Hi all, Last Thursday's strategy summit and Planning hearing each went well for us in defending our local access to challenging development via CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act) from the new attack to weaken that access by San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener. Over 20 representatives of environmental, neighborhood, historic preservation, social justice, and park protection organizations attended the strategy summit. Several attorneys well versed in CEQA attended and gave excellent briefings on the legislation and its many deep attacks on public process. A very good discussion was had on near term strategy to defeat Wiener's measure, which resulted in an effective working consensus on how to proceed as a unified opposition campaign. (I'll post more on that working strategy in a follow up email.) WIENER'S REACTION & NEW HEARING DATES Many of us attended, and spoke at, the Planning hearing on Thursday, and met with Supervisor Eric Mar's office the next day, Friday Nov 16. We learned at the Commission hearing and from Supervisor Mar, that the rapid, energized opposition and avalanche of comments to supervisors and planning commissioners that we all have launched together, have gotten Supervisor Wiener's attention in a -big- way and caused him to dramatically reassess his strategy for pushing this legislation. As a result, in the November 15 Planning Hearing, consideration of the measure was postponed for two weeks, and Supervisor Wiener also asked Eric Mar to reschedule the crucial Land Use Committee hearing on this matter to early December (instead of next week). Most importantly, Wiener has asked that the December Land Use hearing be informational only, with no action item to pass the legislation on to the full Board of Supervisors. So we now have sufficient time to organize and implement a rock solid campaign to stop this legislation in its tracks, and to demand a full legitimate stakeholder process for any changes made to CEQA procedure and protections. We should meet right away to keep in strong forward motion, and to work out a good organizing strategy for the next few weeks. I'll follow up soon with a proposed date, time and location for the next strategy session. NOTE: If your organization has a good meeting space, please reply asap so we can line up effective venues for the next and future strategy sessions. NEW HEARING DATES, TIMES, LOCATIONS Here are the new hearing dates, times and locations. (Pleased attend as many of these hearings as you can and speak to the many deep flaws and betrayals of public process in Wiener's legislation.) HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION - Wed, Nov 21, 12:30pm - SF City Hall, Room 400 PLANNING COMMISSION (IMPORTANT HEARING TO PUT DETAILED OPPOSITION ARGUMENTS ON THE RECORD) - Thu, Nov 29, 12 noon - SF City Hall, Room 400 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS LAND USE COMMITTEE (VITAL HEARING TO SHOW THE BOARD WIDESPREAD AND DIVERSE OPPOSITION) - Mon, Dec 3, 1pm - SF City Hall (probably in Room 250 - will send confirmation) I'll follow up soon with meeting notes from Thursday's strategy summit. Excellent start all! We have gained the high ground, and are well poised to defeat this legislation if we stay in high gear. cheers Eric Brooks Campaign Coordinator, Our City 415-756-8844