Transcripts For SFGTV Recreation And Park Commission 42017 20170423

[gavel] please call us because buell here, low here, anderson here, bonilla here, harrison here, mcdonnell here. So ever since we we would ask if you have any Electronic Devices you please, turn those off so they do not go off during the meeting. That you take any secondary conversations you may have outside. If you would like to speak on an item today we request that you complete a blue card unless otherwise announced by the president each person will have three minutes for Public Comment on each item. If there is an item of interest thats not on the agenda and is under the subject matter jurisdiction of the commission you may speak under general Public Comment and that is item before and then continued on item 7. When you address comments to the commission, please in order to allow equal time for all the commission or staff to respond to any questions during Public Comment. The commission may request staff to respond when the Public Comment is done. Last, if the fire alarm is activated you have to evacuate the building using any exit. Please note, elevators will immediately return to the first floor and are not available for use. If you need assistance out of the building, please, make your way to the closest area refuge which is directly across the hall in the mens restroom inside the restroom are a speaker box and security will answer your to let them know where you are and they will assist you. With that commissioner we are in item 2 the president s report. Thank you. Very briefly, two things. One, i do very productive meeting out of the zoo at the mothers building with representatives of the Art Commission and the recreation and Park Department and the zoo staff. With Richard Rothman and kind of moderately happy to report were making some slow progress there and that there is [inaudible] to connect the building to be able to heat it to preserve those murals. Theres some money that has been appropriated with the city budget to start some initial work on it. So i think were finally moving in the right direction. I dont see richard here, but i want to thank him for his continued devotion to that. Secondly, i would like commissioner anderson to make a few comments. Thank you commissioner buell. I just want to highlight that the wreck park staff commissioners were invited to a ribboncutting at the south End Rowing Club and the area they are touches on wreck park land and they extended the envelope of the building to allow women members to have a real changing room, locker room, where they been changing basically in a closet for decades. I think they want to one a fight in 1970s to include women turn it was a great celebration and they gave the San Francisco recreation and Parks Department a certificate of appreciation and especially have a shout out to Cassandra Costello for being such a great team member for this event. So i just want to share that. We had this phenomena give this to our general manager Nils Ginsberg in a few minutes but anyway its a Great Community asset here, and by the way south End Rowing Club has a really affordable membership if youre interested in rowing running or swimming. So thank you. Thank you. That concludes my report. Any Public Comment on item 2, president s report . Seeing none, Public Comment is closed to item 3, general managers report. Good morning commissioners. Today is april 20. [laughing] 420. If you happen to be in the east end of Golden Gate Park today and suddenly have the urge to eat an entire bag of doritos you will know its because 420 is also the date of the annual unofficial event in the area of the park celebrating for good and for bad, marijuana. In years past, this unofficial unsanctioned event the regularly draws 1013,000 people from all over the bay area has been a real challenge for us. Its negatively impacted our parks, our staff and surrounding communities. Last year we spent well over 50,000 a year in cleanup and park staffing on just on this one day. We collected 11 tons, or 22,000 pounds of trash in Golden Gate Park alone and this does not even begin to address the impacts to surrounding neighborhoods with traffic and variety of other bad behavior to its a tough event for us to manage. This year i am cautiously optimistic that things will be a little better. In partnership with supervisor breed and several government agencies, including the Police Department, fire department, public works, mta, sheriff, juvenile probation animal care and control, we have partnered together to create a plan that encourages participants to respect our communitys and parks. That plan is possible because of the support from haightashbury merchants and Event Organizer who we are allowing to help organize the crowds that come. To be clear, this event happens whether we want it to or not. There is nobody in charge of 420. But we have imbued some responsibility and authority to some of the Community Folks to bring some resources to the event to make sure that we have some additional security, some additional sanitation services, some additional cleanup services. Im very proud of the City Government for trying this. I dont know whether its going to work but we are going to hike and we are trying Something Different in an effort to accomplish three main objectives. We want to keep people safe. We want to minimize the impact on the surrounding neighborhoods. And we want to protect the park. So thanks to the support from local merchants and this Event Organizer, we have some additional [inaudible] including fencing which surrounds sharon meadow. 40 security personnel. There will be two points of entry into 420 today and i just was there this morning and you can already tell the impact that is having good usually what happens is such a permeable space people bring lots and lots and lots of stuff that makes Public Safety very very challenging. Bring wagons full of booze, barbecues, large structures, amplified sound all kinds of things. So we are able to actually prevent some of the stuff coming in. Significantly, were also doing her best today to prevent anybody under the age of 18 from entering the space. If you are under 18 and you get in there, please, no juvenile probation and s of pd will be in there with you. We are prohibiting glass and glass paraphernalia and tense and barbecues. There is no sale of any narcotics at this eventthat is permitted. [laughing]. We have 175 portable toilets, both inside the footprint of the space and outside around the neighborhoods. We havetheres an emergency medical plan. The spaces now gotbroken up into different quads to make it easier to respond to situations. So this is a long way of saying theres a lot more planning a party with a Committee Group making the streets to help clean up afterwards and even with all that your department will still have 50almost 50 park rangers and are in another 50 Park Maintenance staff out there to try to manage the space. We also have extraordinary help from the Police Department from public works, from mta in a variety of these other agencies. So we will see. But i think you should be proud of your department and frankly, the city and i really want to thank supervisor breed for really some pretty courageous leadership on this to try to try something to see if it achieves those event egypt objectives. I know that were going to honor and talk a lot about some of our permit staff today and theyre all here. I want to pay a particular debt of gratitude to them and specifically diane reed. Diane has done just an amazing job between the summer of love and for 20, i dont know if anybody does a purple heart more than diane today. Shes really done some amazing amazing work and parting with a Community Group and all these other city agencies to make this happen. So thank you, diane. All right. Its also worth month. Weve got a whole host of events happening all throughout the month to so right earth month. One of them, i want to single out which is next saturday, april 29 huckleberry Youth Programs which provide services for low income and underserved youth celebrates 50th anniversary right along with the summer of love with volunteer day of service in Golden Gate Park in the panhandle. The event is in partnership with us and sf travel. Will be a variety of beautification programs litter removal, barbecue lunch is included. Please, sign up and join us at sf please, sign up and join us sfrexandpark. Org. Huckleberry park is an Amazing Program and has been around since the late 60s urban kids who need a helping hand. This saturday on april 22 we have its an American Sign Language day. With a family day and barbecue admission playground and inclusion center. 3555 19th st. Are maintaining arts and craps Imagination Playground and so much more. Also our Therapeutic Recreation Division will cohost access to adventure at the bandshell on may 6 which is a free festival of recreation for children with disabilities including sports extreme sports Outdoor Recreation aquatics cultural art and more. Why we are celebrating our inclusionary programs i want to thank wilderness inquiry and there commute mobile for partnering with us. This a third year in a row. They were here here all last week at lake merced and spent last saturday right before extravaganza which im in a get to in a second, with canoes at mcnabb lake. Wilderness inquiry and their canoe mobile programs part outdoor nature expenses for people in all committees across the subject they really focus on underserved communities, monolingual committees and the disability community. I was out there with them on saturday and had just an amazing experience of watching a woman with ms who is wheelchairbound and her family get into a canoe. For the first time. There were literally tears of joy as they paddled around the lake. So was really meaningful experience and a reminder of how special the Clarendon Park isand most portly, a reminder that recreation is for everyone. So it was a big big deal and i want to really want to thank inquiry mobile. After being at mclaren park for that i drove back across town and joint commissioner low at extrinsic extravaganza. I want to think my recreation staffsome of them are hereactually its more than recreation staff. Its entertainment stuff, permit staff, everybody gets involved in this. We welcomed about 89000 people to Golden Gate Park on Easter Saturday for a very familyfriendly fun event that featured music, egg hunts, arts and crafts, rides, soft ice cream, and yes, the rib cookoff where i was part of a team from Mclaren Lodge and i think we gotwe made up on the healthy choice award for a watermelon and [inaudible] salad which was pretty good. But we do not win the big rib cookoff. There are teams from the fire to berman Police Department, and rec staff commissioner low thank you, sir was a judge which means he got to eat a lot. Taste a lotbut it was a pretty special day. We were joined by lots of vips including commissioner low. We had some of assemblyman david chiu. Board president walton. Assessor carmen chu committee college or board president shiah selby. A lot of stefan fronds in a variety of other folks who participated in the judging and was super event. Then last saturday evening was americas [inaudible] 15th universe. The one of our closest partners. I got to join them at their celebration it was an opportunity to honor their achievements. And celebrate this organization that is delivered just an Incredible Program to more than 15,000 children in low income areas of San Francisco and around the bay. As you know there a nonprofit soccer and Literacy Program that focuses both on development through sport but also through writing and public speaking and poetry. They have made a super impact. Is emily here . Im not sure shes here today we will bring them back but i really want to thank emily [inaudible] for all that organization does for San Francisco skids. Also last week your San Francisco bay socks, or our girls baseball program, participated with a proximately 100 other girls ages 16 and under representing 20 states washington dc and canada where they all traveled to los angeles to play baseball in inaugural allgirls tournament sponsored by Major League Baseball. So as you know, was a program called baseball for all which the nonprofit where we hostedwasnt the firstit was the Second National tournament last summer Major League Baseball has now embraced this and as part of their baseball for all program and on a weekend of festivities celebrating Jackie Robinsons achievements and groundbreaking evolution to the game of baseball, mlb was perhaps symbolizing the future and we have some girls from San Francisco that are deeply committed and deeply talented to the game of baseball. They were in la representing our city. I really want to think rocky emily and alexwith their efforts to continue to coach and mentor and we are National Leader in this program. Lastly, as you know, we are in the middle of a demonstration project both Golden Gate Park in mclaren park where we have for the first time in decades brought horseback riding back to these parks. I really want to take the opportunity to thank our partners at the pot of gold the adventurers who have been offering residents and tourists around both of these parks an opportunity to tour Golden Gate Park and mclaren on horseback. In less than a month, weve had over 850 participants in this program. We started at golden a park and mclaren park start i think a week or so later but we have about 500 writers in Golden Gate Park and over about 350 folks in mclaren. Its been really popular there. The pilot will continue to run through may 20 reflecting feedback from park user. I want to give you a little bit of a taste of some of the sweet things people have said so far. Lewis ctr. , park is a gateway to go mclaren park the introduction of the stables and horses has been wonderful and already used on families to an area that otherwise would not visit. The horses returning to the stables and mclaren is a wonderful opportunity to put the mclaren back on the map. Introduce mclaren to our citys youth and benefit the park as well. Somebody else had a minute Bernal Heights help owner and a 12yearold horse mechanic the horses in mclaren our dream come true for my daughter. [inaudible] anyway, weve also got feedback about concerns. The two primary areas of concern about menu or management and trail erosion weve been working with pot of gold on both of those areas of concern. With respect to maneuver management particles is brought in an additional staff in each location and depending upon the number of riders on a given day trails revealing cleanup to three times a day of maneuver which is not to say people wont stumble upon some at different points in time but its a regular multi time of day occurrence that theres maneuver management and theres been concerns about trailer erosion. Our staff went out actually on april 14 and did a complete loop of both trails. Very little to no damage in Golden Gate Park. In mclaren we seen a little bit more evidence of trail erosion and its been wet and its been soggy but our staff has concluded its actually minor and can be easily remedied with minor maintenance. We will continue to take feedback and continue to observe but its been quite a successful program. If you are interested the horses out there seven days a week from 8 am7 pm weather permitting. You can call 844967. If you are interested the horses out there seven days a week from 8 am7 pm weather permitting. You can call 8449674653 or visit recreation parks website to sign up. It really is a very very special experience. Lastly, we have a very special acknowledgment today which is why we have so many people in the house. Lets give it up for permits and reservation staff. [applause] so coworkers and colleagues, move on regularly. It happens but there are some whose time at a particular job have a much more profound affect on an organization. Today we have the distinct honor of recognizing one of recreation and parks mostthe longestserving employee and frankly one of that are best very best. Peter kendo is somewhat of a unicorn he spent the majority of his career 41 years worth, with one organization. An extremely rare feat. Today weatherbee in the professional world or in the mba you dont just stay with one team anymore. He started at recreation parks in 1976 as an assistant recreation director and through the years hes worked at Eureka Valley rec ctr. , mission playground, glenn park, Golden Gate Park Senior Center and for the past seven years and a permanent and reservations Division Race manage [inaudible]. Peter, among his many many highlights and im going to ask dena to say a few additional words, was instrumental in the creation of the sf white deal. Which is a partnership that still exist today between the parks the permit fired up herman and the Police Department. He has been very involved in the San Francisco Giants Community Fund Creating the first ever junior giants youth baseball league. Its a program thats now been duplicated by over 45 other cities in northern and central california. Most recently, peter has been incidents when the very successful launch of our own San Francisco deltas which is our stadium. One of our core values at recreation and parks of is relationships. When peter shared with us that it was time for him to retire weve got literally dozens of emails from colleagues and i want to give you a sense of a few of them to demonstrate what a positive impact hes had on the departments. On our culture. On his coworkers. Bob blosser called peter a first bowel recreation park hall of famer. Lucas tobin said recreation and park is not to be the same without him. Jim jackson said peter is not like family. He is family. Carly fullerton is now a nurse had g ph you used to be at recreation park called peter an amazing mentor. In i understand now that peter is going to do a little traveling. First to new orleans and then hawaii then st. Thomas but i guess his daughter is getting married. It is an end of an era. But your legacy of how much you care and the importance that you place on relationships, peter, is the legacy is definitely going to continue. We thought we would take just a moment because it is a special day for parks and recreations had brought bring up dana [inaudible] could because i know we have a short agenda today to talk about peter a little bit and give you little bit evan or review, commissioners that all our permit and reservations division dies. Its extraordinary work. Perhaps on a day wheremanaging for 20 and god knows how many other events in our parks just this week, its probably a timely overview as well some and bring up adeno to say a few additional words. Good morning commissioners. Im actually can turn this over to diane ray who manages the permits division to talk about the permit steam but i want to share two quick anecdotes about peter that are my experience that really show what peter can do. Is all about. As some of you know, before i became involved in the recreation and Park Department i was the soccer mom. Managing my kids sports activities. I needed, for two years to get my kids baseball schedule to work with something else. I was told back in those days to fax the quest, fax, remember those daystwo peter. Id no idea who is thinking oh my god, here it goes into the morass of City Government. What will happen . Sure enough, every year the schedule came out and at one point i had the pleasure of meeting peter but this is a city worker that made the extra effort, always, to make things work for people. It was a name that stuck in my head. So, then i come to work at recreation parks and they dont reallyim overseen permits they dont give you an introduction on how to get things done in that apartment. I was fortunate enough to have peter helping me and i still remember someone said, what you need that done you need to get the yard to do it. I was like, the backyard . What is the yard . I dont know whathow to get anything done in this department. Peter saved me. He helps me through so many things, so patiently that he has been an incredible valuable member of this team and for that i will always be so grateful and will miss him terribly. So now moving onto ivan we were fortunate to bring an entire permit steam except for two people that are there in case walkins coming here and im gonna let diane introduce them and what they do but i want to talk a little bit about what permits does first. We issue probably over 70,000 permits a year and what is that achieve . It helps the public recreate in our parks. Permits range from 200,000 people at hardly strictly to a few for smaller picnic but if you think 70,000 permits on an average is at least 30 people, your talk about 2 million touches to our parks. Making that happen and organizing it. Im privileged to oversee this amazing team im going to let diane, who does the such a great job talk about them. Hello. Commissioners. Thank you for giving us the time to introduce the team. They work really really hard and never get out of the office much. So its fabulous they get recognized. We are very grateful for peter kendo and all hes done. He that com sensibility in the office that we will miss. We will also miss the Harley Davidson juxtaposed against the log cabin every day, but permits and reservations, we are open to the public 5. 5 days a week. We take over 300 phone calls a day, hundreds of online applications, people can walk in and talk to us. We also serve as like a factor Visitor Center because people wonder in all the time. Were in the middle of Golden Gate Park so we get to talk to about all the things happening at recreation and park. We serve as sort of air traffic control. So if you figure we have all these reservations, we have maintenance things going on in the parks. We volunteer groups. We try to make sure that nobody is bumping into each other and everybody has their proper access. So the staff taking all these calls into an all these reservations, they do it with incredible amount of positive enthusiasm. We are really are a great team working together. The camaraderie is wonderful. To be very different without peter bringing us together, but they do a great job so i just want to introduce them really quickly. While we do operate as a team, there are three focus areas. The first one is overseen by jeff choi. You want to stand up . Jeff oversees the permitting and activities for our stadium and our athletic fields are 50, plus athletic fields across the city that is everything from the sf telcos at keys are two micro soccer at [inaudible]. Another focus area, special vents. Shauna. Please, stand up your shauna has been with us just a few months now but shes successfully getting her arms around the 1500 special even permits on average that we do. These are more complex permits making sure that emergency medical plans are done and people are getting their proper fire permits and health permits that shes working with a gardening staff and making sure that we are protecting the parks for the load in and the loadout and installations happening during the events. Very complicated. Another big piece of it is communicating. Comedic it into our internal staff what is going on, working with park rangers, working with gardening staff, and also communicating with other agencies. Working with a Police Department and mta and public works and all kind of coming together and making everything work. Lessening our impact on the communities around these events. So i want toso the permits range from everything from hardly strictly bluegrass to all the marathons and fun runs, all the way to my Community Movie nights and community gatherings. Its the gamut. I want to introduce her team. Jim jackson mr. Jackson has been with us a long time as well. He came back as a parttime semi retiree and handles all of our film and photo permits across the city. Which, can be pretty challenging. Theres lastminute with lots of lastminute changes. He does a great job. And had a career in the nfl i believe . And played for the 49ers. Our secret superstar. And worked for a walk a long time with elaine. Then we have stacyi think it stacy, will you stand up . Stacy amongst all the events permits that she does she specializes with our unions amongst all the events permits that she does she specializes with our unions sq. , plaza permits. All those big Civic Center Plaza activities that we have, began small, and she is also our group cheerleader. She brings us together and guesses to participate in city functions, City Activities and such. Then we have jen chan. If you could stand up . Jen oversees all of our permit in Golden Gate Park. So all the runs and races and Company Picnics and things like that pretty much the gamut. Shes done a great job learning all of the different facets of Golden Gate Park. , perez. , oversees all of our lake merced complex. So that is the lake merced boathouse and all the indoor rentals there. That is all the activities that happened on the lake, all the runs that happen around the lake. So she manages all of those permits. She also sits with all of our crosscountry permits and our encroachment permits. Then we have elaine lyon. In the back there. Shes also with a department been with the department for a long time and whats with peter. She is an expert in a lot of our sites. Shes been with a permits to barman for a very long time. She is now handling the majority of permits in the Justice Herman plaza area and to our marina green complex. She also handlesshe works closely with the cal academy and working out parking, things for their loadings and dahlia requests and things like that. Thank you, special vents team. Then, our other focus area is for our Public Recreation. That includes overseeing picnic reservations, across the city, all of our access to our clubhouses, gyms, Recreation Centers, for Community Meetings and birthday parties. And has taken a lead with dana on our conversion to our new reservation system which is a huge undertaking and that is eric chu. Do you want to introduce your team . Thank you. First, i want to induce my team, Public Recreation out of those 70,000 we probably do about 50,000 on that team theres seven of us that handle all that. So 300 combination. First if you guys could stand up when i call your name . Peter fong. Peter handles all our large picnic applications along with others but everyone has specialty large picnics, pretty close to special vents if you ask me but theyre kind of grouped. He handles all the lighting and kind of our mis liaison and are [inaudible] next, nick marley, stand up. Nick marley handles our indoor applications. A lot of the gym rentals, clubhouse rentals, sfust leaks for basketball, volleyball. I lot of different types of things like that. Who else is here . Hector. Hector rivera. Our newest member he is now become more of a jack of all trades. We were very shortstaffed for a very long time and trying to piece it together, but now that hector has come on board if you is like we are a full team. The death star has committed and completed. The rest of my team theyre not here but ill give them mentions. Karen ross. She has been with us for a a while. She does all of our pool rentals. Swim meets, pool teams, things like that in our Recreation Centers dolores park picnic applications, where there are tables. Lets see. She does a lot of our reporting for our team, reporting is very important. The communication to get staff to open facilities on the weekends for people to recreate is a very important part of our coordination with the [inaudible] and lexi, sandy lee. You may know her name recreation park legend. She still works with us. She knows all of our staffing needs and between her and peter, peter is not going to be here, much longer, but theyre always kind of the first responses. When everyone panicking in a frenzy, weve got those two and amanda lee, shes our wedding specials. She handles all our weddings throughout the city. The last member of our team is peter a kendo which we will dearly miss. I just want to thank you on behalf of the team and especially myself. Youve kind of been a mentor for me coming in here. Showed me the ropes. Show me all the good guys and just let you know, youre definitely one of them and dont disconnect your phone because im going to need to call you. So, thank yyou. Thank you. Commissioner, would you join me in giving peter a little commendation. Thank you for all the accolades and commission. All my team members here. Its been a great run thank you. [applause] in his last im not much for words but a more of a background person so thank you everyone. Thank you very much. Thank you, peter his last official recreation and park, he just taught me to be brief. Impossible that concludes the general managers report. Commissioner anderson did you have a common you want to make . I was just wondering general manager ginsburg, i was really happy to hear about some of the measures that were taking to protect people at 420 today and you were mentioning some of the probations. Im just curious are all those probations codified in the recreation code or . Theres a park code with a series of rules that are approved by the board of supervisors and the conundrum for events like this and frankly concerts and some of the special events that permits works on smoking is tactilely not allowed in parks. We are aware of that. But the truth of the matter is, as supervisor breed said yesterday kind of is what it is,. So people are coming. We sometimes happen when we enforce the park code we try to identify the most important objectives and the most important objectives are in a crowd of 15,000, is not to walk around each person is a do this and do that but its to keep the space safe and minimize impact on neighborhood and then to protect the landscape. Those are our core objectives today. Ps. I really appreciated that report. Thank you so much we might call them high and lofty goals. [laughing] nice. [laughing] a walk in the grass, sir. [laughing] is that your report . Yes. We do have Public Comments. [calling Public Comment cards. ] thank you. Commissioners and gentlemen my name is tom scotts. Im a longtime advocate and volunteer at mclaren park. Im actively involved in save mclaren park and the mclaren park collaborative. The pictures we just saw a little while ago were really pretty showing happy families on horses. I have hundreds of pictures that show a different story. Unfortunately. Im here today to ask permission to do whatever he can within its power to medially and primly suspend horseback riding concession in mclaren park. Unlike the conclusion that your crew came out with last week the damage to the trails is significant. Its undeniable. I want those trails every single day. A stable and steady for months and years and suddenly they are crumbling under the weight of the horses. This includes beautiful sections of the philosophers way trailed no crumbling and the second problem the horse maneuver. Its found in all corners of the park including extra playgrounds, picnic tables and unpopular walking paths. The vendor even with more people is completely failing at his contractual obligation to remove this in a timely manner. Some trails on the southern slopes the manure has never been removed. Just a side note this morning, i watched the narrow path near cambridge entrance the path was completely covered with scattered horse maneuver and i watched this group of elderly chinese woman trying to navigate and tiptoe through that path. Nowhere to go. They were clearly unhappy. Yet, all the outreach doesnt reach them because its falling in english. I like to quote from the current master plan for mclaren park which i assume was written by experts who know more about this issue than me. I quote, although there were stabled and equestrian trails in the park in the 1930s, this use has now been phased out. Horseback riding is not allowed in the park because of the difficulty of constructing and maintaining a separate system. Secondly, continues in the later part of the plan says that availment of an Equestrian Center and network of writing trails was originally considered for mclaren park but dropped from further consideration for the following reasons. The steep terrain in the park is not conducive to trail construction. The park is not large enough to provide a trail system of sufficient length and of an interesting writing experience and user conflict would result between equestrians and pedestrians and joggers. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Good morning. My name is carnes and im a 25 year resident in San Francisco right on the west edge of mclaren park, right under the water tower. My comments are more or less specific about the horse but about the process and the principles and just the general work process of how recreation parks and how we introduce new programs. Against the backdrop of a long and arduous process about how we get bond money, how we get funding into this quadrant of the city, on specifically, 2012 bond, and projects like envisioning project and the quick strike project. So, with all of that going on and then to suddenly introduce a pilot, which i have a question about pilots. Again ive worked in the parks as a volunteer and activist for 25 years. Never heard about a pilot before. I feel that istheres no precedent for that and to little bit of an oxymoron given what weve been accomplishing in the momentum that weve had on getting other repairs and just the basic things to put our park back together. Mclaren park, that is. The fact that there is a pilot also, without any Community Input, all the stakeholders come all these volunteers like tom and so many others, that have been years and years into the park, and trying to guide along different projects, and then to introduce a pilot with no Community Input like weve always done, that has been the precedent. Again, i just want to state that mclaren is really not one of these entertainment parks with a lot of activism went with carousels and these kinds of things. I see mclaren park and most people do, its more of an educationentertainment or urban escape and opportunity. The city is as diverse a city needs all types of parts and this is one of those. We like to see this preserved in this way. Again, the last thing was just that it feels like this is in conflict with park goals. There were processes going on and voted upon Spending Priorities for mclaren. Thank you very much. Thank you. Good afternoon commissioners. General manager. Members of the public. Great to see that nobody is trying to sneak on the board of commissions here while weve been here. I did hear that somebody did try to sneak on the board there inadvertently without due process and public vetting. Mr. Chan, i believe. I dont know anything about it. No. . Its kind of what we heard in the news that a coveted recreation and Park Commission seat was tossed around and given up without proper vetting and it wasnt until the board of supervisors jumped in and refereed you guys that that process didnt take place. Anyway, back to business at hand. I think the mayors appointment, not the Commission Appointment but go ahead. Okay. Regarrdless, you do have to try to watch anything goes and nothing matters in San Francisco politics and who gets to serve on the board and the commission. Im sure you understand that mr. President. Secondly, San Francisco has for a long time been a culture where we had an agreedupon set of values, practices and customs that amounts to an identity. You have kind of eroded that with your policies in and around the park specifically due to the stables and a lot of the people the kind of used to coming here and identify with the recreation and Parks Department and the parks. You no longer see them coming in here. You see recreation and park employees outnumbering the public, which is another bad sign. But, regardless, pot of gold is a good thing. Horse maneuver is probably the safest maneuver to be around the public when its wet not so much but when it dries out, theres just no problems with it. Its great fertilizer. It has zero smell and degrades into something that is absolutely useful in any type of park or garden. So, yes, it seems like you are not following the culture and the policies that most of the people who put that part together identified with, and for that reason, i think changes are about to come. Thank you. Is there anyone else want to comment on general managers report . Sorry. Come on up. I was looking at yourokay i apologize. Good morning commissioners. I want to talk about horses. When i talk about horses, i hope you dont getting behind whatever else. I think that its very good that we are going to bring possibly be bringing back versus to Golden Gate Park. I am one of the very few here today in favor of such. I talked about this with my niece, asking her which he ever be willingwanting or willing, to grant out a small space and she just went so in the astec are they going to be available . I said, i dont have that type of influence. Perhaps, the commissioners and mark buell might have that type of influence. Horses are a subject that i dont think should face the scrutiny thats going to be going through, that has to go strictly by the rules. Now if you look at the stables, theyve been there for a long time at Golden Gate Park. For a long time they were unoccupied except for the policing and they had a few places out there that had a horse right out on its own. I saw it one time when i took a walk to the park. But if theres going to be like income, were cost, expenditures, when this vendor goes out with other people be able to grant a small space . It has not been used for the longest of time. So im trying to help my niece bring out something for the commissioners to consider that there is a demand to rent out such spaces. Meanwhile, im one of those who put their heartwhen i got out a memo from the general manager ginsberg that i like you. I like the idea of having horses around you hopefully, i can get some ground with you people in the commission. Thank you. Thank you. As there anyone else that would like to make Public Comment under the generals managers report . Seeing none, this item is closed. We are now on item 4 which is general Public Comment up to 15 minutes. This item will be continued to item 7. At this time members of the public may address the commission on items of interest to the public that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the commission and that do not appear on calendar. With respect to agenda items you will have the opportunity to address the commission when the item is reached in the meeting. Is there anyone would like to make general Public Comment . Come on up. So once again commissioners i would like to refer you as the giant crocodiles slithering down the money way because i really feel thats who you are. The pattern and the way that the park has been handled has created a devastating effect and has all you know, as any lawyer will tell you, whenever you have an action you have an equal and opposite reaction. Yes, you are a diverse bunch both working for recreation and park them both on the boards here, diversity. We get that. But what is the result been . I think its been pretty tragic. I think that canadian girlthat was shot in the park by the gangsters dealing drugs could have been avoided if you have not been on such a quest to evict and divide the park with your political agendas. I have never seen the park so divided that when you go in there the only people you end up hanging out with our the bombs and the drug dealers because theres nobody else going in there. I go in there. Im followed by these folks and asked 34 times a day,. Its like excuse me did you not just asked me a half hour ago that question . Its a lot more than the summer of love. The summer of love was nothing like whats going on there. Its real estate that is being used for criminal activity. You know, im not against the use of medical marijuana. I think it is a medicine. But i think that the gangsters with law degrees running this city have produced the gangster type mentality that you come into contact when you go into the park. Instead of our values that we identify as being american. Because, that is what you are. Its like a criminal enterprise. We are you guys dictate who gets jobs, who sits on the board, who does this. Who does that. Thats not american. You are the alligators, slithering down the muddy banks and you are very good at patting yourselves on the back and giving yourselves rewards. Thank you very much. Thank you. Is there anyone else would like to make general Public Comment . Seeing none, this item is closed. Commissioners, we are on a consent calendar. Did you want to speak on the consent calendar, richard . Come on up. Good morning again. Im here to talk about fishing activities there. Ive even try to talk about the paddle fishing how its its very intricate i was part of a party that went to lake merced and went fishing. I think thats great. It has only one patrolman officer. We dont have enough people in there. So youre going to get some money about 11,000, from the pal program and most of the work around the boathouse. They dont have good Fishing Equipment i dont know how they would go about Getting Better poles or better lines. They could just havejust stick in time some mono thermal line to put a piece of [inaudible] on wine bottles or anything. Drop a line down and just fish four. You can take the fishing pole home. If you had Something Like that, something kind of like a huckleberry finn, you could go out there with kids and they would have a great time and they would learn a very important part. They would get lost out in the wild so you have to get your own food. You have to fish. Thats number threethe other part i want to look at is the bridge. The bridge area between the north and east lake, youre going to put a peer out there on the northlake and then im trying to see that there be access that goes through to the eastlake for bass fishing for bass fishing has been put in there since the time dan mckenna former superintendent of the parks had those placed in by the people at lake merced. That would be getting to build a boathouse in the eastlake and you have an entry secure way of separating lakes from the north and the eastlake and you can go in there and do your fishing. Its over on the side there and its got a lot of beautiful coves. Im sure the bass and other sunfish are going to do just fine there. On the dock that you have, i was looking at the rampart. The image i dont have that could arise but what i see when its overwater its going to be a steep ground. Youre trying to have something thats conducive to 88. How would ada be complied with as well as the disability of the peer . I had a mine you could cross over to keep the peer stable but theres a ramp issue on the 88 issue. I guess after finish. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else would like to make Public Comment under the consent calendar . Come on up. Hello. Commissioners could my name is seth soft low. I represent San Franciscosports and recreation. I am here with respect to the grant thats on the consent calendar for tennis court resurfacing. Really just wanted to take this opportunity to thank the general manager and his staff for their support in getting us to this point. We are looking forward to your consent today and entering into the Implementation Phase of this grant to resurface Tennis Courts all over the city. We also will be coming to future meetings about another grant that we we bring into the city for nontennis recreation. So, thank you again to the general manager and also want to thank Nathan Sinclair behind me in the grants department and the rest of the staff. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else would like to make general Public Comment on the consent calendar . Seeing none, this item is closed. Commissioners. Mr. Ginsberg did you want to Say Something . Briefly when i think san franciscans saving oursan franciscans for sports and recreation. This is a group of very caring san franciscans that on their own negotiated a some planning and connection with a derailment deal downtown there was can have a negative impact on recreation not within our jurisdiction and our redirecting the resources into our park system and into our Public Recreation system to improve it for all san franciscans, starting with some neighborhood tennis court resurfacing that allows us to leverage our existing funding and really tackle very very very Robust Program of tennis court resurfacing all over the city. These guys are doing this in their spare time on their volunteer time. Not easy simple quick work. We owewe the Parks Department, part champions, owe them a debt of gratitude for caring as much as they do about parks and recreation. Thank you. Entertain a motion . So moved. Second. All those in favor say, aye. [chorus of ayes. ] opposed, nay. So moved [gavel] we are now on item 6, San Francisco zoo. Good morning. Powerpoint, please. Resident buell, commissioners, general manager ginsberg my name is Stephen Haines Vice President for marketing and strategic growth with the zoo. I just want to say to go off script for second in my prior role with [inaudible] i want to give kudos as well to the Parks Department worked a lot with them and you have got a great team. So you probably heard unfortunately last week we lost our dear polar bear was 36 years old. Normal Life Expectancy is about 1819 years old. In zoos a lot of times 20, plus his normal she was 36. She came to us when she was three years old and based with a San Francisco zoo rescued her from what wouldve been not a good ending to her very short life at that point. So its been really tough. On the staff the caretakers especially. In our crowds that come out every day i put a little picture together. A lot of kids came and left little notes attach them to the fence. Some of them say i love you. You were great bear. I will miss seeing you. I loved it when you are around but see you in the next life and this one says, hope you are in heaven from kim of the so blessed little kimberlys heart. Lots of flowers have been delivered and in the center if you can see it several heads of lettuce which was her favorite. So we will miss her. April start off with the great banquet the month of aprilreal. One for the pungent weve had a lot of great special events and exhibits. Talks, dietary characteristic. More about these incredible creatures we have. We also opened up the exhibit. I think you heard me talk about some of the red ivory. Its a art piece and installation from a visual narrative by our artist in residence, henry jackson. So i would just love to invite you to come out and see this but it really is a very powerful . Its approximately 10 minutes long. We really have been amplifying our stop which is stand and take a pledge. The pledge against ivory. We love to welcome you out anytime let me know and you can see this great video. Spring has been filled with rain but alsoits can be turning greener, not that type of green, but weve had a few bird walks. They really have been fascinating. With our master bird alan whitley. I just went on the safari actually two weeks ago and i can tell you that if youve ever spent time with real burgers, these are serious serious people. So we would invite you to come out the when we do another round of bird walks. Phil mentioned something before. Recreation is for everyone. Im going to steal that line. We held an inaugural event on april 15 where we really spoke to the accessibility issues and recognizing that the zoo was about everyone in our community. This was a great all access day with this group sf cd support for families of children with disabilities. We built some very special programs , gave special tours. Art projects. As well. It would really was an exciting day two cds families take part in our mission and our program and get out onto the property of the zoo and see our great animals and exhibits. So we look forward to continuing this event as well in the future. Earth day, the saturday, april 22 is going to be beautiful weather and warm at the coast. So come on out. We will be having many many activities celebrating very important day. As well, next week april 25 is World Penguin day. Actually, the zootheres 18 species of penguins in the zoo actually has the largest colony of magellanic penguins in captivity and we have an incredible breeding program. You can still come out and see one of our newest additions, we call him freckles. He actually, hes perfectly healthy but with a different skin pigmentation. He looks like a dalmatian. Hes white with black spots. So come on out and see our penguins. Lastly, we are welcoming some new little ones to the zoo. This is our while leroux, dundee. Dundee now has a little baby joey. The joey has not put its feet on the ground yet. Its kind of tough to spot these but when they are first born there about the size of a nickel. And theyre born the gestation period is about 3038 days. So after it climbs into the pouch and continues to grow and develop for several months. So this is dundees first time as a mother. We are very excited. I like to end with some fun facts, or somebody else would say uselesss trivia. Their latin name is [inaudible]. The name comes from the fact that they are in between the size of a kangaroo and a wallaby. Thats the name a waller. So it actually means the big and small. Come on out and see our new joey. Again special thanks to Richard Rothman and pres. Buell for their support of the mothers building and trying to renovate that incredible structure. So thank you very much. Thank you. Is there any Public Comment on the zoo . Come on up. Commissioners, general manager, and three members of the public, that is a scary introduction because there should be more people here that feel that that they have a vested interest in our parks and that they feel that the people running the parksare able to communicate and follow and reciprocate in their enjoyment of the parks. Obviously, thats not happening because nobody is here. I think this relates to the zoo report you were asking for Public Comment about the zoo report. Exactly. On the only other person talking about other than the person that made the presentation whats the point about the zoo . While the point about the zoo is, very few people are involved in identified with what you are doing in the zoo whether its giving an animal or donating an animal or a polecat from ucsf. Im talking about the big picture here. The big pictureis with all you are budgets, all your quote, experience beyond the commission, its having the opposite effect in the city and county of San Francisco and the recreation department. People are divesting themselves from getting enrolled in the park recreation Park Department. They dont identify any more with it. Theres no decency. Theres no common respect for individuals. You have your agenda and the public have nothing to do about it or with it. Its a dictatorship. Thats my point. The gangsters in the major media are the people that perpetuate this type of situation. But, my concern is that its creating a disengagement between the people using the parks and the people running the parks. You have caused it back. When you have a cause you have an equal and opposite reaction and you dont seem to be concerned about that opposite reaction. What happens when you live in a city and you have small amounts of resources and somebody says, you have to move out of your horse stall in your horse has to move because we have to fix it up and then 41516 years they dont do nothing . Thats anything goes and nothing matters. That is gangsters with law degrees running the city. Thank you. Is there anyone else would like to make Public Comment on the zoo . Seeing none, this item is closed. This was discussion on the kit were now on item 7 which is general public, and continued is there anyone here who did not speak on item for and would like to speak on item 7 . Seeing none, this item is close. We are now on item 8, new business Agenda Setting. There anyone who would like to make Public Comment under the items of the new business Agenda Setting . Commissioner mcdonnell im sorry i touch my button. Im sorry two items. I do know to be on the agenda or an update on the general managers report by leftwinger and update on gleneagles because we have not heard how things are going. Secondly, if theres a right moment to get an update on the equity agenda. I know we applied to each individual item but an overview would be great. Thank you. Thank you. Commissioner anderson part of me if this was already announced. Perhaps i missed the meeting in march but could we hear about the award that recreation park got forno one has to travel more than 10 minutes trust for public land, i think . I dont thinkthat is coming. Okay. I got a little preview from the mayor you are too early for the meeting, commissioner. Sorry. [laughing] stay tuned okay. Any other Public Comment on new agenda for heaven seeing none, Public Comment is close. Item 9, communications. Any Public Comment on under the communications . Seeing none, item 9 is closed at item 10 is a german. Adjournment so moved. Second. All those in favor say, aye. [chorus of ayes. ] opposed, nay. We are now adjourned. Thank you, commissioners. [gavel] [adjournment] all right, everyone. Starting. The mayor has joined us here. Im excited. Look at all these wonderful advocates here. Thank you forthank you for being here today because we got a groundbreaking earth shattering announcements. Weve got apartment announcements were going to be unveiling. Im honored to stand alongside maj. Ed lee and vice mayor Eddie Campbell washington from oakland. I am also delighted to have my colleague supervisor safai we are one big family. I also want to recognize the leading Public Health experts from ucsf and the Committee Organization and advocates joined us here today. My name is melia cohen member of the board of supervisors to represent southeastern neighbors of bayview Hunters Point potrero hill and visitation valley and today im introducing legislation that prohibits the sale of flavored Tobacco Products in San Francisco. [applause] i am so glad youre just as excited as i am. Now, these products also include all Tobacco Products. Really be clear whether their cigarettes, smokeless, eproducts were anything that is marketed to having added flavor and that does include Menthol Cigarettes. [applause] so needless to say, for too many years Tobacco Industry has got a pass as they have selectively targeted our young adults in the africanamerican community, in the asianpacific Islander Community in the Lgbt Q Community, with products that have deceptively associated with fruit mints and candy. So today, big tobacco loves vulnerable populations. Nationwide, the ever ties 10 times more in black neighborhoods. Thank you. They target marketing of things like gummy bears and cotton candy flavored products near schools to children as well as in the Lgbt Q Community where they experience high levels of stress and discrimination, related to homophobia, they spoke at a rate two times that of straight populations. R. J. Reynolds, you may not know this, rj reynolds was even recently busted for a program called project scum. Let me tell you what scum stands for. Its a horrifying acronym. It means, subculture urban marketing. Where they are systematically and strategically targeting our brothers and sisters in the Lgbt Q Community. Here in San Francisco right here in, in the castro neighborhood. They are also targeting homeless people. There also targeting communities of color. As i mentioned earlier. Big tobacco is a predator and they are guilty of profiling always looking for new customers to backfill the ones that their products have killed. Many of you have seen the commercials with childrenmisidentifying Tobacco Products as candy. Everything from labels to flavors, that these Companies Choose for their products is done with intent and malice. They want to protect their bottom line which can only be maintained by constantly cultivating new users. So big tobacco achieves their bottom line i pushing would be new smokers of flavored products. So flavored Tobacco Products are widely considered to be starter products. Because they taste good. They mask the flavor of tobacco. They make it easier for people topeople experiment with tobacco, to become lifelong users. Now, menthol the main culprit, in particular,cools and numbs the throat making the smoke feel smoother. Making the outcome that this product will be moremaking the outcome more harmful to our health and to the health of anyone that is smoking because we know that Secondhand Smoke kills. Sowe have gathered today to stand up and say that it is time for us to focus on flavor. Restricting the sale of flavored tobacco is vital to ensuring that we give the next generation of fighting chance. A fighting chance of living a healthy full life otherwise cut short by preventable diseases. So lets be clear. Smoking hurts poor people most. Theres no disputing that. People who are below the Poverty Level are also more likely to smoke. They pay a disproportionate amount of their income for the product. They pay exorbitant rates for health care expenses. They get sick and have to pay with a deteriorating quality of life that ultimately ends in a premature death. Like many other people standing up here today, i personally have been affected by this Tobacco Industry i lost my grandmother prematurely to a stage iv emphysema. She smoked for years, cools long Menthol Cigarettes. I remember as a young adult going to the store to buy cartons of cigarettes for her. Because the addiction was so strong. One of her last parting words as she was dying in the hospital was, to remind me of my sisters, never to start smoking. So, needless to say, this legislation is incredibly personal to me. And to every person that stands up here with me. This is a time we are going to stand up and fight for the future generations and stand up and say, no more. Youre not going to let them be victims to predatory marketing. No more will big tobacco[applause]no more will big tobacco be able to sell their flavored products. No more was selling flavored Tobacco Products at a suppressed low price incomes in neighborhoods,. Were not letting them do this anymore. Before i invite up our beloved mayor, ed lee, theres a few people i really want to thank you first, i want to represent and think my staff britney jakarta pulled all of us here together. [applause] that was instrumental in bringing the issue to my attention and offering the legislation and i cant thank her enough. As want to think my Community Partners. Phenomenal professional Healthcare Providers and educators and researchers at the ucsf helendiller family conference of cancer center. Sf initiative for their partnership. Ladies and gentlemen, sfhas been using over a year to educate the public about the imports of ending the sale at all and other flavored Tobacco Products in San Francisco. I am particularly grateful to have dr. Valerie yeager, right here. Basically grateful to have dr. Valerie yeager sister Carol Mcgruder and dr. Phil gardiner for their leadership on this specific issue. Theyve educated me and they let me through this entire process and so its a privilege to stand and carry this legislation today. Without further ado, you will hear from mayor ed lee by supervisor safai representing district 11 kit will hear from the oakland vice mayor and district 4 Councilmember Andy campbell washington followed by dr. Valerie yeager, dr. Thomasdr. Stan glenn, dr. Jonathan butler, Carol Mcgruder, and last but not least we will hear a voice from our future latosha turner. A. K. A. The 6 foot poet whose going to close out our event. So, stay with us. [applause] thank you. Please, put your hands together and welcome mayor lee. [applause] thank you. Isnt she a wonderful leader . Supervisor melia cohen. [applause] thank you for sharing again with us not only personal stories but facts. I am glad again to join supervisor cohen and safai and the rest of the good natured and goodhearted factually based supervisors [laughing] who are joining our Health Experts and other advocates to make sure that this really bad word, it really is. Its addiction. Thats what supervisor cohen is talking about. Its addiction to Tobacco Products and that is why they flavor it. They are getting to the kids. They are trying to get vulnerable populations hooked. Its not one cigarette like somebody might say, or trying something out. It is being hooked that brings in the prophet that continues the deep advertisements into vulnerable communities. I want to sing about these doctors these medical professionals with us. Either you listen to them now where you listen to them later when they are treating you at 10 times the expense with your life at stake. Listen to them now. Because they can have the foresight of many cases that we already know to be the truth. If you are hooked, if you are are addicted, its going to be too late. All of us family loving resident loving people of San Francisco and the bay area one our communities to be healthier. You are the heroes because youre pointing out something before it happens. You are helping us look around the obvious corner that if we dont do something for ourselves, to keep our communities and families safer and healthier, it will be too late. We dont want that too late to be our mantra. We want to have a attack this thing that we already know it happens that we dont want it to happen to anybody else. So weve got to tell the stories. As horrible and wrenching as they are, are not open to the truth, were not going to ever get to the truth. This is about piercing the menthol veil, the candy veil, the false avail of advertising and i will be really glad when this approaches my desk. Ill be signing it with eager, eager anticipation it thank you for all your work here. [applause] thank you mayor. Thank you mr. Mayor. What a wonderful morning it is for the sky to part and the sun to shine on us on such a wonderful piece of legislation. I am really really truly honored and humbled to be here this morning. Im not only a colleague of supervisor cohen but i consider a dear friend ive known her for 14 years. Her leadership on this issue is phenomenally important. I just say to you, and i know we said this on the day we were sworn in, what a difference it makes when we have a female lead female majority board of supervisors its these kind of issues that come to the forefront. So lets not that be mistaken. [applause] i am happy to stan here in solidarity with her and cosponsor this piece of legislation. But i want to add a couple of little facts i think are really important to think about. The flavored Tobacco Products that are meant to attract our youth, and disproportionally target communities of color and African Americans in particular, as it pertains to the menthol industry, and the thing is, they must think we are stupid. Because they try to deny the facts. Every piece of marketing, every piece of positioning, where it is sold, the proximity it is always targeting youth and communities of color. And low income kidneys. So lets be clear about that. In San Francisco,our california retailers and here in the city, 70 of our retailers that sell tobacco are located within 1000 feet of schools. Thats not a coincidence. Let me say that again. 70 are within 1000 feet of our schools. So they know what they were doing when they sell flavor and bubblegumand all the Different Things like that and then the disproportionate marketing of menthol to africanamericans and one study in the findings of the legislation that supervisor cohen put forward, 82 of users that identified using mental or africanamericans. That is a travesty. That is a travesty. So we know that the flavored tobacco is considered a graduation strategy is way to hook our youth. Bring them into addiction and then their consumerbased grows. As much as they like to talk about saying that theyre trying to be more helpful in marketing and letting people know about the bad effects of this product and the other hand committed to an aggressive marketing to youth and committees of color. So im just going to be brief. I would just say this personally, supervisor cohen said, i grew up in a household that every other day i was going to the store to buy cigarettes. Finally, when i was 12 years old i said to my mother, i said, mom, i dont believe in tobacco. Im going to tellsteve was my stepfatherim going to tell steve im not going to the store to buy tobacco anymore. She said well i support you on that. But i still had to sit there as many families do, breathing in smoke and Secondhand Smoke this is even before we knew about that for me it is personal, too. Because children disproportionally bear the brunt of the Tobacco Industry. So ive two young kids here today. Im proud to say that im a cosponsor on this and i stand by supervisor cohen and mayor lee every step of the way. Tank you very much. [applause] thank you very much. I want to introduce next the speaker, the city of oakland vice mayor district 4 Annie Campbell washington whos been an incredible resource and inspiration to work with her. Not only on this issue, incredibly important issue, but you may recall we were successful last november with passing the sugary beverage tax measure. This was the woman that held it down in the city of oakland who is going to be discussing legislation that similar legislation she would bring forward in oakland. [applause] thank you so much supervisor melia tran and im honored to be here with you today with a dynamic duo. We first took on big soda in succeeded in our take on big tobacco together. I coauthored legislation that will bring in ford on may 9 to the Life Enrichment Committee with City Council President in Oakland Larry b. You talk about a personal story. He will have his own personal story to share when we bring it forward in oakland. This touches us all deeply. As a mother, of a former school board member, i feel its unconscionable for us to not act as adults when we know that there is a product killing our children being targeted to our children, being targeted to our africanamerican committees animals of honorable communities. We have allowed big tobacco to target our most vulnerable communities with impunity. With today, that will stop. Open demands the big tobacco sees it decade of profiling africanamerican and low income communities. Our open legislation does the same. It focuses on the products that are specifically manufactured and marketed to appeal to young people. Flavor, with candy, with fruit flavors. Specifically, we are banning Menthol Cigarettes in oakland. [applause]. Although the manufacturing and distribution of flavored cigarettes is been by federal law, neither federal nor California Law restrict sales of flavored noncigarette Tobacco Products and our legislation is groundbreaking for this reason. We are banning Menthol Cigarettes. I just had to say it again. [laughing]. I want to say to to facts about oakland. Because im here to speak about the legislation were bringing 40 in oakland. Among Oakland Unified School district students, 70 of 11th grade tobacco smokers reported starting between the ages of 11 and 17. Ecigarette use tripled nationwide among High School Youth from 20132014 and now has reached 27 among Oakland Unified School district 11th graders. According to our California Health kidshealthy kids survey in 2015, over half of 11th graders at Oakland Unified School district believe it is very easy to obtain cigarettes. In a survey of 300 stores in alameda county, 87 sold candy mint and liquor flavored Tobacco Products and were located within 1000 feet of a school. I am thrilled to be here today. I am thrilled thank you so much meliacohen and mayor ed lee for allowing me to be and i want to thank valerie eager for your leadership your expertise and most of all i want to thank [inaudible] for my office who has just been amazing and putting this legislation together. It served as a model to other cities. I am thrilled that we can join this movement of cities working to stop big tobacco from targeting her most of honorable communities. Cities must lead when the federal government is silent and complicit. Thank you. [applause] thank you mdm. Vice mayor. The next speaker will be dr. Valerie yoder from ucsf. Yeager. I know there is a lot of excitement about San Franciscos citywide menthol and flavor ordinance and believe me, this has been a long time coming. I want to thank melia cohen, wonderful supervisor here in the city of San Francisco. Mayor ed lee for his leadership as well and i also want to thank and you will have a chance to hear from my colleagues at uc San Francisco, they are the reason we are able to do this work here in San Francisco so thank you San Francisco. You know as the fda had already taken action to protect some of the countries youth by banning candy and fruit flavored cigarettes africanamerican children and other children of color benefit from no such protection. As Menthol Cigarettes, which are smoked, by up to 95 of black adolescent smokers, received the protected status. For almost a decade some of us have been working really hard to repair this morally wrong and inequity. That was done at the federal level where only some children are the beneficiaries of a federal policy intended to protect all. Though the prevalence of smoking in the United States has decreased, smoking rates among some of San Franciscos most vulnerable populations remain high. This is why San Francisco ordinance is local, Public Health policy at its best. It is responsive to the Scientific Evidence that has been accumulating for over a decade against the Tobacco Industrys Menthol Cigarettes. Evidence showing that menthol plays an Important Role in Youth Smoking initiation and keeping an established smoker smoking and making it extremely difficult for smoker who wants to quit to do so. This evidence is documented in peerreviewed studies published in prestigious journals. Such as tobaccottobacco addiction nicotine and tobacco research, the american journal of Public Health and the journal of the American Medical Association to name just a few. We have major reports from the fda on Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory committee, from the California Medical Association and from the world health organization, all of which, call attention to the critical concern that Menthol Cigarettes threaten Public Health. Menthol is not just about taste. As the Tobacco Industry would have us believe. Menthol has an intimate relationship with nicotine making Tobacco Products both attractive to youth and addictive at the same time. Maybe not everyone, every group, has a problem with menthol but the most socially and economically vulnerable of us do. In california where we have some of the lowest smoking rates in the nation we find disparities in the use of Menthol Cigarettes and other flavored Tobacco Products. The Tobacco Industrys aggressive menthol wars where Big Tobacco Companies fought to completeto compete for the menthol market to place in low income africanamerican neighborhoods where menthol advertisements have become part of the norm of every day living for children. Whereas, the proportion of black students in a school rises so does the proportion of menthol advertisements in schoolin stores near the schools. Finally, we have an ordinance that is responsive to the community. Where major black organizations such as Delta Sigma Theta sorority inc. And the National Association for the advancement of colored people, who at their National Level have adopted resolutions against again calling for action against flavored Tobacco Products and or Menthol Cigarettes. [applause] thank god, the city and county of San Francisco have the heart, the soul, and the guts to take a bold innovative step towards regulating Menthol Cigarettes and other flavored Tobacco Products by restricting the sale of these product citywide. Finally,we can put the lives of our children, especially our children who are already struggling with social economic and environmental challenges, above the prophets that are going into the pockets of a industry of adjudicative racketeers. [applause] thank you. One of our Community Partners i want to recognize also is the chief of police. Chief bill scott, right here. [applause] he is leading and organizing the San Francisco Police Department thats conducted numerous sting operations that are found retailers guilty of selling Tobacco Products to underage youth. Thank you very much for being a partner in crime. [laughing] our partner in solving crimes. [laughing] thank you. You know what i meant. [laughing] okay, with that said, i like to bring up another friend of ours in the Health Community dr. Thomas aragonfrom the cps Health Office of dr. Aragon, thank you. [applause] good morning everyone. So for me this is a day of a lot of pride. I was born and raised in San Francisco, grew up here and you see the city to be the first one to do this, thank you so much. Im so excited. [applause] i want to tell you quickly a story. One thing to realize is that this affects all of us. My parents immigrated from Central America in the 1950s. I remember like it was yesterday, the day that my mom said she felt some lumps in her neck. I touch those lumps. By the time i had already completed half of my Residency Training at ucsf and i knew those lumps in her neck were not good news. What i did not realize is that it turned out to be lung cancer. The only exposure she had was Secondhand Smoke. Okay . So one thing to realizeis this affects all of us. Whether it is directly or Secondhand Smoke. We know today that nine out of 10 lung cancers are caused by tobacco. We know that three out ofthree out of 10 all of all cancers are related to tobacco. We know that eight out of 10 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is emphysema, is caused by tobacco. We know that three out of every 10 that of a heart attack are caused by tobacco. So we are surrounded by the burden of disease from tobacco. While we have made a lot of progress in reducing the prevalence of the use of tobacco, we still have a long way to go. We have scientists on the industry side to engineer, who design, these products to be addictive. Because they lose their markets through people like my mom who passed away, they have to recruit a new generation and so these products are engineered and designed to make people addicted and they start with the youngest because they know that if you reap the developing brain and start early those can be lifelong addictions. Now, the last point i want to make it where weve made progress in San Francisco and we want to continue to make progress, one of our tools in Public Health is not just protecting clean air but also preserving the social norms that we built over decades about making smoking uncool. The thing not to do. We have to continue to maintain clean air and the social norm. Because other industries are going to come along and be promoting it. We dont want that to change. So thats what Public Health is really about. Public health is about preventing this. So that we dont spend all this money on treatment on people who are addicted and its very hard to get them off. Again, i want to thank supervisor melia cohen mayor lee,uc San Francisco, everybody San Francisco tobacco free coalition, derek smith, all the youth thats actually out there doing all this incredible work. Thank you. [applause] next, will hear from dr. Stan glantz from ucsf. [applause] well its a real pleasure to be here. For the tv cameras, make sure you get a picture of that. The basket is not candy. Its addictive poisonous Tobacco Products. Thats what this ordinance is about. I have been at this for a very long time. I remember being here in 1983 when San Francisco passed its Clean Indoor Air law. Tobacco company sued. They forced a referendum on it and it stood. San francisco, again, is moving into a huge position of leadership with supervisor cohens ordinance. This the first place in the country that is putting in an absolute bombproof ban on flavored Tobacco Products. [applause] and, as valerie your gutter said, this is something the fda should have done a long time ago and hasnt. Just like Everything Else in tobacco the leadership has always come from the Community Level and its often come from San Franciscoand it is really gratifying to see that happen again. I am also very gratified to work with my colleagues at ucsf been working actively to our San Francisco cancer center, sfcans program to take all the research which has been done which often can just sit off in an ivory tower somewhere and take it to the community, and take it to the streets, educate people about what we know and that built the Foundation Upon which this tremendously important piece of legislation sets. I can pledge to you that we are going to be here doing everything we canto help you with this science for as long as you need it. Thank you for doing this. [applause] next, will hear from dr. Jonathan butler a medical professional at ucsf as well as a representative from the naacp. [applause] good morning. Today the naacps mission is to make sure the political education social and economic equality of all persons in aluminate hatred and dissemination and the foundation and enjoyment of all such rights begins with healthy individuals and healthy communities. [applause]. So the naacp is committed to the health and wellbeing of africanamericans in particular, concernedabout preventing tobacco use among youth. As a social epidemiologist, i know that tobacco related deaths continue to be the number one preventable cause of death claiming 47,000 africanamerican lives a year. Tobacco related deaths continue to claim more lives than violence, car accidents, and nontobacco related cancers combined. The Tobacco Industry has a welldocumented history of developing and marketing brands targeted to africanamericans and their use and the Tobacco Industry manipulated the manufacturing of cigarettes to ensure the uptake and continued use of tobacco. Especially, by africanamericansafricanameric an young people and other vulnerable populations. The Tobacco Industry has perniciously targeted africanamericans with mentholated products and as a result, nearly 83 of africanamerican smokers smoke Menthol Cigarettes compared to 24 of white smokers. Again, let me reiterate, the foundationand enjoyment of all political Educational Social and economic equality rights, of all persons, begins with healthy individuals and healthy communities. Thus, the naacp is in support of efforts to restrict the sale of Menthol Cigarettes and other flavored Tobacco Products because it impacts our africanamerican community. Thank you. [applause] thank you dr. Butler. The next woman i would like to bring up any juice to you is ms. Carol mcgruder. She is a representative from the africanamerican Tobacco Control Leadership Council. [applause]. Good morning i am so overwhelmingly happy and excited to reach this date. Im Carol Mcgruder africanamerican Leadership Council and myself along with dr. Philip gardner, who cannot be with us today, and dr. Valerie your guard, weve been crisscrossing this country ever since the fda was given the authority tobut done nothing about menthol in flavored Tobacco Products. I want to say,i am a proud daughter of bayview Hunters Point. I no longer live in the city, but i grew up there. [applause]. Growing up there was not easy. I voluntarily bust myself with a phony address to George Washington high schooltaking an hour and have bus ride each way to go to a good high school. I walked past Liquor Stores and my grandmother was when the first africanamericans to buy in bayview so i remember command to visit as a child clean it was. Adaline stone the building hurt my eyes because they were so sparkly. Seen, over the years, things like redlining, which prevents businesses from getting business loans, seeing the Safeway Stores and all their expired to be sold at the safeway that was on williams, thats what i grew up with at bayview. So what does that have to do with tobacco . It has everything to do with tobacco because while we try to send our children to get them home and back safe every day, the Tobacco Industry is there. Beating that drum. While we are worried about our boys killing each other or being killed by the police, the Tobacco Industries there beating a drum. Its our number one killer. Killing more than Everything Else and ive worked on every issue but i worked on a few to work on black infant mortality but tobacco remains the number one killer black people in the Tobacco Industries but the silence hereto for our leaders but that its a new day with the National Association for the advancement of colored people coming on board. Our oldest and boldest Civil Rights Organization in the United States of america with Delta Sigma Theta. So the Tobacco Industry is no longer able to manipulate our leadership the way that it has. Theyre no longer able to buy our press the way it has. We stand with you proudly melia. This is going to be a fight and we are ready for it because we will not have another generationof our children succumbing to the addiction addiction is about access and its about brain chemistry theres no race of people who are more susceptible to become addicts. Its about this industry having access to our children to our community for decades of giving away free Tobacco Products on newport like they did to marie evans in boston when she was nine years old addicting or 13. Then at 54would be what my age right now if she had left. Its what we are standing up to them that the police chief is here. Please, come. Sorry to put you on the spot. [applause]. There are entities in this country who are being paid for by American Tobacco formally the makers of newport cigarettes were claiming what were doing is criminalizing our people. The criminals are the Tobacco Industry. Federally adjudicated racketeers. Will be working with our Police Across this country. This is not about criminalizing black men who are smoking a cigarette at the bus stop as ive been told. This about getting in the income stream of the 3. 3 billion that black people in this country spend with something that kills half of the people who use it. So im so happy to see you. I will be getting to know you better and we will be working this together and setting as a model of enforcement of how it works. So that these products are out of our neighborhoods. Thank you. [applause] all right. As we close out our speaking program ive a treat for you. I want to introduce to you a woman by the name of latosha turner. She is also known as the 6 foot poet who comes and closeout. Please, put your hands together and welcome latosha. [applause] how are you doing . Okay. So this letter is for the ceo. [inaudible] the doctor of tobacco. Thank you. Thank you for taking my mother away from me. Thank you for diminishing her time with me. Thank you for creatingthe cancercausing lung collapsing aging in a box of a disease. Thank you. No, you do not physically killer you killed my time with her. Are you created this disease, this cancer in a stick that caused her to get hooked to it, so thank you. As a child i do not understand why my mother would rather stand outside with a cigarette in her hand and set it inside with meplaying candyland. See, my mother always had a smoke in her hand instead of holding my hand so, thank you. Thank you mr. Ceo the [inaudible] of the brain the doctor of tobacco. How could you say that tobacco doesnt kill . Also that you can make a dollar bill. How could you say that tobacco does not kill when it contains things like ammonia and Carbon Monoxide . See, i can play my mother because you created her lover and ever since she got in bed with it her life has been over with. But now i must speak up. I must be her voice. Mr. Ceo, my mother also died both of her lungs collapsed and the doctor thought that was going to be able to bring her back. But my god, a greater plans then back. See, i spent many nights beside her hospital bed where i tried all because you like it how could you say that tobacco doesnt kill . Then youre not caring because you said its our free will. But in my neighborhood, ive seen to find more billboards, marketing towards my kind. To me, thats a sign because there are 10 times more signs targeting my kind and how come you not see this unless youre legally blind, but i can see quite find it i see that you are trying to kill off my kind. See, my mothers lungs are clear and by the grace of god, she is still here. After being a chain smoker for almost 20 years, she has not touched a cigarette in about four years. Two strokes and two heart attacks i have you to thank for that. See, my mother will never be the same and i you to blame. But i will love her either way but now i must speak up yet i must be her voice and i must say, no thank you mr. Ceo. The doctor of tobacco. I will pass because tobacco kills could it kills about 1300 people a day targeting our teens at an alarming rate. The most preventable expense of death in an alarming rate and determining our teens fate. And giving them an early expiration date. So, the doctor, mr. Ceo, i will continue to educate and speak up for my people and we say, no. To tobacco. Because tobacco can kill you. Thank you. [applause] with that, ladies and gentlemen, thank you. All right. [applause] good morning, everyone and welcome to the San Francisco board of supervisors meeting for tuesday, april 18, 2017, madam clerk madam clerk, please call the roll. Thank you. Commissioner london breed pr supervisor cohen supervisor farrell not present supervisor fewer