October 19, 2020 

A Message From The Supervisor:

My team and I have been working hard to provide supports and resources for our community during this time. I know we are facing a pandemic and there is extreme hardship in our community, but we will get through this together!

Please don't hesitate to email us at SafaiStaff@sfgov.org or call us at 1-415-554-6976 if we can assist you in any way and we will immediately respond. 

Thank you all for your time, cooperation, and perseverance! 

Sincerely,




Supervisor Ahsha Safai 

TODAY'S SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER HIGHLIGHTED SUPERVISOR SAFAI'S "CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION" LEGISLATION THAT HE INTRODUCED AT THE FULL BOARD THIS PAST WEEK

Today, Monday, October 19, 2020, the San Francisco Examiner covered legislation that Supervisor Safai introduced this past week that is meant to address the landfilling of construction and demolition debris in San Francisco that should be recyled. 

Specifically, as the article noted, if this legislation is enacted it would mean that new and more stringent regulations would be in place to address the more than 100,000 tons of debris (annually) being landfilled, something that all San Franciscans care about.

This legislation is also in line with the City's waste reduction goals -- in 2018 Mayor London Breed announced that the City was shooting for a 50 percent reduction of solid waste sent to the landfill by  2030, 2020 no longer being feasible. 

How would the enforcement work? For too long, the transporters of this construction waste have being relying on a business model of reducing their costs of operation by disposing of the waste in landfills. This no longer would be possible, transporters would have to pay for permits to operate in San Francisco, the proposed cost of the permits would depend on the size of the vehicle. And, this permit revenue would then be used by the Department of the Environment to educate and enforce all stakeholders, a win for all. Lastly, the Sheriff's Department would assist with compliance, e.g., site inspections. 

The law would go into effect in July 2021, this is an important win for all who care for our environment and takes us that much closer to meeting our zero waste goals. 

To read the article, please click here: 

https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/permits-proposed-for-haulers-of-construc...

 

SAN FRANCISCO ANNOUNCES EFFORTS IN PLACE TO HELP RESIDENTS VOTE SAFELY IN NOVEMBER ELECTION

All registered voters in San Francisco and California will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 3, 2020 election, and should expect to receive their ballot in the mail the week of October 5. The deadline to register to vote is October 19, 2020. Register to vote online or in person at the Voting Center. Those who miss the voter registration deadline but are still eligible can visit the Voting Center or a polling place to register and cast a provisional ballot.

Over the last few months, the Department of Elections has been working diligently to safely reach voters and potential registrants with a wide range of multilingual, multi-format informational resources about the November 3 election. In collaboration with its non-profit outreach partners and City agencies, the Department is distributing digital presentations and print materials designed to inform all residents, including members of the City’s vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, about upcoming election dates and deadlines, vote by mail, and the new health and safety protocols implemented at in-person voting sites. The Department of Elections has also been informing the public about the November 3 election through several informational mailings, digital notices, and Public Service Announcements. 

There are several ways to vote in the election:

By Mail – This is the safest way to vote. The Department of Elections recommends voters return their ballots using a United States Postal Service blue mail collection box. The USPS provides nearly 1,400 collection boxes in the City. Find your nearest mail box here.

At the Voting Center – October 5 through November 3, and open weekends starting October 24.

At a Polling Place on Election Day. There are 588 polling places in San Francisco. Find your polling places on San Francisco’s Voter Portal.

At Ballot Drop-Off Sites – Starting October 5 and through November 3, voters can drop-off ballots at the Voting Center.

Starting October 31 and through November 3, the Department will provide drop-off sites at the Chase Center, Bayview/Linda Brooks-Burton Library, Excelsior Library, and Portsmouth Square.

Accessible Vote-by-Mail System – allows voters to mark screen-readable vote-by-mail ballots using common internet-connected devices. After marking an AVBM ballot, a voter must download and print the ballot and return the ballot printout by mail or in person in a timely manner, just as vote-by-mail voters who use official paper ballots must do.

Authorizing another person to pick up your ballot – Beginning October 5, any registered voter may authorize a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, or person residing in their household to pick up a vote-by-mail ballot from the Voting Center and deliver it to them, provided the authorized person is at least 16 years old.

Health and Safety Measures

In compliance with current guidance from public health officials, the Department of Elections has adopted several new health and safety protocols at its in-person voting locations. The Department will offer hand sanitizer, gloves, and face masks to all voters and post notices asking voters and observers to observe health guidelines, including those regarding facial coverings, hand hygiene, and social distancing rules, at all in-person voting locations.

The Department will also introduce new sanitation and disinfection protocols for the voting supplies and equipment used at all in-person voting locations. The Voting Center and 588 polling places will be set up to maintain 6 foot distances between people in line, computer workstations, voting booths, and ballot return boxes. Although all voters will receive ballots by mail, voters can still use in-person services at the Voting Center or polling places. San Franciscans are reminded to wear a face covering when voting in person or dropping off their ballot to protect public health.

Voting Center

The Voting Center will provide ballots and services to all City residents who wish to pick up or drop off vote-by-mail ballots, register to vote (before or after the registration deadline), obtain personal assistance, use accessible voting equipment, obtain replacement ballots, or cast their ballots in person.

To protect the health of voters wishing to obtain in-person voting services during the 29-day early voting period, the Voting Center will be set up in the area outside of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on 99 Grove Street, between Polk and Larkin Streets.

The Voting Center will be open during the 29-day early voting period during these times:

• Every weekday, October 5 through November 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Two weekends, October 24 and 25, and October 31 and November 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (same voting hours as polling places).

To make their voting experience faster and safer, voters can use the Voting Locations and Wait Times Tool to check wait times at the Voting Center as they are planning their trip. With early voting opportunities available 29 days before Election Day, San Francisco encourages residents to vote as early as possible.

The Voting Center will also offer accessible voting tools such as page magnifiers, pen grips, and seated voting, as well as accessible ballot-marking devices with touchscreen/audio format and personal assistive device compatibility. Any voter may request to vote “curbside” at the Voting Center by calling (415) 554-4375 or by asking a companion to enter the voting center to request delivery of voting materials to the voter.