Elections Commission
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 Elections Commission Meeting
Wednesday, October 18, 2006 at 7:00 pm
City Hall Room 408
ORDER OF BUSINESS
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
3. FLAG SALUTE
4. Public Comment on any issue within the Elections Commission’s general jurisdiction.
5. Director’s Report
• Update on re-certification of voting equipment for RCV
• Update on preparation for November 7, 2006 Election
6. Commissioners’ Reports
• Meetings with public officials
• Meetings with nongovernmental organizations
• Oversight and Observation activities
• Long-range planning for Commission activities and areas of study
- OLD BUSINESS
(a) Discussion and possible action regarding the U.S. Department of Justice memorandum dated September 12, 2006, pertaining to San Francisco’s compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Commissioner Matthews)
(b) Discussion and Possible Action on Attendance Policy for the Commission. (Commission Secretary Rodriques)
(c) Update on requirement for the expenditure of HAVA funds.
(Deputy City Attorney Ann O'Leary)
8. NEW BUSINESS
(a) Discussion and possible action to approve the Elections Commission minutes for the meeting of October 4, 2006.
(b) Discussion and possible action concerning oversight of Election Day operations. Under the City Charter, the Elections Commission is responsible for overseeing all public federal, state, district and municipal elections in the City and County. The Commission duties include approving a written election plan prior to each election, and assessing the effectiveness of the plan after the election. (Charter section 13.103.5.) In connection with these duties, the Commissioners will discuss possible oversight activities concerning Election Day operations.
(c) Discussion and possible action to hold a public hearing at the Elections Commission Meeting of November 1, 2006 on the future of voting systems to be used in San Francisco.
9. Discussion regarding items for future agendas
10. Public comment on any issue within the Elections Commission’s general jurisdiction.
11. Announcements
ADJOURNMENT
Disability Access
The Elections Commission meeting will be held in Room 408, City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA. The Commission meeting room is wheelchair accessible. The closest accessible BART station is the Civic Center Station at United Nations Plaza and Market Street. Accessible MUNI lines serving this location are: #42 Downtown Loop, and #71 Haight/Noriega and the F Line to Market and Van Ness and the Metro Stations at Van Ness and Market and at Civic Center. For information about MUNI accessible services call (415) 923-6142. There is accessible curbside parking adjacent to City Hall on Grove Street and Van Ness Avenue and in the vicinity of the Veterans Building at 401 Van Ness Avenue adjacent to Davies Hall and the War Memorial Complex.
The following services are available on request 48 hours prior to the meeting; except for Monday meetings, for which the deadline shall be 4:00 p.m. of the last business day of the preceding week: For American sign language interpreters or the use of a reader during a meeting, a sound enhancement system, and/or alternative formats of the agenda and minutes, please contact The Elections Office at (415) 554- 4375 or our TDD at (415) 554-4386 to make arrangements for the accommodation. Late requests will be honored, if possible.
In order to assist the City's efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical based products. Please help the City accommodate these individuals. Individuals with chemical sensitivity or related disabilities should call our accessibility hotline at (415) 554-6060.
Know your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance (Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code)
Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils, and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people's business. This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people's review. For more information on your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance or to report a violation of the ordinance, contact the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, Donna Hall, Clerk, City Hall, Room 409, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102-4683 at Phone No.: (415) 554-7724; Fax No.: (415) 554-7854; E-mail: [email protected] Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can be obtained from the Clerk of the Sunshine Task Force, the San Francisco Public Library and on the City's website at www.ci.sf.ca.us.
Materials contained in the Commission packets for meetings is available for inspection at the Elections Department, City Hall Room 48, in the Commission's Public Binder, no later than 72 hours prior to meetings.
The ringing of and use of cell phones, pagers and similar sound-producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. Please be advised that the Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person(s) responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic devices.
Lobbyist Registration and Reporting Requirements
Individuals and entities that influence or attempt to influence local legislative or administrative action may be required by the San Francisco Lobbyist Ordinance [SF Campaign & Governmental Conduct Code §2.100] to register and report lobbying activity. For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, please contact the Ethics Commission at 30 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 3900, San Francisco, CA 94102; telephone (415) 581-2300, fax (415) 581-2317; web site at http://www.sfethics.org/.
ATTACHMENTS:
Item # 10 (f)
TO: Elections Commission
FROM: Ann M. O'Leary
Deputy City Attorney
DATE: September 29, 2006
In recent weeks, both the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors have urged City Boards and Commissions to adopt attendance policies. This memo provides information on the Board and the Mayor's request that the Commission establish an attendance policy. While these requests are non-binding, the Commission should consider the requests and decide whether to adopt such policies.
Board Resolution
In August, the Board of Supervisors passed a non-binding resolution urging all City Boards and Commissions to adopt an internal policy regarding members' attendance at meetings of the body and requesting each Commission to submit a copy of its policy to the Board by December 1, 2006. In this resolution, the Board urges each board or commission to consider including in the attendance policy how and when members are to be excused and when the body is to report a member's excessive absenteeism to the appointing authority.
Mayor's Memo
On September 18, 2006, the Mayor sent a memo to all City Boards and Commissions making three requests:
- The Mayor asks each Commission to consider incorporating baseline attendance standards into the commission's policies and procedures (the Mayor suggests that all absences be "excused absences" and that the commission has a working goal of 100% attendance for the commissioners and a real goal of 90% attendance);
- The Mayor asks that commission secretaries submit an annual report to his office by the end of each fiscal year detailing commission attendance; and
- The Mayor asks commission secretaries to contact his office if a commissioner misses a meeting without contacting the department in advance.
The first request asks the Commission to establish an attendance policy. The second request is a request for general information as to attendance of all the Commissioners on the Commission. The third request appears to only go to those Commissioners that the Mayor appoints and over whom he has authority. But the Board Resolution suggests that the Commission should consider establishing a policy of reporting a member's excessive absenteeism to the appointing authority (whoever that may be for the particular Commissioner).
Action
The Commission should consider whether to adopt an attendance policy based on these requests and recommendations from the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor.
If the Commission adopts a policy along the lines suggested by the Mayor and the Board, the Commission Secretary would need to provide the attendance policy to the Board by December 1, 2006, provide an annual report on attendance to the Mayor, and report any excessive absenteeism to the appointing authority for each Commissioner.
Please contact the Commission Secretary at 554-7494 for remaining attachments.