March 21, 2018
March 21, 2018
About 150 neighbors came out to join UNN 30th anniversary celebration with good food and good company.
We began with introductions by UNN President Olga Milan-Howells.
***Former state senator and D8 supervisor, Mark Leno present a beautiful, framed commendation from the State of California to UNN for 30 years of service to the community. District 8 Supervisor Jeff Sheehy presented a lovely commendation from the SF Board of Supervisors. This will be framed and both will hang in the vestibule of the Rec Center auditorium.
***The election returned all board members to serve another year. An additional director at large, Laura Fingal-Surma, was elected in-absentia. Welcome, Laura and thank you.
– Your UNN Board
Olga Milan-Howells – UNN President
Chris Faust – Vice President
Erin Zielinski – Treasurer
Sara Fenske Bahat – Secretary
David Emanuel – Director at Large
Laura Fingal-Surma – Director at Large
***District 8 Supervisor Forum
Jeff Sheehy and Rafael Mandelman took the stage and Chris Faust moderated from the floor. By coin toss, Jeff introduced himself first. Candidates then took turns going first in response to prepared questions (see below).
While the candidates seemed to be in agreement on most issues, they made distinctions in their views. It would be unfair to summarize their words out of context so we invite you see it yourself and come to your own conclusions. The prepared questions are listed below and the entire forum is on video available on our Facebook page. See pictures and video of this forum.
Written questions were taken from the floor during the meeting but we ran out of time. Those questions are being sent to the candidates and we will post their response.
Prepared Questions for the Candidates
POLITICS
The people of San Francisco want a government that functions. How do you, or will you, build consensus across ideological divides to move legislation? Specifically, what is your experience working with folks outside your politics and can you promise to reach beyond party line agenda? (2 minutes)
San Francisco is on a national stage but we depend upon our local government to address neighborhood issues. How would you manage the office of SF supervisor to promote San Francisco values without losing track of the day-to-day needs of your constituents? (2 minutes)
HOUSING
SB-827 promotes increased housing density along transit corridors throughout the state by allowing apartment buildings to be constructed on land that’s already zoned residential and within 1/2-mile of a major transit station or 1/4-mile of a major bus route. Do you support this measure? Why or why not? (2 minutes)
The Costa-Hawkins Act prevents rent control on buildings created after 1995, single-family dwellings and condominiums, and allows rents to rise to market rate between occupancies. Do you support efforts to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Act and why? (2 minutes)
What solutions of your own do you have to solve the housing crisis? (1 min)
HOMELESSNESS
Street camping is a problem in many cities but seems to be particularly intractable in San Francisco. Does SF provide incentives that attract and/or retain street populations? What would you propose that has not been tried to get folks off the street? (2 minutes)
Some are proposing that SF distribute Navigation Centers among supervisor districts to spread out the impact. Should Noe Valley have a center? Why or why not? (2 minutes)
What is your plan for improving mental health care facilities in SF? (2 minutes)
QUALITY of LIFE
San Francisco has become a dirty city. Too much of our operational resources ($335M) are dedicated to just keeping up with illegal dumping, litter and the effects of street camping and others living on the streets in unsanitary conditions. What is your plan to clean up San Francisco and improve the streetscape for all? Please give details. (3 minutes)
Empty storefronts blight our commercial corridors. Do you support relaxing restrictions on market retail to improve the viability of commercial districts? What solutions do you envision and what District 8 organizations do you work with to improve the viability of our commercial areas? (2 minutes)
Where do you stand on preserving parking on San Francisco streets, particularly in our commercial areas? (2 minutes)
TRANSPORTATION
Commuting in SF seems to get tougher every day. Increased congestion, along with double-parked tech buses and ridesharing services, clogs our arteries. How will you work to improve the daily experience for commuters? Do you support any specific initiatives such as taxing private commuter buses to pay for the impact these heavy vehicles have on light rail tracks? (3 minutes)
CRIME
What is your solution to current crime problems like auto break-ins and burglaries? Specifically, do you support increased funding for the police or specialized task forces? (2 minutes)