Category: Action

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Mill Valley’s RHNA Methology Letter Calls for a Stronger Response

By Susan Kirsch of Mill Valley : marinpost – excerpt

This letter is written to the Mill Valley Mayor, Vice Mayor, and City Councilmembers, but it may apply to any of our local civic leaders who are considering how to deal with the RHNA number conundrum, made more obviously out of touch with reality by the large exodus of citizens from California this year.

The end of the land rush has come to the state, due to a number of factors, but, our government officials can’t get past their old methods of creating financing through growth. Read the letter here and consider how you may apply the information to your community…(more)

Review the investigative report by The Embarcadero Institute, entitled “Double Counting in the Latest Housing Needs Assessment” (September 2020)…

“Use of an incorrect vacancy rate and double counting, inspired by SB-828, caused the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to exaggerate by more than 900,000 the units needed in SoCal, the Bay Area and the Sacramento area.”

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SF Supervisor Seeks to Restore Oversight of Homeless Shelter Contracts Amid Corruption Scandal

By Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez : kqed – excerpt

In the name of expediting construction of homeless shelters, San Francisco Mayor London Breed in March 2019 asked the Board of Supervisors to relinquish its oversight of the contract process.

The argument was, if Public Works could simply award shelter construction contracts faster, people living in dire circumstances would be moved off the streets months earlier — saving crucial time.

But it didn’t quite work out that way.

The lack of oversight allegedly allowed former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru to grant more than $1 million in homeless shelter construction contracts to Walter Wong, a permit expediter who was arrested by the FBI last month and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to engage in money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Nuru was also arrested by the FBI in January on public fraud charges.

Now, Supervisor Aaron Peskin said he will introduce legislation Tuesday allowing the Board of Supervisors to regain oversight and ultimate approval over homeless shelter construction in the city…. (more)

Since the FBI investigation started long before March 2019, it appears that there was already a lack of oversight in place long before the Mayor’s actions took place. If anything, the government has been in the business of removing government and public notice oversight of pending plans and projects for years. Perhaps it is time to slow that train down by stopping some of the state legislative efforts to speed it up. We understand there are 14 state bills being analyzed now by the Planning Department. Details on 9 of those bills are here: https://www.livablecalifornia.org/act-now-3-2/

The SF Planning Dept. is reviewing 14 state bills and will publish their analysis by end of day on Thursday July 16th.  They will give a presentation on this legislation at the July 23rd Planning Commission hearing.

The analysis document should be attached as a background document for the Planning Commission agenda for that meeting. https://sfplanning.org/

The Dept will be looking at the following bills:

Some of the bills we are tracking:
https://discoveryink.wordpress.com/ca-bills/ca-bills-2020/

AB 725
AB 1279
AB 1436
AB 2345
AB 2580
AB 3040
AB 3107
SB 288
SB 899
SB 902
SB 995
SB 1085
SB 1120
SB 1385

 

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Do NOT Re-Zone the Balboa Reservoir!

Stop the sale of public land, or at last continue the decision.
Tell SF Planning Commission: Do NOT Re-zone the Balboa Reservoir!

Thursday, April 9,  1PM – agenda
SF Planning Commission Meeting  Videoconference and Call-in
Stream the live meeting: ww.sfgovtv.org
A public comment call-in line number will be provided on the Department’s webpage http://www.sfplanning.org and during the live SFGovTV broadcast.

Agenda Item 16b:  Consideration of Initiation of “General Plan Amendments” for the Balboa Reservoir Project. This 315 page document contains amendments to the Balboa Park Station Area Plan (2009). If the Commission approves the Initiation of the General Plan Amendments meeting, they could schedule a hearing as early as April 30th to take action, such as re-zoning the land.

Currently the reservoir land is zoned as “P” (Public) which does not allow private use of public property. Re-zoning it to “Balboa Reservoir Special Use District” would allow privatization. Additionally, this proposed re-zoning would allow the current 40 feet height limit to be increased to 78 ft.

These decisions pave the way for the construction of the Balboa Reservoir Project. Please consider sending comments to the Planning Commissioners: commissions.secretary@sfgov.org
See Contacts and talking points. here

 

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volunteers recruiting volunteers

We are a group of volunteers recruiting other volunteers in a position to help (healthy, below 60) to support people who are particularly isolated and need help. We are also looking for people and small businesses that need assistance. We are using www.ho2pe.org to centralize requests.
 
Immediate needs may include:
1. Transport material (food, cleaning equipment) to specific locations
2. Prepare meals
3. Virtual after school care for families of healthcare workers
4. Virtual companionship for elderly people and those who are more isolated than most of us
 
We’d be so grateful if you could share the below blurb within your community, or let us know the best way for us to do so. We created quickly a website for people to request and propose help.
 
“Friends and neighbors in the Bay Area, the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all our lives. Some at risk communities are disproportionately impacted. This is an open call to stand in solidarity as a community, in supporting and caring for one another. If you can offer time or resources, or know someone who needs support please sign up at www.ho2pe.org.”