March 21, 2022
A Message From The Supervisor:
Happy Monday and Happy Nowruz! Nowruz—which means “new day”—is a holiday marking the arrival of spring and the first day of the Persian New Year, whose solar calendar begins with the vernal equinox. Nowruz has been celebrated in Iran and the Persian diaspora for more than 3,000 years. Its roots are as a feast day in a religion practiced in ancient Persia that viewed the arrival of spring as a victory over darkness. Today, it is celebrated by over 100 million people around the world. After the hardships we all faced in the last two years, it is wonderful to celebrate new beginnings.
Our office remains accessible to the public through telephone, email, virtual meeting or in person via appointment. We are available by email: safaistaff@sfgov.org or by phone 415-554-6976 (leave a message and we will call you back). You can also check for updates on my Twitter
, Instagram, and Facebook. Stay safe and healthy.
Please note - if you miss my weekly newsletter, you may find it later on the Board of Supervisor’s website. Click HERE to read past newsletters.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to my staff at Safaistaff@sfgov.org.
Sincerely,
Supervisor Ahsha Safai |
COVID-19 Updates from the San Francisco Department of Public Health
Yesterday marked two years since our City’s Shelter-in-Place Order was implemented, setting off the beginning of our COVID-19 response and subsequently changing our lives forever. It is only through the countless hours of hard work from the City’s Disaster Service Workers, health care workers, staff, volunteers, and community partners to mobilize, strategize, and act in a time of uncertainty, that San Francisco is where it is today.
Thank you to those who answered the call and have made it their priority to help those in our most vulnerable communities. Although COVID is still with us, two years later the City is in a much better place than we were at the start of the pandemic thanks in large part to the availability of vaccines and boosters. We will continue to monitor the data and send “COVID Updates” for as long as needed to ensure our readership has the most up-to-date information available to us during this period of transition as we learn to live with the virus.
The Latest on COVID-19 Case Data
For the first time since the Omicron variant-driven surge in December, our 7-day average of COVID cases has dropped below 100. Cases continue to steadily drop each day to now 80 cases per day, as of March 10. As of March 17, 83% of San Franciscans have been vaccinated, and 65% of vaccinated residents have been boosted. Although masks are no longer required, Bay Area health officers continue to strongly recommend they be used as an effective tool to prevent the spread of the virus especially when case rates are high, or when additional personal protection is needed. As evidence continues to show,
vaccinations and boosters remain the best defense against the virus.
Read the latest data about COVID-19 Omicron-driven cases in decline on our dashboard.
Masks in City Buildings will be Recommended, Not Required
In alignment with State guidance, indoor masking will no longer be required in City Hall and City facilities beginning Friday, March 18, except for in public hearing rooms while in session and all Department of Public Health facilities. City facilities where masking is recommended but not required include libraries, recreation centers, offices, and other service sites operated by the City and County of San Francisco.
Read more about masking in City buildings here.
Masking Requirement on Public Transportation Extended
Originally set to expire on Friday, March 18, the current mandate for mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs has been extended to Monday, April 18. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will work on a "revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor." Under the current guidance
, those traveling on public transportation via the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), Bay Area Rapid Transit Agency (BART), CalTrain, or flying through the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) are required to wear a mask. We will continue to work with our transportation partners to ensure that those traveling throughout San Francisco protect themselves and others as more commuters return to the office and more tourists are welcomed back to the City.
SF Removes Proof of Vaccination Requirements
With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continuing to decline, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) recently announced that proof of vaccination or a negative test will no longer be required to enter inside businesses where food and drink is consumed, such as restaurants and bars, and where elevated breathing occurs, such as gyms and fitness studios. As always, businesses can decide to be more restrictive than local health guidelines and can continue to require proof of vaccination or a negative test from their staff and clients. Masks can also still be required. Per state guidelines, proof of vaccination or a negative test is still required to enter indoor “mega” events, currently defined as gatherings of 1,000 people or
more. SFDPH will continue to work closely with the business community to provide related guidance and assistance in the coming days.
Read more about SF’s lifting of vaccination requirements here.
SF Aligns with State on Indoor Masking in Schools and Childcare Settings
San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) has aligned with the State to remove the requirement that children wear masks in TK-12 schools and early childcare settings. SFDPH strongly recommends that all individuals in schools and childcare continue to wear masks for the time being to keep an added layer of protection and minimize disruptions to in-person learning. With the recent changes in masking guidance, we recognize the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities and will continue to prioritize low-barrier access to vaccines and boosters. SFDPH will be working closely with the school systems to provide guidance and assistance in the coming days. SF has distributed 150,000 KN95 masks for San Francisco Unified School District
(SFUSD) staff, and a half million surgical masks for SFUSD students. SFDPH is also distributing pediatric KN95 and surgical masks through community partners working in highly impacted neighborhoods.
Watch SF Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip as she answers important questions about SF’s next steps on masking and schools. Captions are available in Spanish,
Chinese, and Filipino.
Redoubling vaccination efforts, SF and SFUSD have opened drop-in vaccination sites at Bret Harte Elementary School in the Bayview and Rosa Parks Elementary School in Western Addition, and are hosting numerous “pop-up” clinics at school sites like John O’Connell High School on Friday, March 18.
Current SFUSD drop-in, pop-up vaccination sites:
📍 Bret Harte Elementary School (Bayview) – $100 gift cards available
1035 Gilman Ave
Fridays / 2pm to 6pm
📍 Rosa Parks Elementary School (Western Addition) – $100 gift cards available
1501 O'Farrell St
Mondays / 2pm to 6pm
📍 John O’Connell High School (Mission) – $100 gift cards available
2355 Folsom St
Friday, March 18 / 3:30pm to 5:30pm
#VaccinateSF
Where to get a vaccine or booster:
Here are the following locations in San Francisco where people ages 12 and up can drop in to receive a booster, Monday to Friday, while supplies last each day:
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ZSFG (1001 Potrero Ave, Bldg 30)
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Southeast Health Center (2401 Keith Street)
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Chinese Hospital (845 Jackson Street)
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Kaiser Tent (2350 Geary Blvd)
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Mission Wellness Pharmacy (2424 Mission St.)
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HealthRight 360 (1563 Mission St.)
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All DPH neighborhood sites
Information & Guidance Updates
Sign up to receive alerts from the Information & Guidance team for updates to San Francisco’s Health Order, guidance, and directives here.
COVID-19 Resources
SFDPH COVID-19 vaccine call center
Call 628-652-2700 to book an appointment, find a drop-in site, or if you have questions about the vaccine. You can also email sfvaxnow@sfdph.org.
Please check the following sites for regular COVID-19 updates: |
In collaboration with my office, the Small Business Rent Relief Pilot Program is now open and accepting applications. Go to
sf.gov/rent-relief-grant or click below to read additional program requirements and apply.
This grant will pay for a portion of the rent debt you accrued from March 2020 to September 2021 if your property owner agrees to extend your repayment term to September 2024.
If you have any questions about the program, reply or email investsf@sfgov.org.
For more information about the Commercial Eviction Moratorium and free legal assistance, visit oewd.org/evictionhelp. |
| SFMTA Budget Priorities for FY 2023 to FY 2024
It’s budget season!
Every two years, the SFMTA develops a consolidated budget to guide the agency’s decisions about where to focus our funding to best meet the transportation needs of all San Franciscans. We’re developing a budget that’s designed to support San Francisco’s economic recovery, increase transportation equity, protect the environment and keep the agency on sound financial footing.
SFMTA presented the base budget (projected revenues and expenditures for the next two years if we made no changes and continued our current policies) to our Board of Directors in early February to get their feedback and are now seeking input from the public. Your feedback will help SFMTA understand what to change in our base budget: which investments are most important to San Franciscans and which new revenue sources you think we should pursue. We’re considering both fare increases and decreases as well as changes to parking fees.
The City Charter requires SFMTA to submit the final budget to the Mayor’s Office by May 1. The Mayor then sends it to the Board of Supervisors on June 1 for a final vote.
How to provide your input on the SFMTA FY 2023 to FY 2024 budget
Online Survey: SFMTA invites you to give us feedback about your transportation priorities by filling out this short survey. It’s available in English,
Spanish, Chinese and Filipino. We’ve included an open-ended question so you can let us know if there’s a specific transportation priority you want to let us know about. |
Online Listening Sessions: We’re hosting two listening sessions that will include a short budget presentation and time to hear your questions and suggestions. You can request simultaneous interpretation in any language for our budget listening sessions by calling 415.646.2109 at least 48 hours prior.
Online Town Hall: At our online Town Hall meeting, we’ll share the feedback we heard from the survey and online listening sessions.
March 10, 2022, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Get login information at SFMTA Budget Planning - Fiscal Years 2023 & 2024
After gathering feedback from the public, our directors and our staff, we’ll revise the budget and present it for additional review at two SFMTA Board of Directors meetings:
SFMTA Board of Directors Budget Meetings:
Budget Background
If you’ve been tuning in to our Board of Directors meetings during the two years, you’ll know that the SFMTA’s revenue was severely reduced by the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID devastated our transit fare and parking revenues, which are two of our three biggest revenue sources. Even now, our transit revenues are about 75% lower than pre-pandemic levels and parking revenues are 20% lower.
The recovery of our transit fare and parking revenue depends on the pace of San Francisco’s economic recovery, which is still uncertain. Data from the Controller’s Office shows that the city’s economy and downtown are recovering more slowly than comparable metropolitan areas.
This compounded the financial problems our agency already had. Over the last 20 years, the demands on San Francisco’s transportation system have grown and revenues haven’t kept up. Our agency has what’s called a “structural deficit” -- the amount of money it takes to operate our system costs more than the revenues we take in.
We got through the last two years because we fought for and won San Francisco’s fair share of federal pandemic relief funding and then we were prudent about using that funding to restore service.
Recently, our short-term budget outlook has somewhat improved because some of the external revenue sources we rely on did better than expected. We’re receiving more money than we thought we would from the San Francisco General Fund and need to spend less on our pension costs. Still, according to the Controller’s Office, the SFMTA will face a structural deficit of approximately $20 - $50 million every year beginning in FY 2024-25.
This background informs the FY 2023 to FY 2024 base budget that we’re asking for feedback on. It tries to balance the need for us to restore and expand services with the need to maintain the agency’s long-term economic stability.
Click below to view the budget website in:
Español - 繁體中文 - Filipino
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SFPUC Water Shortage Emergency
Despite winter rains, we are still in a drought. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission declared a Water Shortage Emergency and asks everyone to continue to use water wisely. The Emergency Declaration also authorizes a 5% drought surcharge to appear on customers’ water/sewer bills starting April 1, 2022. The drought surcharge is necessary to cover our costs and maintain responsible reserves. Our operational costs are fixed. Reduced water use decreases our revenues, while the costs to responsibly run the system remain unchanged. In order to continue to operate our systems, the SFPUC must recover those costs during this time. The less water properties use, the less they will feel the impact of the surcharge on their bill and the better
able we will be to stretch our water supplies and get through this drought.
The SFPUC offers free resources to help homes and businesses cut water waste. Small changes can make a big difference in your water use. For details on water conservation rebates, and resources by clicking HERE.
Find information on the drought and downloadable toolkits for renters, homeowners and businesses by clicking HERE.
For questions about our conservation services, contact the SFPUC at waterconservation@sfwater.org or 415-551-4730.
For questions about the drought surcharge, please contact SFPUC Customer Service at (415) 551-3000, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm except on holidays, or email us at customerservice@sfwater.org.
Fact sheets in English, Spanish,
Chinese, and Filipino are posted on our website at
sfpuc.org/drought.
In the meantime, please feel free to contact us at waterconservation@sfwater.org or (415) 551-4730 if you have questions about the SFPUC’s water conservation assistance services.
Thank you for your continued support.
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Upper Islais Creek Storm Flooding Study
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is undertaking a one-year study of the Upper Islais Creek Watershed to alleviate flooding in the Lower Alemany Area while offering additional neighborhood improvements. The SFPUC would like to acknowledge the Lower Alemany community organizations, businesses, property owners, and residents who have contributed their time and knowledge through interviews and the community survey. Your feedback will help center this study on neighborhood improvements that matter to you and your community.
Study timeline
• August 2021 - Study kick-off
• October – November 2021 - Phase 1 online and in-person community survey
• January – February 2022 - Phase 2 in-person community survey and interviews
• March – November 2022 - Future opportunities for community engagement
• November 2022 - Study Completion |
Join us as we #WalkForChange at this year’s Best Buddies Friendship Walk! Once registered, you’ll gain access to your personal fundraising page that you can personalize and keep track of your fundraising efforts. Raise just $50 and you’ll earn our exclusive 2022 participant t-shirt, which you’ll receive on walk day. Wear it like a badge of honor!
Registering for the Friendship Walk is the first step toward creating a more inclusive community, and we’ll be right beside you every step of the way. LET’S GO!
Click HERE to register! |
Best Buddies Friendship Walk
The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is the leading walk in the country supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (also known as IDD).
Join 40,000 walkers across the country to support the Best Buddies programs in your schools, workplaces and communities. You’ll be making the world more welcoming to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities – one friendship, one job, and one life-changing connection at a time.
Schedule: Saturday, April 23, 2022
Check-in: 8:00 AM
Opening Ceremonies: 8:30 AM
Walk: 9:00 AM
Celebrate: Until 12:00 PM
Location
Golden Gate Park
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
San Francisco, CA 94118
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The Soap Box Derby Race 2022
The Soap Box Derby Race 2022 is coming up soon Sunday, April 10th. Opening up at 10am-with the race to begin about 11am until approximately 4-5 pm.
If you visit the SFMOMA website--https://www.sfmoma.org/exhibition/2022-soapbox-derby-at-mclaren-park/, you can see films and pictures of the original races in the 1970's.
Parking will be very limited in the park on that day, so plan ahead to use MUNI the 29 bus stops very close to the start of the race in Mansell and Shelley Drive walk in, bike or use a ride share if you are able to do that or drop off folks who need assistance. There will be a lot of activities going on in conjunction with the race. Hope most of our McLaren Park fans and neighbors can attend.
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Make Beats with Mission Bit
Beats Unlocked is a workshop experience where participants create musical beats using computer coding. The program is designed to go step-by-step for beginngers. Even if participants have never written music or coded before, they can create amazing beats while learning basic computer coding!
Bay Area 7th-12th graders
Wednesdays, March 30th, April 6th, or April 20th from 5-7 PM
Remote on Zoom
Register at missionbit.org/programs/workshops
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San Francisco Superior Court Seeks Applicants for the 2022-23 Civil Grand Jury
The San Francisco Superior Court is currently recruiting members for the 2022-23 Civil Grand Jury. The application deadline is May 13, 2022. The link to the application and more information are available on the Civil Grand Jury website,
https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/.
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Shifting Shorelines
The EcoCenter is hosting a pop-up event on March 26, 2022 from 10am-2pm. You are all invited and read the flyers for details.
It is being put on by the Exploratorium, Urban Alchemy, and Mycelium Youth Network. They will be having demos and interactive activities that explore the features of the park.
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Rent Relief Program
MOHCD is partnering with community-based organizations throughout San Francisco to help residents complete their applications, including those in need of technical support or for whom English is not their primary language. Prospective applicants can visit the sf.gov/renthelp
webpage to learn more about the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief Program and find local organizations providing free application assistance, tenant counseling, and eviction defense services.
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Youth Art Exchange (415) Public Gallery
Youth Art Exchange announces our 3rd annual (415) Public Gallery, an art show that places the public as both exhibitors and audience members. All ages/backgrounds welcome.
The call for submissions is open from now - March 31st. Work will be on display starting from April 11, 2022 - April 28th, 2022. Join us Friday, April 15, from 4:00-7:00pm.
Submission Instructions:
We can accept ONE submission (visual or video or audio) per person. Fill out this submission from when you come to drop off your artwork: https://bit.ly/415PublicGallery.
Staff will be onsite at [x]space, 5137 Mission St (near Geneva) from 12-6:30pm Monday-Thursday to receive artwork submissions. It’s very important that the form linked above is filled out so we know how to credit you, promote your work and contact you if the piece is sold. Please include any relevant details for each piece – this can include artist bios, links, etc.
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Diabetes Empowerment Education Program
Six-week virtual workshop for diabetes prevention and self-management!
For registration or more information, please contact Miguel M. Jimenez, 415-550-2201, mjimenez@onlok.org or Daisy Jimenez at 415-550-2257,
djimenez@onlok.org.
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Somatic Movement Program for Spine Mobility and Posture for Seniors
10-week program, March 15 to May 19, 2022
Tuesday and Thursday, 2:30-3:30 pm.
Instructor: Diana Lara, MS. RSMT
For more information, please contact Diana Lara, 415-550-2209, diararodgers@onlok.org. |
Healing Justice Initiative
Through the SF Healing Justice Initiative, the SFDA will demonstrate that restorative practices can replace the traditional criminal legal system at every decision point – from charging a case to sentencing and resentencing. Restorative Justice (RJ) will be integrated throughout the operations of the SFDA’s office, shifting from an “alternative program” to a primary intervention. This is why the SFDA launched the SF Healing Justice Initiative (HJI), a partnership with local community leaders working to build a new model for justice that values healing and accountability over retribution and punishment.
HJI program application here. |
Transportation Fund for Clean Air
The Transportation Authority is pleased to announce a call for projects for $935,315 in Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) County Program Manager Fund programming for the Fiscal Year 2022/23 cycle. Applications should be emailed totfca@sfcta.org
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Need Legal Assistance with Renting? Tenancy Advocacy Project Can Help
Are you struggling with a rental dispute? Need your landlord to make repairs? Need help applying for Covid-related rental assistance? The Tenancy Advocacy Project's (TAP) lawyers can help with those issues, as well as subsidy terminations, disability accommodations, income recertification, and other disputes with landlords or property managers. If you rent your home in San Francisco, you may be eligible for TAP's help. To contact us, please email us at tap@sfbar.org
, or call (415) 989-1616. Please mention the Tenant Advocacy Project in your message, and make sure to include your name, phone number, best times to reach you, and a brief description of the tenancy-related issue(s) you are dealing with.
TAP is part of the Justice & Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco. TAP does not assist with eviction lawsuits. If your landlord has filed an eviction lawsuit against you, please contact the Eviction Defense Collaborative: evictiondefense.org
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Bay Area Minority Law Scholarship 2022 Applications Are Open - Apply by May 27
Do you know someone interested in going to law school who could use financial assistance? The Bar Association of San Francisco and the Justice & Diversity Center are excited to announce that the 2022 Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship applications are now open.
In 21 years, the program has awarded more than $2 million to 110 students with scholarships that are generally $10,000 per year. Applications are due by May 27. Click here for more information or to start an application now.
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Now Hiring! Community Ambassadors Program
The Community Ambassadors Program (CAP) is seeking applicants for their program! CAP is a community safety and neighborhood engagement job training program developed and operated by the City & County of San Francisco Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA).
Community Ambassadors work in diverse neighborhoods to promote safety and connect people to services. Ambassadors help San Franciscans that are low-income, experiencing homelessness, speak a language other than English, older adults, and more.
Ideal candidates for this position:
Live in San Francisco
Can work up to full time, Monday to Friday, including some evenings
Have a strong interest in working with the public and vulnerable populations
Ability to read, write and speak English well
Preferred skills or experience include:
You graduated high school or have a GED
You experience with community outreach, security or customer service
You are bilingual
If you or someone you know is interested in applying, please click HERE to get started!
For questions, email community.ambassadors@sfgov.org.
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After a two year hiatus, it’s wonderful to see Nowruz return to City Hall. We held a Haft-seen in the South Light Court. Haft-sin or Haft-seen (Persian: هفتسین) is an arrangement of seven symbolic items whose names start with the letter "س" pronounced as "seen" the 15th letter in the Persian alphabet; haft (هفت) is Persian for seven. It is traditionally displayed at Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which is celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, marking the beginning of spring on the Northern Hemisphere. At Nowruz, people gather to celebrate a new year, a new beginning and eat sweets, exchange gifts.
Thank you to City Administrator Carmen Chu for joining us. Thank you to Persian Women In Tech and all the hard working volunteers for putting on this event. |
It was so wonderful to co host the 15th Nowruz celebration at City Hall on Friday. Nowruz symbolizes rebirth and renewal and a “new day”. After the hardships we all faced in the last two years, it was great to celebrate in person again with a fully vaccinated group of people and celebrate Persian culture. I’m proud to be the only Iranian-American elected official in SF
I want to give a special thank you to Sepideh Nasiri and Persian Women In Tech for putting on this beautiful event and for all your hard work on behalf of the Persian community.
Thank you to the sponsors and committee members: Haleh Razavi, Hannah Kalantari, Maryam Fasihy, Mona Nourian, Samira Safarzadeh, Sarvenaz Ahmadian and all the volunteers and vendors that made this event possible. Special thanks to our co-MCs Hooman Khalili and Rudi Bakhtiar, my friend Senator Wiener for being our guest speaker and performers - Michael Nejad (Nejad World Music Center), Ballet Afsaneh, and Amir K |
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