City Administrator's June 2022 newsletter

Over-the-Counter Services for Businesses Available at SF Permit Center

Residents can now visit the San Francisco Entertainment Commission and the Office of Small Business in-person at the City's one-stop Permit Center at 49 South Van Ness! Office of Small Business staff are available in-person Mondays-Fridays from 9am-5pm (closed noon to 1pm) for help with permits for small businesses. Entertainment Commission staff are available in-person on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm to answer questions about hosting entertainment at your business or event, including information about rules and permits and navigation assistance to find other City departments. 

The Entertainment Commission hosted it's 12th Annual Nightlife and Entertainment Summit on June 7, 2022. City officials, entertainment industry professionals, and small business advocates came together to address long-term recovery in the entertainment industry and support a thriving entertainment and nightlife culture. Watch a recording of the summit here.

Community Challenge Grant Invests $1.5 Million in Neighborhoods

The Community Challenge Grant Program recently awarded $1.5 million in grants for community-driven projects to beautify and green neighborhoods citywide. This year’s grants will enable nonprofits and community organizations to install public art, improve community gardens and landscaping, create children’s play areas, build community gathering spaces, and implement other improvement projects across the City, creating opportunities for people to come together, strengthen neighborhood relations, and support our local business corridors. See the full list of this year’s CCG projects here.

Build Your Career with the City Administrator's Office!

As one of the largest departments in the City and County of San Francisco, the City Administrator’s Office is hiring for a variety of jobs for people of diverse backgrounds. To support job seekers, we recently participated in a Citywide Career Resource Fair hosted by the SF Department of Human Resources and developed a resource page with step-by-step guides and tips to help people apply for City jobs. Check it out today and apply for job openings that interest you. 

SF Expands Free Diaper Bank Program

San Francisco's Diaper Bank Program is the first city-funded program in the nation to provide diapers for low-income families receiving public benefits. The recent expansion doubles the number of families eligible to access the free diaper bank including immigrants and undocumented families. Learn more about the SF Diaper Bank here. 

$11.4 Million in Grants to Support Commercial Corridors

The Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) recently announced $11.4 million in funding to launch economic recovery initiatives to support community organizations, including cultural districts and community benefit districts, to recruit new businesses, train and establish new and existing entrepreneurs, develop new programming, organize festivals and events, and offer technical assistance to small businesses. The investment will also continue to fund COVID-19 Resource Hubs that have provided essential services like employment assistance, job placement, and food assistance throughout the pandemic. Read the press release here. 

ADA Inspection Grants: Apply by June 30

Grants are available to help small businesses understand and make plans for accessibility improvements to comply with the San Francisco Accessible Business Entrance Program. Businesses can receive up to $3,000 to pay for an inspection of their storefront from a Certified Access Specialist or licensed architect. Grant applications are due on June 30. Learn more here.

Neighborhood Anchor Business Registry

The Office of Small Business recently launched the Neighborhood Anchor Business Registry to support businesses that have operated for over 15 years continuously in the City. Businesses on the registry will receive information about small business grant programs and support resources. This new Business Registry along with the Legacy Business Program (for businesses that have operated for 30+ years) aim to promote longstanding San Francisco businesses that contribute to the cultural fabric of our City. Register for the Neighborhood Anchor Business Registry here. 

Good Government Award for COVID-19 Emergency Support

For many years the City and County of San Francisco has partnered with SPUR to host a public award ceremony to recognize excellence in public service management.  After a brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are excited to see the return of this award program in recognition of the City’s COVID-19 response! 

So many members of the City Administrator team have been involved in the COVID response.  Whether deployed as Disaster Service Workers, or doubling down on their commitment to ensure critical public services continue without disruption, we are both thankful and humbled by our public employees. In the midst of great uncertainty, the City came together to keep our residents and our workers safe. Public Works field operations, our Real Estate custodial and building management staff, Department of Technology’s technology infrastructure field teams, Fleet Management, Reprographics, Permit Center team, Animal Care and Control, community ambassadors, Medical Examiner’s Office, County Clerk, and many front line public safety and health care workers continued to show up in-person to make sure the core services our residents depend upon would not fail.  We all adapted to new ways of working and collaborating with each other.  And, together, we staffed and lifted an entirely new emergency command structure, set-up mass testing and mass vaccination sites, purchased/ tracked/ stored/ distributed over 90 million pieces of hard-to-source personal protective equipment, developed contingency plans to handle hospital surge capacity, delivered meals where they were needed, established safe sleep sites and isolation and quarantine spaces, developed and applied new health regulations and rules, supported local businesses and workers, employed new technology, connected thousands of families and children to learning opportunities, and worked to connect people to the services and information they needed.  As a result, San Francisco has the lowest death rate due to COVID-19 among any major city in the country. Their efforts saved lives and we are so thankful for their service. 

Learn more about the SPUR Good Government Awardees here.

Office of Cannabis Awarded $4.5 Million from State to Support Equity

The Office of Cannabis recently was awarded $4.5 million in state funding to enhance the City’s Cannabis Equity Grant Program and support social equity applicants and operators. Since the establishment of the Cannabis Equity Grant Program in February 2021, OOC has distributed over $5.5 million in flexible grant funding to more than 50 equity businesses that meet criteria including residency, income, criminal justice involvement, and housing insecurity. Sixty-five percent of past recipients identify as people of color, strengthening access for communities who have been harmed by past policies. Learn more about the Cannabis Equity Grant Program here. 

SF Animal Shelter Awarded National Honor

The American Public Works Association recently named the San Francisco Animal Care & Control Facility as 2022 Project of the Year for historical restoration/preservation projects valued at more than $75 million. San Francisco Public Works designed and managed construction of the project, which involved the adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of a historic building into a seismically safe, state-of-the-art 65,000 sq. ft. animal shelter. The shelter also has been honored by the American Institute of Architects (AIASF) and the California Preservation Foundation. Take a look at the new facility in the video here. 

Protecting the Rights of Workers and Employers

The Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) advances the welfare of San Francisco workers by enforcing San Francisco’s labor laws and providing proactive public education to both employers and workers. Since its inception in 2001, OLSE has collected over 100 million dollars in restitution for San Francisco workers, half of which has been collected in the past five years, including $5.3 million from the settlement with DoorDash finalized late last year. Read OLSE’s latest annual report here. 

Last fiscal year, OLSE resolved a record number of cases and made over 90,000 points of contact through public outreach including community forums, partnerships with community organizations, labor law poster distribution, and calls via OLSE’s multilingual phone hotlines.  

Throughout the pandemic, OLSE worked quickly to implement and enforce temporary emergency worker protections, like the Public Health Emergency Leave Ordinance (PHELO) and the Employee Protection Ordinance. OLSE’s efforts remain essential to protect workers’ access to paid sick leave and health benefits, minimum wage, prevailing wage, and more and to help employers maintain compliance.