before. i am discounting my breath. -- i am just catching my breath. at that time, we came to the board of commissioners with a request to transfer the federal congest and agency blocked a grant. at the time, we were unable to meet the deadlines on the project. in order to preserve the $4.8 million for the city, we needed to transfer the funds a project that could meet applicable deadlines. the cesar chavez project was able to absorb the $3.4 million of the $4.8 million. the fund also went to two other mta projects. we have gone to the transportation authority board to approve the reprogramming. we have also met the deadline to request the construction authorization of the cesar chavez project. this resolution is the last up in finalizing the transfer of funds. it is required for all projects that received the block grant. i can answer any questions about the resolution that he might have. supervisor mar: are there any questions, colleagues? supervisor cohen? no questions. thank you for the great work on this. let's open this up for public comment. there is no one from the public here. i will close public comment. colleagues, can we move this forward without objection? without objection, thank you. is there any other business before us? thank you, everyone. meeting adjourned. >> when stephen de staebler died, he was working on one of the biggest shows of his career, matter and spirit. it is a retrospective look at the many faces and faces of the life of an innovative artist from the california clay movement. stephen de staebler's developed in an area dominated by abstract expression. even his peers saw his form. >> he was able to find a middle ground in which he balanced the ideas of human figuration and representation with abstraction and found it even more meaningful to negotiate that duality. >> another challenge was to create art from a meeting that was typically viewed as kraft material. his transforming moment was an accident in the studio. an oversized vertical sculpture began to collapse under its own weight and spread onto the floor. he sought a new tradition before him, landscape sculpture. >> you feel this extended human form underneath the surface of the earth struggling to emerge. eventually, it does. it articulates his idea that the earth is like flesh, and the archaeology and geology in the earth are like the bones, the structure of the earth. this tied in with his idea of mother earth, with the sense that we are all tied to nature and the earth. >> a half dozen bay area museums and private collectors loan the massive sculptures to the museum for its matter and spirit retrospective. but the most unusual contributions came from stephen himself. a wall of autobiographical masks and hence from the early decades of his private study. >> he had one of the most beautiful studios i have ever been in. when you walk in, your first impression is of these monumental figures that you see in the exhibition, but if you went into the back corner of his studio, there was a series of shells with these diminutive figures. he told me, these are the heart of my studio. these little, and held intimate study is that he referred to as his sketchbook. a painter might make drawings. stephen de staebler made miniature sculptures. >> during the 1970's, he was inspired by the monuments of egypt. he assembled a large rocks of clay into figures that resembled the ancient kings and queens. he credited a weathered appearance by rubbing glazes' into the clay while still wet. the misfires from his killed were brought in his backyard in his berkeley home. he called it his boneyard. in the last year of his life, he dug up the artifacts from his own history, and the bones were rearranged, in the were slimmer figures with wings. >> even if you knew nothing about his life or career, you sensed there was an artist dealing with this fundamental issue of life and death, the cake, netting back together, and you feel there is an attempt to deal with mortality and immortality. there is a seeking of spiritual meaning in an existential stage. >> during his 50-year career, stephen de staebler worked to form and out of the clay of the ground and give it a breath of life. matter and spirit gathers the many expressions of his meditations. and gives the viewer and insight into the artist's life. learn more about the retrospective on line at president chiu: good afternoon. welcome to the san francisco board of supervisors meeting for april 17, 2012. happy tax day. could you please call the roll? >> [roll-call] mr. president, there is a quorum. president chiu: supervisor olague has asked us if we could it excuse her absence. could you please join me in the pledge of allegiance. >> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. president chiu: we have the march 13 minutes. can i have a motion for approval? without objection, those minutes are proved. you have any communications? >> i have no communications. the agenda -- if a member wants to consider an -- an item removed. president chiu: roll-call vote? >> on the consent agenda -- [roll-call] president chiu: these ordinances are passed and the next item -- no. 15. >> various sections in the planning code regarding eating and drinking establishment definitions and controls. president chiu: can we do this, same house, same call. without objection, this ordinance is passed. >> item 17 -- ordnance amending the san francisco administrative code by adding the chapter 14 sections. >> we have had numerous conversations with the small business commission and i like to thank them for the changes they suggested which we adopted and i would like to think harvey rose and the budget analyst for his suggestions as well as city department heads and members of the budget committee who through the course of three different hearings made a lot of good suggestions to move this forward. this is legislation to make sure we are supporting a new industry that has to do with social entrepreneurs some. there is a new way of doing business being pioneered by benefit corporations, businesses doing well as they do good. this is legislation that would provide modest contracting preferences to benefit corporations. i want to make it clear these are bad -- these are preferences that would come behind companies that are currently blowball business enterprises, nonprofits are contractors, small businesses, or other regional businesses unless the same benefit corporations are also small or san francisco or regional businesses. i very much want to thank the budget committee for their work on this and would like to ask you for your support. supervisor chu: i want to speak to this item quickly. i didn't vote for it and i would like to thank the sponsor for being open to the recommendations the committee had. to recap -- this would give a 4% bid discount to what is called a benefit corp. registered with the state of california. we had a number of concerns that were addressed and i want to articulate them and think the sponsor for adding them. the lbe discount is not active with this discount, which i think is an important concept. second, it does not edge out a local business that might be employing a san francisco residence which is an important component. it stands out any subsidiaries to make sure true benefit corporations would be the ones eligible rather than larger corporations that may have a subsidiary. finally, there's a time when it composite so that in three years, the board has to act affirmatively to renew this project. i do have a few reservations. we have worked closely to streamline our contracting process to prioritize local small-business is and i do have some concerns around commodities but i think those will be addressed. with the changes and amendments, i feel comfortable supporting it for this pilot and wanted to articulate a component. thank you. president chiu: will call, please. >> [roll-call] there are 10 ayes. president chiu: this item is passed on first reading. >> item number 18, resolution approving the professional services agreement for the management and operation of the airport's public employee parking between new south parking. president chiu: seeing none, public comment is closed. -- same house, same call. this item is passed. >> item number 19. president chiu: same house, same call. this resolution is adopted. >> item #19 car resolution authorizing the mayor to launch a san francisco summer jobs program campaign identifying the private and public sector funds. president chiu: surprise her campos -- supervisor campos would like to continue this item for one week. it will be continued until 24 the april. >> item number 21, appointment to the health commission. president chiu: colleagues, can we take this item, same house, same call. this item is approved. colleagues, same house, same call. without objection -- same house, same call. this motion is approved. roll-call? >> on item 21? roll call for introductions. >> thank you. i have a resolution i am introducing today and i would like to think my colleagues for their co sponsorship. this is a resolution in support of assembly bill 1990 which is referred to as the solar for all. this is a piece of legislation that seeks to build local, clean, renewable energy jobs in low-income communities of color. these communities are most impacted by nearby power plants and dirty oil refineries. we welcome this piece of legislation and make sure we go on record in support of that. the second piece i would like to highlight today is the fact that we have at the mta, the metropolitan transportation agency, a number of items, one of which is a decision on whether or not to provide free public transit to certain children in san francisco. this is a decision the mta board will be making shortly. there are a number of us who have been working on this issue for many months, close to one year now. i would like to thank my colleagues to have supported this effort. many of you have spoken at the board of directors -- supervisor camera, supervisor avalos, supervisor mar and supervisor olague as well. we feel there should be a decision to provide public transit for all children. at a minimum, what's likely to come out of the mta board of directors is a decision to provide free public transit for low-income youth. whether we get one or the other, we are very proud of how far we have come on this issue. we have a very historic decision on the part of the mta board of directors to make public transit more accessible to children and this is happening as the san francisco unified school district is forced to cut the number of yellow buses provided. i think that is something we should be very proud of, something that takes san francisco in a different direction in terms of how it deals with families. i hope is that irrespective of what happened that the board of directors today that we will have a united front so we can access the funding needed to make this program in whatever form possible here in san francisco. we need to make sure we are united at the regional level to get the funding needed to make this happen. i also want to note that today, the mta board of directors will be deciding its budget and a number of key decisions will have to be made. one of the things i hope the board of directors addresses is the issue of work orders. currently, we have $63 million of anti funding being work order to other agencies. as you know, we are in the process of the comptroller doing an audit to have a better understanding of the link of some of these expenditures to public transit. one of the things that has been highlighted in the last few months is the fact that muni writers -- riders are paying for the motorcycle department -- no one is questioning the motorcycle unit of the police department should be funded. the question is whether or not it should be funded in its entirety by the public transit riders of san francisco. i do not believe it should be and i hope the board of directors at the mta reduces the amount, hopefully by at least half so that to the extent there's a connection between a motorcycle unit and public transit to help with traffic congestion, i don't think it is only muni riders who benefit from that service. the rest of the folks in san francisco who drive cars and use our streets are benefiting from that which is why i think part of the funding should come from the general fund. if anti board of directors does that and cuts in half the funding of the motorcycle unit -- if the mta board of directors does that and cuts and half, it could be used for a number of things like maintenance, to increase service, for a number of things. it is my hope that the board of directors makes sure that money stays in the mta and public transit fares are reinvested in public transit, not on things that should be paid for by the general fund. if that happens, it would take the agency in the right direction. if it does not happen, we at the board of supervisors will have the opportunity as we review that budget to make sure we protect the interest of all muni riders. supervisor avalos: i have three items for introduction. first is a letter of inquiry to the mta and the department of public works regarding a new crosswalk that could be situated on mission street around the 280 overpass. there is a senior center right across the street from the overpass or ride on the overpass itself. seniors are often crossing the street in the middle of the street and it's a very dangerous intersection. or they have to go completely out of the way, about 300 yards out of their way, a lot of them are not as mobile as they were in their younger days. across what would make a big difference and the quality of their life and the usage of the center on mission street. it is a letter of inquiry asking the department to talk about the feasibility of putting in a pedestrian safety measure across walked, potentially a light at that intersection. i also have anin memoriam -- dolores passed away on april 12. she was a great matriarch, a teacher and mentor and humanitarian. she was a retired administrator and published author who for 47 years taught children the value and importance of education. she taught at schools throughout san francisco, including jose ortega, sharon ellis preschool, sir francis drake, burnett, and was a principal at fairmont elementary. after her retirement, she would teach adult literacy and continue to give back to the community through substitute teaching, and entering new teachers, and developing curriculum and advocating resources for services for students. her work at lyon's international involved setting up computer programs and after-school programs for at rescues. as the first black author fort campbell and publishing, she co- authored the chandler reading series in the sixties which was distributed nationally to public schools. her accomplishments include being the first black permanent teacher for the san francisco unified school district. teacher of the year, assistant professor of education at san francisco state university, board of education recognition of february 1998, san francisco alumni golden torch award, outstanding educator and 1995, and distinguished leadership plans in 1999. she is survived by her sister, her children, our grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. my last item is related to home to the dome. there was a famous poet, t.s. eliot who declared it april as the cruelest month. that was in the wasteland, but he realized in united states april is national poetry month. in honor of that, every year for the past seven years in city hall, we have had pelhams under the dome. i have a resolution declaring april 27 poems under the dome day in the city and county of san francisco. that will attract pellets from san francisco and across the bay as well. last year, we had one of our pilots -- when our poet laureates recite one of her poems and i'm honored to take part in helping to sponsor this event. colleagues, with your help, we could declare a great day and attract more people to a lovely of that. thank you very much. supervisor mar: i have several items. first, and the past several weeks, it has come to my attention the increasing concerns of the public safety realignment attack on san francisco as local prison system state assembly bills 109 and 117 transferred responsibility of supervising lower-level inmates and parolees to the california department of corrections and rehabilitation to county agencies. the implementation began on october 1 last year. i am working with the leadership of law enforcement agencies and the sheriff's office and enforcement agencies to explain the changes and impacts due to that policy and the impact on a local prison system and law enforcement system. also, at the behest of our office of workforce and altman, i'm calling for a hearing at the land use and economic development hearing which i chair to better understand the upcoming report by the comptroller's office on the city's economic strategy update. the hearing promises to be complex and should the impact on our city's economic present and future. i have a couple of excepts and extends. one support plug in electric vehicles, building infrastructure and readiness and planning in our cities of that we as a region are in the lead for electric vehicles. allow people to know and working closely with the mayor's office and treasurer's office and local parent organizations to exempt them from the parking tax in the city. that legislation will be ready next week and we're working hard with the city attorney's office to crafted in a strong way. i'm working not only with my district, but district 4 and 7 for a community meeting coming up on the 2012 parks bond. that will happen in district 1 at the county fair di