MESSAGE FROM CATHERINE



Dear John,



As San Francisco continues to reopen, it is crucial that we prioritize public safety, good governance, and small business recovery. Vibrant streets make for safer streets - and that is why supporting our merchant community, ensuring our police force has the means to support our neighborhoods, and being good stewards of taxpayer dollars is so essential.  



This month, I have fought to preserve police academy classes in the City budget, passed anti-corruption legislation, continued to tackle gun violence by passing California's first ghost gun ban at committee, and worked with our District 2 merchants on legislation to bolster their recovery. You can learn more about my work below.



Please reach out to me at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> or 415-554-7752 with any questions about what I'm working on or how I can help you.



Warm Regards,



Catherine



COVID-19 RESOURCES AND UPDATES



Delta Variant & Getting Vaccinated



The Delta variant of COVID-19 is now the dominant strain in the United States and California. This variant is 40%-70% more infectious, and spreads more easily than the original virus. Over the last few weeks, all Bay Area counties have seen at least a doubling of new COVID-19 cases. 



However, our health officials are emphasizing that vaccines continue to be highly effective at preventing severe illness and death. The San Francisco Department of Public Health shared that nearly 100% of our cases of COVID-19 hospitalizations were unvaccinated patients. Vaccinations are 88% effective at preventing transmissions and 95% effective are preventing hospitalizations. 



If you or your family members haven't gotten vaccinated yet, now is the time. Visit the City’s website <[link removed]>for the latest information on where and how to get your vaccine. If you're having trouble accessing a vaccine in San Francisco, call 628-652-2700 for assistance from the City’s Vaccine Call Center.



Rent Help



Eligible renters can apply to San Francisco’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program to receive up to six months of rental assistance, including back and future rent. For more information on the program and additional community resources, click here <[link removed]>andhere <[link removed]>.



Support for Businesses and Workers



Earlier this month, Mayor London Breed announced the launch of the SF Small Business Recovery Loan Fund, which provides zero interest rate loans for both existing and new SF Small Businesses. You can apply online at www.CALoanFund.org <[link removed]>.



POLICY AND LEGISLATION



Public Safety 



Pretrial Diversion Project



For nearly two years, I’ve had concerns about how the Pretrial Diversion Project calculates and reports its safety and appearance rates, and whether or not those metrics adhere to national standards. This non-profit is tasked with supervising individuals who are arrested for a crime and are awaiting trial out of custody. As part of their contract, they are required to report on how many of their clients fail to appear for their court dates or reoffend. The Pretrial Diversion project routinely reported their clients were reoffending only 5-10% of the time.



I have consistently challenged their reporting in private meetings, at public hearings, and in a formal letter of inquiry <[link removed]> because it just didn’t add up with what was happening on our streets. This month an independent report was released and showed that 55% of those who were arrested and released in San Francisco reoffended before trial, and 74% of the most violent offenders committed new crimes before trial.





I have voted no on the extension of this contract twice - the most recent extension was for three years at a cost of $18 million. In light of the recent report validating my concerns, I introduced legislation to reform our pretrial process and adopt the report’s recommendations, which will require more accurate reporting and methods to reduce bias. My legislation will also require reporting every time a judge releases someone against the recommendation of our public safety partners. You can read more here <[link removed]> and here <[link removed]> or watch on ABC7 <[link removed]> or Kron4 <[link removed]>.



Increase of Certain Crimes



San Franciscans are rightly concerned about burglary, violent crime, and the rampant public drug use they see on our streets. Anyone claiming that the crime rate is down invalidates the experience of the thousands of San Franciscans who have had their homes burglarized and cars stolen, or witnessed the state of our streets. We need to deal with the reality of our situation so we can solve it. 



Locally,shootings spiked by more than 60% in 2020. <[link removed]>In the first quarter of 2021, they increased by more than 300%. San Francisco’s drug overdose crisis is similarly out of control. Each day, two people die from an overdose on our streets. Our stores are also facing rampant shoplifting, and even deciding toreduce their hours <[link removed]> in response.



That is why I fought for meaningful investment in our police department in the City's budget - especially as funding for police academy classes, equipment, and new investments in criminal justice reform initiatives were on the line. I alsointroduced legislation that bans untraceable ghost guns <[link removed]>, demanded accountability frompublic safety agencies <[link removed]>,and will continue to work with our police captains to increase foot beat patrols in our neighborhoods and merchant corridors. 



Anti-Corruption 



No Graft Act



Earlier this month a former DPW bureau manager was arrested and charged for hiding a quarter-million dollars in income from his wife’s company that had a secret no-bid agreement with DPW. These kinds of no-bid contracts are now illegal as a result ofThe No Graft Act that I authored and passed in 2020. <[link removed]> This legislation closed the loopholes used to direct contracts to recipients without open competition.



Rules For Awarding Grants



On July 20th, my ordinance to reform the City’s process for awarding grants <[link removed]> passed with unanimous support from the full Board of Supervisors. I drafted this ordinance in response to the City Auditor’s "Public Integrity Review" of contracting at Public Works, which found major flaws in the way the city conducts grantmaking. The report also revealed that the issues weren't just with Public Works. From 2017-2020 City Departments issued 5,746 grants, totaling $5.4 billion. Nearly $2 billion per year was awarded in grants without any minimum requirements for competition, open solicitation, transparency, fairness, or documentation. 



The ongoing local and federal investigations have made clear that we need more accountability from City departments. This ordinance is a critical step forward to safeguard taxpayer dollars by setting enforceable standards for competitive solicitation, fairness in award selection, documentation, and transparency. You can read more about my legislation hereandhere.



Addiction Treatment 







This month I went to the Outpatient Opioid Treatment Clinic run by UCSF at SF Zuckerberg General Hospital to get a better understanding of how they are helping those who suffer from the disease of addiction. It is beyond alarming that three times as many people died of a drug overdose rather than COVID-19 during the pandemic. UCSF and the city are partnering to pioneer groundbreaking treatment options and helping hundreds of patients every year address their addictions, but more remains to be done. The crisis on our streets is out of control and the status quo is not working.



This summer I’m conducting site visits at all of our city’s substance abuse treatment facilities. My next visit will be at a 108-bed detox and residential treatment program site in the Haight. In addition to providing treatment options for addiction, the City must also do everything in its power to eliminate the open drug market on our streets.



Shared Spaces







During the pandemic, restaurants and retailers lost 90% of their revenue and we saw over half of our small businesses close. This will take years to recover from, and it's why we must continue to rally around our small business community. One big step towards supporting their recovery was the passing of the long-debated Shared Spaces program. This program allows our local businesses to use outdoor spaces effectively to safely serve customers. Shared Spaces are also necessary to preserve the vibrancy of our merchant corridors and keep our neighborhoods active. You can learn more h <[link removed]>ere <[link removed]>about what this means for your community and business. Please also let our office know if there is an issue at a particular location and we will look into it.



Saving The Clay Theatre







I introduced legislation to initiate a Landmark Designation for Clay Theatre <[link removed]>that passed unanimously <[link removed]> on its first reading at the full Board of Supervisors. This 380-seat theatre is one of the oldest single screen movie houses in San Francisco. In 1972 the Clay made history and hosted the first midnight movie screening in San Francisco with the premier of John Waters’ “Pink Flamingos.” This single screen theatre is a unique cultural institution in our city, and I'm so glad we can take this step to ensure it will be around for generations to come.



Keeping District 2 Green



District 2 has some of the city's best parks and green spaces, and protecting our trees is critical to the beauty and health of our community. Thanks to a push from an active community member, we designated the Canary Island Pine tree located on Filbert Street as a landmark tree. This tree is 90 to 100 years old and will continue to shade our residents for another century. 



Pedestrian Safety



As people return to the bustling streets, we need to recommit to pedestrian safety and improve trust.



Traffic Improvements to the Marina 



1 California Temporary Emergency Transit Lane <[link removed]>is now fully implemented and these lanes are approved on portions of Clay, Sacramento, and California street. In Chinatown and Nob Hill, transit lanes are extended where SFMTA data showed they were needed most. In addition to these new lanes, the SFMTA is resuming tow-away enforcement along the transit lanes of this corridor. You can sign up for project updates here <[link removed]>. 



Return of the 28



On August 22, the SFMTA will launch widespread service changes to routes that were shortened or reduced since the start of the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order. Specifically, the 28 19th Bus route will have the following modifications:



- Weekend service added for modified route between Daly City BART and California and 7th Avenue

- Access to transfer points to UCSF, Kaiser and the California Pacific Medical Center

- Daily frequency: Every 10 to 14 minutes



For more information on SFMTA service updates please see here <[link removed]> or email [email protected] with any questions.



IN THE COMMUNITY



Merchant Walk 







I had the pleasure of going on a merchant walk down the Sacramento Street corridor this month. It was great to be out and enjoying the now bustling cafes, boutiques, and galleries that make this area so special. I spoke with many merchants and the same sentiment came up in each conversation - our merchants are regularly dealing with brazen crime. I won’t accept this as “normal” and will continue to fight for public safety.



Holding Those Who Perpetuate Hate Accountable







Last year, one of James Juanillo’s neighbors called 911 on him for writing in chalk “Black Lives Matter” on the front of his house. One year later, we gathered again, this time as a community, to chalk messages of hope and unity for San Francisco. I was honored to present James with a Certificate of Honor for his work in holding those who perpetuate hate in our city accountable.



National Gun Violence Awareness Day



June 4th was National Gun Violence Day. It is also now National Gun Violence Awareness Day in San Francisco, as my legislation was unanimously passed in May. I wore orange to honor the lives of those taken by gun violence and to show solidarity with survivors. Thank you to all of those gun sense champions who wore their orange with me - we are determined, and we will keep fighting for a future free from gun violence! 



Land Acknowledgment Ceremony at the Exploratorium







Earlier this month I joined Gregg Castro with the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone and Executive Director, Sharaya Souza, of the American Indian Cultural District for a Land Acknowledgment Ceremony at the Exploratorium. A Land Acknowledgment is a powerful tool that helps us begin to reckon with the truths of our past. Thank you to the American Indian Cultural District for your incredible advocacy. Be sure to save the date <[link removed]> for their one year anniversary and cultural hub grand opening on September 25th, located in Fort Mason. 



South Van Ness Improvement Project 



The South Van Ness Avenue at Mission Street intersection will be closed to all traffic Wednesday, August 4, 6:00 a.m., through Monday, August 9, 6:00 a.m. as the roadway is replaced as part of the Van Ness Improvement Project. <[link removed]>



Juneteenth Celebration



On June 18th, we recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday for the first time. There were several celebrations such as the ‘Monumental Reckoning’ located in Golden Gate Park. This piece was created by the Oakland artist Dana King, and you can learn more about ithere <[link removed]>.



Cleaning & Green Day



The Friends of Alta Plaza Park hosted a Clean & Green Day in June. They play an incredible role in maintaining the park and ensuring that residents throughout the city can continue to enjoy and explore the beauty of Alta Plaza Park. If you would like to learn how to get involved with their amazing work, see here <[link removed]>.



Join Us Tomorrow For "Bring Back Fillmore - Saturday Clean Up"



Bring you friends and family to this street clean-up event tomorrow, July 31, and enter into a raffle for $100 shop card. Those that volunteer get a $15 shop card also. Snacks will be provided by local Fillmore business. Learn more and register here <[link removed]>. 



Office of Supervisor Catherine Stefani

1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 273, San Francisco, CA 94102

Phone: (415) 554-7752 Fax: (415) 554-7843







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Catherine Stefani - United States

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