Civic

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Mayor withdraws request for more police funding; Mayor withdraws surveillance ballot measure, and a supervisor removes his competing proposal; voters to consider reassigning responsibility for garbage rate hike proposals; Coming up: 100 households to receive estate planning assistance; committee hearing on Amazon center; supervisors to weigh “monster homes” legislation; school board to discuss implementation of zone-based school assignment.

Read the story: "In San Francisco, Hundreds of Homes for the Homeless Sit Vacant"

Americans, Ukrainians, and Russians gathered in San Francisco to protest the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. San Francisco Police promise they will no longer use DNA collected from rape kits to match suspects to crimes. Mayor Breed’s office said they will go forward with plans to arrest some drug users who refuse to engage with support services. Later this week the Board of Supervisors will consider new rules compelling employers to provide their employees more flexibility and predictability to give caregivers more regular schedules. The school board will vote on a plan to lay off dozens of educators, classroom staff, and administrators to close a $125 million budget shortfall.

Find more resources at sfanimalcare.org.

The San Francisco School Board has decided to delay the application process for picking a new superintendent until the end of March, following the recall of three board members, who will be out of office before then. The board of Supervisors voted to place a recall reform measure before voters this June and passed an ordinance allowing renters to set-up tenant unions with the same negotiating powers of labor unions. We’look ahead on the city calendar on proposals to allow easier police surveillance of events in real time and how much you pay for garbage collection.

San Rafael-based nonprofit Roots of Peace stayed in Afghanistan after the Taliban reclaimed power, working to clear minefields for farmland, while also helping Afghans who wanted to leave get their families out of the country. Siawash Safi, director of technology at Roots of Peace, says relatives still in Afghanistan say they don’t have enough food and are worried about the future — and hope that Americans will consider their plight and try to help.

The end of indoor mask mandates in San Francisco. The San Francisco Police Commission orders the Police Chief to work out his differences with the District Attorney, the Mayor outlines her new budget and we look at important votes this week by the Board of Supervisors.

When you get bombarded with polarizing political ads during elections season, you might go looking for a neutral, straightforward explanation of a ballot measure or race. Often, the search will lead to Ballotpedia. This elections encyclopedia is written and edited by humans — it’s not automated. To get a better sense of where the material comes from and how staff try to earn voters’ trust, we talked to Ballotpedia writer Amée LaTour.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The new: New calls for San Francisco to take over the PG&E power grid in the city. An investigation into fires affecting unhoused people. The SFPD abruptly ends an agreement allowing the District Attorney to investigate the use of violence by police. Coming up: Supervisors will consider plans for a new homeless shelter. A committee will decide whether or not to continue a program moving unhoused people into current hotels and a report on what a drop in commercial real estate rents means for the city.

Four people with varying political and activist backgrounds are competing to serve out the rest of former Assemblyman David Chiu's term representing District 17 in the state Assembly. On Feb. 15, voters will make their choice in a primary election for this seat. Hear highlights from conversations with David Campos, Matt Haney, Bilal Mahmood and Thea Selby about how they think the state should address the pandemic and recovery as well as concerns like education, housing and economic equity.

Editor's note: On Monday afternoon we removed an upcoming item from the "next" section of this roundup. It was related to city supervisors requesting a report from the budget and legislative analyst about residential vacancies, and we removed it because the meeting has now occurred and the requested report has already been issued.

Measures A, B and C on the February 15 ballot ask if school board members Alison Collins, Gabriela López, and Faauuga Moliga, respectively, should be removed from their positions. Recall proponents say the board should have been more focused on reopening schools during the pandemic. Since voters will be making their choices based not only on the board members’ records but also on their policy stances, we asked all three how they would handle issues like the ongoing pandemic and the budget if they stay in place.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the Omicron surge has peaked in the city. The California Public Utilities Commission failed in its mission to oversee ride hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. Thousands of tenants could be evicted as programs to help them pay back rent fall short. San Francisco Supervisors will consider legislation to help tenants impacted by COVID-19 and more.

You can find information about how to register to vote as a noncitizen here. The registration form is here. The registration deadline for the Feb. 15 recall election is Jan. 31.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: SFUSD and unions reach agreement on masks, testing and sick leave; pandemic depletes certain tax revenues but SF projects budget surplus; point-in-time count of homeless people delayed. Coming up: School board to discuss COVID safety and get an update on elementary school diversity policy; Health and Planning Commissions to meet jointly to discuss CPMC development agreement compliance.

Editor's note: A reference to negotiations between the school district and unions representing SFUSD employees has been updated to reflect that the parties reached an agreement on mask supplies, testing and sick leave.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Massive coronavirus case spike; schools scramble to find substitute teachers; hospitals strained by COVID-related staff absences; homeless shelters see outbreaks. Also: Money pours in to February election campaigns. Coming up: Q&A session between supervisors and Mayor about Slow Streets; supervisors to weigh open-source voting pilot program.

See more about "Division Street" here.

Editor's note: The wrong audio file was uploaded to this episode. Apologies to our listeners for the confusion! As of 2:47 p.m. on 12/30, the audio file should be correct.Read Julia Flynn Siler's additional reporting on allegations against a later director of the Cameron House here.

With a holiday coming up that usually involves a lot of boxes, we’re revisiting two previous shows about recycling. Ride along with a sanitation worker who collects everything in San Francisco’s blue bins, and learn some dos and don’ts of recycling at a Recology sorting center.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: State mask mandate refined for cities like SF; former Public Works boss pleads guilty to fraud; mayor initiates crackdown on Tenderloin drug use and dealing, including with state of emergency; school board staves off state takeover by voting for staff-recommended budget cuts; mayor proposes charter amendment overseeing school board and child services agencies. Coming up: Supervisors to vote on state of emergency declaration for the Tenderloin, SFMTA board to meet.

Read the special reports from Mission Local that raised concerns about gas lines in retrofitted buildings here.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Omicron variant prompts new mask mandate that overrides SF rules; high school students walk out in protest over sexual assault allegations; school board members present alternative budget cutting proposal to staff plan. Coming up: Mayor to introduce school board reform charter amendment to Board of Supervisors; supervisors to consider buying former Goodwill for safe consumption site; school board faces deadline for budget plan; Building Inspection Commission to get update on seismic retrofit program.

Legislators, activists and tenants are worried about real estate investors buying multi-unit housing properties only to evict all of the tenants and sell the buildings for a profit. They’re calling for an end to the state law that makes this possible, the Ellis Act. In the meantime, they want the city and the nonprofits it works with to buy those buildings instead of leaving them for speculators to snap up.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Omicron detected in SF; Supervisors vote to allocate money for housing acquisition; School board members suggest different plan for budget cuts. Coming up: School board to consider budget proposal; Supervisors to consider approving $2.5 million settlement in lawsuit over police killing of Keita O'Neil.

Could the Bay Area address housing affordability and control water use in perpetually drought-stricken California at the same time? A report from SPUR and the Pacific Institute says yes. In fact, we’ve done it before. The key is to continue improving conservation methods while building infill housing rather than allowing urban sprawl. SPUR’s Laura Feinstein explains.

We're publishing this week's episode a day early, but we'll be back to our Thursday release schedule next week.

While a judge in Los Angeles was ending Britney Spears’ conservatorship after 13 years, mental health activists who call themselves the Mad Mob were protesting the very concept of conservatorship and forced treatment here in San Francisco. Hear from Mad Mob members, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, and a mental health services coordinator who has been conserved about how this works locally.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Mayor supports school board recall, DA recall qualifies for ballot; activists mark the ending of Britney Spears' conservatorship by calling for better voluntary mental health treatment; opioid overdoses mapped; requests for rent relief far outpace allocated money. Coming up: School board and building inspection commission to discuss filling leadership positions; school board to discuss budget; Board of Supervisors to consider allocation for needs assessment at Buena Vista Horace Mann school, and making changes to the planning code to repeal oil and gas production and processing land uses.

You can find the organization here and see the SF Veterans Film Festival lineup here.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: SF's corruption scandal, in interactive map format; off-duty SFPD officer arrested in San Mateo; SFUSD works to formulate budget cuts; Muni cutting service on some lines after unvaccinated operators suspended. Coming up: Mayor and Board of Supervisors to discuss homelessness; Board to vote on whether to get quarterly reports on domestic violence cases; Police Commission to receive report from Firearm Discharge Review Board and In-Custody Death Review Board.

San Francisco’s Healthy Streets Operations Center, a cross-departmental collaboration tasked with addressing tent encampments, is intended to clean up tents while offering residents services. But a report from the Coalition on Homelessness says only a minority of residents are successfully connected with services, and the practice of moving them and cleaning the street results primarily in property loss and distress.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Nearly 500 units of housing voted down; $40 million allocated to repairs at Buena Vista Horace Mann school; Muni adopts hybrid return plan; drop-in homelessness resource center dropped; report on City Administrator role. Coming up: Board of Supervisors to hold hearing on settlement of opioid suit; Planning Commission to consider authorizations for two more parking lot to housing conversion proposals.

Thousands of people are heading to Glasgow, Scotland for COP26, the annual U.N. Climate Change Conference, and among them are two local indigenous climate organizers. They’ll be focused on discussions about supporting indigenous rights and holding accountable the financial backers of climate-altering industries.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: An update on ride-hailing's dark data; three school board members will face a recall; new charges in city corruption scandal; reports of slow maintenance and persistent infestations in subsidized housing. Coming up: Supervisors to vote on compensation for flooding victims; school board slated to take up funding allocation for BVHM school repairs again.

Bayview Hunters Point has one of the highest estimated vaccination rates in the city, a fact one community organizer attributes to outreach workers efforts to improve education and access. Outreach workers are going door-to-door to make sure as many people as possible are immunized against COVID-19. They survey residents about their household’s vaccination status, talk to people about concerns, if they have any, and offer connections to testing, shots, and other resources. For those who are still hesitant, outreach workers hope information from trusted, locally rooted messengers will help alleviate fears.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Mask rules relax; vote on funding allocation for school repair delayed; cannabis business permitting rules tweaked. Coming up: South Van Ness road diet open house; MCCLA Day of the Dead exhibit; Supervisors to vote on property acquisitions for homelessness initiatives and response to Van Ness Improvement Project report.

Vermin infestation and electrical malfunction. A copy machine in the restroom. Falling ceiling tiles. Parents, students and staff at Buena Vista Horace Mann School in the Mission have been testifying at recent hearings about these and other maintenance problems they say have plagued the school for years. Officials have promised to allocate money to make repairs, but they’ve delayed making a decision about how much to spend. Meanwhile, the district’s facilities director says requests for electrical and other important work are backlogged district-wide.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Report alleges tent removal practices are illegal; thousands of tenants saddled with debt for paying pandemic rent they had to go into debt for; confusion about reform progress at police commission hearing. Coming up: School board member will propose spending $55 million on critical repairs to a school where students have been injured; Millennium Tower shoring to begin; Planning Commission to consider proposals for new residential buildings with SRO-style shared facilities; mask mandates to partly relax.

Thousands of San Francisco tenants have borrowed thousands of dollars from payday lenders, credit card companies, family or friends to pay rent during the pandemic. And that makes them in some ways worse off than those who let the rent bills lapse. We talk about how this happened, what the potential fallout might be, and why advocates still advise applying to the state's rent relief program.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Eviction moratorium expires and tenant advocates offer advice on what to do; rent collections by the public housing agency have been plummeting; musical chairs in San Francisco politics; supervisors call for investigation and reform of building inspection department. Coming up: Eagle bar could become a landmark; applications process for equity candidates for cannabis businesses could be tweaked; Department of Police Accountability to give report on first half of 2021; police overview of crowd control plans for Giants games and Fleet Week.

More people of color are running for office, but in the diverse Bay Area, elected officials are still whiter than the populations they represent. Some city councils are entirely white. Michelle Huang with the Bay Area Equity Atlas and Kimi Lee from Bay Rising unpack what has changed in recent years, and what hasn’t, about inclusion in local elections.

The application for rent relief can be found here.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: SF the only county where Elder didn't lead as recall replacement candidate; pockets of low vaccination rates might explain neighborhood's overall high case rates; DBI scrutinized on multiple fronts; BART plans progressive policing; SF retirement fund invested in so-called "vulture" hedge funds. Coming up: Tenant advocates urge renters to apply for COVID assistance; transit agency to hold office hours and open houses on 2022 plans.

Find out more about Transit Month here.Take Muni's survey on plans for 2022 here.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Recology fined; no in-school COVID-19 transmissions recorded; overdose crisis. Coming up: Transit Month, Stern Grove repair considerations; meeting to discuss improvements on Geary.

As wildfires rage, unprecedented heat waves become deadly and cities are drowned, climate worry is turning to climate grief for many people. We talk to a young Bay Area climate activist and a psychiatrist about how we move forward in a world in which the climate change threat has become a climate crisis reality.

Pandemic or no, sanitation workers are still collecting the city's waste material. Back in April, Civic hitched an early morning ride with Recology recycling driver Gareth Willey to get a sense for how the pandemic has changed his work. While the decreased traffic had made the streets a little less crowded, the bins he emptied have been piled high with cardboard boxes from mail orders.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: COVID cases decline; advocates call for safe consumption sites; DoorDash drivers rally; judgment against landlord for tenant harassment upheld; half-off transit fares. Coming up: CA recall election; protest scheduled for more shelter-in-place hotels; proposed "ghost gun" ordinance; Tenderloin group housing project appeal; large SoMa project seeks approval.

Every city is special in some way to the people who call it home, but as author Gary Kamiya writes, San Francisco is a more potent touchstone than most thanks to the unique place it occupies in the American imagination. In the new anthology “The End of the Golden Gate,” writers including W. Kamau Bell, Margaret Cho and Michelle Tea reflect on a city in flux. Kamiya and writer and artist John Law talk about gentrification, loving the city, and the message newcomers often hear that San Francisco peaked just before their arrival.