Connectedness of all things, and have maintained harmony with nature for millennia. We honor the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples for their enduring commitment to europe. Mother earth as the indigenous protectors of this land, and in accordance with their traditions, their own too shall only have never ceded, lost nor forgotten their responsibilities as caretakers of this place. As well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. We recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland as uninvited guests. We affirm their sovereign rights as first peoples and wish to pay our respects to the ancestors. Elders and relatives of ramaytush community. As environmentalists, we recognize that we must embrace indigenous knowledge and how we care for San Francisco and all its peoples. Commissioner department, staff and members of the public. Welcome to tonights meeting. Todays meeting promises to be both impactful and introspective. Well review the household Hazard Waste Collection Program agreement, explore battery collection solutions, and most importantly, evaluate the Environment Departments proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. Facing stiff budgetary headwinds, the Commission Must do all in its power to ensure that San Franciscos Environmental Programs continue to thrive. This meeting is also something of a crossroads. Our agenda will conclude tonight with the elections for the positions of Commission President and Vice President and tonight marks my final meeting as president. Looking back, im proud of what the commission has accomplished over the past two years as weve transformed ourselves from remote to inperson meetings, working to promote accessibility and inclusion. In addition, weve also worked hard to implement our ambitious Climate Action plan, increase oversight of contracts and grants, streamline our meeting schedule, and help select the Environment Departments next director. It. My script says its bittersweet to step down, but ill say its actually exciting to step down. And im confident that the new environmental leader will build on these achievements and chart a new path forward. I think a lot about myself off of the work ive done in my professional life as a nonprofit executive director and Environmental Justice. I think a lot about what will remain in the movement and how to carry it on in the next generation of leadership. So as we close this one meeting tonight, id like you to think about that. Whos the next leader who can perhaps carry your own torch in the future . And with that, lets get started. I believe we have now item number three, staff introductions with director ju. Thank you, president , on, uh, talking about passing the torch on to the next generation, im pleased to welcome, uh, a number of new people that we have on staff at the Environment Department. So im going to ask everyone thats in person to come on up to the front. Uh, were going to ask you to say a few words and introduce yourself. Uh and well first start with sierra barston, who is joining us as our new Environmental Justice assistant. Hi. Nice to meet you all. Im joining the ej team as the new Environmental Justice assistant. Ive just moved here from brooklyn and im really excited to be here. Yeah. Thank you. Uh, next up we have sebastian garb whos going to be our new clean transportation assistant. Hello. Nice to meet you. Im sebastian garb, and it is a pleasure to be serving sf environment as the new clean transportation assistant coordinator. Thank you. Next we have spencer lee, who is joining our Environmental Education team. Hello commissioners. I am an Environmental Education associate. Associate, uh, with the School Education team. Im a native san franciscan, born and raised here, and im excited to teach Environmental Education to youth in San Francisco. All right. Next up we have brian liu, who is joining our Green Business team. Hello commissioners. I am brian liu. I am joining the toxics Reduction Team as a Green Business associate. Um, im a socal native, just graduated from uc berkeley. This is my first job. Im very excited to be here and doing important work like this. Yeah thank you. Uh, next we have alejandro robles, who is our california Sustainability Service corps fellow working on our zero waste team. Um hi. Im alejandro robles, and i am a zero waste fellow on the Sustainability Service corps program. Um, i will be assisting both the residential and City Government sectors on several food waste prevention programs. So nice to meet you. All right. And finally, we have, uh, one person joining us remotely. We have arianna lawrence, who is one of our, uh, clean transportation team, um, new members, arianna. Hello sorry, that was a little, um. Can you everybody hear me . Yes, we can hear you. Okay. Excellent. Hi um, im arianna lawrence. Im a clean cities intern with the clean transportation team. Im a second year at pomona college. Um in socal, studying Public Policy analysis with a concentration in environmental analysis. Um, im originally from brooklyn, new york, and im really looking forward to working with sf environment. All right. Thank you, arianna, and welcome to all of our new employees. And so we can give them a round of applause and thank you. For. And as we conclude this item, uh, you are free to go. So dont feel like youre more than welcome to stay for the entire Commission Meeting. But if youd like to go, dont worry about it. Dont feel embarrassed. Just head on out. That concludes our new staff introductions. Thank you. Director ju. So now were moving on to item number four. Approval of the Meeting Minutes of december 4th, 2023. I believe we have an explanatory document. The copy of the Meeting Minutes. Uh, any discussion on this, colleagues . If not, could i have a motion to approve . I move that we approve the minutes. A motion from commissioner bermejo. I second, uh, um, a second from commissioner tompkins. Um, with that, well go to Public Comment. Are there any members of the public who wish to comment on this motion and seeing none . Public comment is closed. Im sorry. I realize we consolidated, um, there were two different approvals that we have to, uh, do. So perhaps well call for Public Comment one more time after the, uh, second, uh, the fifth item, if thats okay. Kyle, uh, just a point of clarification. Uh, chair on, um, given that the motion is for one of the minutes, would you prefer a vote on this motion followed by a vote on potentially a motion for the other minutes . I think that would be good. Okay. Ill now call the roll president on a Vice President. Juan. Hi commissioner bermejo, i. Commissioner hunter is excused. Commissioner sullivan. I commissioner tompkins i commissioner un i okay with that . Uh, motion carries on that item, but i see we have another set of minutes to approve from the Operations Committee. This is on january 10th. Do we have a motion . Ill move approval. Okay. A motion by commissioner sullivan second. Second. Ill second. Okay. A second from commissioner tompkins with that, perhaps Public Comment one more time. Okay. Well open it up for Public Comment on the Operations CommitteeMeeting Minutes. Are there any speakers who wish to comment on this item and seeing none . Public comment is closed. Roll call. Vote please. President on Vice President juan. Commissioner bermejo, i. Commissioner hunter is excused. Commissioner sullivan i commissioner tompkins i commissioner yuan i. And with that the motion carries as well. Thanks for your patience on that. So with that, the next item plan, please. Um the next item is item six, presentation of the johanna wald Environmental Service award to jennifer berg. This item is for discussion. Im sorry. I also see, um, general Public Comment. Perhaps after. Or is my, um. Yes um, commissioner, as the chair, you do have the discretion to move item 14. General Public Comment. Um, earlier in the meeting, um, id like to exercise that. Um, um, privilege. So lets then hear item 14 right now on general Public Comment. Okay. The next item is item 14. General Public Comment. Members of the public may address the commission on matters that are within the commissions jurisdiction and are not on todays agenda. Are there any members of the public who wish to comment on item 14 . Okay. And seeing none, Public Comment on this item is closed. Great and next item i believe now were at six again. The next item is item six presentation of the johanna wald Environmental Service award to jennifer berg. This item is for discussion. Commissioner tompkins, would you like to make todays presentation . Yes. Its my pleasure to present to joanna the joanna wald Environmental Service award to jennifer berg, former Program Administrator at the bay area Regional Energy network. Jenny led bay wren for more than 13 years and her impact there has been transformative. Leveraging her background and experience as an Environmental Defense attorney, jenny expands bay wren from a Single Program to ten regional and statewide programs through bay wren, jenny has helped countless bay area residents and businesses save money and reduce their carbon footprint. And her work there has made San Francisco a greener, more equitable city. Heres a sample of what jenny accomplished during her tenure at bay. Wren jenny established an Energy Efficiency program that upgraded over 12,000 residential units, most of which are affordable, multi family housing. She advocated for regulatory policy that enabled the long terme developer of bay wrens business and refrigerant programs, which support small and micro businesses across the bay area. Jenny led the development of two major Regulatory Filings that provide stable support and Funding Sources for the Environment Departments Energy Efficiency programs, and she supported the publication of a powerful online tool to inform San FranciscoEnergy Policies and promote access to Energy Consumption data. While jenny retired from bay, wren last year, her legacy there will endure for years to come and on behalf of the commission on the environment, thank you jenny, and congrats relations. Thank you, mr. President and commissioners. If i could just say a few words. Um, thank you so much. Im truly, truly honored to receive this award. Um, of course, i appreciate the acknowledgment of byron, um, and my own personal accomplishments, but id like to say that byron really would not have existed if it wasnt for sf, sf. Sfa was one of the initial supporters of the idea of a regional program. Um um. The late cal broomhead was a real visionary. He provided a lot of resources, as did anne kelly, who also is retired. Id like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of sf staff. Ive had the pleasure to work with kara, who i know is online, even from when she was at the county of san mateo, um, with lowell, who i had a very close, um, personal and working relationship, um, particularly as he navigated the very choppy waters of the bay run Business Program and, tyrone, id like to say im sorry that we didnt get to Work Together too long, but i admired your handling of that quite contentious meeting and the calm and professionalism that youve shown. And id also like to express my appreciation for your strong support of both byron and your staff. I just wanted to make two quick comments about why this award is particularly meaningful. For me. First, its from the city and county of San Francisco, the city that raised me. I was born and raised in San Francisco, and it taught me the values upon which the city, um, is founded on, as well as allowed me to learn to use my voice to stand up for what is right. Im sorry that my dear mother is not here. She was. An elected official in San Francisco so many times over, and she truly loved this city. And finally, im truly honored to be the first recipient of the johanna weld Environmental Services award. Like johanna, i was an attorney and worked in the environmental field. Id call it a twist of fate or karma, but when johanna retired, she became a very, very active political resister. As we call ourselves, with a group called activate america. As i retire and i stepped up my political volunteering, also with activate america, so i did not know who johanna weld was until lowell had contacted me and i saw her on a zoom screen. So im very honored that johanna is here tonight, as well as ronnie from activate america. So thank you all very, very much. Its very meaningful to me. Um, if there are no other comments from commissioners, perhaps well move to attendees, members of the public. Good evening. Commissioners, im lowell chiu, um, Energy Program manager, and im delighted that we are here to celebrate a remarkable individual whos dedication, vision and tireless efforts has transformed the landscape of Energy Efficiency in San Francisco and the bay area. It was a great honor that i congratulate jenny on receiving the prestigious johanna wald Environmental Services award for over a decade, jenny has been the director of baron. It was her vision for a regional approach to Energy Efficiency that led to the growth of this organization from a single residential Energy Efficiency program to ten programs, including a statewide program. Now, baron has program in residential, commercial and workforce development, Water Conservation codes, standards, and others. Youve heard some of the local impact jennys leadership has had on our programs, particularly on multifamily, residential. Again, 12,000 residential units upgraded, over 10 million in incentives. Those are just the direct impact on San Francisco. The indirect impact are the good paying jobs that these projects created for the contractors to improve in residential services, in safety and efficiency, and the program forced a way to provide rebates for electric cooktops and heat pumps. One of the First Programs in the state to do that at. At the same time, jenny staunchly supported the development and launch of two commercial programs, both led by the department and as jenny, and mentioned, when one of these programs was experiencing existential crisis, jenny jumped in to lead and facilitate a resolution. Today that very shaky program is solidly grounded. In just six months, it has upgraded nearly 100 hard to reach Small Businesses in the bay area, but perhaps even more remarkable than the technical achievement is jennys ability to inspire change and rally others to a cause. To me, jenny has served as a mentor, a champion and a catalyst not only for the baron organization, but for other individuals and organizations. Igniting a Regional Movement towards a more sustained, able and equitable future. Jenny, your legacy will endure as a testament to the power of your vision, your leadership, and wavering dedication. And on behalf of everyone youve touched and worked with. Congratulations on this. Well deserved honor. Thank you. Seeing no other attendees, is there anyone on the zoom . Hi, kara, would you like to speak. Good evening, commissioners. Im kara battista, a Senior Energy specialist here at the San FranciscoEnvironment Department, and im so excited to be able to congratulate jenny tonight on her welldeserved recognitio