San Francisco DOS Commission votes to continue remote meetings and approves two grant modifications

The San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services Commission on Jan. 5 adopted a resolution finding that continued teleconferencing is necessary to minimize COVID-19 health risks and preserve public participation, and approved two grant modifications to expand digital inclusion and homelessness-prevention services.

President Martha Knudson opened the virtual meeting by reading the AB 361-based resolution and the city's existing emergency orders. Deputy City Attorney David Rees explained that the mayor's Dec. 17 letter asked policy bodies to prepare for a phased return to in-person meetings but that, given the winter COVID surge, remote meetings remain permissible under the amended Brown Act. "The vaccination requirement ' will be enforced," Rees said, while clarifying that booster documentation collection has so far been focused on specified city personnel under health officer orders.

Commissioner Buettner moved to adopt the teleconference findings and, after a roll-call vote, the motion passed with multiple commissioners recorded as "yes." The resolution allows the commission to continue meeting remotely while the city is under a state or local emergency.

Later in the meeting the commission approved a modification to a grant with Community Living Campaign to support the SF Connected digital-inclusion program. Fanny Lapitan, program manager in the Office of Community Partnerships, said the additional $67,230 (plus a 10% contingency) would bring the grant total "to a revised total amount not to exceed $628,000" and support three program components: digital literacy labs across districts, technical support for hardware and broadband, and administrative support for the SF Tech Council. Lapitan described two pilots funded through the council: one with Family Caregiver Alliance (targeting primarily Spanish-speaking caregivers) and a televisit.org pilot that includes 17 monolingual Chinese participants. Commissioner Chung moved to approve the modification, Vice President Spears seconded, and the motion passed by roll call.

The commission also authorized a sole-source waiver and a modification to the existing grant with the Institute on Aging to continue HomeSafe services, approving an additional $3,320,936 (plus a 10% contingency) for a revised total not to exceed $4,841,030. Achilles Seron said the funding will support intensive case management, housing transition services and purchase of goods and services to avert harm and homelessness for older adults and adults with disabilities. "The purpose of this grant agreement is to meet our commitment to the State under the HomeSafe pilot grant," Seron said.

There were no public callers for the items when the moderator checked the queue. The meeting record shows roll-call votes for each action; the secretary announced the outcome of each motion and recorded individual votes where provided.

The commission adjourned after completing its agenda.