Transcripts For SFGTV 20240622

For staff, and that we do so with the thought that cca will be your priority until and probably immediately after launch. But as along as were looking at things with the priorityrating and timingrating, where were taking into consideration what the commissions priorities are . I think that is shing something that we should move forward with. I would certainly agree that Municipal Banking is something that we should look at. I would like to work with supervisor avalos and his office, and see just in terms of the working group and what the status is on that . Whether you think that its something that is viable to have on the lookout, or if we should be looking at it more in terms of putting it on the agenda for a future meeting to get something going on that . And then the last thing i would say is that i would be interested in whether or not a special study could include Something Like transportation . Something that was floated by me was looking at the impact on Public Transportation in terms of Delivery Services. And how apt Delivery Services are impacting transit corridors, bike corridors . Whether or not it would be something that we could look at in terms of congestion pricing . So that is something, if that would fit into a special report under the jurisdiction of lafcos. Pretty much and if im getting this wrong i will yield to Legal Counsel to correct me on it. Pretty much we can study anything that occurs or happens within the city and county. We have no power to implement anything burk we, but we can study the heck out of anything. Do i have the expertise and is the Data Available to be all able to do that had . That would be the big question and to create a work plan and budget around that work burb its definitely something that the general concept is yes, we could do that. I think they are great topics to address. When it comes to looking at our streets and congestion management, we do have an organization that is part of the Transit Authority that does a lot of those studies. Have they done a study on that . We havent. There was discussion about looking at certain parts of the city, but not, like, particular transit corridors or anything like that. It seems like that is kind of purview of that organization. Sure. The public bank, i think would be a useful effort of lafco, and i would welcome that level of work from lafco. I think that there are also my office has done a lot of work on the notion of a public bank and we have gotten very far and not so far on the effort. And i think having another entity within City Government and county government to be able to help could be useful. Im not exactly clear what that would be at this point . But im open to lafco playing a role. I have been open to lafco playing a role. My concern is there were a lot of structures within City Government that are not necessarily open to the idea of doing this kind of work. So we hit natural barriers, but that is the kind of work that we have seen with cca and with building a Fiber Network and other things. But there is also issues, i think, that are real external to the city that get in the way of public bank and that is the whole Banking System; that i think were up against as well. That determines how we as a city will seek bonds, or other financial tools to be able to accomplish what we want to accomplish . And starting to muck around in that world, creates a lot of resistance. Im not sure if it make a lot of sense for me to be saying this in lafco, but i am saying it. So i do welcome it. I just dont know how far he can get with it. Maybe that is my own bias after working a number of years and feel like we have done a lot of work on it and not getting very far in the effort. So i would love to hear my fellow commissioners. Do you think that could be our next tenyear fight . [laughter ] its quite possible. Hopefully it wouldnt be longer than that. Were dealing with in the case of cca, were dealing with the electrical generation and history and in particular, the local monopoly of pg e. And in the public banking arena, well be dealing with an industry that is more oligarch ial and the influence on cities and counties and states being able to assert their own financial tools, that they have funds to do. But the banking industry, i think will try and do everything that they can to inhibit that from happening. I believe just the effort that we have had so far in creating a public bank in San Francisco, that has seemed to happen. We provide lots of different pathways to looking at the mortgage crisis that is external for the most part to all of San Francisco. But within certain communities of San Francisco, that is an issue. And there really hasnt been i believe a lot of support within the Mayors Office of housing, within our financial structures that we could create to deal with the local manifestations of the mortgage crisis. And i think that is just one part of the work we have been doing on looking at how we can assert local, Financial Measures to support some of the functions of a public bank. And so i think it would be great to maybe, if we have a report, and summarize kind of where we have come so far . And what are the difference barriers that were seeing in terms of how we move forward . I think that would be one aspect of the work. Just separate from actually how do we actually create the public banking entity . Because we already have a report that suggests that, but now were shopping around and getting support within City Government is kind a challenge. Thank you. Commissioner lindo . I will give a few of my thoughts. Im glad commissioner crews you brought this up. As far as the Municipal Banking topic goes, the way i see this commission, its role is to look out for issues, or topics, that after doing Diligent Research could potentially help the city and county of San Francisco. And i dont see how doing a research on the Municipal Bank could hurt, but with deference to the chair in that lets have it be strategic in type of research that we are doing that hasnt been done already. The research that perhaps your staff isnt able to do, whether its because of timing or whether its because of information, Additional Information needed. That our staff could reach out to, could look into, and has the capacity to find the tools or information that could really help us understand and help the city understand how Municipal Bank could be incredibly beneficial to the city . So im actually quite in support of it. As far as additional topics having in the pipeline, i think its a great idea. I think i have a topic in mind as well, having gone outfield some concerns from Community Members. One that continually comes up is that of voting access in San Francisco. Especially to communities of color, especially to lowincome communities, and while San Francisco has a practice where it has extended voting and physical voting here at city hall, there are a number of people who just arent able to make it. And looking around at different municipalities that have some innovative approaches to accessing the ballot for those communitis and seeing if there is a better for for us to do it, if at all . Is one that i fielded, but in that process of fielding this topic, it kind of raised a light bulb for me is perhaps getting more engagement from the community could be sought through the process of having an online issuegathering platform for Community Members to say here is some ideas that perhaps you could research . I know you may be scared of that idea, jason. You thought the caveat that you wouldnt be tasked with every single one of them, because there might be quite a few, but giving us really a pool of topics that we can pull from. And identify, hey, this is a great idea that we hadnt thought about, because i dont want to leave us in a vacuum discussing amongst ourselves what are good topicks to cover, but seeing some Intelligent Minds out in community with topics that we might look into . That is what i have. Commissioner mar. I really appreciate and like the recommendations made by commissioner lindo. I know with supervisor avalos work with the Youth Commission to extend democracy for younger people, i think to me, everything that he said about equity and voting, its about Voting Rights 2015 in many ways, what are new key strategies . Not necessarily for example tech workers or the techsavvy to be able to snarkly comment about Committee Meetings or board meetings, but to engage disenfranchised communitis to be able to lou allow them to participate more and utilizing lafcos abilitis to expand not only what supervisor [aofrs ] avalos is doing to communities that have been historically locked out, purposefully, based on race and so many other reasons and to look at strategies for how we change that and point it out and think about what we do as a municipality to address that . So i really support that. Commissioner crews. Thank you, commissioner lindo. I want to echo commissioner mars statements on looking at voting access as a whole. I think that there is a number of things that could be under an umbrella of access in voting. You know, if its say for example, extending the voting days, the times, sameday registration . A lot of looking at how do we make democracy more open to san franciscans, of all, all types of people, allaccess to voting mechanisms . So i think that is something that we should certainly put on the agenda to look at. But then just also echoing commissioner lindos thoughts on opening up to community groups. I would love to see the two of us go on a road show, you know . Were the public seats. I would love to see us talk to communities and really get a sense of what the community is looking for from lafco . Maybe they just need a lafco 101 on what it is that were doing in this room and the value that we bring to other legislative bodis in San Francisco. So maybe the two of us can do that. Thank you. Jason fried, i just wanted to jump in on one of the issues that commissioner lindo brought up how if there is a better way to do a voting system. I have worked on political campaigns across the country and what they do in clark county, where they have Regional Voting Centers 30 days out of its a bigger county, much larger than San Francisco, but the major mall and major areas where people naturally go, they have voting booths and anybody can show up during that period and vote. They have what i refer to as the roving voting booths with to two days its in front of a library and then moves to another part of the area and have a group of them. So there were 15 of them that moved all over the county and every two days they were in different spots and was welladvertised, so you know where they were going be and people who couldnt gets to the centralized voting ones like city hall, but new and more innovative ways. Im talking about clark county in nevada, but to look at state laws that dont allow for us. So to balance what can you do now and what you might want to promote at statelevel to change the law to do it similar to another area . Im happy to bring up whatever items that you like and look into them. A lot of times what has occurred in past, someone has come to me and i have because i happen to know enough people in the city and said so i dont want to repeat work, but to check back before it gets to this level of discussion here. There have been several items occurring behindthescenes and said here is what is happening and if you need more, let me no and they havent come back because there might be a natural home for it already. Im one that doesnt like to repeat work. I think you are absolutely right. We wouldnt want you to do that. I think you exactly the right idea and to understand the options that we have within the parameters of the state law. So we can figure out what is available . What needs to go to the statelevel . What can we do here locally . And after doing research and hearing a number of people comment to me, what really triggered with me is the demographics are changing dramatically and the number of absentee ballots being filed are exponentially higher and the demographics of those who file absentee ballots are not usually the ones that go to the polls and physically cast their ballot. And using those are ones that of communities of color, lowincome communitis or is or communities working two to three jobs that cant make it off work for the hours that we have here at city hall or that tuesday. So i think as a discussion and i appreciate commissioner mar bringing and the topic of equity. There is a lot of equity discussion that can be had with voter access and i think availability of voting places is a great avenue to look into. But its also what can the city do with respect to having it when you submit paperwork dmv, perhaps you become a voter at 16. I dont know what the city can do, because there is federal that could potentially preempt, but it would be great to have a great guideline of what is available . So what i would recommend at this point, and i have taken notes on this is that we bring back to the next meeting in september these as the physical items. So its properly agendized. And we can then make a decision whether or not we want to have them on our list of things to work on. What ill do in the meantime is see if an internal intern is available to help. I have that and the Commission Appointment being two potential items to have as official agendized items on their own and have the discussion. Determine if anyone has any other ideas . There was some stuff talked about, but i wasnt sure if it was necessarily asking me to bring it back to the next meeting agenda. If anyone come up with an idea between now and the next agenda, we have time that i can add them in and have a more fullfledged discussion about a work plan going into what i would call at this point 2016 work plan to start working on that. In all likelihood, if i dont have an intern doing it we wouldnt get started on those items until 2016 either which way. Great, thank you. So to summarize what do you see you will present in terms of subject areas for next meeting. Two subject areas that we have right now are the Commission Appointments and how that process works . And im still figuring out what the exact title, but around how our voting booth and voting access to elections works . So Something Like a clark county model and what we can and cannot do around expanding access to polling locations . Beyond just election day, but can we create polling locations out in field for longer than just the election day . And how people can access more than just votebymail, but access an actual physical ballot location outside of just city hall and the 30 days prior like they do right now in the city. Sound like a Fair Assessment . That sounds great. Can we add to it how to maximize the volume of voting by mail in San Francisco, as well as part of that . Because i think that is also another area that we probably can maximize as a city. We can make it about how do we increase voter turnout . What are the various avenues and various ideas . Part would be how do we increase people that dont want to go to a polling location, to increase their voting my mail . Maybe those who want to go to polling locations and to increase availability . Were talking about a very large subjectmatter, but its something that can be looked at. Great. I would also think at looking at what is the voting call, when you submit a ballot when you vote not in your own voting precinct . Provisional ballots. Provisional ballots. I think it would be good to explore how that is being done and if there is a sense of how accurately that is being done in San Francisco . I do recall in 2000, when i was doing a lot of work on the election i wasnt able to get to the voting booth and wasnt voting by mail and my provisional ballot wasnt counted and so its on the record that i didnt vote that election when i was actually spending months working on the election for certain candidates at that time. So it would be important to see as were looking at expanding voting or looking at how we can do that, how well were doing right now with the kind of ways that we provide greater access for voting in San Francisco. Okay. I will definitely be following up with each of you, because i think there are some technical questions. But definitely question do the biggerpicture thing. There might be two or three parts to this, because its becoming a pretty large one. It might be two or three parts based on availability of either interns or staff time to put together that information and perhaps voter election might already have that information. Ill come back in the september meeting with a work plan. Im not in favor of exploring public bank, so if you want to work with jeremy and my office and with commissioner crews as well to see what ways that lafco it would be relevant for lafco to do that work, that effort . Ive been check in with your office, seeing anything that is coming up that we should be aware of. It has always been the outside group is doing stuff and needing to complete work before it come to the lafco side, but i will incorporate that into your discussion at the next meeting. Thank you. That was a good discussion. We can open up this item for Public Comment . On future agenda items for lafco . Good afternoon again, commissioners. Eric brooks with all of the groups that i mentioned before. So first a quick note on mailin voting. You need to be careful with that one. When i first moved to the city, i i was living in southroom occupancy hotels and i had moved, but voted with my old address. In my second reelection, i had discovered when i went in to vote that someone used my absentee ballot. So to secure and ensure there is no corruption. I have a feeling i wasnt the only case. So one more future agenda item, but dont wore its community choicerelated. San francisco Clean Energy Advocates have met with the general manager and the agms at the sfpuc about making sure that we continue the local buildout and jobs track of cleanpowersf. They are interested in doing that, a little bit hesitate. Hesitant. We were told because of staff limitations it is was difficult to focus on that. That seems a little bit hard for me to accept. So San Francisco Clean Energy Advocates would like to ask that either lafco or the board hold a hearing, where we have the Mayors Office of workforce development, the San Francisco development of environment and sfpuc and lafco staff come and report about their progress on planning for the final plan for the local buildout and jobs piece of this thing . Because if we dont have that as advocate its hard for tus to us to go and sell the program to the whole city. We need jobs and a break on their energy bills and that kind of thing. You need to be able to adopt in the lower income communities such as much solar as highincome communities. So that buildout piece is important and i think we need a hearing about that either at lafco or the board. I want to chime in on public bank. That, if you look at what is happening in greece right now, it becomes really clear that the Global Private financing and Banking System is becoming so incredibly powerful that they can literally hijack a country and go against the will of over 60 of the voters in that country. Lets not forget back during when gerry ford was president and president ford basically said, sorry, so we need to be able to protect ourselves in the case that the global banks become even more powerful and even start trying to leverage San Francisco. We need to figure out a way to have a public bank available, so we can avoid the kind of thing that just happened to greece. Thank you. Thank you, commissioners. Again, very quickly, i just want to reiterate, that i appreciate the conversation with mr. Fried about moving forward on some of these more general voting issues. Its our opinion that the more places to vote the better. Im not really clear on the roving part, because i think if somebody is going to think that a voting booth or availability is one place, it probably shouldnt then evaporate. But aside from that, i like the idea as many places to vote as possible, precincts, of course the mailin issue has to be secured. There is some Security Issues there. We are seeing a trend towards mailin balloting. I think that also gets into some equity issues that we need to recognize. In the everybody is a homeowner with a constant address. Also, i want to just make mention that i think first and foremost, when we talk about voting we have to get the System Security in order, which i know were focused on doing here in San Francisco. I want to mention to you that is leading the country right now. Relying on the eac or the feds is not smart, because of course, in speaking with the eac, the current commissioners and the chair there, theyre also looking to california for leadership on this exact issue of open source voting. Interestingly, we know that california is looking to San Francisco county. So everybody is looking at each other. The project that is going on in Los Angeles County may seem like a fairly good one, but the report coming out of lafco also recognizes that there are issues attached in Los Angeles County. We dont know if they are going to use general public license or not . And by some of their solesource contracts it appears that they may go down a bad road. So were hoping that they selfremedy in Los Angeles County. Right now in your our estimation, San Francisco county is the one with the fresh slate and the one that really looks like were going to lead the rest of the country towards proper voting systems. Once we get that far, we can consider the surrounding circumstances and a lot of this work has been done. When we talk about this equity issue, i dont want to marginalize myself and im not speaking for California Association of voting officials. But as far as access goes, there are there is technology now available that will enfranchise the youth and the masses. And this is just to say as far as studies go, we probably need to include smartphone voting for those studies, if we get the security proper with the google android, that that people will be able to vote easily and that will eliminate the running around in circles looking for a place to vote and the masss will turn out simply. That is not an opinion to reflect any of our other work. I just wanted to mention it to you, because it sounds like were dancing around that. Thank you. Thank you very much. See nothing other member of the public come forward, well close Public Comment. And i believe we have no other items. Is that right . Yes, that concludes our business for today. Okay, colleague, we are adjourned