday Global Exchange Juvenile Justice trip participants will meet to decide what they can do regarding the Juvenile Justice system. The meeting is at 2017 Mission at 16th street, Suite 302 from 6:15 to 8:30pm.
Joshua Todd announced HIFY’s Unity Jam which will be held October 16th at the Civic Center Ramada. The Youth Commission will have a table at Unity Jam.

7.  Announcements:

Commissioner Castillo announced the Executive Committee Meeting on October 22 at 4:30 in Room 430. Commissioner Aliga announced the Youth Vote Press Conference on October 26th at 2601 Mission St. Ask your supervisor if they would like to speak at the Press Conference.
Commissioner Anderson announced the Board of Supervisors forum at 505 Van Ness tonight directly following the Youth Commission meeting.
 

8. Setting the next agenda

A. Working Group reports
B. Tobacco Permits

9. Public Comment- Cathy Garza stated that there is only 1 organization in San Francisco that works with youth who have been in the Juvenile Justice system once they are released. This organization focuses on youth in Bayview Hunters Point. The Mayor’s Office of Community Development is considering cutting funding to this organization, Ms. Garza requested that Youth Commissioner advocate MOCD to continue their funding.

10. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:02.