>> could. to that the 43 san francisco good government awards excited to be here when i all tonight i'm aliza the cfo for spur they host those awards every year we believe so strongly in the power of local government to have a profound impact on people's lives and it is important to occasionally shine a light on the people that make those contributions with you do everyday serving the people of san francisco the contributions are experienced by a really broad community the labor that going into that it is

invisible to have a motel to connect to the people is really, really exciting i'm excited to kickoff the program with the woman had a successful round of dependency san francisco's very own mayor london breed (clapping.) all right. good evening, everyone. >> i am still a little bit jet lagged please forgive me if i forgot something but start by expressing my gratitude of our public centuries and staff that spends evidence of doing the incredible work for the city and county of san francisco. so many amazing departments and

individuals in those departments are being honored for the work to help continue to make san francisco a shining example of had that mean to run a city more effectively and efficiently and sprinkling from a little bit of fun every now and then i want to say to all six the folks from rec and park, the port of san francisco, the sheriff's department and animal care and control, and laguna honda there the department of public health to all the honorees we are recognizing today thank you for your service and your work and i want to say what an hour to have the family of conferencing a extraordinary leader in rec and park (clapping.) our city is made better because of his work and commitment to

san francisco our city is better we have extraordinary people. as the mayor of stock that i come up with a grand idea and i take all the credit when necessary succeed this is why it is important to me to be here i want you to understand i'm i mayor, i served as an assistant for the city and county of san francisco. i once served as a commission secretary a development specialist and worked in various capacities doing doing the work and not always recognized for how challenging it is to go through the process get the district attorney's office david chiu to get to, yes takes commitment to get projects and housing built our infrastructure in place and

to get things completed just yesterday, we cut the ribbon another the 9-1-1 center by public utilities commission by the department of telecommunications and how beautiful it looks and today a small the champion with that but you know what didn't stop us from taking the 9-1-1 calls we have a back up that's what we do in san francisco (yelling) thank you, to our amazing workforce and welcome to the family and friends to celebrate the honorees tonight i have the privilege of doing i guess i think we're like the same age but a lifetime achievement award. for ben rosenthal has been in city government more than half his life ben started

at age 23 working for as a a deputy budget director in the mayor's office and that's when i started as interim we go back a really long time and the eventually become the budget director and went on to the deputy city administrator and those who love three 311 raise your hand? ben says you're welcome helped to get the system implemented as well as the 10 year capital plan we're making investments in our city properties to make sure they are earthquake safe and work for the public and governor gavin newsom appointed him to be the controller he step up to the plate and had the skills necessary to do do job but focused on transparent building and accountability creating a

system that made it a little bit more user friendly for the public to understand what the controller's office does and the held own to that money real tight if you couldn't explain why the money was being spent ben would not let it be spent people love in government accountability and i'm also someone who values a dollar and wants to make sure that city is spending every single dollars willis we can appropriately pay you are workforce and the equipment and all the things we need so those of you taking too many - stop that or ben is coming out of retirement and thank you to him leading the city through a great recession and now as we deal with the

deficit his responsible, responsibleness with the budget and holding open resources we're able to balance the budget and have resources propriety it is a lot of the great work he has done during the covid pandemic we had to historically didn't have a written playbook to deal with a won in a century pandemic and spending public dollars requires accountability ben was an instrumental part of us getting the dollars out the door as soon as possible to insure that we had remember dp e to make sure we got the sheltered in place the hotels around the vaccines and so many work and so many resources and paperwork had to be done in a way that protected the city accountability and make

sure that that was done right. he also helped to address some of the tax reform measures to do as well as being fiscally san francisco has enjoyed a good bond rating we pay the money back and people are willing to loan to to us as - that's the work that ben has done (clapping.) i can go on and on but he's turning red so ben has 90s not been the kind of person comfortable with being talked about in this capita keep his head done a quiet good for in the city and county of san francisco and treated people with went and kindness and worked with everyone and focused

on this was always in the best interests of the city and county of san francisco. and so as much as i wanted to reach offer me deck and put two hands to get him to stay he earned the right to move on from this position after everything he's given to our city so it is appropriate that tonight we honor him with the legacy award for his public service to the city and county of san francisco. (clapping.) and no public dollars were used in the purchase of the family or

the persistently of the certificate. >> thank you, mayor. for the reminder of how young i was and i loved this event for many, many years as a junior budget analyst in the first year my first boss with the city the mayor's budget director handing me a folder of nomination of people nominated by points department heads as exemplar leaders i'm sitting down later on this week with an advisory panel to make recommendations who to recognize i want you to do research on it for a few days

spent a couple of days working with them and with the work product and still remember that moment was really an important one in my career early on. um, it was an surprising to me those are the people i wanted to be working with the work i wanted to be doing the kinds of things to work on and for that reason i stated involved in different capacities and found it surprising for as important as mayors are and thank you for your leadership mayor for this historic period we've been introduce and important to as is attorneys and administrators i like to say as controllers are um, i recognized through the supervision from this event over the years and my xreshgs working

in the place like the real massing i can happens with those behind us those working identified in circumstances, and in environment has been often hard to navigate to make things better for the place and solve small problems and push things ahead always without recognition and you'll never read about work in the paper the folks that are making things happen. >> so this is event has been that to me and want to express my thanks to alisa for the recognition tonight and express an, an honor to share the folks that will be following me up here that continue do the work everyday for those many others in the room um, the true heros

thank you, so much (clapping). >> um, thank you so much. mayor london breed you're remarks and ben congratulations i um, really happy we got to kickoff for recognizing ben tonight i know many of us in the room working with him over the years inside of the city government we imagine the concept the embodiment and in many ways i think we all know he's a smart person and strategic and confident person but heard in in his racks tonight i think that kind of the essence of good government

gracious and kind and respectful and humble did you hear him talk about himself in those remarks not a word and working with ben over the years how much h he put his commitment to the service about sincerely the community and also the common thread among the honorees we are recognizing for the service for the community and what we can do when we put service first everyone that is recognized tonight faced a challenge to accomplish an institutional or financial exchange relational perhaps all of the above everything was hard to do and we see what happens when people look at that challenge, stand in the face of advisor i know what they role and what i'm going to

be contributing and using my leadership to give services to others that's how local government has a profound impact on people the service i'm very, very excited about the rest of honorees we're going to be recognizing now and i think um, it is going to be really enriching to see the ways people use they're love and perseverance so kickoff we're to start by recognizing the laguna honda hospital team. laguna honda objective an institution for over one hundred and fifty years and thanks to the work of this team will be for many years to come.

>> laguna honda is wonderful for the care. and addressing mats feeds of the whole person and certified generations of people principally in the dire times of need. from more than one hundred and fifty years laguna honda has sort of woven into san francisco history we heard laguna honda didn't regain the certification your hearts sink. >> the medi-cal and medicare took away laguna honda participation and it's programs that is extremely heartbreaking for the program a way for you laguna honda it funded and able to keep the doors open and laguna honda takes that very

seriously and look forward for the incidents appropriately and pms come out to review those facilities that happens during that is an unfortunate cycle the cycle is only 6 months so, so deficiencys noted have to train your staff and the entire time the clock is ticking. >> our office legal strategies to figure that out we could use federal government and the - which was an important part in allowing the facility to not transfer any more events out of this facility but to buy additional time and funding for a year to allow the facility to do all the important changes that were necessary to survive

the federal government didn't just expend the funding of the centers but set out to have requirement for the improvements that laguna honda many to do to survey the facility and inspect the facility for my interpretation and surrounding surveys around interpreting the laws and regulations that applied to the facility and assisting with you. >> the survey we have and we identified gaps in knowledge whether to be closed before our next monitoring. >> turn around was hard but had to do it because of the timeline for the recertification and had 13 hundred staff on

average community-based though the modules everyone had a really and to take care of the residents and the communities and people who are traditionally thought of in the facilities to a huge support it was really exciting. >> relationships with our federal and state partners medi-cal and medicare in the department of public health is for the open lines of existence we had from the beginning will service very well, for the long term success. >> congratulations to our teams from the city attorney's office for saving laguna honda hospital you helped to secure the future of our healthcare system and the staff of laguna

honda and with grace and passion and tenacity. >> congratulations for your support through the services the future is bright for laguna honda hospital. >> congratulations. >> (clapping) hi good evening over i'm director of health and on behalf of the district attorney's office and the department of health and i think more importantly the residents and their families of laguna honda the 14 hundred employees we are proud to call that recertification team up to the

stage. (clapping.) i'm david chiu you're city attorney and, yes madam mayor and on tonight's academy awards for good government my honor to bring up to the stage 6 individuals let me say there were countless folks for saving laguna honda and bring up to the stage 6 folks we want to congratulate jennifer way (clapping.) listing a who. >> . >> (calling names.) >> troy williams and henry lipton. >> (calling names) (clapping.) and all of the staff at laguna honda for that well-deserved

award. >> good evening, everyone and as you can see from the video laguna honda is such a special place a place that is um, a jewel of the city. i speak for laguna honda team both on stage and in the audience as well as those carrying for residents 24/7 institutions up there we have tremendous pride for working at laguna honda. we have pride in serving our residents and families we figured out hard and that is why we're here. we are part and so proud to be part of the city that invests in quality nursing care regardless of incomes and immigration status it is admirable not every city does that san francisco has done that we love for that and

tonight expectation for all of us to share in the award. >> we had a couple of challenging years as you can see. but we are come together we are now stronger and we have a bright future brighter than ever and thank our residents once again our loved ones for their support. there are motivation and full of gratitude for the partners including our unions and health commission and mayor london breed and supervisor melgar advocates on our behalf and amplifies the work when thinking about that award and thinking how we got to be successful we thought about the concept and the word that means

loosely transmitted i am because we are a sense of humanity we couldn't have done what we did without everyone and staff includes all the departments and teams and wish every single person could be here with us and the staff members that join us thank you. (clapping.) >> and quo knew in the beginning would talkal 14 hundred of us to be successful in recertifications we're almost there watch out we're going to get there an honor to be part of this group to be recognized and a special thank you to the folks behind me. >> (calling names.) >> thank you to spur for

tonight's recognition and it is jewel laguna honda and will be here for other one hundred and fifty plus years bigger and brighter and stronger thank you. (clapping.) >> okay. our next good government awards is - >> she as a visionary approach for redefining the departments.

>> (video). >> as the port of san francisco we're the gateway to the city and the port of san francisco manages the water shed waterfront we have dedicated staff doing the work and a third of the staff at the port we have every trade that is represented in the care of the port and i'm proud of collaboration for the relationships building be able to accomplish especially with the union partners and not when something is wrong but to for proactively work with them we're thinking of the different policies and how they impact the membership and though day one have those hours that are dedicated. we staff that daily

and so that we are successful and available. so the jurisdictions we were impacted by pandemic and of the in our staffing level all h.r. has transformed not only to increase the staffing the challenge of folks to look at how we do our work with with job fairs and programs. we are working hard to make that an employer of the choice and show anyone who is interested in coming to the port there are people that are are welcoming as part of the port. we are making a concerted effort to bring training into the organization and brought in staff to help to facilitate the compensation and breakdown the

motions we impediment with each and everyone than with with our families and our staff we are more than job classification we have cultivated had matters and meaning for the skill sets and capability and on the incredible she's incredibly kind and thoughtful moving people we can have more (unintelligible) and use our human resources to help people in their careers and been in the city for over 20 year to year and not leaving and in terms of our human resources as a procedure to an organization that is a lot more employee

support. >> good evening. i'm e lane the executive director of port of san francisco and have a huge honor of introducing someone is a treasure to the port and she's a treasure to everyone who gets to work with her i'm known her over 20 years i reflect even any career i served next to suzette let's bring her on (clapping.) good evening over everyone. >> wow. >> (laughter). >> so as i accept this award by spur i'm profoundly grateful to my family for their

unwavering support and their love and guidance has been the anchor throughout my career and in addition, i my acknowledgement my work family and merpts and colleagues guided me in it my 25 years their wisdom has shaped my journey and thank you for the relationship i built throughout my program and deeply move forward and honored and remind of the profound principle to represent the port of san francisco in a collective propriety the acknowledgement of our work especially involves the behind the scenes serve as a testament to the commitment we hold tarts the betterment of the city. i expand my gratitude to

forbes for her unwavering support and the recognition. it is through the collaborative effort and encouragement of dedicated folks like doctor forbes that we can amplify the endeavors. i'd like to express my gratitude to the florida port leadership team and the commissioners who steer us towards economic and resilience. beyond the bureaucratic framework my dedication is for the information at you are disposal for enforcing regulation but also as the means to have compassionate and finding and empathy in the realm of human resources that

overshadows the human the essential human element. my belief has been a consistency in our approach is paramount. in the words of my mother not what you're saying but how. the leadership the human resources has a delicate balance where actions should be speaking louder with the human aspect is not overshadowed by enforcement and future recognize the importance of the building a team that mirrors san francisco. in doing is so we are strengthening our organization but create the more inclusive and representative body resonating the rich exist i'm honored to stand here before you as represent port of san

francisco committed to the continue pursuit of excellence thank you. (clapping.) >> our next honoree is leading a technology transformation in the sheriff's department she's the information officer. >> (video). >> part of my plan of cfo for the sheriff's is two things for a preview work and make sure we have to make sure we're providing customer experience

and information for the strategy plans we have. and accountability and finding. for it is a commodity. for right owners and the table benefits we understand has this for the city that is intangible and in a way putting in a light bulb and it is important in the business process he able to do things; right? (unintelligible) as partners; right? and transpires what is happening today and this is an action. we get a phone call impacts communities and lives and for the city is

critical - now we have to have partners to make sure we get the work we need and the greatest accommodation and one thing i want it leave my audience would be kind to people and nice to people. and whatever job our month active is about challenges - i - i think of other things support the organization. >> martin is spectacular with his fearless information and data sharing and enhanced by hi

presence and in terms of being with citywide agencies and the criminal justice partners has been a member of justice to be a leader there well we're sharing him with everyone else but happy with his experience with us and the work he's brought to us. >> (clapping) good evening, everyone here in san francisco and very, very happy and honors to be the person who is about to bring martin up on stage i want to mention i have a privilege of actually reaching across the country to ask martin to come join the team he came at the beginning of what we all know with the pandemic. and the hit

the ground running and who he's been to not just in the sheriff's office but to the city family and nothing short of amazing i'm honored right now to bring up to the stage martin (clapping). >> all right. thank you very much. >> again my name is martin the officer for the sheriff's office where does the city go next? i had a chance to travel last week and once again out there and traveled government needs to do more just not in the u.s. but what does that mean? one of the things is about safety and didn't feel safe to the i came

back objective people need to feel safe in san francisco and some of the deputies and officers are providing to make sure we provide they need to be successful and san francisco is successful. and thank all my family is here and them and all the support and the members in the departments and a few people carmen chiu and thank you and many others to support us so welcome the sheriff's office and part of the enforcement look forward to supporting the city - the city move forward because of us and because of your

responsibility and collective responsibility we're here because of collective responded by more importantly accountability that's what the city boards it makes us successful. thank you very much. (clapping.) our next honorees is the team this tragedy as figured out innovate partnerships and programs to keep people together with the pets the animal control. >> (clapping). >> (video). >> on the shelter and take the pets in any condition from raccoons to cats and dogs and fish and lizards with the adoption that is an important

part of our work to help the animals a huge increase in what we do over the years a lot of that animal cares can be adopted and because of domestic violence we protect a pet and take in animals from people evicted or burned out of their homes because of investigations throughout the years have been incredibly challenging we're at capacity for animals pretty much every week, we have amazing partnerships with the animal control help us with the giving us funding to help 3457b8 0 control and partner with belly

bust we also partner with the sheriff's office and prisoner legal service help us get niche with the incarcerated who may not know where their pets are and partner with a low cost veterinary service but access to the equipment to help out and there this by the realized the need was great so through cap we got $150 grant helps the residents get those resources and the mayor's justice project partnered with sf human service agency and the supportive housing we utilize their database and for the record to track which clients qualified

for needed services we called the so we have one hundred and $90 and surrendering the animals we provide services to the veterinary program and other program. so we are hoping those individuals a can keep their animals instead of surrendering them to us and have aid for animals. >> we believe we gear to keep the pets with the families that didn't change and our residents have been able to stay with their pets has been grateful full and especially in any career i've seen people don't want to surround their pets but

the best thing to let them stay in our home had truant e opportunities provides a way for looking at this differently in a crisis and hoping to keeping the families intact. >> we or proud of animal team at animal controller they got permission in the forefront of their minds helping the people and the animals working with the departments across the city the organizations outside of the city. um, they pull everything together in a but that helps animals and their people. um, when things are tough we are not a by virtue of division one department and one shelter. i

think they showed that um, in the project they show that everyday. >> (clapping). >> hello, i'm virginia the director of animal control. i'm honored today to bring to the stage an incredible team that embodies our commitment to the human animal bond. arian and amy and justine (clapping.) and good evening mayor london

breed and family and friends it is an honor to be standing up here to receive the good government awards thank you, virginia for allowing the creativity opening up barriers to help people in san francisco. we want to thank the volunteer friends of ac c to help to fill the gaps and make sure we have what we need to be a safe and safest place for man's and specifically the county of los angeles joseph for helping with the database (laughter) to navigate the vision of the programs being celebrated here today. >> thank you to the team. >> (calling names.) >> that's you (laughter) they're providing accessible high qualities veterinary care

and proud to be part of that and for the expansion for paula for moving barriers and meeting the animals experiencing hardships. >> thank you to help the san francisco reveling medical care to the pets and to the mayors sf human and the dhs dhs and thank you to all the donors who helped to keep the pet pantries full and give generously you can rest make sure your donations will help thank you for the compassion to do important for the community outside of our pays you make the world go

around wouldn't have done it without you and thank you for putting your trust in us we consider it a serious responsibility and finally thank you to the incredible team of professionals at sf they're the ones doing the work cabin branch major snap to help reunite pets and to insure they're comfortable and giving voice to animals or taken care of of each other you're the beating heart of the team and we're proud to be part of that team. thank you very much. (clapping). >> lastly we're honoring benny

until the passing in 2023 left the legacy of love for the people and it's partner i'm proud to invite fisher moore. >> i just i want to start by really giving appreciation to spur for recognizing benny tonight this is a typical type of honor so meaningful and want to acknowledge you'll hear and get to meet daughter emily and grand sorry about that lucus so

benny is watching and listening today right now. he's touched but also a little bit embarrassed. actually quite humbled by the attention and my sport coat (laughter). >> his life was one of the extraordinary duo vocation and service from the distinguished 20 years career in the united states navy and i combaeg in in his single-handedly saving the lives of thirty plus lives in 9/11 to our director of operation bennys life was defined by values certainly not among the awardees but lost

luster in 2024 and service and humility i lived a life of things that mattered no clutter or no mess. his cage demeanor and dry witness helped to manage the storms of americans urban partnerships and leadership across 10 work division with 85 employees and to the rejuvenate nations of unusual to the managing the expensive covid response and benny's impact was of the in every corner of our operation this specific accomplishments are perhaps too

many to mention but built systems and nourished people help the systems and nourished people. that attracted and managed the lifecycle of 15 hundred linear feet and people that allowed the apprenticeship and scrips and water convolution programs to thrive and the communities income and disparities to make sure that regardless of the people have access to open space and benny serves as the secretary that handles with every consul general want to see statutes and the chief meteorologist and had

weather data like a zillion different tracking and beyond that cheecht lies in the people he inspired and mentored and culture strategy ate it for lynch to mantra is as important. he was a proud man but extraordinarily humble and never he liked attention and like person that worked in silence highlighting the good work of others. he was a wise and exceed hand a source during the challenging times and gratitude of everyone and benny took pride in hi performance plan and appraisals for the reports and

each document was written like a model for feedback. he was responsible for ghost offering on my beef and is nominations for conspiracies good government awards and is good at submitting the application the rec and park manages won one of the awards 5 times under his watch two of the people are here our submissions was considered the best practices and told people we can't giving those things every year to you. >> ben green space any was not a stand-up come men but a commentator on the money part

simon and about construction and project management part of the work he often reminded me good and there was fast and there was cheap but i was only to get two, that was generous and during the crisis he remind me everything was all right in the end but? it is not all right. not the end and recommend me never to overlook the easy bottom sitting on hi desk or a division was straightforward hadn't been touched in weeks or might be broken it works. that was easy. >> benny we were an odd pair

he had a midwestern sensibility a military person dressed nice and made and ate his lunch in his office and rarely lost his cool never cursed and i reflected on our partnership best be described in the paul simmons play the odd couple first about 60 years ago we were the two characters i was oscar. denny had one other saying that resonates with me i'll carry with me for the rest of my years

owe often said inexpressed gratitude is useless and for denver any i know you're some place watching i want to say thank you for the i'm a better leader and and better human being because of you and our park system is great because of you. you, you or a blessing my great honor to bring up his wife to present the public excellence award. >> (clapping)

>> that was easy. >> it really wasn't (laughter). >> this is is not going to be easy bus um, just looking at the picture makes me - um, if you know the jewish tradition going to cry denny was all of those things but mostly to his family. he was a man who put his family first, only right next to his job he loved his job his son said in his spatially given the choice denny would walk to ma clarion lodge until he passed away he did that we had to

retire him against his will in october when necessary is declining. he loved the city and this job. and all of you. with his whole heart. he came home everyday and told stories about the people who worked for him and what a wonderful job they were doing and how hard they worked and how they did 2 without any body saying at the did their skrobz and did that well and during the pandemic not very many people went to work everyday and people that kept the parks beautiful had to go to work everyday so denny walked to the office and worked from there instead of working from home i even had to work for home during the pandemic but he went to work

everyday and will find his people and so many have here tonight thank you, phil for your fabulous words. yes, we were felix and oscar he loved phil and talked about what a wonderful leader and made it good the job we appreciate hearing those stories and i see some of you out there katie you're here i saw i walk in hi katie i've not seen i get in a while but if we were here tonight he would have been embarrassed not accepted the nomination for this award i came back from indiana on monday night and um, as young boy he was a boy scout and became the

youngest boy square foot in the state of indiana no one has surpassed him as 13 and oscar made eagle scout that camp the man what were there raised money to build a new nature center and named that the benny nature center and dedicated to him, i was there last weekends and heard the stories about him as young man and the boy and heard he was the one camp clourlt had a heart for the children that came one week with syndrome and talked about the animals he captured the animals he captured? he likes animals.

>> yes. he taught everyone about animals i came home and said to our friends he captured wild animals and taught children about them a wonderful xraerns to here those stories had a heart for public services and when he left the navy i loved being in the navy was great fun for me couldn't have felon an airplanes but could have gone to work as what they call a beltway bandit for work for the government he said "no." i want to stay in public service we decided to come to san francisco he looked more than a job in public service this is the one he found and the favorite job all of you made it wonderful for

him thank you so much and thank you, spur for having this fabulous event every year for san francisco (clapping). >> thank you so much katie for sharing those thoughts and memories. >> thank you all of you to honor for folks are having public service and the evening is not done help ourselves at the bar and continue the celebration of you by.

>> ph.d. >> my name is i'm a leader of the town in san francisco we try to provide japanese something we make like seaweed it creates like the many flavors we try to provide like more open japanese flavor as well as the james values like people get to experience in japan like a great

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(gavel) good afternoon the melting county of san francisco budget & appropriations committee meeting this afternoon at 1:30 pm., wednesday, may 1, 2024. i'm member chan and joined by member melgar and shortly by member mandelman and member peskin like to thank junetta my apologies for broadcasting this meeting and mr. clerk any announcements. >> just a friendly reminder anyone in attendance to make sure the silence of all cell phones mother to