1. CALL TO ORDER/AGENDA CHANGES

Vice President Miry called the meeting to order at 9:13 am.

No changes to the Agenda.

No Public Comment.

Action: To approve the meeting agenda.

(Roll Call Vote)            m/s/c (Andary/Moses/6 ayes, 0 nays - Unanimous)

 

2. WELCOME/ICEBREAKER

Director Ellis facilitated an icebreaker activity. Commissioners stated their name and the part of the City they live in. Commissioners responded to the question of what is the biggest obstacle or opportunity facing women and girls today as it relates to gender equity. Commissioners also share their favorite place that they have traveled or a place they want to travel.

No Public Comment.

3. DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW DISCUSSION

Director Ellis shared an overview of the history and background of the Department. She announced that the Department is working on a Federal grant application with law enforcement to restart the Human Trafficking Task Force work and plans to expand the Department’s focus on policies and legislation. She noted that the Department does not currently have a Vision Statement and asked the Commission to consider developing one.

Director Ellis went over the Executive Summary of the Department, which was submitted to the Mayor’s Budget Book. Director Ellis shared her budgeting philosophy to invest in the Department in order to improve overall effectiveness of its work. She stated that the Department will continue to fund essential services to support women’s safety and opportunity, however the Department also needs proper staffing. She guided Commissioners through on organizational chart, sharing that the Department currently has 9 positions but only 6 FTE are funded by City general funds with three positions grant funded. Director Ellis shared more detail on the three grants funding these positions: Blue Shield Foundation, California Department of Social Services, and the US Department of Justice.

Director Ellis explained that all departments had been mandated to reduce their budget by 10 percent and that the Department focused those budget cuts to Partner Agencies that had been underspending their funding and those with larger budgets that could withstand greater cuts. The City received federal relief bill funding that allowed for these budget reductions to be reversed. Director Ellis shared that the Department will be using the reimbursement of those funds to seed fund two new programmatic areas: Civic Engagement and Economic Security.

No Public Comment.

4. COMMISSION OVERVIEW

Director Ellis provided an overview of the role of the Commission on the Status of Women, its relationship to the Department, and rules and compliance. She noted that the most important roles of the Commission are that it is a policy-making body, acts as ambassador for the Department, and helps guide the work of the Department.

Deputy City Attorney Brad Russi discussed important regulations, rules, and compliance for Commissioners.

Commissioners asked questions to Mr. Russi regarding conflicts of interest.

No Public Comment.

5. DEPARTMENT BUDGET HEARING

Director Ellis discussed the Department’s upcoming budget presentation before the Board of Supervisors scheduled for June 16, 2021. She mentioned that the Department has the smallest number of staff to budget ratio in the entire City and County of San Francisco. This discrepancy underscores the scale and severity of how understaffed the Department is for what is has been asked to do.

No Public Comment.

 

 

6. PROGRAM EXPANSION

Director Ellis presented the Department’s new and expanded program areas and how they will integrate with existing projects, initiatives, and departmental goals. She shared the three programmatic pillars:  

1. Health and Safety including wellness and the Violence Education, Intervention, and Prevention (VEIP) program;

2. Economic Security including jobs, employment, housing security, financial literacy education, investments in women and girls such as microlending, small business loans, and investing; and

3. Civic Engagement and Political Empowerment including voting rights, civics education, Commission and Board appointments, and serving in elected office.

Commissioners shared their ideas for events and initiatives within the three pillars.

No Public Comment.

7. PLACES & SPACES

Director Ellis asked Commissioners to consider areas, convenings, places and spaces where the Department or the Commission should have or expand its presence. Policy and Projects Director Elizabeth Newman gave an overview of preexisting policy bodies that the Department has been engaged in and where there may be room for the Commission to urge a greater gender equity lens.

No Public Comment.

8. NEXT STEPS

Director Ellis asked Commissioners to join in a unified voice with the Department in support of increasing staffing and programmatic expansion.

Action: Motion for the Commission to authorize President Breanna Zwart and Vice President Shokooh Miry to write a letter to the Board of Supervisors in support of the Department’s budget proposal.

(Roll Call Vote)            m/s/c (Andary/Rihal/6 yay – 0 nay)

No Public Comment.

Director Ellis asked Commissions to consider creating a working group for the purpose of establishing a Commission and Department vision statement and possible change to the mission statement.

Action: Motion for the Commission to authorize a working group to develop a proposal for a vision statement that aligns with the Department’s mission statement.

(Roll Call Vote)            m/s/c (Chung/Andary/6 yay – 0 nay)

No Public Comment.

 

9. ADJOURNMENT ACTION

Meeting adjourned at 12:05pm.

No Public Comment.

Motion to adjourn.

(Roll Call Vote)            m/s/c (Moses/Rihal/6 yay – 0 nay)