MESSAGE FROM CATHERINE
Dear John,
As we pass the two-month mark of
sheltering in place, I want to provide some more information about
what I have been working on and how you can access resources. As of
last week, San Francisco’s mortality rate for COVID-19 was 35 times
less than New York City’s and four times less than that of Los
Angeles. While we are not yet out of the woods, we have made real
progress. I deeply appreciate the sacrifices our neighbors have made,
as well as the ways you have all stepped up, and I am more certain
than ever that we will get through this together. If you need
assistance at any time, please let me know at 415-554-7752 or
[email protected].
Warm regards,
Catherine
RESOURCES AND SHELTER-IN-PLACE
UPDATES
Reopening: Curbside Retail
Beginning Monday, May 18, most retailers in
San Francisco are permitted to open for curbside business. Businesses
continue to be required to limit the number of workers inside at any
time as well as discourage crowding. More details regarding this
policy will be available this week. If you own a business and are
planning to reopen according to these guidelines, you may apply for a
no-fee temporary loading zone using this
form. If you are a customer or
neighbor and you notice persistent overcrowding, blocked sidewalks, or
failures to enforce social distancing, please report the issue to 311
and make my office aware if it continues.
CityTestSF
CityTestSF was launched to make sure that anyone living or
working in San Francisco can get tested for COVID-19 at various
locations in the City. Testing is currently open for anyone living in
San Francisco who has at least one symptom or has been in close
contact with someone who has tested positive, as well as any essential
worker serving our community regardless of symptoms or exposure. You
do not need insurance or a doctor’s note to get tested if you meet one
of these criteria. Find more information and make an appointment
here.
Masks and Crowding
I am concerned about crowding and groups failing to wear
masks in the Marina and
throughout the City. We’ve made progress because San Francsicans are
taking the shelter in place order and physical distancing seriously.
We must continue to be diligent to protect our most vulnerable
neighbors. I have demanded that we take steps immediately to remind
people of physical distancing guidelines. Although the hope is that
people will voluntarily comply with the health order, the police will
expand enforcement if people continue to violate the order and put
others at risk. Violation of the order is considered a misdemeanor. We
all need to take this seriously.
Health Orders and Frequently Asked
Questions
Detailed answers
to frequently asked questions about the latest health orders, as well
as the text of the orders and related materials, are available online
and updated frequently here. If you have any additional questions about
what is and what is not permitted, please contact my
office.
Resources for Workers and Small
Businesses
Visit
the San
Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development’s
website for resources for business
owners, employees, nonprofits, and others impacted by COVID-19. This
website includes local, state, and federal resources and is updated
often! Contact my office if you have any difficulty navigating this
website or accessing the resources available to you at this
time.
Mental Health and Personal Safety
Resources
We are living in
an incredibly stressful time, and I want everyone who may be
struggling to know that there is help out there. If you need help
dealing with anxiety, loneliness, addiction, or unsafe home
situations, click here for a list of free resources. Please be in
touch if you need help getting connected to any of these services or
have other questions.
The 2020 Census
Only about half of District 2 has completed the 2020 Census! If
you have not done so already, please go to the Census website or call 844-330-2020 to submit your
response today. It takes about five minutes in total and has an
enormous impact on federal funding allocations, securing funding for
police, firefighters, and nursing in the City. Let’s all do our part
to make sure San Francisco gets its fair
share.
POLICY AND LEGISLATION
UPDATES
Treating Our Service Members Fairly
It was brought to my attention that several
of San Francisco’s first responders have been called into active duty
in the military reserves, but a loophole in the City’s salary laws
prevented them from earning their full pay. Normally, these
individuals would be eligible for full pay and benefits while in
active-duty status. I don’t believe anyone working to keep us safe
should have their pay or benefits diminished, so I passed legislation
to close that loophole and make sure our first responders on active
duty are treated fairly and paid what they have earned. In response to
concerns from veterans’ advocates, I also made sure that the
Department of Human Resources is actively recruiting for the vacant
Veterans’ Service Officer position, and I passed a resolution
commending Captain Brett Crozier of the USS Theodore Roosevelt for his
courageous actions in warning of the pandemic’s threat to his command.
I have an enormous amount of respect for those who choose to serve in
the military and will always be there for our veterans. If you are or
know of a veteran in need of services, please alert my
office.
Resolutions Confronting Covid-19
Sadly, as we all began to shelter in place,
calls for help among victims of domestic abuse more than doubled in
San Francisco. Based on this data, I wrote and passed resolutions
warning of the public health threat of panic-buying of firearms and
supporting survivors of domestic violence and the City’s service
providers while they experience a heightened need for service. After
hearing about difficulties accessing the Paycheck Protection Program,
I also authored and passed a resolution demanding that the federal
government not only expand the size of this program, but also
institute stricter oversight and controls to prevent large, publicly
traded companies from taking advantage of this resource meant to keep
small businesses afloat.
Give2SF
The
City launched the Give2SF program to give those who are able an
opportunity to contribute to our response and recovery efforts.
Donations are tax-deductible and accepted at Give2SF.org. With a recent gift of $15 million from
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Give2SF has raised over $26 million for
programs ensuring food security, access to housing, and small business
resiliency. I am pleased to serve as a member of the Give2SF Oversight
Committee and I could not be more thankful for the generosity of our
neighbors, in forms large and small, during this extremely difficult
time.
Neighborhood Resiliency and Economic Development
Fund
Some of the most
harmful aspects of this pandemic have been the severe and lasting
impacts to our local economy. When the virus hit San Francisco’s
independent contractors and small businesses especially hard, federal
support quickly dried up. That is why I have allocated the remaining
$49,000 from my District 2 Neighborhood Resiliency and Economic
Development Fund, which I created during last year’s budget process,
to buy food for first responders, healthcare workers, and those in
need from local small businesses.
Economic Recovery Task Force
The COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force
was created and charged with guiding the City’s efforts through the
recovery process to sustain and revive local businesses and
employment, mitigate the economic hardships already affecting the most
vulnerable San Franciscans, and build a resilient and equitable
future. I am pleased that this effort is led by Assessor Carmen Chu,
Treasurer José Cisneros, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce President
Rodney Fong, and San Francisco Labor Council Executive Director Rudy
Gonzalez, who will put our city back on track. Please visit the
Task Force’s website for more
information about its work.
Police Staffing Study
Before we began to shelter in place, a
study analyzing SFPD staffing levels was quietly released. While I had been hoping to have a public
hearing on this study, any such hearing is on hold during the course
of the pandemic. I am deeply concerned that this study found SFPD
staffing to be “severely inadequate” and suggested we need at least
200 to 300 more officers. Unfortunately, however, I am not surprised.
While I have been successful in securing funding for 250 additional
officers and saving over $1 million to keep patrols on our streets, we
need to dedicate more resources to public safety. I have been pushing
for full training, recruitment, and retention resources for years and
I will not let up.
Voting No to Close County Jail 4 Early
Chief Bill Scott has shared that, overall,
crime has decreased over the course of the past two months, but
reports of continued car break-ins, home burglaries, and violent
behavior in our neighborhoods are extremely disturbing. Our homicide
count for this year is also up to 17, while last year at this time we
had 12. We cannot keep turning a blind eye to public safety in San
Francisco, and that is why I was the sole member of the Board of
Supervisors to vote against a proposal to close County Jail 4 by this
November. There is no
guarantee that San Francisco will continue to experience decreased
crime when businesses can reopen and residents can move about freely.
While I believe we must move City services out of 850 Bryant for
seismic reasons, if we are to close County Jail 4 early, we must be
able to demonstrate to victims of crime that this will make them
safer, and I did not believe this legislation would do so.
Voting No on the Pretrial Diversion Project
Contract
Similarly, I was
the only Supervisor to vote against a large expansion of the City’s
contract with the Pretrial Diversion Project. Although the contract
expansion ultimately passed, I voted against the proposal due to the
Pretrial Diversion Project’s inability to answer basic questions about
how many people in their care reoffend or require additional
electronic monitoring when they are not incarcerated. When the City is
facing a $1.7 billion budget deficit over the next two years due to
economic destruction of this pandemic, we simply cannot afford to
approve contracts with unsatisfactory metrics or results.
Supportive Housing for Those Involved with the Justice
System
We should never
have to choose between public safety and public health. When Sheriff
Paul Miyamoto announced plans to thin the jail population to prevent
the spread of COVID-19, I worked with the Adult Probation Department
to create a program to lease 51 rooms in a downtown hotel and
provide intensive case management and wraparound services to unhoused
people involved in the justice system. This plan will provide
accountability and space to stop the spread to those who can safely
and temporarily exit jail, and it is another critical step to protect
the most vulnerable San Franciscans – including victims of crime –
during this pandemic.
Creating Homes at the Lucky Penny Site
I have heard so many concerns from neighbors
about the deteriorating lot on Geary and Masonic that was formerly
home to the Lucky Penny restaurant. The property has been boarded up
and collecting waste for nearly five years, so I am pleased that the
Board of Supervisors has finally approved my legislation that will create 101 new homes on that site
using union labor, and provide $4.5 million in fees to create
affordable housing nearby.
Voting Yes on Cristina Rubke’s
Reappointment
I was
disappointed that Cristina Rubke’s reappointment to the SFMTA Board of
Directors was rejected by the Board of Supervisors in a 6-to-5 vote,
despite unanimous recommendation for her reappointment by the Rules
Committee, of which I am Vice Chair. Ms. Rubke is an attorney and
disability rights activist who served on the SFMTA Board for eight
years. I appreciated that she had noted the value of community input
and to ensure the agency’s solvency in spite of the pandemic when we
spoke last month. Click
here for more information
regarding Ms. Rubke’s reappointment.
IN THE
COMMUNITY
Marina Safeway Encampment
I recently visited the encampment
 behind the Marina Safeway
with San Francisco Department of Emergency Management Director Mary Ellen Carroll to
highlight the need to get these individuals out of tents and into
housing and to also hand out masks. I have been going out to this
location every day to monitor what is going on, to try to find a
solution, and to communicate back to our health care officers that
what I’m seeing at the encampments does not serve our public health
goals. Not only is there inadequate social distancing, the open and
obvious drug use is absolutely unacceptable. At this point, shelters
are at capacity and police are being told not to disturb the
encampments, but I am very concerned about the potential for violence
based on calls for service and reports from neighbors. I am in touch
with Northern Station Captain Joe Engler daily to make sure that
neighbors, Safeway customers, and those living in tents are safe. I
have also been working with Public Works to make sure that the
surrounding area is regularly power-washed and cleaned. I am beyond
frustrated with this situation and I won’t let up until I find a
solution.
Volunteer Call Program
In the weeks following the shelter in place
order, I was inspired to create a program to reach out to neighbors
directly. We recruited dozens of volunteers and called more than 7,000
senior residents of our community to make sure they had everything
they needed – whether food or medication delivery, resources for their
small businesses, or someone to talk to. To those who participated in
this volunteer effort: Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your
dedication to our community has helped people feel less alone and
proven that San Franciscans are in this together.
Giving Blood
I
had the distin ct pleasure of joining Mayor London
Breed, Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, and the
American Red Cross of Northern California to participate in a blood
drive. As gay men, Senator Wiener and Supervisor Mandelman face
stringent restrictions on donating blood from the FDA, even though
they are in good health, so Mayor Breed and I volunteered to give blood
in their stead. Our blood
banks are facing extreme shortages during this time, and I encourage
you to consider giving blood if you are able!
Manny’s Super Civic Cyber Conversation
I was excited to take part in Manny’s live
Super Civic Cyber Conversation series! If you were unable to make it
to my conversation, it is now online. Click
here to take a look at the City’s
early responses to coronavirus and more, and please note this video
was recorded on April 9.
Virtual Town Hall
In my first virtual town hall, I discussed resources for small
business, homelessness, construction, street closures, and many more
topics submitted by the community. A special thanks to Ashley
Wessinger from the Marina Community Association for moderating and to
the nearly 300 neighbors who tuned in and sent us your questions. If
you missed the town hall live but would like to watch a recording,
please click
here and note that the video was
recorded on April 23.
Cow Hollow Association Annual Meeting
Thank you to the Cow Hollow Association for
inviting me to speak at this year’s annual meeting via Zoom. While I
was grateful to virtually share updates on COVID-19, public safety,
and more with my neighborhood association of nearly two decades, I do
hope we can all meet in person again next year!
May Marina Times
Column
This is an
extremely difficult time and it has affected us all in different ways
-- but we are in this together, and we will get through this together.
For more on our community’s responses to COVID-19, check out my column in this month’s Marina Times.
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
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