Supervisor Melgar 02102022 Newsletter

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

January was a busy month due to deadlines for the Board of Supervisors and Mayor to deliberate on measures to appear during the June 2022 election. I introduced a charter amendment for cleaner government specifically to reform the Department of Building Inspection Commission, which voters will weigh in on. Many of us have read the upsetting stories of corruption within the Department of Building Inspection with high level staff resigning or investigated for malfeasance. Currently, the structure of the oversight commission for the department is problematic because the regulated are the regulators. My Charter Amendment would eliminate the dedicated trade seats and mirror the process that nearly all other commissions follow. Appointments would be split between the Mayor and the Board President and include a review process by the Board of Supervisors where the public can call in and share their thoughts on an appointee.

Besides revamping the Building Inspection Commission, I want the department to work efficiently for all residents. Homeowners shouldn’t have to wait years for permits to add a deck while also reading about well-connected developers jumping to the head of the line due to cronyism. I am developing legislation to create a more efficient and predictable permitting system from application to certificate of completion.

OCEAN AVENUE TASK FORCE

I am also thrilled to be supporting the work of the Ocean Avenue Mobility Action Plan to address pedestrian safety and transit access. The task force will be reviewing and prioritizing over 25 different bike, pedestrian, and transit improvement proposals that have been put forward over the years by different agencies but never realized. By the end of this year, the task force will select 2 large-scale improvements and 2-3 smaller projects to be enacted. I will update the community and look for feedback to improve our beloved Ocean Avenue - the heart of Ingleside!

PUBLIC SAFETY

Public Safety continues to be of high priority and we continue to monitor shifting trends and community needs. I am committed to remain vigilant about increasing resources for District 7 and strengthening the partnerships I have enjoyed with our agencies and community partners who provide public safety resources. Additionally, I have supported the Mayor’s budget efforts to increase resources for our city to adequately respond to emerging crime trends, provide support to the unhoused, and increase mental health services to those in need. Most recently, I have expressed my support for the supplemental budget that will support SFFD and SFPD in their overtime needs as our agencies continue to face challenges with staffing shortages.

I am currently working with stakeholders, colleagues, and agencies to organize a community forum to discuss public safety and a plan of action. Additionally, District 7 has two new Police captains: Captain Derrick Lew at the Ingleside Station and Captain Eric Vintero at the Taraval Station, who I have meet with to review our priorities and reiterate my commitment to work in close partnership with them to ensure we restore our sense of safety for all who work, visit, and live in District 7.

PARTICIPATORY BUDGET

Thank you all for your patience as we work to roll out our next Participatory Budgeting (PB) application. While pandemic surges, staff shortages continue to impact typical timelines, we have continued to work diligently to enhance the PB process and ensure that our program is also in full compliance with city procurement and grant processes.

We will start accepting proposals on March 15th. We will share an announcement widely (via our newsletter, BoS website, and social media) when the application is live and provide criteria and all relevant information. To get your creativity going, our categories will remain the same, so start thinking about your proposed projects: Community Recovery (i.e. neighborhood beautification projects, activate play spaces, open space improvements, etc.); Public Safety Activities (safety kits, signs, whistles and other safety tools, etc.); Community Resiliency (community capacity building, volunteer training, etc.), Disaster Preparedness. Stay tuned for our application announcement!

Table of Newsletter Contents:

Lunar New Year
Black History Month
Safer Streets
DBI
Homelessness
Tax preparation assistance
Children and nature
Lake Merced Quickbuild community meeting
Seniors Corner
2022 Virtual Office Hours

LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION ON OCEAN AVE

Saturday, February 26th
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Unity Plaza (Next to Philz)
1002 Ocean Avenue

This District 7 Lunar New Year tradition is roaring back with the Year of the Tiger! Join Supervisor Melgar, Assembly Member Phil Ting, Community Youth Center of San Francisco, Ocean Avenue Association,, the OMI Cultural Participation Project and Oceanview Merced Heights Ingleside Community Collaborative for this special event with family-friendly community resources, local vendors, and multicultural performances. A complimentary lunch will be provided by participating local businesses on Ocean Avenue to the first 400 guests!

This event is FREE and parking is also FREE at the City College parking lot on Frida Kahlo Way!

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

February is Black History Month! We are taking this opportunity to send love and recognition to Alice and Louis Guidry - long time residents of Sunnyside, and members of the St. Finn Barr Parish. Originally from Louisiana, Alice and Louis met and fell in love in Southern California. They settled in San Francisco and raised 3 beautiful children. Alice and Louis have contributed to this community through their concrete and catering businesses, and their children and grandchildren have also been an integral part of the life of our City.

Alice was recognized for her work bringing services for seniors to Sunnyside through the community living campaign, helping hundreds of seniors in the community have access to companionship and activities that break social isolation. Alice and Louis organized the Zydeco festival at St. Finn Barr every year, introducing hundreds of folks to the rich cultural heritage of Creole music and culture. The Guidry's work was recognized by KQED, and their efforts attracted musicians from all over California to our corner of the City where for years folks celebrated and danced to Zydeco tunes.

We are so grateful to have them as neighbors, and celebrate their contributions to our community!

SAFER STREETS - SPEED REDUCTION

This month, San Francisco began lowering speed limits to 20 mph on select corridors using new authority granted under Assembly Bill 43 (AB 43). This new legislation authorizes cities to lower posted speed limits by 5 mph in business activity districts. In district 7, Ocean Avenue, from Geneva Avenue to Victoria Street and from Junipero Serra Boulevard to 19th Avenue will have a speed reduction implemented in April.

EASIER RENOVATIONS

If you are thinking of renovating your home or business, now might be a good time to start. I’m happy to share that DBI has begun a revamp of its website to provide better information to customers and to walk you through what you need to get a permit. A new Over-the-Counter Permit page offers clear directions for applying for a host of the most common building permits and our new In-House Permit page goes through the application process step-by-step. There are also new pages to make it easier to apply for Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and Solar permits. And if you need to report a building code violation, a new page offers instructions on how to file your complaint. To ensure all San Franciscans can use these pages, they are available in Chinese, Spanish, Filipino and English, and are accessible to the disabled.

SOLUTIONS TO HOMELESSNESS

The most obvious solution to homelessness is to provide housing.

Many residents staying in shelters or couchsurfing have access to rental assistance but cannot find a landlord willing to accept vouchers. Payments are fairly generous and can be a steady source of income for landlords while also benefiting tenants and society at large. If you have or know of unused space that could be rented to residents in need, the following program could be of interest to you:

The SF Department of Homelessness & Supportive Housing and non-profit partners invite you to a virtual information session next week about new subsidy opportunities for Bay Area landlords, property owners, and property managers. Come learn about the City's programs and how you can participate to gain:

Guaranteed, on-time rent payments,
Dedicated landlord liaison,
Elimination of advertising costs, and
Helping the local community

Join the conversation on February 10, 2022, from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. City staff will provide an overview and be available to answer any questions. REGISTER FOR MEETING HERE or if you miss that, landlords can FILL OUT THIS FORM for more information.

NEIGHBORHOOD TAX PREP ASSISTANCE

Tax-Aid volunteers will be meeting clients at outdoor Curbside Tax Document Drop Off Events events around the city this Saturday, February 12th to assist with their tax returns. Locations include Curbside Drop off Lick Wilmerding High School.

Tax-Aid helps people that earn less than $58,000 a year. Services are provided free of charge by volunteers who donate their time.

Many people need to file their taxes to take advantage of the stimulus payments and child tax credits they may not know about. Please help us get the word out to your constituents, clients and networks.

You can find more information on our locations for this weekend on our website here.

Flyers can be downloaded from the website in English, Spanish and Chinese to share with the community.

CHILDREN AND NATURE

Check out the latest opportunities for Children and Nature programs in San Francisco. Now more than ever, children need nature. Fresh air, exercise, and play bring a multitude of physical and mental health benefits including reduced stress and a stronger immune system. Nature helps us heal. It makes us and our children happier and more resilient.

LAKE MERCED QUICKBUILD - COMMUNITY MEETING

This month, the city is holding a virtual meeting to talk about updates on the many projects taking place around Lake Merced. This meeting will be led by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, but will also include updates from the SFMTA and SF Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

Thursday, February 17
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Join via Zoom - https://bit.ly/lakemercedupdate
Meeting ID - 880 4140 6787
Passcode - 472363
Dial in: 669.900.6833

For more information about projects occurring on or near Lake Merced, please visit Lake Merced Projects see below

REDISTRICTING

Based on the 2020 Census, Supervisorial Districts will be redrawn to ensure that every district has a generally equal number of residents. The Redistricting Task Force consists of 9 members and works with outside consultants and City staff to establish boundaries for San Francisco’s Supervisorial districts. The Task Force ensures the boundaries comply with the legal requirements established in federal, state and local law. As part of this process, the Redistricting Task Force holds multiple community hearings to receive input from the people of San Francisco. Proposed maps have not yet been introduced to the Task Force and mapping discussions are anticipated to take place as early as March 4, 2022.

In the meantime, anyone can participate in the community meetings and even develop your own maps for consideration. To learn more, visit: https://sf.gov/public-body/2020-census-redistricting-task-force.

SAVE THE DATE!
The Redistricting Task Force will be holding a District 7 virtual meeting on

Wednesday, February 23 at 5:30pm

The meeting will be held virtually through WebEx. The link will be available next week so check the website for updates!

LEARN MORE

SENIORS CORNER

The following is a story about district 7 resident Joanne Whitney

Joanne Whitney sits in a large conference room, eyes focused on an interviewer, arms slightly raised, palms up and in a pronounced Bronx accent says, “What can I tell you; I’m eclectic.”

She points to a long list of diverse roles in pharmacy, medical education and public service over a career spanning five decades. When she’s not working, she cultivates orchids, lectures on their medicinal use and leads tours of San Francisco’s Botanical Garden.

Now 84, Whitney said she follows a particular ethos: “Give back as much as possible...”'

Read entire Senior Beat story

OUR NEXT VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS

District 7 - Supervisor Myrna Melgar

VIRTUAL

OFFICE HOURS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

You can book a ten minute appointment here:

VIRTUAL OFFICE HOUR APPOINTMENT

Board of Supervisors | District 7 | Myrna Melgar

1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 260
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554-6516 | Fax: (415) 554-6516
melgarstaff@sfgov.org

Note: Staff sometimes work remote so please be patient when leaving a phone message.

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