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01.25 Approved Minutes

City and County of San Francisco

Commission on the Environment

APPROVED MINUTES

Tuesday, January 25, 2005 at 5:00 p.m.

City Hall Room 416

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order shortly after 5:00 p.m. Present: Commissioners Nia Crowder, Paul Pelosi, Jr., Christina Desser, Angelo King, Alan Mok, Arlene Rodriguez, and Johanna Wald.

Commissioner Nia Crowder introduced Monica Fish, Environment Commission Secretary.

2. ACTION: Adoption of Minutes of November 23rd, 2004 Commission Meeting.

There were no comments from the public at this time.

Upon motion By Commissioner Wald and second by Commissioner Desser, the minutes of the November 23, 2004 Regular Meeting were unanimously adopted.

AYES: Commissioners Crowder, Pelosi, Jr., Desser, King, Mok, Rodriguez, and Wald

3. PUBLIC COMMENT for items under the Commission’s jurisdiction and not on today’s agenda.

There were no comments from the public at this time

4. INFORMATION: Update on World Environment Day.

· Director Jared Blumenfeld gave an update on preparations for World Environment Day to be held in San Francisco from June 1 - 5, 2005.

· Elisabeth Cox, head of Communications and Special Events for the United Nations Environment Program, Brennan Van Dyke, head of North American Regional Office for the United Nations Environment Program, and Heidi Kuhn, Chair of World Environment Day and Executive Director, Roots of Peace thanked everyone involved and the City of San Francisco for hosting World Environment Day.

· Public comment from Michelle Leighton, Co-Founder of the Natural Heritage Institute on World Environment Day and the formation of the Burton Center, an organization seeking to raise awareness of globalization and their impact to the environment in cities around the world. Request to present language at the Policy Committee meeting to assure that the World Environment Day Environmental Accords promote the issues of globalization and linkages between human rights environment and labor in San Francisco and other cities around the world.

· Public comment from Reverend Gregory Richardson, Faith Base Community, Black Pride Enterprise on World Environment Day, working with faith based communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, and engaging worldwide leaders to engage them in the renewable energies process.

· Public comment from Commander Bob Pon, American Asian legion in San Francisco, on developing programs and awareness between communities.

5. ACTION: Consideration and approval of Resolution No. 007-04-COE “Bag Fee” (Explanatory Document: Resolution No. 007-04-COE Bag Fee)**

URGING THE MAYOR AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE REQUIRING A FEE ON PLASTIC AND PAPER BAGS.

Sponsor: Johanna Wald

Staff: Robert Haley

· Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi spoke on a Resolution introduced by the Mayor and Supervisor at the January 11, 2005 Board of Supervisors meeting instructing the Department of the Environment to complete a nexus study to establish the relationship between the use of disposable supermarket shopping bags and various costs to the City, and to determine the legality and appropriateness of a local fee on these bags.

· Director Jared Blumenfeld gave a presentation on the Department of the Environment (DOE) “bag fee” Resolution and explained proposed amendments.

· Commissioner Pelosi proposed amendments to the DOE Resolution to include that the Commission be able to monitor the results of the nexus study before the Policy Committee and the Commission and proposed a Scope Committee to insure that (1) all San Franciscans and their interests are represented and not desperately impacted (2) the 17 cents fee is not excessive; and (3) how community behavior would be changed.

The Commission thanked staff for their work.

Public Comment speaking in support of Resolution

Bob Besso, Recycling Program Manager, Norcal Waste Systems on the fee helping stop the careless disposal of bags that impact the environment as well as recycling and composting programs.

Bob Price, Program Director, International Council for Local Environmental Issues on program reducing green house gas emissions.

Denise D’Anne

Parin Shah

Ceu, Culture Change

Jan Lundberg, Culture Change on raising the fee amount.

Emily Rogers, TEACH Program Director on educating the public

Monica Wilson, Global Anti Incinerator Alliance on preventing waste and making sure this issue is not an undue burden on low-income families.

Todd Sutton, Northern California Recycling Association

Jim Rhoads, Chair, Recycling Committee, Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council

Buffy Francisco on finding more places to dispose of plastic materials.

Kim Robrbach on educating the public.

Shawn Berry, San Francisco Urban Alliance for Sustainability

Joe McCraw on sustainability and educating the public.

Greg Shiffer, San Francisco concerned citizen on educating the public

Karen Taylor on other nations that are participating in these types of programs

Aaron Israel, Sierra Club

Elizabeth Stamp, Mission District resident

Sue Vaughan

Buffy Francisco on studying more places to dispose of plastic materials.

Nicole Capshaw on educating the public as to where to return bags.

Alice Mosley on plastic adversely affecting health issues

Apryl Owens on public education, awareness and solutions.

Christian Miranda, Intern, National Park Service on gradually incrementing the bag fee.

Melissa Sarenac, San Francisco Resident, on San Francisco Scavenger Company providing every household with three canvas bags.

Joe Mirabile, EcoBridge requesting two amendments to the Resolution requiring only cotton canvas bags and to ban newspapers from using plastic bags.

Bruce Spiegelman, Owner, Western Textile Manufacturing Company, a company manufacturing canvas bags, to consider their industry.

Paul Goettlich, author of an article in the January 24, 2005 Chronicle, on the misunderstanding of the proposed fee as a tax.

Mark Murray, Californians Against Waste, on grocery stores using revenue to provide free reusable bags for consumers on food stamps.

Steven Kreftig, San Francisco League of Conservation Voters on the nexus study fully examining the cost fairness and implementation issues with legal justification, looking beyond grocery stores, and involving other Bay Area municipalities.

Russell Wegner, Vice President of Marketing and Planning, NAT-UR, Inc. on the nexus study looking into compostable grocery bags as an alternative and the proposed fee revenue making that a possibility.

Stephanie Barger, Executive Director, Earth Resource Foundation on looking at marine life and effect on tourism and communities adopting an anti Styrofoam ordinance.

Lisa Gautier, Matter of Trust, on durability of canvas bags, corporations providing free bags for free, and other countries getting involved in this issue.

Jessica Bell, Rainforest Action Network, on public’s acceptance of a ten cents tax charged by largest supermarket in Australia.

Steve Bloom, member of Sierra Club Executive Committee and Alameda County Recycling Board, on more communication between commissions.

Public Comment speaking in opposition of Resolution

Sandra Moore regarding negative effect on poor families.

John Nulty regarding negative effect on poor families and Resolution not addressing potential health problems.

Roger Ryan regarding negative effect on people that could not afford the fee and on using a different approach.

Grace Berslen, East Coast resident regarding the grocery store’s choice of paper or plastic shopping bags as being detrimental and the negative effect on poor families.

Upon motion by Commissioner King and second by Commissioner Wald, the Resolution with the following amendments was opened for consideration.

· Further Resolved, that the fee not be implemented for a period of six months after the passage of the Ordinance to allow for public education which will ensure the effective implementation of the program.

· Further Resolved, that a Scope Committee be formed to insure the success and completeness of the nexus study and report back to the Commission at the next Commission meeting.

The Commission voted 7-0 to adopt the Resolution with Amendments.

AYES: Commissioners Crowder, Pelosi Jr., Desser, King, Mok, Rodriguez, and Wald.

The meeting recessed at 7:05 p.m. and reconvened at 7:15 p.m.

6. ACTION: Consideration and approval of Resolution No. 001-05-COE “Duke Energy” (Explanatory Document: Duke Energy Resolution 001-05-COE)**

Resolution approving the expenditure of $100,000 of the duke energy settlement for planting and maintaining a minimum of 100 new trees in the bay view- hunters point neighborhood as part of a March 12, 2005 Community Arbor Day event.

Sponsor: Director Jared Blumenfeld

Staff: Alexis Harte, Department of the Environment, Carla Short, DPW Urban Forestry

Motion unanimously adopted to continue this item to a Special February Commission meeting/retreat or to the next Policy Committee meeting on February 24, 2005.

There were no comments from the public at this time.

7. ACTION: Consideration and approval of Resolution No. 002-05-COE (Explanatory Documents: Resolution No. 002-05-Coe Revised Reduced-Risk Pesticide List For 2005, Approved Pesticide List for 2005, Pesticides Added, Pesticides Removed and Pesticide Changes)**

RESOLUTION ADOPTING REVISED REDUCED-RISK PESTICIDE LIST FOR SAN FRANCISCO FOR 2005

Sponsor: Director Jared Blumenfeld

Staff: Chris Geiger

· Chris Geiger, Staff, gave an overview of what is involved in producing the Revised and Approved Reduced-Risk Pesticide Lists and the pesticides that should be added, removed, or changed from the list.

· Jared Blumenfeld, Director, explained that the City regulates pesticides only on City lands. The Commission and Director engaged in a discussion of how the list could be advertised to businesses in the City as an education and outreach campaign and how it can be integrated into the Precautionary Purchasing Order.

There were no comments from the public at this time.

The Commission and Director thanked Chris Geiger for his work on this issue.

Upon Motion by Commissioner Wald and second by Commissioner Desser the Resolution adopting the Revised Reduced-Risk Pesticide List For San Francisco for 2005 was approved unanimously.

The Commission voted 7-0 to adopt the Resolution.

AYES: Commissioners Crowder, Pelosi Jr., Desser, King, Mok, Rodriguez, and Wald.

8. INFORMATION: The Department of the Environment’s draft budget for fiscal year 2005-2006.

· Deputy Director David Assmann presented the draft budget for fiscal year 2005-2006. The Commissioners and Director Blumenfeld held a discussion on the impact of budget cuts and the budget process. Director Blumenfeld recommended having a communication strategy between Commissioners and Board of Supervisors on the budget.

There were no comments from the public at this time.

9. INFORMATION: Commission Secretary’s Report

Monica Fish, Commission Secretary

▪ Communications & Correspondence

▪ Update on Pending City Legislation

▪ Commission Policies and Procedures

There was no report given at this time.

10. INFORMATION: Director’s Report

▪ Jared Blumenfeld, Director, Department of the Environment gave updates on SFE administrative and programmatic operations relating to Budget Planning, Strategic Planning, Climate Division, Outreach and Education Division, Environmental Justice Division, Zero Waste, Toxics Reduction Program, and the Urban Forestry Division.

There were no comments from the public at this time.

11. INFORMATION: President’s Announcements

· President Crowder requested that the Commission Secretary email a request to the Commissioners to send their availability for the next Commission meeting/retreat for February or March.

· Jared Blumenfeld, Director announced that the School Board was having an informational meeting on having the School District re-bid their contract to include all new technologies that avoid tail pipe emissions for school buses. The Commission engaged in a discussion on identifying future issues coming before the Commission and sketching out a strategy for dealing with the issues.

There were no comments from the public at this time.