Mayor Lee Launches Centralized Database for City Boards and Commissions

San Francisco Launches First in the Nation Good Government Public Database for City Appointments

San Francisco, CA— Mayor Edwin M. Lee today launched a centralized online
database of City boards and commissions including vacancies and
appointments to advisory bodies for the City and County of San Francisco.

“This one-of-a kind interactive tool makes San Francisco government more
transparent, efficient and easier to engage in for the public” said Mayor
Lee. “By creating an easy and efficient way to search commissions and board
vacancies, we improve our ability to attract a diverse and talented pool of
candidates.”

San Francisco is the first city in the nation to launch a centralized
database, enhancing transparency in commission memberships and investing in good government. The City partnered with Timberlake Publishing to develop the customized Member Management software.

The database project is the result of legislation introduced by Board of
Supervisors President David Chiu and signed by former Mayor Gavin Newsom to improve access to government. The landmark legislation requires the City
Administrator, through 311, to implement and manage a publicly accessible
web site that allows the public to search for available positions and
commission information. The database promotes opportunities to participate
in, and serve on, City boards, commissions, task forces, and committees.

“People interested in getting involved in City government will now be able
to easily search for policy bodies addressing topics of interest, find
current and upcoming vacancies, and understand the requirements for
individual seats and the process for applying for them,” said Board of
Supervisors President David Chiu. “This increase in the transparency of the
appointment process will lead to a healthier and more diverse political
culture in San Francisco.”

To search the centralized online database of City commissions and boards,
go to www.sfgov.org/commissionsdatabase or call 3-1-1.

SF Centralized Boards & Commissions Database

Mayor Lee Launches Budget Challenge to Provide Public Budgeting Experience

San Francisco, CA— Mayor Edwin M. Lee on May 23rd, 2011 announced the launch of the SF Budget Challenge, an interactive online tool that allows the public an opportunity to use real public policy choices with real cost-savings to try to reduce the City’s $306 million deficit. The SF Budget Challenge will allow users to experience first hand the difficult choices in developing a responsible balanced budget.

“Like many cities and counties across the country, San Francisco faces
another difficult budget year,” said Mayor Lee. “The SF Budget Challenge
represents the challenging choices we are making to present a balanced
budget that will keep our City safe, solvent and successful for years to
come. I encourage everyone to try their hand at this innovative tool.”

The Mayor’s Office developed SF Budget Challenge through a partnership with Next 10, a San Francisco-based non-profit dedicated to innovation and the intersection of the economy, environment, and quality of life. Through a series of multiple choice questions users are presented with a wide range of policy options, each one illustrating tradeoffs for each alternative.

“Next 10 launched the California Budget Challenge in 2005, as a nonpartisan effort to engage Californians in the tough choices and trade-offs that are part of balancing the state budget,” said Next 10 Founder F. Noel Perry. “As a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, we are honored that the Mayor is offering this tool to residents about the City’s budget. The Challenge offers a unique way for citizens to weigh in on the options being considered by the people who represent them.”

To access the SF Budget Challenge, go to: www.sfgov.org/budgetchallenge .

The SF Budget Challenge represents another step in Mayor Lee’s efforts to engage and collaborate with residents, labor leaders, community based organizations and the members of the Board of Supervisors throughout the budget process. Last week Mayor Lee finished the last of ten budget town halls, which he hosted with every member of the Board of Supervisors in their Districts. Mayor Lee has met regularly with leaders of City employee unions about the City’s rising pension costs. Through Improve SF, he has asked City employees to submit practical and innovative budget savings ideas. Earlier this month, Mayor Lee introduced the first-ever proposed five-year financial plan for San Francisco as a key part of a set of financial reforms designed to move the City toward longer-term financial planning and budgeting, and away from the short-term decisions that have led to repeated annual budget deficits. The Mayor will submit a balanced budget for the City’s General Fund departments to the Board of Supervisors on June 1st, which will close a $306 million General Fund budget deficit.

 

Please see attachment from Mayor Lee’s office below:

Mayor Lee’s SF Budget Challenge

BVHP Community Convener Meeting

Please join us for our May Convener Meeting at the Joseph Lee Recreation Center! Please check back for a full agenda.

CHALK is Hiring Youth! Applications Due May 27th

CHALK IS HIRING YOUTH! 30 slots are available ! Attached are two applications. Each application has specific criteria applicants must meet.

General application:

-Youth must be 14-17 yrs old and live in San Francisco

-Youth who are hired will work for our youth grant making program, YFYI, or as an Outreach Worker

-No experience necessary, we will train the youth who are hired.

-For more info, contact Stephanie at the CHALK office at 415-977-6949 or by email at lara@chalk.org

ReSET application:

-youth must be 14-21 yrs old and be on probation in San Francisco (does not need to live in SF)

-Youth who are hired will work for our Youthline program or as an Outreach Worker

-No experience necessary, we will train the youth who are hired.

-For more info, contact Catherine at the CHALK office at 415-977-6949 or by email at porchia@chalk.org

The application deadline for both applications is Friday, May 27th at 5pm!

*No application will be accepted after the deadline

2011 General Job Application

2011 ReSET Job Application

For more information please contact:
CHALK
Communities in Harmony Advocating for Learning and Kids
965 Mission Street, suite 520
San Francisco, Ca 94103

Phone: 415-977-6949
Fax:415-977-6950

 

Coleman Advocates Children’s Fund Celebration, May 10th

We invite all to participate in this opportunity to celebrate the Children’s Fund, the hard work that has and continues to be done to support kids and families in SF, and bring the visibility of children, youth and families to City Hall WITHOUT it being a budget cuts rally!

Let’s Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the landmark SF Children’s Fund!

The Children’s Amendment was a courageous Coleman Advocates campaign in 1991. Twenty years later, the $50 million city fund is a celebrated, core part of our city safety net and a national model. Well over 100,000 young people’s lives have been enriched by community programs supported by the Children’s Fund.

Don’t miss this historic event, hosted by Coleman Advocates for Children & Youth,

Mayor Edwin Lee, and the Department of Children, Youth & Their Families

TUESDAY, MAY 10TH, 2011

5 pm – 7 pm

NORTH LIGHT COURT

SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL

This is a FREE, family-friendly community celebration!  Children and young people especially welcome!

————————————————————————————————————————–

Program begins promptly at 5:30pm.

For more info or to RSVP, contact Chelsea at cboilard@colemanadvocates.org

————————————————————————————————————————–

www.colemanadvocates.org

415.239.0161

2nd Annual Sunday Streets BVHP Music Festival, June 12th

Please join the 3rd Street Corridor Project and Sunday Streets in the celebration of the 2nd Annual Bayview Music Festival! Come play in the Bayview!

Sunday, June 12th, 11am-5pm, Bayview Opera House (4705 Third Street) to Third and Galvez.
Enjoy a day in the community filled with activities such as :

  • Live music performances
  • Skating
  • Biking
  • Arts and Crafts Vendors
  • Health and Wellness Fair
  • Shrimp and Grits Cooking Contest
  • Church Dessert Contest
  • Many other activities!

For more information and inquiries regarding sponsorship and booth reservations, please contact wendy@rencenter.org or call 415.647.3728

Flier attached below:

2nd Annual Bayview Music Festival and Sunday Streets

6th Annual Literacy is Freedom Book Fair

 

Please Urge MUNI To Provide Free Summer Passes to Youth

Last summer, the Summer Learning Network was able to negotiate a large number of free group Muni passes for Summer Learning Network members for field trips, with the assistance of City Attorney Dennis Herrera. This year, Dennis is working hard to help negotiate a repeat of the free Muni passes,  but the process is moving slowly and time is getting short, with the school year ending early this year.

You can help by e-mailing and/or calling Muni’s point person, Diana Hammons, and asking her to pass on your message urging Muni to provide the passes for summer youth programs like those serving Bayview/Hunter’s Point youth again this year. Her e-mail is diana.hammons@sfmta.org, phone 701-4610. We hope it will help if Muni knows how important these passes are to so many programs serving so many San Francisco children and youth. The passes are invaluable in helping the young people of San Francisco experience summer enrichments to keep their minds growing and thriving all summer. The passes also help programs in the Western Addition team up on group activities that are credited with reducing gang violence in the long run, as young people from different parts of the area get to know each other through summer activities. And through the supervised Muni outings, young people learn stewardship of their city and appropriate behavior on Muni. There are so many benefits – please help remind Muni’s decisionmakers why the passes are so valuable.

Thank you!

For more information, please contact:

Caroline Grannan, Summer Learning Network at cgrannan@gmail.com or visit www.sfsummerlearning.org

Bayview YMCA Cinco de Mayo/Zumba Event, Saturday, May7th

We invite all to join the Bayview YMCA on Saturday, May 7th for Cinco de Mayo Celebration Walk starting at 10:00am, and later that evening for a Zumba class at 6:00Pm.

The Bayview YMCA is located at 1601 Lane Street, San Francisco, CA 94124.
For further information please click the attached flier or contact Michael Bennett, Physical Health and Wellness Coordinator at (415) 822-7728.

YMCA Cinco de Mayo/Zumba 2011 flier