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Entertainment Commission hears executive‑director update on venue assistance, training and digitization plans
Summary
Commission staff outlined five strategic goals including a music‑venue assistance/sound mitigation effort, training for permit officers and planners, a workforce program proposal, and a plan to digitize permit applications and archive paper permits ahead of a move to 49 South Van Ness.
The San Francisco Entertainment Commission heard a broad operational update from executive staff that outlined five strategic goals designed to support venues, streamline permitting and improve enforcement.
Staff said one priority is creating and sustaining affordable arts infrastructure, including work with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development to support a music venue assistance program and the sound mitigation fund. Ben Van Houten is scheduled to present an update to the commission in March on that effort, staff said.
The deputy director described plans to restart an 11 districts of entertainment program and to conduct entertainment training in March for planning‑department staff, aiming to clarify permit types and speed approvals. Staff also said they are preparing a permit‑officer training focused on enforcement and incident management and that they are assessing possible revisions to municipal police code and administrative code to modernize enforcement language. A small working group of commissioners (Commissioners Thomas and Falson volunteered) will review proposed code language before city‑attorney review and potential inclusion in the FY2020–21 legislative cycle.
Staff described a workforce program idea presented to the Office of Economic and Workforce Development in a prior budget cycle; officials said they will push the proposal again for consideration in the coming fiscal year. The commission also heard that one‑time event permit applications will be available online within the week as part of an effort to migrate permit applications to sf.gov; staff are digitizing and archiving paper permits in preparation for an office move to 49 South Van Ness later in the year.
Commissioners asked follow‑up questions about 49 South Van Ness capabilities and staff said hearings will remain at City Hall because the new building does not contain hearing rooms. Staff also noted ongoing digitization of permit binders and an inventory of roughly 800 paper permits already processed for scanning.
The update concluded with a schedule item: a presentation and report on special events coordination from Ben Van Houten and Jillian Johnson is expected on March 3.
