Office of the Clerk of the Board - Newsletter (November 2020)

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SAN FRANCISCO'S OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE BOARD

Clerk of the Board, Angela Calvillo (right), and Legislative Deputy Director, Alisa Somera (left), work side by side during a Board of Supervisors meeting to track the actions of the Board.

Dear San Francisco Residents:

Welcome to the first-ever Clerk of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Newsletter. I'm Angela Calvillo, your Clerk of the Board as appointed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. My job is to ensure that residents of San Francisco, like you, know what's going on with the legislative process so that you can take part in shaping public policy. Now more than ever, as we experience uncharted waters with the impact of the coronavirus and begin to reopen our beloved City, your voice matters and your local government is listening.

When I was a child, my sister was severely injured by a piece of falling debris from a building, and my mom didn't know where to turn. I want people like my mom to know the government resources that exist to help its residents, which is why we have created this newsletter to focus greater attention and provide and share useful information to encourage broader participation by San Francisco's diverse population. This Newsletter provides critical information about the ways in which you can get involved and contribute to shaping the outcomes and decisions of the Board of Supervisors. The decisions by the Board of Supervisors impact the quality of experience in our neighborhoods and in the broader community. You can have a hand in shaping policy outcomes through attending Board and Committee meetings, sitting on an advisory committee to being appointed to a Commission.

Moving forward, this newsletter will be a resource for you to learn how to participate in local government. Speaking of government participation, a quick reminder to vote between now and November 3rd. In this issue, we are focused on the City's reopening of San Francisco and our continued commitment to fighting the virus. I'm excited to introduce our brand new COVID-19 City Services Map here, which has been representative of all the department's hard work on behalf of our residents.

Remember to be physically distant, but socially connected. Protect yourself and your loved ones.

Be well and stay safe,

Angela Calvillo
Clerk of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors

COVID-19 City Services Map

Based upon a high volume of inquiries to the Office of the Clerk of the Board for various City services and assistance, our office created this map to provide information about COVID-19 and other resources available within the City and County of San Francisco. This map will be updated periodically.

The map features resource icons for various services—childcare, testing sites, education, hand washing stations, homeless and low income to-go food, homeless and low income technology resources, mental health substance abuse resources, pit stops, senior and older adult resources, and learning hubs—all defined by our map legend.

We're grateful to the Mayor, Board of Supervisors and local officials who have been hard at work creating services for you, located throughout the districts for your easy access.

You can filter the map by a service category by using the resource type drop-down menu. Click on a resource icon to see more details about the service being offered or to find out how to contact them directly. To find more information on the City’s path forward, click on the general City’s website, here.

Please contact us if you spot any errors via phone (415-554-5184) or email (BOS@sfgov.org).

The City's

Path Toward

Reopening

San Francisco

First of all, I want to thank you, San Francisco, for uniting to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. Please keep up-to-date with the Department of Public Health guidance.

The Office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors brought together a list of local resources offered by City departments directly or through partnerships, such as testing, homeless and low-income individuals, seniors, mental health, education, handwashing stations, bathrooms, and childcare. We also recommend checking out the Mayor’s Office site, which details the phased approach to reopening the City, spearheaded by the City Assessor-Recorder, Carmen Chu.

The reason the Office of the Clerk of the Board of San Francisco Supervisors exists is to make sure citizens like you know what's happening with your local government. To do this, we provide operational legislative, and administrative support to the 11 members of the Board of Supervisors so they can effectively serve the public's needs. Our primary duties include:

Preserving an accurate collection of the Board's legislative history, including agenda, minutes, packets, ordinances, and resolutions;
Providing for the ethical and efficient flow of the legislative branch of government, including records, budget, human resources, purchasing and contracting;
Ensuring maintenance of legislation and adherence to all applicable local and state laws;
Encouraging the public to be knowledgeable about the Board's decisions by making resources useful and available.

The Office of the Clerk of the Board provides these services through its 36 employees within five divisions. And we provide timely customer service based on administrative policy and procedures. More information about the Clerk of the Board and what we do can be found here .

Virtual Office Hours to Serve You

Since the Shelter in Place Order, the Office of the Clerk, like many of you, have been working remotely whenever possible. Of course, members of the Board of Supervisors have combatted major impacts to vulnerable populations routinely in person.

The Board of Supervisors and Office of the Clerk of the Board support the Mayor’s Office on Disability to help make San Francisco a city where all people enjoy equal rights, equal opportunity, and freedom from illegal discrimination under disability rights laws.

To minimize your risk, we will get you what you need to enable your continued participation in local government, virtually.

We have been hosting virtual office hours to help address any legislative, operational, and administrative process questions. The schedule along with dial-in information can be found at the top of our homepage in orange. Or, you can contact us via:

Phone: 415-554-5184, M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Email: BOS@sfgov.org
Twitter: @sfbos

How to Participate at Public Comment

Since the Shelter in Place Order, the Board’s Legislative Chamber and Committee Room are closed. Members of the public are encouraged to participate remotely through video conferencing or by telephone. Instructions for participation, including a schedule of meetings and dial-in information can be found here.

The committee system of the Board is designed to hear effective public testimony for and against proposed legislation before the specific committees and to hear suggestions for amendments.

When the Board considers legislation, which has not been considered by a committee, testimony is welcome during the Public Comment portion of the meeting. The public may address the Board for up to two minutes.

All San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting agendas and minutes can be found here.

Recent Board Action to Meet the City's Needs

Even without a physical space, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors adapted immediately and did not miss a meeting. The Board proactively established virtual meetings and bridged access for public comment to ensure the essential continuation of participation. Over the last eight months, the following legislation was enacted to reduce the suffering and expedite the healing of San Francisco residents.

ORDINANCES | RESOLUTIONS | MOTIONS

The coronavirus has ushered in a heartbreaking and challenging time for the world as a whole, and San Francisco is no exception. When the City began sheltering in place, City Hall and the Board’s Legislative Chamber were closed. The Board of Supervisors continues to aid the community and is providing services remotely.

Have questions about the legislation enacted above or anything else? Reach out to your district Supervisor below.

Preview of What's Next in Future Issues

We hope you enjoyed our premier issue of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors newsletter. Stay tuned for future editions when we share more legislative, operational, and administrative updates and matters on behalf of the Board of Supervisors.

If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us at BOS@sfgov.org or at (415) 554-5184.

Board of Supervisors, Office of the Clerk of the Board

You are receiving this newsletter as part of your rights as a San Francisco citizen to have access to government information that helps make your neighborhood better. You may have previously signed up to receive information from the Clerk of the Board, the Board of Supervisors or a non-profit with which we have partnered with to improve the community.