Employment Advisory Committee Meetings
1) Call to Order/Roll Call
The meeting was called to order by Commissioner Faye Woo Lee at 1:35p.m. A quorum was present.
Members Present
Commissioner Faye Woo Lee, Molly Baier, Rich Bondoc, Larry Chatmon, John Crowley, Cameron Douraghy, Jerry Jones, Warren Mar, Ronnie Rhoe, Ken Stram, Adrian Trujillo, Norma Tecson and John Weber
Members Absent
Commissioner Carlota del Portillo
Staff Present
Linda Chin and Kabir Hypolite
2) Approval of Agenda
Approval of the June agenda was postponed until August meeting to comply with the Sunshine Act requirements.
3) Adoption of May 3, 2007 minutes
Approval of the June minutes was postponed until August meeting to comply with the Sunshine Act requirements.
4) Staff Report
Kabir Hypolite reported on a staff meeting with Mike Theriault, Secretary-Treasurer of theSan Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council regarding the reintroduction of Technical Education in the San Francisco Unified School District. John Crowley noted that the construction trades are losing people because of the absence of teachers and course work in the public school system. He made several points in support of the reintroduction of the career technical education in the public high school system. Jerry Jones expressed his concerns that there are not enough children coming out of high school that are prepared to go to college and worried that a reintroduction of career technical education will hamper efforts to encourage children of color to pursue college educations. He also noted that funding for these courses was cut due to funding shortages that still persist. Jose Bondoc inquired about state licensing requirements.
5) Public Comment for Items not on the agenda
No public comment
6) Old Business
a) Commissioner Fay Woo Lee and Linda Chin reported on the Commission’s decision not to support the Committee’s recommendations regarding coordination of delivery of youth services and feasibility of a youth employment & training center in the Southeast sector of San Francisco because of concern that they do not reflect the will of the Bayview community and continuing funding concerns that remain unaddressed by the Committee’s recommendations. Also, other City agencies provide youth employment services already. She noted that Commissioner Baghdadi indicated he did not want a letter addressed to the Mayor since such a directive should come from the Mayor to the departments not vice versa. Finally Ms. Chin noted that the Commissioners voiced various reservations about the recommendations in April when Mary Gin Starkweather presented on them.
Larry Chatmon suggested the motion might fare better if it were attached to a larger strategy that reflects what resources are already available and what initiatives are already ongoing. He suggested that the motion be re-engineered rather than abandoned. Norma Tecson indicated her support of Mr. Chatmon’s suggestions. She argued that duplication of efforts is misguided and unwise and noted that policy should defer to the work of community organizations that have lengthy records of community work.
Commissioner Lee noted that the Commission had approved the resolutions in principal but requested that it be reworded. A letter without solid proof of a need for the center in Bayview Hunters Point would not have a desired effect. Further there is no support of the community for these motions, no plan, and no study to support them.
John Weber disputed the assertion of a lack of community support for the motions and noted that four Commissioners he spoke to said they would have supported them if they had their questions answered. He was not notified that the motions were on the Commission’s agenda and inquired about the Committee’s process. He also argued that the motions were not duplication but were intended to build upon the One Stop development already in place. He said that the Mayor’s Task Force reported a lack of coordinated effort towards transition age youth in the City, including the Bayview. Mr. Weber said there is much research about employment and health care of transition aged youth. According to Mr. Weber, the Mayors Task Force and the City’s Budget Office are issuing a report to the Mayor in the coming weeks to indicate the same thing as the first motion to coordinate city department efforts. It will be called “Disconnect to Youth in San Francisco: A Road Map to Improve Life and Challenges of San Francisco’s Most Vulnerable Young Adults.” The studies were done across departments. He noted that his November resolutions were seven months prior to the report being sent to the Mayor. He said the Mayor mentioned the topic in a budgetary report. Finally, he said he had checked with the executive committee of Mayor’s Task Force and they said the Mayor would support the resolution. The second motion was to look at the feasibility of expanding or building a One Stop in the Bayview. He noted that it was supported by Duane Jones. He asked what the function of the Committee is supposed to be.
Commissioner Lee responded that ideally resolutions that the Committee sends will be supported by the full Commission, the Mayor, and the Board of Supervisors. She said that the Commissioners do not want to send a recommendation to the Mayor or the Board that is already happening. She noted that regarding the One Stop Center the Commissioners need solid proof of a problem and a plan to fix it. They want to have an impact not duplication.
Jerry Jones noted that not all recommendations of the Committee will win the approval of the Commission. He noted that other Committee recommendations have been quite instrumental in moving City policy and he cited as just two examples the women’s elevator trade apprenticeship program and the revisions to the City’s Civil Services hiring procedures regarding formerly incarcerated applicants as well as other items.
Molly Baier noted that concrete information was not readily available on the internet and she asked what support was available for such a study. She noted that factual support was not there. What form of study is needed? Is professional advice needed to conduct such a study? Is there funding available for such a study?
Commissioner Lee questioned whether the Commission has the jurisdiction to conduct such a study.
Ronnie Rhoe suggested that this is an opportune time for broad recommendations in the proper forum. MOEWD is working with a consultant now to create a workforce development plan. He said Chinese for Affirmative Action is participating on the One Stop issue because they have conducted a feasibility study for a One Stop in Chinatown. He indicated that a specific priority that the Committee wants to present should be presented to MOEWD since they are planning for long term economic development. The Committee can address its recommendation to MOEWD that there be a full service One Stop Center in Bayview and that coordination of transition age youth departmental resources be a priority as MOEWD goes through its process. He urged members of the Committee to be part of MOEWD’s planning process.
Molly Baier requested that this item be kept on the Committee’s August agenda. Mr. Weber asked for a presentation from a task force participant familiar with the studies upon which its recommendations are based.
b) Larry Chatmon concluded his presentation of the history of the development of the One Stop system. He noted that the idea of a youth center fits into the One Stop concept design. He noted that One Stop is partnership, infrastructure, shared resources and clients. He conceded that the concept is not one that everyone is going to embrace since some parties have their own resources. He stressed that the outcome of the One Stop system must be acceptable to the business community or it will not be successful. He urged a public private partnership as a cornerstone of the system.
c) Equal Justice Works Fellow at the National Housing Law Project Alaric Degrafinried presented a report on the funding requirements of HUD Section 3 and their impact on youth employment and career development.
7) Announcements and Calendar matters:
The next meeting of the Employment Committee will be held:
Date: August 2, 2007
Time: 1:30 – 3:30pm
Place: HRC Offices
25 Van Ness Avenue # 800
San Francisco, CA. 94102
8. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 4:45pm.