1. CALL TO ORDER/ AGENDA CHANGES

All Commissioners present for meeting. No changes to Agenda.

Action: To approve the agenda.                            m/s/c (Soo/Mesloh/Unanimous)

No Public Comment on Agenda.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez asked if she should vote on the minutes if she was not present for that meeting. President Shorter informed her that it fell within the rules for her to vote on it. Executive Director Murase added that only in a conflict interest would a commissioner not be able to vote on any action item during a meeting.

No changes were made to the minutes from December 16, 2015.

Action: To approve the minutes from December 16, 2015.           m/s/c (Kirshner-Rodriguez/Reyerson/Unanimous)

No Public Comment on minutes.

3. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT           

Some of the highlights that Executive Director Emily Murase presented as follows:

She asked the Commissioners to mark March 1, 2016 on their calendars and to plan on attending the annual Women’s History Month event held at the Board of Supervisor’s chambers at 3:30 pm, followed by a reception hosted by the Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women in the Mayor’s conference room. The Mayor, District Attorney and the Board of Supervisors have been invited to nominate women leaders to honor.

This year’s One Billion Rising will be organized by Mission Girls as a grass roots community event at the Women’s Building. The event is on Friday, February 12 from 3:30 – 5:30 pm.

At the US Attorney’s Executive Briefing on Human Trafficking, Commissioner Soo was invited to make an announcement on innovative alternatives to law enforcement for going after human traffickers, such as tax audits, licensing compliance, and the like. It was a great briefing attended by more than 150 people. Director of Women's Policy Minouche Kandel and the Executive Director presented the progress in San Francisco and they were joined by the representatives of the Police and the District Attorney’s office.

January’s Human Trafficking Awareness month events and campaigns were discussed.

Commission President Shorter applauded the Department and Dr. Murase for all of the many anti-trafficking projects, especially the work on the No Traffick Ahead campaign. She hopes that the work of the Department and the Commission is spreading knowledge and making changes in our community. She wondered if there is any tracking of public response to the campaign occurring. Executive Director Murase said that the campaign directs people to the NoTraffickAhead.com website, and they would be able to track how many people accessed that site. Also the campaign is working with Polaris, a service that runs the National Hotline, that tracks phone calls.

Commissioner Soo asked if the Department will start posting the Executive Director reports on the Department’s website. The Executive Director confirmed that the reports will be posted. Commission Secretary Herschell Larrick noted that he has posted all Executive Director’s reports available in Fiscal Year 15-16, and will continue to post after each meeting.

Public Comment on Executive Director’s Report:

1. Joyce Calagos of San Francisco Interfaith Council, Aging and Disability Action, said she signed up as a volunteer to train San Francisco hotel staff for the Super Bowl but she has not heard back. She wanted to know how to find out her application status. Executive Director Murase said she would provide the email contact to Ms. Calagos.

Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez complimented the No Traffick Ahead campaign and said that the campaign is receiving considerable public attention. She hopes it is very successful and said that the Commissioners should be very proud of the campaign.

4. CONSENT AGENDA        

Action: To approve the consent agenda.                       m/s/c (Soo/Zwart/Unanimous)

No Public Comment on Consent Agenda.

1. Resolution Recognizing Stephanie Martin

President Shorter recognized the contributions of Stephanie Martin, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee. She noted that Ms. Martin has collaborated with the San Francisco Mayor’s Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking and the No Traffick Ahead regional group to address human trafficking in advance of Super Bowl 50, and has used her skills as a marketing communications executive to help amplify and support a regional approach to anti-human trafficking efforts before, during, and after the Super Bowl. Ms. Martin helped forge new collaborations between anti-human trafficking advocates and the hospitality industry, and, in a first for a Super Bowl Host Committee, committed to training the 5,000 event volunteers to recognize signs of human trafficking. President Shorter welcomed Ms. Martin to speak before the Commission.

Ms. Martin thanked the Commission for the honor. She said that it has been a great experience to work with Executive Director Murase and all of the Department, and that it is important work for San Francisco, the larger Bay Area, and that the model being created will be shared with other regions around the country.

Ms. Kandel complimented Ms. Martin as an inspiring woman leader and said she was impressed with Ms. Martin’s ability to take on these enormous efforts and do such an amazing job.

No Public Comment on Stephanie Martin Resolution.

2. Resolution Recognizing Jason Trimiew

For the second resolution, President Shorter recognized Jason Trimiew. She told the meeting that Mr. Trimiew is the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee's Vice President for Community Relations with responsibility for the development and execution of all philanthropic, supplier diversity, and community engagement initiatives. He has spent more than 15 years working at the intersection of the marketplace and social good in micro finance, social enterprise, and community and economic development in both the US and overseas. He also has helped create the new collaborations between anti-human trafficking advocates and the hospitality industry. The Super Bowl 50 Host Committee has broken new ground as the “most giving” Host Committee, and has raised over $12 million for community groups in the Bay Area. President Shorter invited Mr. Trimiew to speak before the Commission.

Mr. Trimiew thanked the Commission. He said how impressed he has been with all of the collaborators, the strength of the community, and with the Commission, the Department, and Executive Director Murase. He stressed that the work they have been able to do is really through the efforts of the entire community.

No Public Comment on Jason Trimiew Resolution.

Commissioner Soo wondered if the Human Trafficking Awareness campaign was being posted on VIP busses to the stadium. Dr. Murase said she did not know about the VIP busses, but she reiterated the campaign locations on Muni busses and shelters. Ms. Martin said that she did not know either, since they were not responsible for the VIP busses. But the volunteers who have been trained act as ambassadors, so there may be in-person messages given to VIPs instead of or in addition to message posters.

3. Resolution Authorizing Department on the Status of Women to accept the $750,000 grant from the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women

President Shorter introduced the third resolution to Authorize the Department on the Status of Women to accept a $750,000 grant from the Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women. The Department on the Status of Women partnered with the District Attorney’s Office, San Francisco Police Department, and three community-based organizations – YMCA Bayview, La Casa de las Madres, and, Glide – to better serve victims who are at high risk of lethality in relationships and to improve prosecutors’ ability to bring perpetrators to justice. The goals of the project are to (1) maintain centralized prosecution and victim support services for domestic violence survivors; (2) develop policies and data collection systems to improve the tracking of cases and classification of complaints involving domestic violence; (3) enhance direct services for domestic violence victims with high risk of lethality in relationships, and (4) develop and implement a domestic violence high lethality risk team pilot project in San Francisco’s Bayview District.

Executive Director Murase presented background on this grant. She told the Commission that the reason the Department of Justice gave us this grant is because of the decades long work on Justice and Courage and the data from the Family Violence Council. That data showed that residents of the Bay View are most likely to call the police in a domestic violence situation compared to residents elsewhere. There is a movement nationwide to identify the characteristics of individuals and environments that are prone to high risk lethality domestic violence. She explained that we are building capacity within our community with this grant.

President Shorter verified with the Executive Director that the grant is for $750,000, the Department will be administering the grant, and will be receiving $25,000 directly while the rest goes to staffing at the District Attorney’s Office and direct services at $725,000 over the next three years.

Commissioner Soo wanted to know if the grant could also be applied to ethnic groups other than just African American community and suggested that the programs included diverse language capability. The Executive Director said that the grant is specific to the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood and that the suggestion for diverse cultural competencies is a good one. The Department would push for full community accessibility. President Shorter concurred with Commissioner Soo that the Bay View district’s demographics have shifted.

Public Comment on Resolution Authorizing Department on the Status of Women to accept the $750,000 grant:

1. Joyce Calagos of SF Interfaith Council, Aging and Disability Action, said she volunteered at Las Casas. She said she believed that last year Supervisor Avalos put in the Department’s Budget for more money for domestic violence coverage for Filipina women. Ms. Calagos asked if there is money for Asian Women’s Shelter in the Grant.

The Executive Director said that Supervisor Avalos did secure some budget for Babae Healthy Relationships Program, located in the South of Market neighborhood. President Shorter said that the Grant is very specifically targeted and would not be able to fund programs outside of its target, but the Department will continue to support the violence against women programs.

5. NEW BUSINESS

1. FY 2016 – 2017 and FY 2017 – 2018 Budget                    

Action: To approve the budget for FY 2016                  m/s/c (Soo/Mesloh/Unanimous)

Laura Busch of the Mayor’s office presented a city budget overview. She showed that there is a budget shortfall and that city departments are being asked to present budgets with a 1.5% cut in General Funds the first year, and then a cumulative 3% cut in the second year. She noted that just because such a budget is turned in, the Mayor’s Office may or may not enact that budget. Her colleague Melissa Whitehouse, Deputy Budget Director also presented some of this information.

Executive Director Murase presented the proposed Department budget. She stated that to meet the reduction target the Department will reduce the Department’s direct budget by $5,000 in each of the two years and propose an across the board cut to grantee programs by $91,233.

Commissioner Mesloh asked when the actual budget would be known. The Executive Director said the budget goes through a lengthy process. The Mayor will announce the proposed budget on June 1, followed by budget hearings in June, and budget signing in July.

Public Comment on the proposed FY 2016 – 2017 and FY 2017 – 2018 Budget:

1. Beverly Upton, Director of the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium, stated that the Domestic Violence Consortium is working with City Hall and the community to exempt the Department and VAW grants from the proposed budget cuts. She noted that in the past they have successfully staved off cuts, and the Mayor has shown support of direct services. She concluded by saying “Let’s stay strong and keep this a sustainable department and community.”

2. Equal Pay Advisory Board                        

Margi English presented an overview of the Equal Pay Advisory Board’s progress. She said that San Francisco was the first jurisdiction in the country to do this level of gender pay analysis. The Advisory Board consulted with New Mexico and the Gap, who have both done similar work. It comes down to an enforcement model vs. an incentive model for acquiring the data. Either method requires a high level of buy-in, as employers cannot force their employees to provide data. She said that they need to do more research and track down more data that is already available. They decided to use the City departments as a pilot project.

Commissioner Soo asked about implicit bias. Ms. English said that was definitely a discussion point with in the group and hopes that the project will stay open to deeper analysis and openness.

Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez said that she would like to share the information with state legislators. Ms. English said that they are very open to sharing their process and findings.

President Shorter commended Ms. English for her work. She listed concerns with the work of the Equal Pay Advisory Board, including the fact that these kinds of studies have been done in the past and her big question is how this new territory will this help us move forward with our policies. She said she was going to review the report and that she might reach out to Ms. English to discuss the finer points of the report. She exhorted her fellow Commissioners to read the report thoroughly.

6. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT

1. Roberta Guise with FemResources, said that last week there was an anti-human trafficking event with the Democratic Women in Action with Judge Marianna Warmee and Carlotta Jackson-Lane. They focused on what actions can individuals take to fight human trafficking. She concluded by stating that people are very interested in this subject.

7. CLOSED SESSION             

1. Public comment on all matters pertaining to Item VIII, Closed Session, including public comment on vote whether to hold Item VIII in closed session.

No Public Comment on Closed Session.

2. Vote on whether to hold Item VIII in Closed Session (San Francisco Administrative Code Section 67.10)

Action: To hold Item VIII in Closed Session.                  m/s/c (Mesloh/Soo/Unanimous)

C.   Closed Session pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b) and San Francisco Administrative Code Section 67.10(b):

PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: Executive Director Emily M. Murase, PhD.

D.   Open Session

Action: To elect whether to publicly disclose any or all of the information discussed in the closed session under San Francisco Administrative Code Section 67.12(a).

Action: To not disclose closed session information       m/s/c (Mesloh/Soo/Unanimous)

8. ADJOURNMENT

President Shorter motioned to adjourn meeting.

Action: To adjourn                           m/s/c (Shorter/Mesloh/Unanimous)