I hope you are having a relaxing start to the holiday season and wrapping up a productive year. Thank you for your ongoing support to ensure District 3 remains vibrant and livable for everyone. I look forward to continuing our efforts in 2020! Please read my special end-of-the-year column in the Marina Times to get some highlights from the past year’s work on everything from ballot victories to affordable housing.

Read on for some of the things we celebrated last month, as well as initiatives that I am pushing in the weeks ahead!

Happy Holidays,

Aaron  

Saving Small Business & Vibrant Neighborhood Commercial Corridors

As you may have seen in the news, I was joined by community members from North Beach, Russian Hill and Chinatown at a rally earlier this month to stand in solidarity with local family-owned small business, Caffe Sapore, as owner Elias Bikahi faces eviction after 23 years of serving the community. Elias received a 90-day notice in October, directing him to vacate without cause by the end of December.  It is heartbreaking to hear about yet another community institution being kicked out, while empty storefronts continue to plague the neighborhood due to absentee landlords and speculative rent increases. 

While my office continues to try and negotiate with the landlord, I have nominated Caffe Sapore for placement on the Legacy Business Registry, which affords it certain protections and benefits, and arranged for the Small Business Commission to hear their application at a special meeting this month. Please join us at the Small Business Commission for: 
 

A Special Legacy Business Hearing for Caffe Sapore
Friday, December 20, 2019 at 2:30 pm 
Room 400 at San Francisco City Hall
 

I am also drafting a “Small Business Fee Waiver & Relief” program after my staff researched the long list of fees that new businesses have been incurring even before they open. At a time when the retail economy is under attack by e-commerce giants and inflated real estate prices in an increasingly speculative market, the City needs to better incentivize and welcome small business owners back to our communities, where they serve as the backbone of a vibrant, healthy neighborhood. I will continue to push new initiatives that give individual and family-run entrepreneurs more leverage to compete in this economy and serve the communities that they love.
 

Construction Mitigation Fund:
Open for Business 

Earlier this year, I worked with SFMTA to create a $5 million Small Business Construction Mitigation Fund, which is now accepting applications for grants and loans for small businesses that have been impacted by large-scale delayed city capital projects, such as Van Ness BRT and the Central Subway. If you are interested, click on the link below to apply. Additional city support will include an express shuttle and way-finding from Fisherman’s Wharf to North Beach and Chinatown until the Central Subway can directly connect tourists to the neighborhood.
 

Due to the advocacy of the small business community, I also included funding for additional safety officers in the Union Square BID, additional Big Belly trash cans in North Beach, and the completion of the Fern Alley public realm improvements so that community members like Juanita MORE! can continue their community activation efforts. My office has also been working closely with local family-owned business with union employees, Mollie Stone’s, to finally activate the long-vacant former Lombardi’s Sports site in Upper Polk, and construction will be starting soon. 
 

Juanita MORE! and the Lower Polk CBD organized a Halloween community event in Fern Alley!

I also passed legislation to make it easier for restaurants and cafes to open quickly in the wake of business closures in North Beach. Family Cafe on Columbus Avenue is the first small business to benefit from this new law, and we welcome Jessica and Tadayuki Furui (and their use of reusable dishware!) to North Beach. I have also allocated funding to kick-start a renewed arts effort in North Beach, including a dedicated organizer for “North Beach First Fridays” , in partnership with the North Beach Business Association. If you have an artist or small business that wants to engage, please contact my office. In the meantime, please join us for North Beach First Fridays this December 6th along with Recology artist-in-residence, Ramekon, on Grant Avenue and a temporary Maker Mart that will be running at 580 Green through January! 
 

Jessica from Family Cafe, 362 Columbus Ave.

We also funded educational programming efforts provided by the Tel-Hi Neighborhood Center, particularly after learning about need for STEAM programming.  My staff, Sunny Angulo, recently joined the STEAM campaign, saying “ I love that STEAM doesn’t allow for the ‘either/or’ dichotomy of siloing students into stereotypes, like jock or nerd. It’s important for young people to know that they can be intellectual AND artistic AND active, and that an interest in any one particular discipline doesn’t preclude you from excelling in another area – they all complement each other! I think this is especially important for girls, who are often not encouraged to pursue an interest in science or technology.” When we educate girls, we better the world for everyone. 

Celebrating Women’s Contributions All Year Round

In November, we celebrated two amazing women at the Board of Supervisors. It was an honor to recognize Jacqueline Douglas - aka “Wacky Jacky” - for her life-long achievement as the first and only (still!) female sport-fishing captain in San Francisco. She celebrated her 91st birthday this past October and continues to serve as captain of her salmon boat for the 48th year after receiving a Congressional Proclamation last year. With her adventurous spirit and fearlessness, she is one of the treasures of District 3 and San Francisco. 
 

We also recognized “Tita Aida” during November’s Transgender Awareness Celebration. Tita Aida is a familiar name in the Polk Gulch and API communities, and for the past twenty years has spearheaded fundraising initiatives and educational programs to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the API LGBT community – particularly transgender people of color that are marginalized, homeless, and/or living with HIV. We have lost too many loved ones and community members to stigmas attached to transgender identity and inaccess to public health services and education. Visibilty and culturally competant healthcare are key to ensuring our transgender community is supported and thriving.
 

"Rosie the Riveter" Plaque
at Vallejo and Kearny 

It gave me so much joy to help Beatrice Taggi, lifelong North Beach resident and daughter of legendary Rosalie Taggi, the original "Rosie the Riveter", celebrate her 91st birthday with the installation of a plaque that honors her mother. Go check it out on the corner of Vallejo and Kearny!
 

Washington Square Re-opening Celebration

After less than six months of construction, Washington Square is finally reopening with a new irrigation system and pedestrian pathways - early and on budget!  One of the three orignal historic squares in San Francisco, Washington Square is the living room for diverse community from North Beach to Chinatown. We will have a special lion dance and choir performance from the Salesian Boys & Girls Club choir, with a reception to follow at SF Italian Athletic Club.  

Staying Dry During Rainy Season 

Each year over 10 billion gallons of rain falls on our City. San Francisco is the only coastal city in California with a combined sewer system. Preparing for the challenges of climate change and more intense storms requires partnerships both between City agencies and between the City and the public. Please visit sfwater.org/RainReadySF to find out what steps you can take to get rain ready:

• Get free sandbags from San Francisco Public Works.
• Protect your property: regularly inspect and maintain your sewer lateral (the connection from your building to the city sewer). Tree roots, wipes and grease poured down the drain can clog your sewer pipes and cause backups.
• Elevate belongings in your garage and any low-lying areas on your property. Remember to store emergency items, such as first aid kits, flashlights and portable radios, in a safe and high place.
• Purchase low-cost National Flood Insurance.
• Apply for a Floodwater Grant to flood-proof your property. 
• Adopt a Drain! 
• Report clogged catch basins, street flooding, sewer backups or wastewater odors to 311 online atsf311.org, on the app for Android and iPhone, or by calling 3-1-1.

JUMP Scooter District 3
Community Forum - 12/4

JUMP will be hosting a community forum to discuss electric bike and scooter plans for District 3. As shared e-scooters are slowly rolled out to help solve the “last mile” problem, we want to ensure the plan is sensitive to the community’s pedestrian safety concerns and other neighborhood needs. I encourage you to attend and provide feedback. RSVP here!

What: JUMP Scooters D3 Community Forum 
When: Thursday, December 5
Where: FAME Venue | 443 Broadway 
 

Upcoming events

Union Square Winter Walk
November 29th - December 31
Check on the link above to see full list of events and activities coming soon!
Grant Avenue | between Geary and Post Street 

Civic Center Tree Lighting Ceremony
December 4th, 4-7pm
Civic Center Plaza

North Beach First Friday
December 6th, 6-9pm
Various venue in North Beach
Download map here and make sure you check out Crochet Jam at 1314 Grant Avenue. Special thank you for Recology, North Beach Business Association and Telegraph Hill Dwellers for organizing the First Friday series!

Maker Mart
November 2019 - January 2020
580 Green Street
Want to participate in the Art and Fair exhibition? Sign up here!
 

Key Dates for Upcoming Legislative Hearings

“Save SRO Housing” Hearing
December 9
Land Use Committee

“Heat Is a Human Right in Housing” Legislation
December 9
Land Use Committee

Corporate Rentals Legislation
January 16
Planning Commission Hearing

Email Sunny Angulo for more information on these pieces of legislation.

Peer-Run Warm Line - A Ray of Hope for Those Seeking Mental Health Support

The California Peer-run Warm Line supports those in the community looking for referrals, and is a great place to connect with one of our Peer Phone Counselors for personal interaction, and emotional support. The Warm Line provides 24 hour non-emergency support six days a week, including emotional and prevention support for callers and referrals to other resources. They have taken over 100,000 calls since August 2014, with the goal to keep residents out of crisis. 

Anyone can call them at 1-855-845-7415, or chat with them online through their website at www.mentalhealthsf.org 
 

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