One Richmond to debut

by Sandra Lee Fewer

June is all about #OneRichmond!

I am excited to invite you all to the One Richmond community kickoff party!

Join my office and our neighborhood partners in celebrating the launch of our new neighborhood initiative with local food, music, community resources, fun activities and #OneRichmond opportunities!

The party will be on Saturday, June 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Argonne Elementary School (17th Avenue and Cabrillo Street).

There are four principles that guide One Richmond: We’re inclusive, we take care of each other, we take care of the Richmond, and we shop and eat locally.

If you agree, sign on! Individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits can join and it is absolutely free. If you have a businesses or community-based organization that would like to sign on to One Richmond and host a table at the event, please contact my legislative aide Ian Fregosi at Ian.Fregosi@sfgov.org.

We hope you can all join us.

Inside City Hall: legislation and awards

I am so proud that the SF Board of Supervisors unanimously passed my legislation to eliminate a loophole that allowed large corporate landlords to pass through to tenants their debt service and property tax increases from acquiring rent controlled buildings.

Landlords will still be able to pass through costs for maintaining and improving their buildings but will no longer be able to increase rents on existing tenants to offset the costs of purchasing the building.

For Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I was honored to recognize Raj Desai, an accomplished engineer, human rights advocate and Richmond District resident whom I have known my entire life.

In recognition of San Francisco Small Business week, it was my great honor to present a commendation to Standard Plumbing Ace Hardware, represented by manager Jordan Cheng, for its longstanding contributions to our community and our merchant corridors for the last 39 years.

The Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee held a public hearing on the program SF Supervisor Katy Tang and I launched last summer to install cigarette ash-cans and eliminate cigarette butts in the Richmond and Sunset districts.

Thanks to the success of our pilot program, more ash-cans will be installed in neighborhoods throughout the City.

Out and about in the neighborhood

In May, I hosted a second community meeting on homelessness in the Richmond.

We heard from University of San Francisco grad students, who presented their study on the homeless population in the district and made policy recommendations.

I also attended a wonderful event with the APA Heritage Foundation in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and Assemblymember Phil Ting and I hosted the annual Richmond Community Health Festival, where more than 500 neighbors had the chance to check their blood pressure, watch wonderful performances and learn about preventative health care.

My office hosted two “Budget 101” workshops with neighbors to learn more about the city’s budget process.

It was great to join Walk San Francisco and San Francisco Senior and Disability Action to announce increased street crossing times for pedestrians to improve pedestrian safety in the Richmond and across the City.

I enjoyed seeing old friends and honoring powerful mothers at the Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth gala.

I visited the Richmond District YMCA for the Park Presidio-Sunset Lions Club’s annual blood drive and spoke at the 80th anniversary of the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club Lodge. I also had the pleasure of attending Mother’s Day luncheons at the Golden Gate Park Senior Center and Richmond District Senior Center.

I attended the California Academy of Sciences’ second annual Museums4Inclusion Fair and the Tai Kong Association of America’s 100th anniversary.

I am so happy the Department of Public Works made improvements to Geary Boulevard from 10th Avenue all the way to 28th Avenue. Having pushed for improvements to Geary Boulevard since I first entered office, I am thrilled to see these changes to make Geary much safer for bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders and drivers alike!

I joined Tom Hui from the SF Department of Building Inspection and Regina Dick-Endrizzi from the Office of Small Business for a merchant walk along Clement Street to talk to merchants about the Accessible Business Entrance Program.

I’m glad I was also able to attend the Geary Boulevard Merchants’ Association’s annual luncheon to recognize and appreciate our first responders and small businesses on Geary.

Congratulations to all of the May graduates out there; happy summer everyone.

See you at the #OneRichmond kickoff!

San Francisco Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer represents District 1.