Mayor Ed Lee wants to hear from his constituents, so he’s hosting a series of monthly coffee chat with residents from city neighborhoods.
“We need to hear directly from our residents about the issues that matter most to them,” said Lee in a statement.
“We must build a balanced budget that not only ensures that San Franciscans get the city services they need, but one that will set the City on a steady course to fiscal solvency.”
The District 1 coffee chat will take place on Saturday, May 19. The Mayor can’t have coffee with the entire neighborhood, so who gets selected is based on a lottery system:
For a cozy coffee date with the mayor, San Francisco residents can call 311 and leave their name, contact information, and a brief description of the issues they want to discuss. Participants will be selected at random and notified of their appointment the Thursday before the meeting. Meetings are scheduled to be about two hours and include 12 or more people at a time. [Huffington Post]
If you get selected to attend, be sure to let us know!
Sarah B.
#1: Fire Phil Ginsburg from Park & Wreck. That will solve about 20% of our problems.
Throw the bum out. save GGPark before its all plastic grass and ground to dust by hundreds of thousands of Bay to Breakers, Outside Lands, Hardly Strictly, Power to the Peaceful concert, etc., etc. attendees. this is a park not a concert stadium and sports complex.
No vote, nothing and siddenly we’re hostages for days in our own homes, unable to get away from noise, drive down our own streets, get across to the Sunset or even enjoy OUR Park (becdause its fenced off for days and day of set up and tear down.)
He thinks hes god…just does whatever he wants and he is also a flat out liar. and mar does nothing to help us. useless.
A program for multi-generational SF natives with families to buy homes. Just read the article on families leaving SF, and it becoming a boutique city. My family is 5th generation SF natives and has spent 3 gens in the Richmond District, and now that I have a family the only place I can afford to buy a home is across the bay. I’m not saying make a program for all, just those who have a vested history in the neighborhoods and city they have grown up in. Interestingly enough, there was another article on “How to to talk like a native San Franciscan,” that addressed the very poignant reality, that true SF natives and the heart of the what made SF so diverse, is disappearing fast.
Do something about the disgusting median strips on Geary!
@ Jewel… While I agree the parking (or lack of) and crowds during the aforementioned events are a nuisance for those of us living around GGP, I also believe these events bring in a good amount of business for neighboring shops, restaurants, etc. Let ’em come spend their money in our hood, then leave. I personally am from Austin and loathe SXSW and ACL (the two biggest music festivals held there annually) but as the saying goes “Welcome. Spend your money and get out.” Besides, it’s a public park, why should anyone have to ask for YOUR permission to use it? Just saying… 🙂
Adraina:
Yeah, something like getting a move on that BRT project. What’s going on with that?
“San Francisco residents can call 311 and leave their name, contact information, and a brief description of the issues they want to discuss. ”
So basically he’s going to pick and choose which types of questions he *wants* to answer.
@ Whitney Leigh: You said it! It’s great to see someone sticking up for the economic benefits of these events.
Unfortunately this blog seems to attract a disproportionate amount of anger towards events in GG Park. I live on Fulton and am happy to share “our” park with people from all over the USA and the world (including locals from the Mission, North Beach, or even the East Bay who don’t otherwise see a need to come out to the Richmond).
Plus, how great is it that we can enjoy world-class music in our own backyard?
Whitney Leigh, glad to see another former Austinite. In the 15 years I lived there, never was willing plop down the big bucks to wait in line to hopefully get into a bar to see a band during SXSW. I went to ACL in 2003 (one of the few years that the weather was not blazing and REM was the headliner). It was a great experience, but it was enough foe us. But like you, I appreciate that these events are good for the economy, not mention putting Austin on the map.
Outside Lands and HSBG do the same for SF. Yes, these events have an ecological impact on the park, but as long as it is well managed and enforcement of this management is in place ecological impact can be mitigated. In SF, rainfall and moderate temperatures are even more favorable than that of Austin in which drought and scorching temps make for a far more delicate ecosystem. Yet, like GG Park, Zilker Park continues to thrive; and actually ACL has brought improvements to the parkland in an area that went neglected for years as nearly unusable soccer fields.
Whoa! What a difference between a mayor that proactively reaches out to all residents and mayor gaffe’n nuisance!
Those events in GGPark create the necessary revenue for Rec and Parks to provide the rest of the incredible programs throughout the year throughout the entire city, as well as the upkeep/gardening/safety of the parks. Personally, I would gladly give up a few weekends of loud music to be able to take advantage of the rest of the amazing activities, resources, and green space that I get living next door to GGPark throughout the rest of the year. And I have young children who nap, so YES, those sound checks are really annoying to me too… but it’s a small price to pay. It’s called living in a community.
@Lee Anne – well said! It’s a park – which means recreation – which means lots of different activities! And if some of those help pay for year round needs, we all come out winners. There are a lot of under used sections of the park, so if your favorite part if fenced off one weekend, why not explore another area?