San Francisco Youth Commission

Minutes of Full Commission Meeting of Monday, November 16, 2009

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 5:35pm.

Commissioners Present: Deng, Marshall-Fricker, Liang, J. Chan, Jones, Hirano, Escamilla, Williams, Guerra, Quintero, LaCroix, Davidson, Quesada

Commissioners Absent: Carlson, A. Chan, Hernandez, Ellington

Staff Present: Peter Lauterborn, Mario Yedidia, Julia Sabory, DeLeon Johnson (Intern)

2. Approval of Agenda (Action Item)

Commissioner Hirano motioned to approve the agenda, seconded by Guerra. The agenda was approved unanimously by acclamation.

3. Approval of Minutes (Action Item)

Commissioner Hirano motioned to approve the minutes of November 2, 2009, seconded by Jones. The minutes were approved unanimously by acclamation.

4. Public Comment on Items not on Agenda

There was none.

5. Staff Report

Julia Sabory reminded commissioners that they are welcome to use Youth Commission office (City Hall, Room 345) whenever they like.

6. New Business

1. Discussion and Possible Action: Briefing by staff and members of People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER) on land use in the Bayview/Hunter’s Point neighborhood and the Navy’s Restoration Advisory Board (Documents 1 and 2)

Jaron Browne and Juana Tello, community organizers from People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER), a membership-based organization of low-income residents from the Mission and Bayview/Hunter’s Point neighborhoods, gave a presentation about redevelopment in the Bayview. Lennar, a company based in Florida, is the second biggest homebuilder in the country. Lennar plans to build 10,000 new units of housing in the Bayview on land that is currently under control of the Navy Hunter’s Point Shipyard, a toxic Superfund site where the Navy built the Little Boy atomic bomb (which was eventually dropped on Japan in World War II).

Jaron and Juana said that POWER is pro-development. However, POWER believes that Lennar’s current plans will result in homes that are not affordable for the current residents of the Bayview, which is home to the highest concentration of San Francisco’s small (and declining) Black population.

According to Jaron and Juana, Lennar and Mayor Newsom are working together to make this development project a reality. POWER is therefore lobbying the Board of Supervisors to force Lennar to make their business plans in the Bayview benefit the people of the Bayview.

Commissioners Quesada and Guerra said they were interested in following up on this matter.

2. Discussion and Possible Action: Briefing by Craig Gold on nutrition and healthy eating among San Francisco Youth

Craig Gold, a San Francisco businessman, explained that he has started the first solar powered vegan food truck in the city. He recounted his personal experience of transitioning from being a full-time meat eater to becoming a vegan. Craig asked the Youth Commission to help the City reconsider the ban on catering trucks in the vicinity of schools, in the service of providing more healthy food to SFUSD students. He also asked the Commission to consider rewriting a resolution in support of community gardening.

Commissioner Jones expressed interest in following up on these two issues.

F. Discussion and Possible Action: Letter calling on the California State Attorney General’s Office to Drop the Charges Against Francisco Torres and End the Prosecution of the “San Francisco 8” (Document 6)

Commissioner Jones gave a little bit of background concerning the issue of the San Francisco 8—eight former Black Panther Party members who were arrested in 2007 on charges related to the murder of a San Francisco police officer in 1971. Francisco Torres is the only member of the group who hasn’t had all of the charges against him dropped.

Commissioners then read Commissioner Jones’ letter to California Attorney General Jerry Brown into the public record, after which Commissioner Jones read his revisions to the letter into the public record. The letter asks the Attorney General to end the prosecution of Francisco Torres.

Commissioner Marshall-Fricker asked if there was information concerning “the other side of the story” in the case of the San Francisco 8. Commissioner Jones replied by arguing that, as in the case of street intervention worker Alex Sanchez, the other, prosecutorial, side of this story is false.

Jones then invited Richard Brown, a member of the San Francisco 8, and Robert Roth, an SFUSD school teacher and member of the Free the San Francisco 8 Committee, to the podium. Richard Brown spoke directly to Commissioner Marshall-Fricker’s question, saying that the Attorney General wants a conviction more than he wants to convict the guilty person. Francisco Torres is innocent, Brown argued—he would have accepted probation with no jail time if he was guilty.

Robert Roth mentioned that Desmond Tutu, the Episcopalian Archbishop and South African human rights advocate, and the Center for Constitutional Rights, a progressive legal organization based in New York, have both called for Jerry Brown to drop these charges.

Commissioner Jones then motioned to support the letter he wrote, seconded by Deng. The motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

3. Discussion and Possible Action: Resolution Urging the Board of Education to Expand the Number of Pathways and Academies in the SFUSD in Conjunction with Coordinated School-to-Career Efforts with City College and the City and County of San Francisco (Document 3)

Commissioner Guerra introduced the resolution she wrote, explaining that this resolution expanded on a draft written by 2008-2009 Commissioner Tiffany Lau. The resolution calls for the creation of a “school-to-career” system that would provide SFUSD students with job training at the high school and college levels (including at City College a four-year college), and, eventually work for the City and County.

Commissioner Hirano then read the resolution into the public record. Marshall-Fricker, Hirano, Quesada, LaCroix and Guerra then discussed the resolution.

4. Discussion and Possible Action: Resolution Concerning the Future Uses of Sharp Park (Document 4)

Commissioner Quesada introduced this resolution, which calls on the Board of Supervisors to turn Sharp Park Golf Course—located in Pacifica and under the control of San Francisco’s Recreation and Park’s Department—into a national park. Quesada explained that the Youth Commission has long been involved in the issue of what to do with this golf course, which is underused, expensive for the City, beloved by golfers, and argued over by environmentalists, as it is a natural habitat for the San Francisco garter snake and the California red-legged frog. Quesada then read the resolution into the public record.

Marshall-Fricker encouraged Quesada to talk to Supervisor Mirkarimi, who has also been a vocal proponent of turning the Golf Course into a nature preserve; Quesada said he was indeed already in conversation with Supervisor Mirkarimi.

In the interest of expediency, given that the Recreation and Parks Commission was scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday, November 19 on the matter, Quesada then moved to suspend the rules and vote on this resolution at its first reading. Jones seconded this motion. The motion passed unanimously on the following 13-0 roll call vote: Ayes—Deng, Marshall-Fricker, Liang, J. Chan, Jones, Hirano, Escamilla, Williams, Guerra, Quintero, LaCroix, Davidson, Quesada. No’s—None.

Commissioner Jones motioned to support the resolution, seconded by Marshall-Fricker. The motion passed on the following 12-0 roll call vote: Deng, Marshall-Fricker, Liang, J. Chan, Hirano, Escamilla, Williams, Guerra, Quintero, LaCroix, Davidson, Quesada; No’s—None; Absent—Jones.

5. Discussion and Possible Action: Resolution Urging Every City Department to Support YouthWorks Interns (Document 5)

Commissioner Guerra read the resolution into the public record. The resolution calls for every Department in the City and County of San Francisco to house YouthWorks interns—a practice that existed under the Mayoral administration of Willie Brown. YouthWorks is a job training and paid internship program funded by the City’s Department of Children, Youth and their Families and the Japanese Community Youth Council. YouthWorks hires San Francisco high school students to work between 10 and 20 hours a week in various City Departments and offers them job training. The program is designed to provide paid, real-life job training and a taste of City work.

Commissioners Guerra and LaCroix both mentioned that they had worked as YouthWorks interns at the Youth Commission. The staff introduced DeLeon Johnson, a current YouthWorks intern at the Commission.

7. Old Business

1. Discussion and possible action: Resolution Supporting School-Based Programming in San Francisco’s Schools (Document 7)

The commissioners reread this resolution authored by Commissioner Hirano, which had not been changed since it was first introduced.

After a brief discussion, Commissioner Quesada motioned to approve the resolution, seconded by Jones. The resolution was approved unanimously by acclamation.

   C.  Discussion and Possible Action: Attendance Authorization—Consent Agenda

All matters listed hereunder constitute a Consent Agenda and will be acted upon by a single roll call vote of the Commission. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the Commission so requests, in which event the matter shall be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered as a separate item.

Commissioner Absences:

Deng (2)

Liang (1)

J. Chan (2)

Jones (2)

Carlson (1)

A. Chan (2)

Hirano (1)

Escamilla (1)

Williams (3)

Guerra (1)

Quintero (1)

LaCroix (2)

Hernandez (3)

Peter Lauterborn explained that the Youth Commission’s collective attendance this year has been poor. Also, the City Charter’s attendance policy for the Youth Commission (which specifies that if a Commissioner misses three meetings over a six month period, they are considered resigned) and the Commission’s current by-laws (which allows absences to be authorized after they occur) are at cross-purposes. Currently, the attendance policy effectively requires staff to determine what counts as an “excused absence.”

Before amending the Commission’s bylaws and establishing a new attendance policy, Peter requested that the Commission authorize all past absences.

After a discussion, Commissioner Jones motioned to authorize all Commissioners’ absences, seconded by J. Chan. The motion passed by the following unanimous 13-0 roll call vote: Ayes—Deng, Marshall-Fricker, Liang, J. Chan, Jones, Hirano, Escamilla, Williams, Guerra, Quintero, LaCroix, Davidson, Quesada. No’s—None.

2. Discussion and Possible Action: New Attendance Policy and Modification of Youth Commission Bylaws (Document 8)

Peter Lauterborn then explained the new attendance policy, which (among other things) requires commissioners to call staff five hours before a meeting for an absence to be considered excused, as commissioners read along in their agenda packet.

After a lengthy discussion, Commissioner Hirano moved to support the amended bylaws, seconded by Jones. The motion passed by the following unanimous 13-0 roll call vote: Ayes—Deng, Marshall-Fricker, Liang, J. Chan, Jones, Hirano, Escamilla, Williams, Guerra, Quintero, LaCroix, Davidson, Quesada. No’s—None.

8. Announcements (This includes Community Events)

There were none.

9. Adjournment

Chair Quesada adjourned the meet at 8:10pm.

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