Mike Billings

Sanctuary city veto override expected

The controversial legislation to change how San Francisco deals with turning over illegal immigrant youth to federal authorities is back at the Board of Supervisors today. Supervisor David Campos introduced the legislation, which would change The City's sanctuary city policy so illegal immigrant youths arrested of felony crimes be turned over to federal authorities after they are convicted of the crime. The policy now is that they are reported to immigration officials after being arrested. The current policy was put into place by Mayor Gavin Newsom after a series of high-profile events last year, including the slaying of a father and two sons by a suspected illegal immigrant who...

Continued...

 

Santa Clara gaining yardage on stadium plans

A major milestone appears to on the horizon in the city of Santa Clara for the proposed stadium for the San Francisco 49ers. There are two public meetings set for the next few weeks in the South Bay city: one to discuss the stadium design proposal and another to consider the final environmental impact report for the stadium. Though the stadium deal between Santa Clara and the 49ers is far from a sealed deal — voters there still need to decide next year whether their city should invest $114 million of redevelopment funds on the $937 million project — the Nov. 18 meeting with the Planning Commission is a step forward in the project. The 49ers have been in talks with Santa...

Continued...

 

Newsom Tracker: Quiet weekend?

Mayor Gavin Newsom, who recently returned from a trip Hawaii, has no public appearances planned for Saturday, according to the Mayor's Office, though he may have a busy week ahead. Gavin Newsom was back in The City on Friday, though he did not appear in public or speak to the media. It has been more than a week since Newsom made a public appearance. That was at a news conference about an oil spill in the Bay, which was just hours before announcing in a written statement that he was dropping out of the race to be the next governor of California. Newsom then left for a trip to Hawaii early last week to spend time with his wife and 7-week-old daughter. Newsom does not have any...

Continued...

 

Sun shines on college records

Accessing information about the San Francisco Community College District became easier this week. The board of trustees adopted a public access sunshine policy that closely resembles the sunshine ordinance of San Francisco, according to the district. In fact, San Francisco’s Sunshine Ordinance Task Force helped the district pass the policy. "We can now provide the public with the same access to meetings and notifications that the City of San Francisco provides. City College governance will now be among the most transparent of any community college in the State," trustee John Rizzo said in a statement. The college district oversees City College of San Francisco, which...

Continued...

 

Follow the eco-fair on Twitter

If you are unable to attend the Big Blue Bucket Eco-Fair on Saturday, you can follow the events live on Twitter. The fair, which runs from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. at Jarrold Avenue and Phelps Street, is put on by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Public Works, the Department of the Environment, as well as private companies. But if you are unable to swing by the fair to pick up your free bag of compost, you can follow the SFPUC, which is posting details from the event live on Twitter....

Continued...

 

Creative fundraising for City College

With City College facing a budget shortfall, it is looking for creative ways to raise money. The college has already asked for donations to save classes. Now it will be holding a garage sale and flea market to help bring in funds. The event, which is scheduled for Oct. 24, will raise funds in several ways, including renting parking stalls to people looking to sell items and selling items donated to the college. The college also says on its Web site that it will solicit "financial support from individuals, organizations, and businesses....

Continued...

 

Count Diaz out for the police staff job

It has been reported that the new police chief in San Francisco, George Gascón, wants to bring in top brass from outside the department. Although there are still questions about who that could be and when that could happen, it seems clear one person who will not be joining the ranks in The City. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times about replacing outgoing Los Angeles police Chief William J. Bratton, Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz says he has decided not to pursue a job under Gascón in San Francisco, whom he called a close friend. It seems that tossing his hat into the ring for the police chief job in Southern California trumps taking the job here....

Continued...

 

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

The Victory Garden that was planted in front of City Hall last summer has grown in influence lately. Berkeley chef Alice Waters, who partnered with Mayor Gavin Newsom to plant the Victory Garden, has also lobbied the White House to plant a garden for more than a decade. Shortly after Waters appeared on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” during which the Victory Garden and Newsom were featured, first lady Michelle Obama announced that there would be a produce and herb garden planted on the grounds of the White House. The latest garden ready to sprout on public land will be at the state Capitol. First lady Maria Shriver, who has long been a champion of public gardens, mad the...

Continued...