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Rules Committee forwards Energy Efficiency Coordinating Committee nominees, with some approvals pending department letters
Summary
The committee heard seven applicants for the new Energy Efficiency Coordinating Committee, praised the slate, and forwarded nominees to the full Board while noting that final approval for certain seats is contingent on receiving required recommendation letters from specified department heads.
The Rules Committee on April 9, 2015 considered appointments to a newly established Energy Efficiency Coordinating Committee and moved to forward a slate of nominees to the full San Francisco Board of Supervisors, with some approvals conditioned on pending departmental recommendation letters.
Nominees introduced themselves and outlined relevant experience. Avni Jamdar of Emerald Cities Collaborative described community-driven retrofit projects and community workforce agreements; "we have been involved, from the get go," she told the committee. Sam Moss, executive director of Mission Housing Development Corporation, discussed ongoing retrofit work on about 1,000 units and plans for 100% affordable development near 16th Street BART. Holly Kaufman detailed decades of local environmental work and experience as both a tenant and small-property co-owner. Miriam Zuzunas, the small-business nominee, described outreach with SF Energy Watch and efforts to reduce energy waste among corner stores.
A procedural dispute arose around James Bryant’s application for seat 5. Bryant said he had two of three recommendation letters but the required letter from the Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) was not on file. Deputy City Attorney Andrew Shen advised the committee that "what's required for this specific seat is a letter from the head of OEWD," and recommended continuing the item until that letter arrived. Bryant initially said he would "respectively decline to accept the position" if the paperwork was not complete, but later agreed to let the committee forward his name pending receipt of the director's letter.
Committee members and public speakers — including representatives of the Sierra Club, construction workforce groups and the Department of the Environment — praised the applicants and urged the committee to move the new body forward. The committee motioned to forward Sam Moss (seat 1), Avni Jamdar (seat 3), Holly Kaufman (seat 4), James Bryant (seat 5, pending the OEWD director letter), Renee Steichen (seat 6), and Miriam Zuzunas (seat 7) to the full Board; the motion was seconded and taken without objection.
The committee noted that final approval for those seats requiring departmental recommendations must be on file before the full Board acts. The full Board is expected to receive the nominations through normal transmittal procedures.
