City and County of San Francisco

DEpartment of the ENvironment

URBAN FORESTRY COUNCIL SPECIAL RETREAT MEETING

APPROVED MINUTES

 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010, 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.

1 SOUTH VAN NESS AVENUE, 4TH FLOOR, MISSION ROOM

SAN FRANCISCO, CA  94102

 

Council Members: Terry Milne (Chair), Maria D’Agostino (Vice-Chair), Jocelyn Cohen, Larry Costello, Malcolm Hillan, Rose Hillson, Naomi LeBeau, Bonnie Ora Sherk, Kelaine Vargas, Chris Buck (San Francisco Department of Public Works, AnMarie Rodgers (San Francisco Planning Department); Advisory Members: Susan Nervo (San Francisco Recreation and Park Department), San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (Vacant); San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (Vacant); National Park Service (Vacant)

 

Council Coordinator:  Mei Ling Hui                         

 

Public comment will be taken before the Council takes action on any item.

 

Order of Business

 

1.      Call to Order and Roll Call.  The Urban Forestry Council Retreat Meeting convened at 9:13 a.m.  Present: Chair Milne, Vice-Chair D’Agostino, Council Members Buck, Cohen, Hillan, LeBeau, Nervo and Sherk; Excused: Members Costello, Rodgers and Vargas.  Urban Forestry Council Coordinator Mei Ling Hui and Department of Human Resources Meeting Facilitator Teri Jourgensen were present for this meeting.

 

2.      Public Comment:  Members of the public may address the Council on matters that are within the Council’s jurisdiction and are not on today’s agenda.  Ms. Nancy Wuerfel, member of the Parks Recreation and Open Space Committee, reported on Recreation and Park Department bond funding directed to HORT Science to prepare a Tree Management Plan for all park trees and a study of hazardous trees. Ms. Wuerfel encouraged an integrated system of urban forest management for San Francisco because she is unhappy with the turf situations between City departments that have jurisdiction over trees. She discussed the need for a citywide definition of “urban forest” and “trees” and an Urban Forest Plan that achieves preservation and enhancement of the urban forest.  She offered her support as a member of the Parks Recreation and Open Space Committee to work in unison with the Council on continued efforts.

 

3.      Review of Previous Strategic Planning Session Including Refining Purpose Statement and Identifying and Prioritizing Possible Action Items for Future Work. SPEAKER:  Teri Jourgensen, Training Officer, Department of Human Resources (Discussion and Possible Action)

 

Explanatory Documents:  November Retreat Meeting Minutes, Facilitator Notes from November 2009 Strategic Planning Retreat, 2008 Council Work Plans, November 20, 2009 Minutes, and Member D’Agostino’s Retreat Notes.

 

Council members reviewed notes from the previous Strategic Planning Retreat held in November 2009.  Members discussed the importance of identifying the clients that the Council serves, who it is supported by, refining the draft purpose statement, and prioritizing possible action items for future work. Key topics of discussion included (1) funding responsibility for the Council Coordinator position and historical and current allocation of staff time as well as the need to identify a source of funding for a full-time position; (2) identifying new streams of revenue for urban forestry; (3) goals outlined in the Bylaws and obstacles to achievement; (4) the need to communicate the importance of the Council to other City departments; and (5) development of a plan for integration and coordination of urban forest efforts citywide. 

 

Council members with facilitation by Ms. Jourgensen refined the draft purpose statement created at the November 2009 retreat, discussed what they felt were obstacles to success, how to approach obstacles, working issues, and next steps (Explanatory Document:  Vice-Chair D’Agostino’s Draft Notes).

 

Public Comment:  Ms. Nancy Wuerfel referred to the April 2006 Urban Forest Plan that states that the number one priority is to maintain and conserve the urban forest and suggested that the Council’s purpose statement include this reference. The wording the Council selected was as follows “The Urban Forest Council brings professional expertise and informed perspective to a public forum with the purpose of protecting and enhancing (expanding and maintaining) the Urban Forest of San Francisco.”  Ms. Wuerfel disagreed with the statement that states that the Council is supposed to drive their organization’s economic model because she does not feel that the Council’s purpose is to earn money.  She stated that this is something that needs to happen but not through the Council. She stated that Council members should seek the help of the Board of Supervisors who created the Council to secure the funding and support required to carry out provisions of the enabling legislation.   

 

Next steps would be for a small group of Council Members to meet before the next Planning and Funding Committee meeting to clarify goals and specific actions to take. The Planning and Funding Committee would then review the goals at their June 17, 2010 meeting and issue a report to the full Council.

 

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

 

5.      Adjournment.  The Urban Forestry Council Retreat meeting adjourned at 11:54 a.m.