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CELEBRATING LUNAR NEW YEAR!
On February 10, we celebrated Lunar New Year in Chinatown, and on the 24th we rode in the ever-amazing Chinese New Year Parade! Happy Year of the Dragon to all! |
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CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH!
As part of the Board’s recognition of Black History Month, I had the joy and honor of presenting a special commendation to Dr. Tyler Termeer, LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS Activist, Movement Leader, Philanthropist, Fierce Dresser, and the first Black CEO of the SF AIDS Foundation. Thank you for your service and leadership Dr. Termeer! |
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CONTRACTING REFORM
San Francisco’s contracting process is broken. Rather than getting us the best product and the best deal, our so-called competitive processes result in higher costs, more delays, and worse results from the small group of contractors that are well-resourced enough to comply with the city’s dizzying array of contracting regulations. In the Budget & Finance Committee and at the full Board, I helped secure waivers of this cumbersome process for the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, so that they can help the most vulnerable among us. We’ve
repealed 12X, the “Banned State” policy, but there’s so much more to be done. Stay tuned! |
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MENTAL HEALTH BEDS
On February 21st, I held a hearing on the City’s residential treatment bed expansion for those suffering from mental illness and addiction.
In 2021, the Department of Public Health announced their Behavioral Health Residential Treatment Expansion Plan, which would add 400 new treatment beds to the 2,200 that were then in place. As of 2024, 350 of those beds have been added towards that goal. However, the Department’s most recent beds analysis points to an even greater need for behavioral health beds than back in 2020, and for the past several years there has been a net loss of beds in adult residential care facilities, as well as increasing numbers of unusable beds because of staffing shortages. All this raises the question of whether the City is gaining ground, running in place, or losing ground when it comes to providing appropriate bed placements. Without appropriate bed placements, we will continue to struggle
to use our recently-expanded conservatorship laws. If Proposition 1 passes this week, as we hope it will, California voters will have authorized a $6.38 billion bond to build over 11,000 bed placements across California. San Francisco needs a comprehensive plan to increase the availability of treatment placements; I am working with the Mayor and Department of Public Health to create such a plan. |
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CLEANING UP DISTRICT 8
Maintaining a clean and safe District 8 for all is one of our top priorities. On February 8th, we participated in a great DPW Neighborhood Beautification Day in the District, where a constituent told us about a major trash build-up under the Market St. viaduct where Elizabeth St. meets Grand View. Within two weeks, we were able to get a DPW crew out there to clean the area and mend the fence; click through the photos below from before, during, and after! Big thank you to the amazing DPW crew that cleaned this mess up. If there’s a cleanliness issue in your neighborhood, email mandelmanstaff@sfgov.org
and we’ll get on it. |
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MEET YOUR SUPERVISOR: OFFICE HOURS
IN-PERSON OFFICE HOURS: Join me for coffee in Noe Valley on Saturday, March 23, from 9:30-11:30AM! Sign up for a slot by emailing mandelmanstaff@sfgov.org. |
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ST. PATRICK'S DAY: 3 EVENTS!
Come join us for one of three events celebrating St. Patrick's Day: Happy Hour, the Parade, and the Noe Valley Celtic Festival!
HAPPY HOUR
Kick off the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day! Come join me for happy hour on Thursday, March 14, from 6-8PM, at the Dubliner in Noe Valley! I’d love to see you there. RSVP here: bit.ly/rafaelstpattys
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PARADE
San Francisco's 173rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Celebration 2024 will take place on Saturday, March 16, from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM. The parade begins at 2nd Street & Market Street, proceeding down Market Street to Civic Center Plaza near City Hall, where a post-parade celebration will occur.
The plaza in front of City Hall opens at 11:30 AM with food, drinks, music, and vendors. After the parade concludes, the celebration continues with live music featuring: The Hooks, Glide Ensemble, Dublin Soul, and special guests. The theme for the parade is UniteSF, reflecting the mission to unite, embrace, and honor the diverse cultural groups in San Francisco.
The UniteSF Multi-Cultural Celebration continues at Civic Center Plaza until 6:00 PM, showcasing the city's rich cultural diversity through dance, music, arts, and food. Find more information here. We’d love to have you march with us! Contact Adam Thongsavat at adam.thongsavat@sfgov.org
if you’re interested in joining.
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NOE VALLEY CELTIC FESTIVAL
And on Sunday, March 17, join our office and the Valley Tavern in celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Noe Valley! Info below:
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MCATEER COMMUNITY FARM CLIMATE WORK DAY!
McAteer Community Farm is hosting a climate work day / pizza party / compost giveaway event on Saturday, March 30, from 9AM-4PM. The Farm is planning to give away 25 yards of organic compost, bring-your-own-bucket style. McAteer Community Farm is a project of Asawa SOTA and SF Academy high schools and PTAs, Friends of SOTA, Foodwise, and SFUSD Student Nutrition. More info on the flier below!
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SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE: EASTER IN THE PARK
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will host their Annual Easter in the Park and celebrate their 45th Anniversary on Easter Sunday (March 31)! The day will include a Children’s Easter at 10am, and Honey Mahogany’s variety show will begin at noon, of course including the world-famous Foxy Mary and Hunky Jesus Contests. I hope to see you out there! More info here.
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LGBTQ+ SENIORS: ON LOK/UCSF SURVEY
This survey for LGBTQ+ older adults aims to gather essential baseline information pertaining to their health, economic status, and overall well-being. This initiative is spearheaded by esteemed entities such as Openhouse, CITRIS at UC Berkeley, UCSF, and the California Department of Aging (CDA). The study aligns with the overarching objectives of the Master Plan on Aging, seeking to inform public policy decisions in California and enhance the quality of care and services for the LGBTQ+ older adult population, taking into account regional disparities and demographic diversity. The survey, available until March 31, 2024, requires approximately 20 minutes for completion and is accessible in four languages: English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Traditional Chinese.
Take the survey here!
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APPLY FOR THE DREAMSF FELLOWSHIP
The DreamSF Fellowship
is back for the 11th year connecting immigrant students and aspiring professionals with social justice change-makers in the San Francisco Area! With the DreamSF Fellowship, fellows gain hands-on experience in direct services, content creation, immigration law, program management, creative expression, community advocacy, and much more.
The DreamSF Fellowship welcomes applications from anyone who meets the eligibility requirements. Candidates can apply regardless of immigration status.
The DreamSF Fellowship is a program of the City & County of San Francisco’s Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA).
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SFPD STATION CAPTAINS’ MEETINGS
Curious about safety in your neighborhood or have questions for SFPD? Attending your Station Captains’ Meetings is a great way to learn about what’s going on. Captains’ Meetings are at the following times:
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Ingleside Station (1 Sgt. John V. Young): Third Tuesdays at 6PM at Ingleside Station
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Neighborhoods: Diamond Heights and Glen Park
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Mission Station (630 Valencia): Last Tuesdays at 5PM at Mission Station
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Neighborhoods: Castro, Mission Dolores, and Noe Valley
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Park Station (1899 Waller): Fourth Wednesdays at 5PM on Zoom
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Neighborhoods: Cole Valley, Duboce Triangle, and Twin Peaks
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GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!
District 8 is home to many active neighborhood groups that organize events for the community, lead projects to keep our neighborhoods clean, safe, and beautiful, and connect neighbors with City leaders to advocate for neighborhood priorities. Join an association or go to an upcoming local event - it’s a great way to get involved, make new friends, and change your community for the better!
Learn more about how to get involved in your neighborhood here!
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Diamond Heights Community Association: To learn more, contact DHCA
here.
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Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association: General Community Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every other month from 7:00 – 8:00 pm. Meetings are held in the Ballroom of the Harvey Milk Recreation Center for the Arts, 50 Scott Street, Lobby level with entry from Scott Street and Duboce Park, and preceded by a community social from 6:30 – 7:00 pm.
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Dolores Heights Improvement Club. Green Gardens group holds monthly clean-ups on the first Saturday of the month from 9:00 – 10:30 am. DHIC Board meets on the second Monday of every other month. Meetings are held via Zoom from 7pm – 8pm. Email
info@doloresheights.org to obtain the Zoom meeting link.
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Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association meets every other month on the fourth Thursday with options to join in-person or virtually via Zoom.
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Glen Park Association meets quarterly and alternates between in-person and Zoom meetings. Email info@glenparkassociation.org for more information.
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Upper Noe Neighbors meets every other month on the third Wednesday at the Upper Noe Recreation Center.
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Castro Art Mart is a monthly street fair on Noe Street between Market and Beaver the first Sunday of every month from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, featuring LGBTQ art from local artists, live music, comedy and drag shows, and more.
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Noe Valley Town Square hosts regular events such as Acoustic Sunday, Rhythm and Motion dance, and Free Sunday Morning Yoga.
Don’t see your neighborhood group but want your information added to our website? Email Henry DeRuff at henry.deruff@sfgov.org. |
VOLUNTEER WITH US!
We are looking for D8 office volunteers! Volunteering in my office is a great opportunity to serve District 8 and learn about the issues facing our city, gain valuable experience in the legislative branch of local government, and see how elected officials can work with the community to create effective public policy solutions to solve our toughest problems. Sign up here
or reach out to zahra.hajee@sfgov.org for more information.
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NEW STAFF MEMBER: HENRY DERUFF
Here’s a message from Henry:
Hello District 8!
I joined as District 8’s newest legislative aide in January, and the wonderful team of Adam, Calvin, Zahra, and the Supervisor have helped me hit the ground running. I’m excited to be here!
Right now, I’m working on our charter reform effort (San Francisco’s “Constitution” is in need of some updating!), contracting reform (to help our departments deliver more projects on time and under budget), and public safety reforms (to ensure our public safety system keeps all of us safe). I also respond to Sunshine requests - please don’t send me too many 🙂
I want to give a special shout-out to Noe Valley, where I’ll be the constituent staffer. If you’re a Noe Valleyan, business owner, or frequent visitor, I look forward to meeting you in the neighborhood!
Before joining the D8 office, I worked in environmental conflict resolution, and before that I was a middle school English teacher, so I don’t mind a little conflict. In fact, I think it usually helps us grow.
I grew up in the North Bay and have lived in SF since the pandemic. I love being outside, so you can often find me running, riding my bike, and enjoying the city’s parks with my girlfriend, friends, and family.
Feel free to reach out to me at henry.deruff@sfgov.org to introduce yourself.
Henry
PS: Here’s a picture of me and my new boss sporting some transit socks:
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FACES IN THE CROWD: CAROLYN KENADY |
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Welcome to Faces in the Crowd, written by Marshall Kilduff, accomplished journalist and long time volunteer with our District 8 Office. Marshall tells the stories of District 8 community members who are going above and beyond to contribute to San Francisco!
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Like many neighborhood leaders, Carolyn Kenady keeps an eye on abandoned vehicles, sidewalk tents and mega mansion plans. But that experience has taught her to think about policies that can serve the rest of the city beyond her Dolores Heights neighborhood.
With a background in labor organizing and human relations work, she's become a thoughtful force in improving homeless policies as a co-founder of RescueSF and supporter of A Place For All, Supervisor Mandelman's legislation to offer shelter for any willing taker living on the streets.
"It's not enough to complain and spin your wheels," Kenady said, perched on an outside bench at La Boulangerie Cafe in Noe Valley. "We need to work at it. Pick something you can do with your neighborhood and get connected."
It's an upbeat message in an often frustrating city: meet your neighbors, see who else is involved and lean on city officials and office holders. As for the latter, "They're not hard to meet, and they'll take you seriously if you go in with reasonable facts and figures and suggestions. The city really needs help."
For Kenady, the advocacy role is second nature. She is a born and bred San Franciscan, who studied organizing in Chicago with leaders trained by the legendary Saul Alinsky. She later worked to unionize city workers there. Back in the Bay Area, she held posts in human relations at Cisco and Yelp before retiring.
In her corner of D8, the latest issues include pedestrian safety and traffic hazards, like the car that flew over the Sanchez Street steps last summer. But she is also digging in with RescueSF on the persistent issue of homelessness. Treatment, more shelter to end street sleeping, housing, and better management are top of the agenda for the group which is looking for supporters to spread the word on improved policies. To learn more, check the RescueSF’s website or drop Carolyn a line: carolynkenady@gmail.com.
Marshall Kilduff worked at the San Francisco Chronicle as a reporter and editor from 1971-2021. As a general assignment reporter, he covered courts, police, education, City Hall, and urban affairs. He also worked as a city desk assignment editor and editorial writer. He wrote an occasional column and the weekly Chronicle Quiz in the Sunday Insight section. He is the co-author of "Suicide Cult," a book on the Peoples Temple and leader Jim Jones. He is a San Francisco native and attended Stanford University.
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On Valentine’s Day, we celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the “Winter of Love”! In February 2004, Mayor Newsom and dozens of civil servants disobeyed federal and state law to marry hundreds of same-sex couples. This year, we celebrated with more weddings -- including the marriage of Jackie and Katherine!
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On February 10th, we joined the Department of Public Works for a District 8 Beautification Day! Thanks to everyone who came out to help make our neighborhoods sparkle!
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On February 6th, we hosted a town hall to discuss retail theft and what the city is doing and can do to combat it. We were joined by DA Jenkins, SFPD Captain Harvey and Lieutenant Ryan, and Ryan Allain from the California Retailer’s Association.
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On February 3rd, we celebrated the 100th birthday of Rudy Stadlberger with a stroll in Noe Valley! Happy Birthday Rudy, and congratulations!
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SF Supervisors Grill Health Dept. on 400 Mental Health Treatment Beds Promised in 2021
ABC7 News, February 21
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors budget and finance committee on Wednesday questioned the health department on the effectiveness of their planned treatment bed expansion plan. "They had a plan to add 400 additional beds. They believed and they are telling us that they are close to having added those beds but they have some key foot notes that are concerning to us. One is 15-20% of those beds may be unavailable because of staffing challenges," said Supervisor Mandelman. |
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S.F. Board of Supervisors OKs Mayor Breed’s Streamlining Legislation to Speed Up New Residential Treatment, Care Beds
Oakland Post, February 24
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Mayor London N. Breed to make it easier to procure public health beds and provide needed flexibility in obtaining much-needed mental health and/or substance use disorders beds. Approved on Tuesday, the legislation was put forward in partnership with the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) and co-sponsored by Supervisors Rafael Mandelman and Hillary Ronen. “With the recent expansion of our conservatorship laws through SB 43, it is critical that we have the treatment placements necessary to meet increased demand,” said Mandelman. |
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SF Supes Worry About Treatment-bed Capacity Amid Legislative Blitz
San Francisco Examiner, February 21
San Francisco supervisors say it’s becoming apparent that the inventory of available behavioral-health treatment beds in The City might not meet demand as local and state legislation expands care. Mandelman has publicly supported [Prop 1, which funds mental health beds] and said he’s confident statewide voters will pass it, but he also said he isn’t sure how successful it will be on the local level in San Francisco.
“It’ll be incumbent on us to have projects we want to fund and submit applications that are attractive to the state and will be a source of funding for buildings and housing for people with severe mental illness,” he told The Examiner. “From my perspective, that’s a very good thing, but how good of a thing will very much depend on how ready San Francisco is to seize the moment.” |
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SF Re-examines Its Procurement Process after Business Ban on 30 States Backfires
ABC7 News, February 15
For seven years, San Francisco kept a ban on states that would defy the values of the city. There were no contracts awarded and certainly city workers were not allowed to travel for business purposes to those states. But the plan backfired and in the end - the ban hurt San Franciscans more than the other way around. By now, you've probably heard of the infamous Noe Valley public toilet and how San Francisco was ready to dish out $1.7 million for its construction rather than pay for a much cheaper modular model from a company in Nevada. "The Noe Valley bathroom is not a one-off case. That's a problem that is replicated throughout the city government," explained San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman |
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20th Anniversary of the Winter of Love at San Francisco City Hall
San Francisco Bay Times, February 24
City officials, LGBTQ community leaders, and advocates [gathered] on Wednesday, February 4, to celebrate San Francisco’s 20th Anniversary of the Winter of Love. The historic milestone originally took place in 2004, from February 12–March 12, when then Mayor Gavin Newsom directed city officials to begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses [in defiance of state and federal bans]. |
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SF DA Blasts 'Culture of Tolerance' at Retail Theft Town Hall
Bay Area Reporter, February 6
Mandelman had announced the town hall in mid-January after a number of mass retail thefts in District 8. The issue gained renewed attention last week after a local TV news channel broadcast video showing half a dozen people wearing masks and filling bags with merchandise from the Walgreens at 498 Castro Street before fleeing the scene. "There were legislative things that contributed to this but there was also, I think, a culture that contributed to this, which was a culture of tolerance," said San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins |
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