March 2019 Newsletter

My team and I have been extremely hard at work and I am glad to share updates on what is happening at City Hall and in our community. Having built a career as a public servant, my priority as District 2 Supervisor is listening to your concerns and solving our neighborhood’s problems. The City faces serious challenges ranging from affordability to homelessness to property crime. I will act as your voice in City Hall and relentlessly fight for our neighborhoods. You can contact my office by emailing me at catherine.stefani@sfgov.org or calling me at (415) 554-7752.

Warm Regards,

Catherine

P.S. In addition to this newsletter, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more information on what my team and I are doing!

POLICY AND LEGISLATION UPDATES

Hearing on Psychiatric Holds

Tomorrow, Thursday March 14 at 10:00 AM, I am holding a hearing at the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. The focus will be on the coordination of homeless services, including the County's 5150 process, across City departments with a focus on the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, the Department of Public Health, and the Police Department. The goal of this hearing is to identify potential gaps in coordinating services for homeless individuals with substance abuse and mental health challenges to prevent them from ending up back on the street after entering service providers. It is heartbreaking and unacceptable to know that people living on our streets are taken to the hospital or a shelter only to return to the streets days, or even hours, later.

Gun Violence Prevention

My legislation rescinding SFPD’s ability to join the NRA—a practice that has not occurred in recent years but remains from the old Police Code—passed the Board of Supervisors unanimously. The NRA has become a toxic and dangerous organization. They fervently fight against all forms of gun violence prevention and argue for more guns in schools. The NRA has demonstrated it has no interest in the safety of our people and does not deserve a seat at the table. I am proud to send a loud and clear message to the NRA from the city of San Francisco that we value the lives of our residents over guns.

Chariot Hearing

Last month, Chariot stopped its operations, ending a key transportation service in San Francisco that many people in District 2 relied upon. I called for a hearing to examine the impacts of the Chariot Shutdown on transportation in San Francisco. I want to know how Chariot riders have adapted to the loss of the service, and to understand the steps the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is taking to provide transportation options to former riders. I want to know why riders opted for Chariot over other options and what lessons we can learn from Chariot’s service to improve our own MUNI system.                        

Harassment Prevention Training for City Employees

I was thrilled to take the lead on the unanimous passing of legislation that will require City employees to annually complete harassment prevention training. This training will also teach employees how to intervene and address harassment when they witness it. This legislation is a positive step towards combating the problem. I also introduced an ordinance that will require all Commissioners and Department Heads to take an implicit bias course. San Francisco prides itself on its diversity and inclusiveness, but we still have much work to do. As County Clerk, I took the City’s two-day in-person course and believe everyone should have the opportunity to learn about implicit bias. I look forward to advocating for the legislation at the Rules Committee in the coming weeks.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Honoring Veterans from our Community for Black History Month

For this year’s Black History Month commendation celebration, I was honored to recognize the 28 black veterans who currently reside at Swords to Plowshares in the Presidio. I have a special place in my heart for our veterans and am in awe of their sacrifice and commitment to our country. These members of our community have experienced great challenges in experiencing war battles, losing friends in service, and traversing through the difficult transition back to civilian life. They and their neighbors are working through these challenges and dedicating their time to building a community at their housing site - helping each other heal. I commend them for their service and dedication to their country and their continued service to each other here at home. 

Public Safety Meeting

I held a community meeting to address the concerns of neighbors and local merchants. Together with Captain Joe Engler of the Northern Station, I wanted to bring our community together, particularly our business owners and merchants in the District, to address the recent concerns and how we are working to prevent crime in the future. As a member of the Budget & Finance Committee and the Public Safety & Neighborhood Services Committee, making sure our police department has the resources it needs is one of my top priorities. Thank you to all the members of our community who joined us in this important conversation.

Community Office Hours

I held community office hours at Union Street Coffee Roastery so that residents of District 2 don’t have to go all the way to City Hall to have their voices heard and needs addressed. Thank you to all the neighbors who came by to share their questions, ideas and concerns about our neighborhoods and communities.

Irish Flag raising

I celebrated Irish American Heritage Month with Mayor Breed at a Flag Raising ceremony in her office and at a post-reception in my office with Supervisor Matt Haney. As Chief of Staff to then Supervisor Mark Farrell, I used to help plan the Irish American Heritage celebration and it was an honor to be able to keep the tradition going in my office this year. I am looking forward to more celebrations at next weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade!

Honoring our first responders after the Geary/Parker Fire

On Wednesday, February 6, a gas line exploded resulting in a three-alarm fire at Geary & Parker. Miraculously, not a single person was injured. I honored our first responders, the various City departments, community partners and local business who dealt with the fire. Photos and videos of the incident show an absolutely harrowing sight of flames reaching 3-story heights. Four structures were impacted including local businesses and several residents who became displaced. Hong Kong Lounge 2 on the corner of Parker & Geary, a popular local favorite, was affected. I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the victims of fire. Many residents have experienced devastating losses because of this incident. We continue to be in close contact with them, and our first priority is to ensure those affected receive the resources and services needed to help them get back on their feet.

LOCAL EVENTS

HERstory: Past, Present, Future
San Francisco Public Library’s celebration of Women’s History Month
Click the link above for the full list of events!

Film + Talk - Monarchs in Crisis: Learn + Help
Thursday, March 21, 7:00 PM - 08:30 PM 
Presidio Officers' Club - 50 Moraga Ave, San Francisco, CA 94129  

Presidio Picnic
Sunday, March 31, 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Main Parade Ground – Sheridan Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94129

3 For All Lights up BATS Improv
Sunday, March 31, 7:00pm
Fort Mason Center - 2 Marina Blvd, Bldg B, San Francisco, CA 94123

Sincerely,

Supervisor Catherine Stefani

Office of Supervisor Catherine Stefani
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 260, San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 554-7752 Fax: (415) 554-7843