|
It’s been a long year of struggle and sacrifice, but we are finally seeing the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel. This past Tuesday, the State transitioned the City and County of San Francisco from the purple tier to the red tier, enabling the City to finally begin re-opening. Learn what is eligible for opening - and remember that a full recovery is contingent on continued compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols. We are not out of the woods yet.
But we’re getting there. In addition to San Francisco’s collective diligence following safety guidelines, our re-opening comes as we continue to roll out vaccines for eligible San Franciscans, bringing us closer toward a June 2021 herd immunity goal. As of this newsletter, at least 172,843 San Franciscans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with approximately 76,006 residents completing a full vaccination. The City is now tracking data on vaccinations, and you can see demographic breakdowns according to age, race and ethnicity on the COVID-19 Vaccination Data Dashboard . Here in District 3, we are working with the Department of Public Health and providers to get the vaccine to our most vulnerable populations, including our SRO residents. Vaccination rates are currently at 19% in Chinatown, 17% in North Beach, 14% in Nob Hill and 16% of Russian Hill residents, respectively. When the State gets San Francisco more supply, we’ll be able to finish vaccinating Phase 1, Tier 1b eligible residents and open up the next tier. For now, seniors 65+ yrs old, emergency workers, educators and restaurant and food workers are all eligible for the vaccine - so please sign up for a vaccination appointment, if you’re eligible!
Our office is working daily to respond to constituents’ needs and provide the assistance necessary to access city services and resources such as the Shared Space Program. We co-hosted our first Cantonese language Vaccine Town Hall with the Department of Public Health, and will be hosting a general District 3 Vaccine Town Hall next week - details in the newsletter!
Finally, with so much negativity and anxiety stemming from the impacts of the pandemic, sometimes we need some reminders about why we choose to call San Francisco home. Read this inspired piece (prominently featuring District 3!) by SF Chronicle columnist, Carl Nolte, to shake off the dreary fog of the “ghost town” label and celebrate the still-beating heart of an eclectic, resilient & beautiful town.
See you in the neighborhood,
Aaron
|
Hitting the Ground Running: Welcome to New Central Station Captain Julian Ng
|
The Central Station Police District covers most of Supervisorial District 3 (though not all). Over the years, we have had the benefit of excellent station captains who serve some of the best neighborhoods in the City. I am delighted to welcome Captain Julian Ng to his new post overseeing Central Station. Last month, my office co-hosted a District 3 Public Safety Forum to hear updates from SFPD Chief Scott, outgoing Central Cpt Yick, SF SAFE and District Attorney Boudin. Thanks to all of you who joined the Q&A. (You can watch the archived recording of presentations using passcode: ud!9$Q.A) I also joined SFPD Commander Fong and incoming Central Captain Ng on an introductory neighborhood walk-through of Chinatown to announce that Community Liaison Unit (CLU) officers will be deployed in the neighborhood to supplement station foot beats and patrols. The primary focus of the CLU is to ensure bilingual SFPD officers build trust with the broader community, improve reporting of crime, support victims and their families, and seek out information that leads to the resolution of hate crimes and prejudice-based incidents. The CLU aims to serve all members of San Francisco’s diverse communities, including residents who do not speak English.
Cpt. Ng is born and raised in San Francisco, and speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin. I’m looking forward to continuing my historically strong partnership with Central Station and daily check-ins with the Captain on a variety of neighborhood issues. We’ll be hosting more neighborhood walk-throughs and public meetings in the weeks ahead.
You can reach Captain Julian Ng at Julian.Ng@sfgov.org or (415) 315-2400. |
District 3 COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall
|
Join me and experts from the Department of Public Health for a Town Hall next week addressing the State’s and City’s evolving vaccine roll-out. This town hall will also provide information about who qualifies for a vaccine, how to make an appointment, details of the different vaccine brands, the City’s three-pronged approach to distributing vaccines to the community, and what resources are available to help streamline your efforts. In addition to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, we should be getting the new Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines in the next couple of weeks.
Please RSVP by clicking the Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsfuitqzMuHNNm8fShGZvAV-PKFpeZdqaS
If you have any specific questions you want DPH to be prepared to respond to, please let us know in advance by emailing peskinstaff@sfgov.org. Full list of vaccination sites below: |
Task Force to Reform Refuse Collection After Recology Fraud
|
Next week, I will be introducing legislation to form a Task Force to make recommendations on reforming our city's waste management service. Local corporation Recology has maintained an exclusive no-bid contract to deliver trash services in San Francisco since 1932, and was implicated in the FBI's probe of corruption and fraud across several city departments. This week, our City Attorney has announced a lawsuit and subsequent settlement after the City Controller's audit revealed that Recology has been overcharging rate-payers to the tune of $100 million over the last four years. Per the terms of the settlement, residential ratepayers will be refunded $190 each by September 1st.
In the meantime, I am convening a Task Force of waste management experts and labor leaders to analyze best practices in other jurisdictions and make recommendations on reforms that will be set forth for consideration by the voters. We can make our city cleaner, our waste collection more reliable and affordable AND we can keep dirty politics out of our trash service. Read more in Mission Loc@l coverage. |
Free Muni and Paratransit to COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments
|
COVID-19 has impacted our transit service in more ways than one, and our office is working closely with SFMTA on assessing which lines can be brought back to full service or at least with a modified route to connect essential workers and seniors to services, as well as a plan for the return of our beloved cable cars. We want to hear your transit feedback, so please email PeskinStaff@sfgov.org with your thoughts.
Muni and Paratransit are now free for those going to get vaccinated for COVID-19. This includes your trips in both directions and the program also provides a one-time allotment increase for those who use the Essential Trip Card. Please be prepared to show your confirmed vaccination appointment when boarding Muni. FREE Vaccination Transit: https://www.sfmta.com/blog/free-muni-and-paratransit-covid-19-vaccine-ap... |
Central Subway + Van Ness BRT Updates
|
Last month, I joined SFMTA Director Tumlin on a tour of the Union Square Central Subway station to monitor progress on the completion schedule, which has been moved out several times. Despite the frustrating delays, we are getting close to “technical” completion, which will allow the SFMTA to start testing trains before the start of this summer. Depending on how those tests fare, we can expect to see revenue service by Spring 2022. Construction still continues on the Union Square and Chinatown “Rose Pak” Stations, but we hope to be able to open up aboveground street closures to local traffic by the end of April. My office is also working closely with SFMTA on a community stewardship model to maintain and activate Chinatown “Rose Pak” Station’s Plaza. The long-awaited Central Subway Project will improve public transportation in San Francisco by extending the Muni Metro T Third through SOMA, Union Square and Chinatown, neighborhoods which are connected to other local and regional transit, including BART and cross-city Muni lines.
In other District 3 transit news: we also celebrated San Francisco’s move into the Red Tier of Reopening with a commitment from SFMTA Director Tumlin that the F-Muni Line would will resume full service by May and that we will begin the process of training new cable car operators to ensure full 7-days-a-week cable car service in time for the winter holiday! Clang, clang, clang went the celebratory bell!
The Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project continues to move forward, with expected completion early next year despite COVID-19 construction delays. Two years ago, I established the SF Construction Mitigation Fund to provide relief to small businesses impacted by major city construction projects, like Central Subway and Van Ness BRT. To date, the Office of Economic & Workforce Development (OEWD) has dispersed $457,000 in funds, including $367,500 in direct grants to merchants in and around the Central Subway zone and $90,000 to Van Ness corridor merchants. Learn more about the Construction Mitigation Fund, including eligibility requirements.
In Fisherman’s Wharf, the final Phase IV of the Jefferson Avenue Pedestrian Streetscape Project is nearing an end. The plaza work at Taylor St. and Jefferson Ave. should be done by next month, and we’re looking forward to celebrating this long-awaited pedestrian promenade - just in time for reopening to tourists!
Finally, my staff have continued to monitor our investments into two major Vision Zero quick-build projects, the Embarcadero Safety Project and Sansome/Battery Phase II bike improvements to Market Street. Look for SFMTA outreach materials with details on the next Open House soon! |
Advancing Divestment Efforts in San Francisco
|
I have proudly introduced a Resolution urging Mayor Breed to appoint an individual to the Retirement Board of the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement Systems (SFERS) who not only has experience in divesting from fossil fuels but has committed to implementing real solutions to furthering divestment efforts in San Francisco. The Retirement Board is in many ways a staff-driven body, and at this current juncture, staff have expressed a goal of full divestment from fossil fuels by 2050. This is far too late, given the very real consequences of climate change and oil dependence we face over the course of the next 30 years. As the Rules Committee Chair, it is my goal to ensure that the appointee who will fill outgoing member Carmen Chu’s seat on the SFERS Retirement Board will have the knowledge and expertise to push back on staff recommendations that don’t support our city policies or values. It’s long past time to expedite divestment of these failing assets.
SF Examiner: SF should step up efforts to divest from fossil fuels |
Celebrating Opening of Willi "Woo Woo" Wong Playground
|
|
Last month, I was thrilled to join the Chinatown community in kicking off the start of the Year of the Ox with the grand re-opening of Willie “Woo Woo” Wong Playground. It has truly been a labor of love to fulfill the community’s vision and advocacy of the past 8 years to rehab this playground and recreation center for all ages in the heart of Chinatown. When the $14.5m project was short on funding to complete the full renovation, I worked with my former legislative aide, Supervisor Connie Chan, to secure Downtown Open Space funding to ensure the project’s completion.
The renovation includes an expanded children’s play area with magical dragon and phoenix play equipment, a new clubhouse featuring mural art by local artist Julie Chang, and improved access to the park’s basketball courts. Starting next week, it will also be a Community Learning Hub staffed by the Community Youth Center, providing space for students to receive culturally competent in-person support for distance learning, healthy meals, and safe recreation opportunities. View more coverage below:
CBS Channel 5: “San Francisco Opens Renovated Woo Woo Wong Playground and Clubhouse For Lunar New Year”
SF Chronicle: “A Redone Chinatown Park Shows Why Public Space Matters in Times Like These”
SF Examiner: “City unveils renovated playground in Chinatown just in time for Lunar New Year”
|
District 3 "Clean and Green" Program
|
Many of you have participated in community meetings that our office has convened to engage residents around street cleanliness and neighborhood greening. For years, our office has pushed the Department of Public Works to prioritize District 3 for increased deployment of large-capacity trash cans, mechanized street sweeping and commercial corridor power washing but met with resistance from the former Director of DPW. Despite this resistance, we have been able to get Big Belly trash cans and staffed public restroom Pit Stops in North Beach, Union Square, and Polk Gulch, as well as alleyway power washing in Chinatown and Lower Polk.
Voters also supported last year's Proposition B, which split the Department of Public Works into two separate divisions, each with their own oversight bodies. We hope that this will help to improve the operations of DPW, in particular street cleaning and public refuse recovery. My staff and I met recently with DPW Acting Director Alaric Degrafinried and newly appointed Director of Operations & Street Cleaning, Dijaida Durden, to discuss improvements to street conditions. DPW has asked that we solicit your input on where increased street cleaning should be happening and where large capacity trash cans should be placed. Please email PeskinStaff@sfgov.org with your feedback and please try to be as specific as possible. |
|
Join superstar neighborhood stakeholder, Le Beau Market, for a monthly street sweep of Nob Hill. They gather the first Saturday of each month at 9:00AM on the corner of Leavenworth St & Clay St. Materials are provided. Please wear a mask and observe social distancing when participating.
The next street sweep is on March 6th at 9:00AM. You can find more information here.
|
|
Thanks to Lower Nob Hill resident Rebecca Doran for organizing last weekend’s neighborhood clean-up and my staff, Sarah Souza and Lee Hepner, for attending. If you are interested in organizing a neighborhood clean-up in your neck of the woods, our office is happy to promote, support and connect you to free cleaning supplies from DPW. Please email PeskinStaff@sfgov.org if you’re interested - it only takes a small group of committed neighbors to get some engagement going!
|
Ciao to Legendary SF Poet Ferlinghetti
|
|
Supervisor Peskin and Lawrence Ferlinghetti listen to Poet Jack Hirschman at dedication of Jack Kerouac Alley in 2007
|
|
Last week, I adjourned the SF Board of Supervisors meeting in the memory of my friend and longtime neighbor, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The tears were flowing in North Beach from the morning coffee crowd at Caffe Trieste to the impromptu twilight gathering of San Francisco poets, artists and neighbors in Jack Kerouac Alley last Tuesday. For his 100th birthday, I authored legislation dedicating March 24, 2019 as Lawrence Ferlinghetti Day in San Francisco and we planted an olive tree in his honor across from Via Ferlinghetti alley. The streets were alive with music and poetry, from Live Worms Gallery on Grant Avenue to City Lights Booksellers to Canessa Gallery at the end of Columbus Avenue in celebration. Lawrence epitomized everything that people love about San Francisco and North Beach in particular, which I speak to in this 2019 Marina Times column, “What Do We Mean By The Soul of San Francisco?”.
Lawrence passed away just one month shy of his 102nd birthday. His contributions to the preservation of North Beach culture and art will live on in the work of City Lights Booksellers, and the eclectic poets, rabble-rousers and funky dreamers who make North Beach the heart of the City’s and nation’s literary culture. Rest In Poetry, old friend.
Read more here:
The Guardian: “The Soul of the City: San Francisco Honors Literary Hero Lawrence Ferlinghetti”
SF Chronicle: “Our City Belongs to the Poets - S.F. makes pilgrimage to City Lights to remember Lawrence Ferlinghetti”
|
Community Resources and Opportunities
|
PPP Loans for Small Businesses
|
$284 Billion has been added to the PPP, expanding eligibility, increasing flexibility, covering additional costs, making loan forgiveness easier, and allowing previous PPP recipients to obtain a second PPP loan. The deadline is Wednesday, March 10. The PPP will only accept applications from businesses with fewer than 20 employees. Along with other changes, this is an effort to make access to PPP loans more equitable and ensure federal funds are reserved for sole-proprietors and small employers. Find out more information here.
|
San Francisco Working Families Credit and Free Tax Assistance
|
File your taxes for free online and by phone if you earned under $66,000 in 2020. You'll get help applying for the Working Families Credit (WFC) and other tax credits. To apply for the WFC and find free community tax assistance filing options, visit FreeTaxHelpSF.org, or call 2-1-1 to find free tax centers and schedule appointments.
2021 Tax Season Program Flyers
|
Bridge to Excellence Scholarship Program
|
| The Bridge to Excellence Scholarship Program will provide students from San Francisco public high schools with $2,500 each in scholarship awards. The application window will be open until Wednesday, March 31st, 2021. The Mayor’s Office will review all qualified candidates and notify recipients by the end of April. Interested students can apply at sfmayor.org/bridgetoexcellence. |
Utility Bill Relief Program Extension
|
| The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission extended their bill relief program for another 6 months, through June 30, 2021, to help small businesses and nonprofit customers with up to 20% savings on their water and wastewater bill. Apply here. |
Mini-Grant Opportunity for Immigrant Food Access
|
The Food4All program is working to modernize the California Food Assistance Program to provide state-funded nutrition benefits to all Californians ineligible for CalFresh solely due to their immigration status. Nourish California is providing ten (10) mini-grants to help mobilize and engage in the 2021 Food4All Campaign. Your organization can receive from $3,000 to $7,500 to engage with the campaign.
Mini-Grant Online Application apply by the March 5th deadline. If you have any questions or comments please email: Gabby Tilley at gabby@nourishca.org |
Homeownership SF 2021 Housing Expo March 4-6
|
| The San Francisco Housing Expo, organized by Council of Community Housing Organizations member, Homeownership SF , starts this Thursday March 4th with 3 days of workshops for tenants, homebuyers, and homeowners. Thursday 4:00-8:00pm will focus on assistance for current homeowners; Friday 4-8 pm will focus on renters rights, eviction prevention, and access to affordable housing; and Saturday 11:00AM-3:00pm will be a day for workshops for homebuyers, including down payment assistance and access to BMR units. EVENT DETAILS AND REGISTRATION HERE. |
San Francisco Senior Beat- Check it out!
|
|
Lynne Painter (left) and Hold (right) showing off their cooking skills.
|
“The SF Senior Beat” is an online magazine whose goal is to share the lives of San Francisco’s older adults in all their diversity. This month, they are featuring Lynne Painter (pictured), who is a volunteer at Host Homes , a San Francisco program that serves LGTBQ+ youth that are homeless or have unstable housing conditions. Painter has been volunteering at Host Homes for about a year and has been hosting her home for Hold, a San Francisco youth that identifies as a Queer/Trans survivor. Painter says that Host Homes have provided her an opportunity to learn more about the younger generation and an opportunity to mentor Youth. After volunteering with Host Homes for about a year, Painter has also taken on the role of being a volunteer recruiter and has been a strong advocate for programs like Host Homes. With Hold moving out this March, Painter expects to host a new youth in her home soon. Learn more about their story.
Check out SF Senior Beat for regular updates on seniors making a difference in the community and get involved!
Other Senior Resources:
Self-Help for the Elderly
NextVillage
Senior Disability Action
Tel Hi Neighborhood Center |
Survey on Vision Zero Action Strategy
|
| The Vision Zero Action Strategy is the action plan to meet the City’s Vision Zero commitment to reduce the number of traffic collisions and fatalities in San Francisco to zero. The City wants to hear your feedback as we update the strategy. Tell us your priorities and concerns by filling out the surveys below in the language of your choice. The deadline to fill out the survey is this Friday, March 5th - so please share with friends and neighbors! |
Dream SF Fellows 2021-2022 Applications Now Open
|
The DreamSF Fellows Program is a six-month or year-long leadership and professional development opportunity for immigrant students and aspiring professionals (ages 18+) who seek to be social justice change-makers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Fellows are paired with local immigrant-serving community organizations and gain hands-on experience in direct services, advocacy, and immigration law careers, all while growing a network of mentors. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply! For program and application details visit https://www.dreamsffellows.org/apply
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 14TH, 2021 |
CalFresh for Families in Need
|
People in low-income households can use the CalFresh program to get access to food from grocery stores, restaurants, and more. The CalFresh program is a food stamp program in California. To access CalFresh, people must apply. Currently, eligible people can apply online at https://www.getcalfresh.org . And, people can also fax their CalFresh applications to this number (415)-335-2300 or call (415)-558- 4700 for information about applying to CalFresh. Additionally, the program is also accepting applications via mail (the address is City and County of San Francisco, Department of Human Services, P.O. Box 7988, San Francisco, CA 94120-7988). When applying, documentation of your income, residency, and identity will be required. For examples of the various types of documentation, please visit https://www.sfhsa.org/services/health-food/calfresh/applying-calfresh . If you need any assistance on your application, please visit https://211sandiego.org/sf-scheduling/for an appointment. After you have completed and submitted your application, you will complete an interview online.
For more information on the CalFresh program and the CalFresh application process, please visit https://www.sfhsa.org/services/health-food/calfresh to learn more. |
|
|
|
|
|
Board of Supervisors | District 3 | Aaron Peskin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
