Concern that the Recreation and Park Department (RPD) has followed neither the letter nor the spirit of the law for the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan process as required by the City Charter

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1243 42nd Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122
June 17, 2015
San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission
c/o McLaren Lodge
San Francisco, CA
Commission President Mark Buell and Commissioners:
I am concerned that the Recreation and Park Department (RPD) has followed neither the letter nor the
spirit of the law for the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan process as required by the City Charter.
The SF City Charter states:
“Prior to the adoption of each five-year plan, the Department shall conduct at least five hearings in
locations distributed geographically throughout the City to receive and to consider the public’s
comments upon the plan. The Commission shall ensure that at least two of these hearings are held
in the evenings or on weekends for the public’s convenience.”(Exhibit A)
NUMBER AND LOCATION OF MEETINGS
1. There have not been five hearings held in the "locations distributed geographically throughout the City."
The duly noticed public hearings are two hearings at PROSAC and three at the Recreation and Park
Commission: Capital Committee, Operations Committee and full Commission. All at City Hall.
In addition, the public would have to be on that noticing list and then open the agenda, to find the Strategic
Plan topic. This is in contrast to the robust email noticing done by RPD regarding other park events.
2. RPD has claimed that two meetings were held in the neighborhoods. However, those meetings were
actually advertised as Public Budget Meetings.
The main message in those notices is about the budgeting process. A brief note about the Strategic Plan
was tacked onto the bottom of those e-mail notices:
"Also, get a sneak peek at our Department's new Strategic Plan! Find out what our staff is doing
behind the scenes to help guide the department over the next several years."
Furthermore, the wording does not invite public comment. Rather it implies that the staff is making the
decisions, and they will let the public know what they have decided. (Exhibit B)
3. The above Budget Meeting notice contrasts with the usually robust noticing done by RPD for its public
events. For example, an email announcement asking the public to participate actively in the design of
playgrounds illustrates an effort by RPD to inform the public and to encourage the public to participate.
(Exhibit C):
"Everyone who cares about playgrounds is welcome: Parents, children, grandparents, community
members, landscape architects, child development experts, and more. What do you think makes a
great playground? . . . Join us to help shape the play experiences for San Francisco's children!"
(Exhibit C)
INCLUSION OF PUBLIC COMMENT
The Charter directs RPD to not only hear but also consider the publics' comments on the Strategic Plan.
1. The general public was left out of the formative stages of the Strategic Plan
RPD started the new Strategic Plan in September 2013. Members of RPD staff, line workers and a limited
number of “External Contributors" were interviewed. The select list of “highly qualified stakeholders”
includes individuals who are either in City government or are with organizations that have close ties with
RPD. Supervisor Wiener is the only Supervisor listed. Only two individuals from neighborhood groups
were consulted, and those groups are also in Supervisor Wiener's district. No other neighborhood groups

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were listed as consulted, leaving out of the formative process the over 200 groups currently listed by the
Planning Department, as well as the general public. PROSAC was not consulted until February of 2015.
It is interesting that both the SF Chamber of Commerce and SPUR are considered "highly qualified
stakeholders" to weigh in on what will happen in our parks, months before members of the general public
were even informed of, much less included in, the planning process.
2. The duly noticed public hearings allow only for a short public comment on the Strategic Plan.
At these hearings, there is no opportunity for the public to participate in a give and take of ideas, no
opportunity to explore different concepts in depth, as, for example, was done for the playground planning
meeting. Commissioners and members of PROSAC may discuss the Plan among themselves as long as they
wish and may ask questions of staff; however, public comment at those hearings is limited to two or three
minutes, and the public is forbidden from asking questions or discussing suggestions with staff during the
meeting.
RPD's outreach to staff and PROSAC is to be commended. However, for the parks systems to benefit the
community it is supposed to serve and to meet the spirit of the Charter, the public should be brought into
the process in such a way as to enable comments to be heard and incorporated into the Strategic Plan
throughout the planning process.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Please direct the Recreation and Park Department to follow the City Charter and to have a more robust
public input process for the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan.
There is no deadline that requires this plan be finalized immediately. After 12 years without a plan, it is
important that it be as inclusive and thoughtful as possible. This requires a more robust public process.
RPD’s 2016 Strategic Plan states that RPD would like to increase the effectiveness of their public outreach.
The best way to do this is to start by fulfilling the Charter requirements and holding the required five
hearings in various city locations with extensive noticing, listening to the public, and then incorporating the
publics' suggestions into the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Katherine Howard

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EXHIBIT A:
CITY CHARTER --- SEC. 16.107. PARK, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE FUND
(g) Planning and Reporting Measures. The Commission shall adopt several long-term plans that include,
but are not limited to, the following:
1. Strategic Plan. By December 1, 2000, the Department shall prepare, for Commission consideration
and approval, a five-year Strategic Plan, to be updated annually, that establishes or reaffirms the mission,
vision, goals and objectives for the Department. This Strategic Plan will be used to guide the Department's
work over the next five years.
2. Capital Plan. By December 1, 2000, the Department shall prepare, for Commission consideration and
approval, a five-year Capital Plan, to be updated annually, for the development, renovation, replacement
and maintenance of capital assets, and the acquisition of real property. In its Capital Plan the Department
shall propose specific properties to be acquired for open space, recreation facilities, significant natural
areas, and other recreational purposes and shall prioritize capital and maintenance improvements and
provide budgets associated with such improvements. Capital and acquisition projects will be designated by
the Department based upon needs identified by the Department and the community. Capital projects will
include the planning, design and construction of projects that rehabilitate, restore or replace existing
facilities or that develop new facilities. Acquisition projects will include, but will not be limited to, purchase,
lease, exchange, eminent domain, license or any other vehicle giving the City a right, whether revocable or
not, to use real property, or any interest therein, or any improvement or development rights thereon, for
recreational purposes, including, but not limited to, protection of natural resources, development of
community gardens and development of urban trails, provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the
contrary, no acquisition of less than fee simple title may be for a term of less than ten years.
3. Operational Plan. By December 1, 2001, the Department shall prepare, for Commission
consideration and approval, a five-year Operational Plan, to be updated annually, detailing proposed
improvements to the Department's services and responsiveness to customer needs. The annual
Operational Plan will serve as a tool for improving the operational efficiency of the Department and will
include measurable performance standards for the Department. The Department shall prepare the initial
Operational Plan after conducting a performance audit of Departmental operations. Thereafter, the
Department will conduct periodic performance audits.
The Commission shall establish a community input process, which may include the Citizens Advisory
Committee discussed in section (h), below, through which citizens of the City and County of San Francisco
will provide assistance to the Commission as it develops criteria and establishes the plans required by this
subsection. Prior to the adoption of each five-year plan, the Department shall conduct at least five hearings
in locations distributed geographically throughout the City to receive and to consider the public's comments
upon the plan. The Commission shall ensure that at least two of these hearings are held in the evenings or
on weekends for the public's convenience.
The Department shall report annually, as a part of the City's budget process, to the Mayor and to the
Board of Supervisors, on the status of the plans and on the status of Department goals, objectives and
capital project timelines for the current fiscal year, as well as provide reports on performance measures
required by this Section.
(h) Citizens Advisory Committee. The Board of Supervisors shall establish, by ordinance, a Citizens
Advisory Committee.

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EXHIBIT B

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EXHIBIT C

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(EXHIBIT C - continued)