MESSAGE FROM CATHERINE

This month, I am walking our merchant corridors with our Police Department and the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, and continuing to work on both immediate and long-term solutions to our public safety, homelessness, and mental health crises. As your neighborhood voice at City Hall, I will continue to champion public safety, cleaner streets, and compassionate solutions to homelessness – without continuing to allow behavior that diminishes public safety. Please contact us with any questions or concerns by emailing me at Catherine.Stefani@sfgov.org or calling (415) 554-7752.

Warm Regards,

Catherine

POLICY AND LEGISLATION UPDATES

The City Budget

As Vice-Chair of the Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee, I am proud to have successfully advocated for 250 additional police officers over the following four years during last year’s budget process. This year, when there was discussion of ceasing to fund new academy classes and slashing the Police Department’s overtime budget, I protected our academy classes and over $1 million in funding to keep beat patrols on our streets. I am also pleased to announce that new trash cans will be installed along our highest-need corridors, and that these trash cans will be extremely difficult to break into or knock over. In addition, through the budget process, I secured funding to begin the process of rehabilitating Aquatic Park Pier, as well as to install security cameras in our parks and merchant corridors.

Treatment on Demand

The street behavior and suffering that we see every day is unacceptable. In addition to regularly walking our merchant corridors with our Police Department and Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, I am holding a hearing with Supervisor Rafael Mandelman on the City’s Treatment on Demand mental healthcare program. We cannot allow people who present a harm to themselves or others to continue to live on the streets without attention. It is critical that we intervene with these individuals at every opportunity to improve public health and safety. The hearing on Treatment on Demand will take place at 1 PM on Friday, September 27, in City Hall.

Food Insecurity

Pregnant women and low-income families face widespread and growing food insecurity, and that is why I held a hearing on this critical issue. Over the last ten years, the number of food-insecure San Franciscans has doubled to over 100,000, and food insecurity affects every neighborhood and every community in our City. My deepest gratitude to Martha Ryan and the Homeless Prenatal Program, as well as all the women and families who shared their deeply personal stories at the hearing. I am exploring every legislative opportunity to expand access to transportation, fresh and nutritious food, and food delivery in San Francisco to make sure that we prevent costly negative health outcomes and improve public safety.

3333 California Street

I introduced legislation to begin the process for consideration of the project at 3333 California Street by the City. The project is located on the current UCSF Laurel Heights campus at California and Presidio Avenue. The Development Agreement I introduced is for a 744-unit housing project with 186 units dedicated as much needed affordable housing for low-income seniors. When the original proposal was met with neighborhood concerns, I worked with the developer and neighbors to eliminate planned office space and instead dedicate part of the site to affordable senior housing. The proposal passed at the Planning Commission, with all seven Planning Commissioners voting in favor of the proposal, and I look forward to continuing to work with the community to refine the project in the coming months. For more on 3333 California Street, see my column in the Marina Times.

Overhead Utilities

In response to concerns about overhead wires that we have been hearing for years, I co-sponsored a hearing on the City’s overhead utilities at the Board of Supervisors Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. We heard from representatives from PG&E, Comcast, AT&T, Public Works, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, and the California Public Utilities Commission regarding industry practices, policies, and protocols for maintenance, installation, and inspection of overhead wiring and utility poles. Thank you to David Bancroft and Anne Brubaker of the San Francisco Coalition to Underground Utilities for your partnership in this work. I am committed to continuing to fight for undergrounding utilities in our community, and I look forward to hearing from Public Works about the study into further undergrounding at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, September 18, at the Koret Auditorium in Main Library.

Maya Angelou Statue

I am thrilled that my work on installing a statue of Maya Angelou at the Main library is moving forward. While we have now had two woman Mayors, as well as woman U.S. Representatives and Senators, only two of our City’s 87 statues depict actual women. Dr. Angelou was an incredible author and activist with strong ties to San Francisco, and I’m so excited that the Arts Commission is in the process of choosing the final design. If you have ideas of women you think should be recognized, please contact me at Catherine.Stefani@sfgov.org.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Honoring Perry’s

I was thrilled to honor Perry’s, a San Francisco treasure, and owner Perry Butler for half a century of operation on Union Street. Perry’s original promotional flyers called the restaurant a place where you could sit and watch the world go by, and fifty years later that’s still true. I also had a great time guest bartending with Mayor London Breed to celebrate! Thank you, Perry’s and the Butler family, for your dedication to our community, and I wish you all the best in your next fifty years.

Back to School Safety

I joined Mayor London Breed and City officials at Marina Middle School as we rededicated ourselves to making our streets and sidewalks safe for all in time for back to school season. Thank you to our crossing guards, who do the important work of getting our children to and from school safely, the Police Department for stepping up enforcement, as well as to the students who joined us to voice their support for safer streets. Speeding kills, and it’s on all of us – let’s slow down, put down the phones, and make sure to follow traffic laws whether we’re driving, bicycling, or walking.

Walking Our Merchant Corridors

Thank you to Captain Joe Engler and Officer Steve Hom, as well as staff from the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, for joining me to walk our merchant corridors this month. I am extremely concerned about the increasingly visible crime, homelessness, and trash we have been seeing lately on our streets, and I will continue to push for both immediate and long-term solutions – from power washing to increasing police resources and reforming conservatorship. Over the course of September, I have walked or plan to walk Chestnut Street, Union Street, Fillmore Street, and Divisadero Street corridors.

Stair Climb for Our First Responders

I joined Mayor London Breed, Chief Jeanine Nicholson, Chief Bill Scott, and San Francisco’s first responders to climb Salesforce Tower and to raise awareness for post traumatic stress injuries in our first responder community. Now more than ever, it is so important to pay it forward to those who are the first to lend a hand when we need help. Thank you, Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese and National First Responders Fund, for organizing this year’s Stair Climb!

Neighborhood Coffee Hours

Thank you to all the neighbors who joined me at my neighborhood coffee hours on September 6 to discuss your ideas and concerns. I loved hearing from you all and I’m committed to continue working for you in the community and at City Hall. If you would like to join our discussion, our next coffee hours will be from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM on Friday, September 20, at the Union Street Coffee Roastery.

Alta Plaza Park Safety

Alta Plaza Park is one of our City's crown jewels, but the vandalism and behavior we are seeing in our open spaces is out of control. In this year's budget, I committed to bringing increased public safety measures, such as surveillance cameras, to our parks' hot spots. Thank you Anita Denz, Friends of Alta Plaza Park, Captain Engler, and Lt. Santiago for joining me to walk through Alta Plaza Park and for your dedication to our parks’ safety.

Friends of Lafayette Park Fall Social

We could not have asked for a better afternoon to celebrate this month’s 9th Annual Friends of Lafayette Park Fall Social. Thank you Steffen Franz and Friends of Lafayette Park for all you do to keep our park safe and vibrant, and congratulations to the winners of our first annual Pie Contest!

EVENTS AND PROGRAMS

Utility Undergrounding Study

San Francisco Public Works is hosting a presentation on the progress made on the Utility Undergrounding Study, the first step towards a larger master plan for undergrounding overhead utility wires throughout San Francisco. Public Works’ consultants will provide updates for interested neighbors at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, September 18, at the Koret Auditorium in Main Library. You may also share your thoughts on undergrounding via this survey.

Book Sale at Fort Mason

The Friends of the San Francisco Public Library is hosting the upcoming 55th Anniversary Big Book Sale September 18 to 22 at Fort Mason. This five-day event is the largest used book sale on the West Coast, with over 10,000 visitors from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond!

Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness Fair

Thursday, September 19, from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM at Menorah Park Housing, located at 3365 Sacramento Street, join the Fire Department, the Department of Emergency Management, and more for a free event with fire prevention and emergency preparedness materials and demonstrations. Free smoke alarms will be available while supplies last.

Neighborhood Coffee Hours

Please join me for my next neighborhood coffee hours at the Union Street Coffee Roastery, located at 2191 Union Street, from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM on Friday, September 20. RSVPs at Catherine.Stefani@sfgov.org are appreciated but not required to attend.

The California Master Plan for Aging

Friday, September 20, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM at the Main Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, be there as San Francisco hosts the largest statewide event on the new California Master Plan for Aging. Register to attend in-person or online.

The Birds Screening at Lafayette Park

You might not look at Lafayette Park’s parrots and scrub jays the same after our next movie night! Join Friends of Lafayette Park for a screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s terrifying classic, The Birds, at the Lafayette Park amphitheater (north of the tennis courts) on Friday, September 27, at 7 PM.

Walk and Roll to School Day

On Wednesday, October 2, thousands of kids at schools across San Francisco will walk, scoot, and bicycle to school as part of International Walk and Roll to School Day. Join the fun! Parents, guardians, and caregivers: pledge to walk to school with your student and you’ll be entered into a drawing for free family admission to the Exploratorium. Learn more here.

Mean Girls Movie Night at the Marina Green

Join the San Francisco Parks Alliance for a screening of Mean Girls at the Marina Green on National Mean Girls Day, Thursday, October 3! I am thrilled to continue to fund free, family-friendly movie nights through the budget process. The event begins at 5 PM and the screening begins after sunset. RSVP for a chance to win reserved seating and special prizes.

Neighborfest Block Parties

This year, the Neighborhood Empowerment Network, in partnership with the Department of Emergency Management, Public Works, and Livable City, has launched the Neighborfest program across the City. This initiative provides community members with resources and tools to host the world’s greatest block party, teaches organizing, and creates a fun way to get to know the neighbors on your block! Click here or email Neighborfest@LivableCity.org to learn more about hosting a Neighborfest Block Party.

Message from the Assessor’s Office

If you haven’t already, property owners will soon receive the Notice of Assessed Value letter from the Office of Assessor Carmen Chu.  The Notice of Assessed Value is only to notify taxpayers of their property's or properties' assessed value. This notice is not a bill, but the value will be used to determine your property tax value for the upcoming year.  Click here to view a short video from the Assessor’s Office explaining how to read your notice of assessed value.

Water and Sewer Savings

To keep basic services like water and sewer affordable and accessible to all, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission offers discounts on water and sewer charges to qualifying single-family residential customers through its low-income Community Assistance Program. You may be eligible for a 15-percent discount on water and a 35-percent discount on sewer services each month. For more information, to see if you qualify, and to apply, please visit SFPUC’s website.

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