Note:  Approved Minutes will not be issued of the March 17, 2009 meeting because this is the last meeting of the Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force.

TASK FORCE MEMBERS:  Jeanne-Marie Rosenmeier (Chair), Bernard Meyerson (Vice-Chair), Patricia Gerber, Woody Hastings, Benjamin Lowe, Jason Mark, and Cal Simone.

 

ORDER OF BUSINESS

 

1.      Call to Order and Roll Call.  The Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force meeting convened at 5:05 p.m.  Present:  Chair Rosenmeier, Vice-Chair Meyerson, Members Gerber, Hastings, Lowe, Mark and Simone.   Mr. Mark Westlund, Program Outreach Manager, Department of the Environment and Ms. Rachel Buerkle, Acting Commission Secretary attended the meeting.

 

2.      Approval of the February 26, 2009 Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force Special Meeting Draft Minutes and March 3, 2009 Regular Meeting Draft Minutes.  (Discussion and Action) Upon Motion by Member Simone and second by Vice-Chair Meyerson, the February 26 and March 3, 2009 Meeting Minutes were approved without objection (Absent:  Member Hastings) (Explanatory Documents:  February 26 and March 3, 2009 Approved Minutes).

 

 Item 5 and 6 were heard before Items 3 and 4.

 

3.      Public Comments:  Members of the public may address the Task Force on matters that are within the Task Force’s jurisdiction and are not on today’s agenda.  There was no public comment at this time.

 

4.      Review and Acceptance of Final Report. (Continued Discussion from the March 3, 2009 Meeting) (Explanatory Document:  Report Final Draft) (Discussion and Action) Upon Motion by Member Mark and second by Member Gerber, without objection, the final report was approved with edits outlined throughout the meeting.  Members selected a report title called “San Francisco Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force Report, March 2009.” 

 

Items 5 and 6 were heard together.

 

5.      Planning for a Press Conference and Publicity for the Official Release of the Final Report. (Continued Discussion from the March 3, 2009 Meeting) (Discussion and Possible Action).  Mr. Mark Westlund, Program Outreach Manager, Department of the Environment provided recommendations on planning for a press conference and official release of the final report to the public and Board of Supervisors.  It was recommended that the Task Force request that Supervisor Mirkarimi’s Office, the sponsor of the legislation creating the Task Force, schedule a hearing at the Board of Supervisors Government Audit and Oversight Committee for release of the report.  When that hearing is set, Mr. Westlund would work with Supervisor Mirkarimi’s Office on a press conference to be scheduled before the hearing and where the report content and recommendations would be discussed.  The Task Force may wish to discuss with Supervisor Mirkarimi’s Office whether a Resolution should be introduced to urge the Board to adopt the report recommendations.  The legislation would be drafted by the Supervisor’s office with assistance from Mr. Westlund and the Task Force.  It was explained that the report would be presented at the Committee level because the full Board does not hold hearings, but the full Board would vote on the Resolution.  The Government Audit and Oversight Committee meet every two weeks, the first and third Thursday of the month.  Vice-Chair Meyerson indicated that the Committee meeting could be held as early as April 16.

 

Chair Rosenmeier explained that Mr. Westlund would assist in providing a press list, preparing a press release and advisory, and in contacting reporters to attend the press conference. Mr. Westlund explained that the press conference would probably take place on City Hall steps.  Mr. Westlund was asked for his assistance in identifying a Chronicle reporter to write an article on release of the report which he indicated he would provide closer to the press conference.  Mr. Westlund recommended submitting a link to the report or an executive summary to the media rather than the entire report. A discussion was held on the possibility of television publicity.  Mr. Westlund reported that the Task Force would have to conceive of visual elements that would tell the story possibly directed toward a specific recommendation. 

 

Task Force members discussed the need to prepare a media kit and selection of the most important recommendations to draw attention to. Members Mark, Simone and Lowe were designated to be the lead committee on publicity between now and March 27.   Task Force members stated that it was important to bring at least two individuals per member to the press conference who would speak in support of the report, preferably individuals that had provided input into the report.  It was suggested that the report also be distributed to influential and connected individuals, leaders, grass-root constituencies, and to people who were interviewed or worked on creation of the report.  Members also selected Board of Supervisors members that they would meet with to hold discussions about the report.  A discussion was held on holding public outreach forums in venues such as schools, Sierra Club, Commonwealth Club, SPUR, World Affairs Council, etc. and selection of topics to discuss in these forums.

 

It was agreed that Chair Rosenmeier, Supervisor Mirkarimi and possibly Mr. Jared Blumenfeld, if available, would speak for the Task Force, and other members would answer specific questions as it relates to their section.  All members would be introduced by name and which section they were working on.

 

Member Mark discussed the Examiner story “Preparing SF for Life after Peak Oil” http://www.sfenvironment.org/our_sfenvironment/news.html?topic=details&ni=460.

 

6.      Preparing for Presentation of Final Report to the Board of Supervisors. (Continued Discussion from the March 3, 2009 Meeting) (Discussion and Possible Action) See Item 5.

 

7.      New Business. (Information and Discussion). The Task Force is scheduled to sunset on March 27, 2009.

 

8.      Public Comments:  Members of the public may address the Task Force on matters that are within the Task Force’s jurisdiction and are not on today’s agenda.  There was no public comment at this time.

 

9.      Adjournment.  The Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force adjourned at 7:18 p.m.

 

** Copies of explanatory documents are available at (1) the Task Force office, 11 Grove Street, San Francisco, California between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., (2) upon request to the Task Force Secretary, at telephone number 415-355-3709 or via e-mail at [email protected], or (3) at the Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force meeting website as attachments with each agenda or meeting minutes.

 

*Approved:  Draft minutes have not been adopted by the Task Force because it has sunset on March 27 in accordance with its enabling legislation.