San Francisco Youth Commission
Minutes
Monday, June 4, 2012
5:15-8:00pm
City Hall, Room 416
1. Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl.
San Francisco, CA 94102

There will be public comment on each item.

1. Call to Order and Roll Call

Chairwoman Leah LaCroix called the meeting to order at 5:15 pm. Commissioners present: Jonathan Baer, Angel Carrion, Betty Huey, Antonia Huneeus, Javonte Holloway (arrived at 5:18pm), Leah LaCroix, Hillary Liang, Lily Marshall-Fricker, Mia Tu Mutch, Rene Ontiveros, Nicholas Persky, Mia Shackelford, Joyce Sun, Happy (Huimin) Yang. Commissioners absent: Sarah Armstrong, Robin Bonner, Rachel Brodwin. There was quorum. Staff present: Mario Yedidia, Phimy Truong.

2. Approval of Agenda (Action Item)

There was no public comment or discussion on this item.

Commissioner Carrion, seconded by Commissioner Tu Mutch, moved to approve the agenda. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

3. Approval of Minutes (Action Item)

A. Monday, May 21, 2012
(Document A)

There was no public comment or discussion on this item.

Commissioner Tu Mutch, seconded by Commissioner Sun, moved to approve the minutes to the meeting of Monday, May 21, 2012. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

4. Public Comment on Items not on Agenda (Discussion Only)

There were none.

5. Legislation Referred from the Board of Supervisors (All Items to Follow Discussion and Possible Action)

A. [BOS File no. 120573] Hearing — SFUSD Revenue and Additional Support
Sponsor and presenter: Office of Supervisor Eric Mar
Document B

This item was continued to the next Youth Commission meeting of Monday, June 18, 2012.

6. Legislative Report on Youth Commission Items Sent to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors (Discussion Only)

A. Youth Commission Budget Priorities for FYs 12-13 & 13-14 in the context of Mayor Lee’s proposed budget & upcoming Board of Supervisors action

Mr. Yedidia, Director of the Youth Commission, started the legislative update by giving a quick overview of Mayor Ed Lee’s proposed budget, and spoke about the Commission’s budget priorities in the context of the proposed budget. The Board of Supervisors will be holding hearings on the Mayor’s proposed budgets and might be making modest changes to the budget. These hearings will be an opportunity for members of the public, community organizations, and the Youth Commission, to speak and make an impact on the City’s budget.

B. Free MUNI for Youth

Mr. Yedidia updated commissioners on the status of free MUNI for low income youth. The coalition has identified almost half of the funding for the pilot program. In June, there will be two important meetings at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), where funds for the pilot program will be considered. Youth Commission staff will be meeting youth on the Polk St. steps of City Hall at 8:30AM on June 13th and June 27th, before taking the BART to the MTC meeting in Oakland. The following commissioners volunteered to attend the June 13th MTC meeting: Commissioners Shackelford, Tu Mutch, Holloway, Persky, Baer, Yang, LaCroix, and Ontiveros. The following commissioners volunteered to attend the June 27th MTC meeting: Commissioners Persky and LaCroix.

C. Recreation Access at Juvenile Hall

After much work on the issue of recreation access for detained youth at Juvenile Hall, the Youth Commission has finally obtained the estimated capital costs for this Youth Commission priority. The department estimated that it would cost about $120,000-$300,000. Mr. Yedidia noted that the Department did not include the issue of recreation access as a capital priority.

7. Presentations (Discussion Only)

A. Presentation from the Community Youth Center’s Bayview Youth Advocates
Presenters: Bayview Youth Advocates

Chairwoman LaCroix welcomed Eddy Zheng and the Community Youth Center’s Bayview Youth Advocates to the Youth Commission meeting, and thanked them for their work and time.

The Community Youth Center’s Bayview Youth Advocates (CYC BYA) then started their presentation by giving an introduction on their work, their goals, and mission. The mission of the CYC BYA is to work on issues that negatively affect youth in the Bayview neighborhood, particularly issues around gang violence and drug abuse. The CYC BYA’s then gave a detailed overview of their work throughout the year, including participating in multiple youth advocacy work, working on their own CYC BYA pledge, collecting signatures to support their pledge, putting on the Bayview Youth Summit, facilitating workshops around violence and drug abuse, supporting the Quesada gardens, and meeting with Supervisor Malia Cohen.

Mr. Zheng, community advocate and CYC staff, then expressed his gratitude to the Youth Commission. He urged the commissioners to continue to collaborate with youth empowerment programs such as CYC BYA.

There was no public comment.

Commissioner LaCroix and Ontiveros commended CYC BYA for their hard work.

There was no public comment.

Mr. Zheng informed the commissioners that the CYC BYA program will close at the end of June. Currently, he is working on looking for more funding for youth empowerment programs in the Bayview. The CYC BYA group will head to Sacramento next week to participate in a day of advocacy, while dropping off their pledge cards, raising awareness around issues in the Bayview, and end the month with a program graduation.

8. Youth Commission Business (All Items to Follow Discussion and Possible Action)

A. [First Reading] Resolution 1112—AL11—Urging the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to support the establishment of a statewide Office of the Homeless Youth Advocate (AB 2547)
Sponsor and presenter: Commissioner Mia Tu Mutch
Document C

Commissioner Tu Mutch provided some background information on her interest in Assembly Bill 2547; and then read her resolution into the public record.

Commissioners Baer and Carrion asked clarifying questions. Commissioners Shackelford and Ontiveros made suggestions.

Commissioner Tu Mutch thanked her peers for their suggestions and recommendations. Commissioner Tu Mutch felt it was important to have a designated office to coordinate and provide housing for homeless youth.

There was no public comment on this item.

B. [First Reading] Resolution 1112—AL12—Resolution urging the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to support the establishment of required LGBT cultural competency trainings for caregivers of foster youth (AB 1856)
Sponsor and presenter: Commissioner Mia Tu Mutch
Document D


Commissioner Tu Mutch read the resolution into the public record. Commissioner Tu Mutch then provided more background information on the significance of having foster care providers trained on LGBTQ youth cultural competency, as there are a lot of LGBTQ youth in the foster care system. She felt it would make the foster care system a safer place for LGBTQ youth.

Commissioner Baer and Holloway provided some feedback and asked clarifying questions.

There was no public comment on this item.

C. [First Reading] Resolution 1112—AL13—Resolution urging the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to support the ban on ineffective and harmful conversion therapy for persons under 18 (SB 1172)
Sponsor and presenter: Commissioner Mia Tu Mutch
Document E

Commissioner Tu Mutch provided contextual information to this resolution, explaining the definition of “conversion therapy”, and spoke briefly about her personal experience with the conversion therapy. She stated that Senate Bill 1172 would not affect anyone over the age of 18 who wished to voluntarily undergo the conversion therapy; rather the bill would strictly prohibit only mental health specialists from practicing this therapy to persons under the age of 18.

Commissioner Tu Mutch then read the resolution into the public record.

Commissioners Carrion, Baer, Ontiveros, and LaCroix asked clarifying questions about the specific language in the resolution, which addressed religion and the Bible. Commissioners Baer, Ontiveros, and LaCroix suggested that Commissioner Tu Mutch use additional foot notes and citations in the resolution, as well as take out the phrase “deserving of death” on page 2, line 2.

Commissioner Tu Mutch shared that it was important to show what some major religious leaders are saying in the media. She added the clause to the resolution to specifically point out what supporters of conversion therapy are saying in their messaging. Commissioner Shackelford shared with the commission that she felt it was appropriate for Commissioner Tu Mutch to add that clause into the resolution. Commissioners continued to discuss the appropriateness of the language of the clause. Commissioner Shackelford suggested that Commissioner Tu Mutch could add the line, “inappropriate for mental health professionals to base their work on the interpretations of passages in the bible”. Commissioner Tu Mutch stated she would consider her peers suggestions.

Public Comment:

An intern at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission commended Commissioner Tu Mutch on her work in bringing LGBTQQ work to the fore front of youth issues. She spoke about her personal experiences of being discriminated against for her identity as a lesbian. The Senate Bill would be working to ban the harmful practice of forcing persons under the age of 18 to undergo conversion therapy. The underlying issue of forcing someone to undergo this therapy is the implication that something is inherently wrong with the person. It is a different thing for an adult to willfully sign up for this conversion therapy, but it is a very different thing for a minor to be forced to undergo this therapy.
She reminded commissioners of the significance of sharing a respectful discussion about this issue and noted that no matter what the commission decides on, the fate of this Senate Bill would not be up to them. She urged commissioners to think about their role in promoting equality and respectful dialogue for marginalized communities, despite ones’ creed, sexual orientation, racial background, etc. She thanked Commissioner Tu Mutch again for her tremendous work on LGBTQ rights.

D. [First Reading] Resolution 1112—AL14— Calling on the City to Set Limits to the Number of Tobacco Retail Permits in All Supervisorial Districts
Sponsor and presenter: Commissioner Leah LaCroix
Document F

Commissioner LaCroix read the resolution into the public record.

Commissioner Ontiveros suggested that Commissioner LaCroix add a line recognizing the Tobacco Use Reduction Force (TURF)’s and its youth advocates work on this issue.
LaCroix read the resolution into the public record.

There was no public comment on this item.

9. Staff Report (Discussion Only)

Mr. Yedidia quickly updated the Commission on the following items: the last regularly scheduled, full Youth Commission meeting takes place on June 18th, 2012. Everyone is still technically a Youth Commissioner until August 23, 2012, when new commissioners will be sworn in. Even though there were no meetings scheduled for the month of July, Chairwoman LaCroix has the power to call special meetings over the summer, should any pressing issues come up. Youth Commission staff has not heard from all Supervisors on their new Youth Commission appointments yet. The Mayor will be waiting until at least the month of July to make his appointments to the Youth Commission.

Public Comment:

Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director of the Community Leadership Academy & Emergency Response Project, commended the Youth Commission for their tremendous work as an ally and support to the vulnerable communities of San Francisco. She asked commissioners to continue working on the negative impacts of violence in disadvantaged communities. She asked commissioners to be thoughtful in their work as advocates and advisors.

10. Committee Reports (Discussion Only)

A. Executive Committee; next meeting; Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 4:00-6:00pm, City Hall, room 345A

Commissioner Yang shared with her peers that the Executive Committee will be planning a dinner after the last full youth Commission meeting this month. Commissioner LaCroix shared that she had recently attended an event put on by the Department on the Status of Women, and had put in a request to receive a report on issues affecting young women.

B. Youth Justice Committee

Commissioner Ontiveros shared that the committee met recently and will be shifting their focus to researching the best practices for recreation activities, so as to provide more meaningful activities when detained youth are given access to the recreation area at Juvenile Hall.

C. Youth Immigration Committee; next meeting TBD

Commissioner Yang spoke about her brief work with committee member Jose Luis Mejia, where the two are trying to set up a meeting with her appointing official, to discuss undocumented youth.

D. Youth City Services; next meeting: Wednesday, June 6, 2012, 4:30pm-6:00pm, City Hall, room 345

Commissioner Baer shared that the committee would be talking about free MUNI for youth soon.

E. Youth Employment Committee; next meeting: TBD

Commissioner Persky shared that he was still interested in looking into the accessibility of work permits for the projected increase in number of youth working this summer.

Public Comment:
Ms. Sharen Hewitt, asked Commissioner Persky to be mindful about public safety issues for those youth who would be seeking jobs this summer, but are unable to work in specific neighborhoods in San Francisco. Ms. Hewitt then asked all commissioners to always be mindful of public safety issues when they work on issues.

Commissioner Shackelford shared that the committee will also be going back to working on Youth Involvement Plans. Shackelford explained that the committee will be taking some time to research examples of models of such plans, and look into how to work the Office of Economic Workforce Development in this.

11. Attendance Review (Action Item)

A. Monday, May 21, 2012
i. Commissioner Armstrong

This item was tabled, as Commissioner Armstrong was absent from this meeting.


ii. Commissioner Huneeus – Cannot be authorized

Commissioner Huneeus apologized for this absence. She was out of town with her family.

iii. Commissioner Holloway – Cannot be authorized

Commissioner Holloway explained that he was late to this meeting.

iv. Commissioner Liang

Commissioner Liang apologized for this absence. It was during Seniors week at her school, and there was a Senior Picnic event on this date. Commissioner Ontiveros, seconded by Commissioner Shackelford, moved to authorize this absence. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

v. Commissioner Tu Mutch

Commissioner Tu Mutch apologized for this absence. She was really sick during finals week at City College, and was unable to attend. Commissioner Holloway, seconded by Commissioner Sun, moved to authorize this absence. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

vi. Commissioner Sun

Commissioner Sun explained that was she was at the same Senior Picnic as Commissioner Liang, and was unable to attend the YC meeting. Commissioner Shackelford, seconded by Commissioner Tu Mutch, moved to authorize this absence. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

B. Monday, May 7, 2012
i. Commissioner Huneeus

Commissioner Huneeus apologized for being tardy to this meeting. Commissioner Ontiveros, seconded by Commissioner Liang, moved to authorize this absence. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

ii. Commissioner Liang

Commissioner Liang explained that this was during the week of her finals and AP tests, and she had to stay home to study. Commissioner Baer, seconded by Commissioner Holloway, moved to authorize this absence. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

C. Monday, April 2, 2012
i. Commissioner Liang

Commissioner Liang explained that she was sick on this date and was unable to notify staff before hand of her absence. She did not ask for this absence to be authorized.

12. Announcements (This Includes Community Events)

Commissioner Holloway thanked all high school graduates who come from low income communities and public housing. There was going to be an event where these youth would be honored by the Mayor and some members of the Board of Supervisors. Holloway would follow up with his peers on more info about this event.

Commissioner Tu Mutch informed her peers on the commission that June is PRIDE month. During PRIDE week, June 23rd to June 25th, LYRIC will be hosting hang out activities for youth from 4-7 pm. There will be snacks, movies, and different events. LYRIC is located at 127 Collingwood Dr., in the Castro neighborhood.

Public Comment:
Ms. Sharon Hewitt invited Youth Commissioners to attend an upcoming Juneteenth (June 19th) event in District 5, a major historical celebration in the African American community. Ms. Hewitt also shared that Juneteenth is also her birthday.

13. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 6:54pm.

Any materials distributed to the members of the Youth Commission within 72 hours of the meeting or after the agenda packet has been delivered to the members are available for inspection—along with minutes of previous Youth Commission meetings and all supplementary information—at the Youth Commission office during regular office hours (9am to 6pm, Monday—Friday). The Youth Commission office is located at:
City Hall, Room 345
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 554-6446, Fax: (415) 554-6140
Email: youthcom@sfgov.org
www.sfgov.org/yc

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 THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE TASK FORCE, please contact:
Sunshine Ordinance Task Force
City Hall, Room 244
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102‐4689
Phone: (415) 554‐7724, Fax: (415) 554‐5784
E‐mail: sotf@sfgov.org
Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can be obtained from the Clerk of the Sunshine Ordinance
Task Force, at the San Francisco Public Library, and on the City’s website at
http://www.sfgov.org.

The ringing and use of cell phones, pagers, and similar sound‐producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. The Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound‐producing electronic device.

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.

To obtain a disability‐related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, to participate in the meeting, please contact Mario Yedidia, Youth Commission Director [phone: 415-554 6254; email: mario.yedidia@sfgov.org] at least 48 hours before the meeting, except for Monday meetings, for which the deadline is 4:00 p.m. the previous Friday.