Representing Small Businesses under extreme pressure, dean ito taylor, allen lowe, and in my office, my staff, lee hefner, and with that, supervisor preston, are there any comments that you might like to add or subtract . Nothing to subtract. Let me just add to thank you, chair peskin, for your leadership on this issue, and also for i think threading the needle in a way thats smart, thats going to force some Property Owners to the table. I do think that there is in a sense the way it is right now and i think we all came together and appreciate the mayors leadership around the moratorium, and those have been, the ones done by executive order have been shortterm, and by their nature that makes some sense and i think this is the right process where we are looking at something thats going to be around longer, provide longer term protection, that it goes through the body, allows folks to weigh in in a way that they cant necessarily do so with the same public process on executive orders. But i also think that to me this legislation is very much about fairness. We have a situation right now where there are there are commercial Property Owners right now around the city who are doing what they should do, who recognize Small Businesses are hurting, who are coming to the take, taking less than the full rent, who are working out payment plans, who are waiving some rent, being creative in those solution. And i applaud the folks doing that. And then we have some landlords who are not doing that with their business, who are insisting that despite the suffering that their business tenants are going through, that residents across the city are going through, they are adamant 100 of the rent throughout a Global Pandemic, where Small Businesses have had little to no revenue. And i think thats an unreasonable position. And i think that one of the real impacts of this legislation should it move through and be passed by the full board is to force those landlords who have i think unreasonably dug their heels in to just begin acting like some of the more reasonable commercial landlords in this city and theres no reason why the unreasonable folks should be drawing blood, so to speak, and getting every penny of rent from people who cant afford it while other landlords are acting more reasonably, are giving folks a bit of a break and working out as something that works for everyone. So, i think thats the biggest impact of this legislation. Yes, this will stop evictions. Yes, this will force some folks to work out payment plans. What it will really do, it will change the dynamic that exists right now, and chair peskin, you mentioned japantown in my district, the Japan Center Mall has so many businesses and a commercial Property Owner that has not been willing to negotiate with the tenants, and theres a lot of detail in this legislation but to me the biggest impact is landlords like that are going to have to come to the table. The only thing that will make sense for them to come to the table if this legislation gets through. I appreciate your leadership and your staff and lee hefner in particular for all the work getting this right and proud to be a cosponsor of it. Thank you, supervisor peskin. And supervisor safai, i am wait i think for some late breaking amendments, so after we go to supervisor safai we will go to Public Comment and if i have the amendments i will introduce them. In either event, whether i have them timely during this meeting or not, we will continue the meeting to november 9th. Supervisor vice chair safai. Thank you, mr. Chair. Just want to say this is an obvious statement but i think it needs to be reiterated. I think some people want to live in a different reality. These are extraordinary times. These are absolutely extraordinary times. And because of that you cant show me one business in this city that doesnt want to remain in business. You cant show me one person that gets up every day thinking to themselves i dont want to pay my rent, i dont want to conduct my business. Its the opposite. They live with the anxiety of debt. I have a barber in my district and he said im thinking about just closing up shop. The weight of the debt on my shoulders feels like too much. I have too much pride. Im not the kind of person that wants to be in debt for the rest of my life. And that story plays itself out over and over and over again. And all we are trying to do, and i would like to be added as a cosponsor to this legislation. I thought i had conveyed that to you sooner, apologize for not getting it sooner definitely want to be a cosponsor. We are trying to ensure that peoples livelihoods can remain, that people can continue to have a place to go to work, and that our communities are not completely devastated. And thats what we are facing. We are facing the future of so many of these businesses, people that have put their entire lifesavings on the line and they have this massive burden of debt hanging over them, and then not to mention the threat of eviction. Not quite sure what some of the landlords are thinking, i think if they were to evict and massive evictions in commercial spaces they wouldnt then be able to turn around and rent these spaces, so im not quite sure what thats about. Allow there to be more period of time, for people to pay off their debt, to put a pause on the idea of evicting people during this crisis and these extraordinary times and this legislation meets that standard of measure and allows us to really get a balance back and hopefully well be able to continue to protect some of these communities and businesses. That doesnt mean the landlords will not be without collecting their rent because i know people will still be obligated to do that, and as supervisor preston said and you said, supervisor peskin, they will work out payment plans and a way to pay off their debt. The reasonable thing to do here is sit down and negotiate, and thats what this legislation does. Proud to be a cosponsor. Thank you so much for your cosponsorship. Madam clerk, open this up for Public Comment. James is checking to see if there are any callers in queue. If you have not done so, star 3 to be added to the queue. James, first caller, please. Yes, my name is dean erickson, im an owner after small family owned business, fit neighborhood fit, also a member of the San Francisco independent Business Coalition and also a tenant and a landlord, so i understand both sides of the fence, if you will. Im calling today to voice my support for commercial lease legislation allowing alignment of the commercial eviction mother moratorium. Its absolutely that the rent and threat of landlord eviction is mitigated like many. Like many, i have, as a landlord refusing to discuss our lease situation and putting a plan in place. I have requested a number of meetings, offered proposed solutions, expressed interest in longterm commitment, only to be ignored and my business is held hostage by my landlord. San francisco leadership needs to step in to set guidelines and reestablish meant the vacancy tax to support the Small Business community. Crush Small Business, provide landlords all the leverage and negotiations and set the citys economy up to fail as Small Business owners have to walk away from their leases. This again is the no brainer decision on our shoulders. One that must be acted on for the wellbeing of the San Francisco economy. Speakers time has expired. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please. Looks like we have 16 listeners and nine in queue. Good afternoon. Stefy, a resident of San Francisco, grew up in the east bay, city is a special place for my family and me. Come here to eat and shop in the Small Businesses around japantown and the city. We dont have any family here but Small Businesses made us feel like home. My parents visit me and often times shop at Small Businesses. 44 of the activity, and one of the biggest employers. Small businesses have made the city what it is today. Drive people like my family to visit. Communities that i care about, japantown. And built on dreams and livelihoods across the city and nation. Asking for your full support in its entirety and full support from the board supervisors next tuesday. We need it to pass to give the Small Businesses a fighting chance and a chance to be the vibrant, beautiful, diverse and unique home to so many. Thank you to the supervisors on this call and to the future supervisors who support this. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please. My name is evan, my wife and i own a small Fitness Studio on Market Street and im calling in support of this ordinance. I think its instrumental in keeping Small Businesses afloat. A few things i would say, i think its good to align with the state. So much uncertainty with Small Business and doing it with the state, Small Businesses and landlords, more certainty of things. The only other suggestion, especially for the smaller tenants less than ten people, longer than 24 months, should have a Square Footage component. Ten people in the 800 square foot face versus the ten people in the 8,000 square foot warehouse. Another component to look at different rents based off of Square Footage. And i think a lot of us will owe 200,000, and its 10,000 a month in addition to rebuilding the business. In full support and i hope you guys are too. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Notified when your line has been unmuted, you may pegin your comments. Begin your comments. Hillarie, japantown for justice, coalition for the Young Leaders working locally to promote economic sovereignty. Asking for your full support of this ordinance in its entirety. As a fourth generation japanese american, my ties to the Japanese Culture and community directly correlates to San Francisco japantown. If this ordinance doesnt pass, not only will so many Small Businesses go under in japantown but decimate the community we have worked so hard to preserve and honor. These businesses are the heart and soul of japantown. Without them, japantown will cease to exist and future generations will never know and experience the magic of a cultural district such as ours. Please give our Small Businesses a fighting chance to make et through this pandemic. Support this ordinance in entirety and urge you and your coworkers do so as well next week once it passed. Eight in queue. Next speaker, please. Hello. Can you hear me . Yes, you may begin your comments. Ok. Great. Thank you. Hi, my name is nia, calling from berkeley, california but a graduate student at the university at San Francisco state university. Im calling asking for your full support of the commercial Eviction Moratorium ordinance today and the board of supervisors next week. I echo hillaries sentiments, im a fifth generation japanese american and come to San Francisco to connect with my roots by going to japantown and knowing the communities of color have consistently been displaced across San Francisco. It is important we continue to support the Small Businesses that continue to hold on to that cultural legacy, continue being Community Spaces for current and future generations. The covid pandemic has devastated Small Businesses, residents, tenants, not only in San Francisco but the nation. And i believe its in your power to stop that by resisting our communities to be harmed by the exorbitant rental crisis. I hope you will continue to save our Small Businesses and save what makes San Francisco great. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker. Youll be notified your line has been unmuted and you may begin your comments. Good afternoon, supervisors. My name is paul wormer, and i guess its a relief to be talking on something other than the all electric new construction ordinance. Thank you, supervisor peskin, for sponsoring this and supervisors preston and safai for cosponsoring it. Ive been involved in both the fillmore commercial district and japantown as a customer of Small Businesses. And they are vital and interesting. And it is essential that they be preserved. This ordinance is absolutely, one, a very important part to do that, so, thank you for introducing it. I urge its passage and thats it. Thanks. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please. Two minutes. Hi, my name is jerry chen, a resident in district one, a board member of the japanesetown task force and community member. Small businesses are crucial to the vitality of our neighborhood. And so i, you know, i thank the supervisors for creating this legislation, and i urge its full support, both here and at the board of supervisors meeting. Japantown as a whole and many businesses have weathered the american incarceration during world war ii as well as redevelopment, but in all these crises took a toll and now our community is once again vulnerable and at risk of the of covid19 and the pending weight of evictions. So i know there are many of our businesses, including our legacy businesses, that really need this support or else they are at risk of closing, and so i thank for writing this and i urge to support it all the way through. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Four left in queue. Hi, malcolm young, and i want to urge the Land Use Committee and the board itself to support this legislation with amendments that the committee im sure will consider and approve. You know, frankly this legislation is a lifeline, lifelines are critical in the era of covid. All the speakers on the floor have mentioned how Small Businesses are failing. At the same time, Small Businesses make up the life blood in many ways, the culture of our community, and thats certainly true of chinatown. So, i want to urge the committee to approve this and the full board to approve it as well. Thank you. Thank you, next speaker, please. Hi, paul, executive director of the japanese cultural and Community Center of northern california. I live in San Francisco for 60 years. Small businesses are the heart and soul of this city. If this ordinance doesnt pass and the moratorium ends the end of november, there are going to be hundreds, thousands of businesses go out past the holidays. You know, its not just going to affect Small Businesses, when they start to close down, they are going to blighten neighborhoods. Impact is beyond just businesses, you know, they make up the economy of San Francisco. This is crazy that, you know, we havent already extended it and the governor allowing for this. You know, hopefully when we take over the white house and the senate and the stimulus package can be passed, you know, there will be further support to support the economy of this nation. I mean, its the only way its going to happen. I understand landlords are hurting, but you know, its just doesnt equate to some of the landlords who own several properties, multimillions of dollars to a mom and pop business thats all they have. And thats all they have had for decades. And they are going to put them out of business by this, you know, deferred rent that you are going to have to owe in 4, 5 months, and its just going to balloon payment their rent. It will put them out of business. This ordinance has to pass and more government intervention. The only way this situation is going to be solved because this covid pandemic has no end in sight. So we dont know how long this is going to go and how far its going to continue to impact our economy and our Small Businesses. Thank you. Thank you, next speaker, please. Hi, my name is jean erickson, im a Small Business owner, i own Fitness Studios, and im just calling because im hoping for the full support of the commercial moratorium ordinance. As a Small Business community, as a Small Business owner that has put everything into my businesses, with you just really need help to make it through this pandemic. You know, im a landlord and im also a renter, so i can see both sides of it very clearly. But dealing with a landlord who will not even respond to my email, she wont take a call, she wont meet us to talk about it. And we are just sitting here with months and months of rent piling up. You know, ive done my best to pay what i can right now with my business only open at 10 capacity. Just recently being able to open at 25 capacity. But ill tell you, its really daunting to think of having to pay all this back rent so quickly to her when we havent been able to be open and we have lost almost all of our business during this pandemic. So, im going to urge that we make the ordinance longer than 24 months. I think its just a really heavyweight to be putting on these Small Business owners to have to pay the heavy, large sums of rent back so quickly. So when we are talking about we are talking about