'Trauma' revived for additional filming

By: Joshua Sabatini
11/20/09 1:36 PM

NBC show "Trauma" has been revived.

The show, which is being filmed in The City, is not finished just yet, according to the head of the Film Office, Stefanie Coyote.

After earlier reports that the show was canceled by NBC and it would close down the series after the filming of 13 episodes, it now appears the order came for an additional three episodes.

“Yes, it is true. They have been asked to produce three additional episodes,” Coyote told The Examiner.

"Trauma" is the first major television show to be shot in The City since "Nash Bridges," which went of the air in 2001.

High-profile PR man steps into hotel fight

By: Mike Aldax
11/20/09 11:58 AM

Well-known public relations guru Sam Singer has been hired to represent the Hotel Council of San Francisco during the ongoing hotel labor dispute, the council announced Friday.

And not surprisingly, slams against the union have already begun.

Local 2 Unite Here! – which represents 9,000 hotel workers at 61 city hotels – has been staging separate, multiday strikes at various major downtown hotels during the last three weeks in order to obtain a desired contract. The contract between the union and hotels expired Aug. 14.

The union, which is in its third day of a strike at the Westin St. Francis, says the hotels are using the downward economy as an excuse to offer its low-income workers a contract that strips health benefits and pensions and imposes other draconian cutbacks. Union housekeepers make on average $30,000 per year, the union says.

Management says health care costs are skyrocketing and want workers to pay more for coverage. Managers currently pay the full cost of workers’ health care, but charge an additional $10 a month for all dependents.

Friday, the newly-hired Singer added fuel to the fight., issuing a statement that pointed out how much hotel workers in San Francisco make and how that pay compares to counterparts across the nation.

Local 2 President Mike Casey said he is disappointed the Hotel Council is becoming a partisan player in the labor dispute, ...

Newsom Tracker: Just meetings?

By: Mike Aldax
11/20/09 9:45 AM

Mayor Gavin Newsom is conducting meetings at City Hall on Friday and has no public appearances scheduled — at least that is what his official schedule says.

Then again, Newsom has been showing up to events that are not on his schedule. Take Thursday, for instance, when the mayor appeared at a Project Homeless Connect event in Golden Gate Park.

Time will tell where the mayor makes an appearance.

Cap on Transbay Tower kept at 1,000 feet

By: John Upton
11/20/09 4:00 AM

The Planning Department has reaffirmed its recommendation that a landmark downtown tower should not exceed 1,000 feet in height.

In October 2008, city planners said they proposed capping the proposed Transbay Tower next to a rebuilt Transbay Transit Center at 1,000 feet, with surrounding buildings allowed to reach varied heights of up to 800 feet. The Transamerica Pyramid near North Beach stands at 850 feet.

The recommendations were part of a sweeping rezoning plan designed to drag San Francisco’s main downtown area south of Market Street to surround the transit center.

More than a year later, those recommendations have been finessed and typed up in a formal draft that’s available for review at the Planning Department.

Formal public hearings about the draft are planned to be held late this year.

Public input sought on City Charter changes

By: Brent Begin
11/19/09 6:45 PM

Major changes could be coming to the police disciplinary process, and the Department wants you to join in the discussion.

A work group focused on putting together a charter amendment for the June ballot is scheduled to meet on Monday at 10:00 a.m. in room 505 at the Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant St. The public is invited to attend.

Police Chief George Gascon promised to reach out to the public when working on several reforms at the SFPD. Whether the public responds is yet to be seen.

Newsom announces return of Shop SF

By: Joshua Sabatini
11/19/09 12:23 PM

Mayor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday the City will bring back Shop SF for the holiday season. Being called Shop SF, Get More, the program offers special discounts and promotions exclusively for residents of the nine Bay Area counties until January 2010. It’s mean to help stimulate the local economy.

“Shop SF, Get More was a great shot in the arm for our small businesseslast year,” Newsom said in a statement. “This year, we are bringing it back to showcase our world-class dining, museums, events, attractions and hotels. Whether it's shopping in Union Square or touring our diverse neighborhoods, there's something for everyone.”

Among the shopping incentives offered under the program, Muni transfers will be good all day on Sundays from Nov. 15 to Dec. 27. Usually transfers are valid for only 90 minutes. Hotels will offer discounts under the program, as well as restaurants and museums.

Discipline on Fire Commission’s plate

By: Brent Begin
11/19/09 12:18 PM

The Fire Commission is taking on two disciplinary hearings – in closed session – Thursday evening. One Fire Department employee is appealing the appeal of a two-day suspension on June 20 and 21. The suspension is a rather light one for “disobedience,” but the accused has come up with new factual information to appeal a previous commission decision. Another disciplinary case going before the commission looks a little more serious. It involves an emergency medical technician accused of unauthorized leaves of absence, disobedience, attendance, tardiness, failure to report, and expired EMT certificates and paramedic licenses. Discipline for Fire Department employees used to be a little more transparent, but in the wake of a landmark California Supreme Court case, known as the Copley decision, that made peace officers records confidential, The City decided to keep firefighter discipline confidential as well.

School board talks about possible mission bay school facility

By: Kamala Kelkar
11/19/09 12:04 PM

The school board discussed the necessity of a new school in the Mission Bay area Wednesday night because of 17,000 residential units coming to the neighborhood, but did not come to any conclusions.

The Redevelopment Agency reported to commissioners that about 330 children – the majority too young for school – already live in the area and that their parents are highly interested in public education.

The agency suggested a K-8 school, or K-5, to cater to the younger children.

However commissioners did not draw any conclusions, asking for more data and feedback from the parents.

Superintendent Carlos Garcia also said it would be premature to make any decisions about a new facility before the board decides on a new student assignment plan.

Commissioner Hydra Mendoza requested commissioners make a decision on whether they want a school in two or three years or in five years so they can use money set aside to research its feasibility.

Other commissioners said if they were to develop a school, they strongly uphold one with pre-k.

Public honored for ideas to improve parks

By: Joshua Sabatini
11/19/09 11:53 AM

At Thursday’s Recreation and Park Commission meeting, six residents will be honored for coming up with the top six best suggestions for improving city parks.

The suggestions were supposed to be “simple, low-cost solutions to improve city parks,” as part of collaborative effort with the San Francisco Neighborhood Parks Council and the San Francisco Parks Trust.

Rec and Park general manager Phil Ginsburg said in a statement: “We solicited ideas from the public because they are the ones who use our parks on a daily basis and who have a vested interest in the welfare of our parks.”

There were more than 50 entries. The top six follow, along with who came up with the solution:

- Improved signage around park trash cans (Lia Smith) - Big Belly Solar Powered Trash Can at Mission Dolores Park (Gideon - Kramer) - New Flag at Mountain Lake Park (Kate Scanlon) - Simplification of class/program registration procedures (Christina - Goette) - New doggie relief stations in parks (Laura Cavaluzzo) - New trash cans at Louis Sutter Playground (Carol High)

Alioto-Pier makes small business recognition official

By: Joshua Sabatini
11/19/09 11:48 AM

Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier has introduced legislation that would require The City to recognize local small businesses “that contribute to the vitality of San Francisco.”

The legislation would ensure that each year there is a Small Business Month and one public event, perhaps during a Board of Supervisors meeting, where certain small businesses are honored. Businesses would be selected for public recognition by the mayor, supervisors, members of the Small Business Commission and residents.

“This ordinance is very simple. It establishes in the administrative code an annual process for recognition of leading small businesses,” Alioto-Pier said Thursday during the Board of Supervisors Rules Committee. “This is similar to the ceremonies that we have had honoring women, and that Supervisor Bevan Dufty recently had honoring veterans.”

The committee approved the legislation and sent to the full board for approval.

City clearing out illegal advertising signs

By: John Upton
11/19/09 11:44 AM

The City is now cluttered with 141 fewer advertising signs than last year.

For the past two years, The City has been enforcing a 2002 voter initiative that banned new advertising signs and a 2006 city law that banned all signs hoisted before 2002 without a permit.

The enforcement efforts have led to the removal of 318 illegal signs, including 141 that were removed over the past 12 months, according to a San Francisco Planning Department report.

The City has collected $119,461 in fines for illegal sign violations, the report says.

DPH seeks to protect firefighters in SOMA

By: Joshua Sabatini
11/19/09 11:29 AM

Director of Public Health Mitch Katz said the Public Health Department’s air quality experts are assisting the fire department in its plan for a new Fire Station 1 in the South of Market Neighborhood.

The problem, Katz said, is that “Many parts of SoMa have relatively high levels of air pollution from roadways, making them undesirable for residential uses and creating challenges for site selection. SFFD, whose firefighters may work multiple 24 hours shifts per week, are concerned about employee health.”

The experts helped figure out the air quality at potential fire station sites in the neighborhood.

“The process allowed them to identify sites that would limit poor air quality exposure. Regardless of which site is ultimately selected, DPH experts will remain involved in the planning process to ensure that the design and ventilation of living spaces will minimize indoor air pollution exposure for firefighters,” Katz said in a report Tuesday to the Public Health Commission.

Feds help city with renewable energy aim

By: John Upton
11/19/09 4:00 AM

Federal stimulus funds will help The City install micro-hydroelectricity turbines and rooftop solar panels.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission secured low-interest loans for three renewable energy projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, power official Barbara Hale said during a recent commission hearing.

The projects include a $2.5 million hydroelectric plant built inside piping at the University Mound Reservoir, which provides drinking water to eastern districts of The City.

If the 200-kilowatt hydroelectric plant proves successful, similar plants could be built throughout The City’s water network, Hale said.

The 1.5 percent interest rate loans will also be used to pay for a $2.6 million solar panel array on Davies Symphony Hall and a $1.5 million array on City Hall. Each project might provide 10 percent of the building’s energy needs, Hale said.

Newsom pushes JobsNow program

By: Joshua Sabatini
11/18/09 7:51 PM

Mayor Gavin Newsom met with local business leaders Wednesday at City Hall to convince them to start taking advantage of the federal JobsNow, which runs until September.

Apparently, most local businesses have simply ignored the program all together. But Newsom was hoping to change that.

Details about the program, administered by the Human Services Agency:

JobsNow is funded by federal stimulus dollars and is a subsidized employment program. The HSA reimburses the cost for any JobsNow participant employed through September. Employers are required to pay payroll taxes and typical fringe benefits, as well as the usual supervision of the employee.

“We hope that this opportunity will allow you to grow your business while also helping low-income families become employed and gain experience,” a statement on the HSA Web site says.

Gascon supporting Harris

By: Brent Begin
11/18/09 3:58 PM

They haven’t been working together too long, but police Chief George Gascon is backing District Attorney Kamala Harris for California attorney general.

In an extensive news release on Harris’ election Web site, Gascon calls Harris a “steadfast and effective partner” on the fight on crime in San Francisco.

“I believe that Kamala Harris’ ‘smart on crime’ approach, with its proven track record in San Francisco, is what California needs to get tough and smart on crime,” Gascon said in the release. Harris has also received a nod from Gascon’s former boss, former Los Angeles police Chief William Bratton.

Missing from the long list of endorsements is Mayor Gavin Newsom’s support.

Harris will also have a tough time getting an endorsement from rank-and-file officers as the powerful Police Officer’s Association has not held back in its criticism of Harris’ decision to not seek the death penalty in the murder of Officer Isaac Espinoza in 2004.

Commission wants earlier outreach

By: Brent Begin
11/18/09 2:00 PM

The Entertainment Commission now “strongly recommends” that bar and club owners formally reach out to neighbors and neighborhood groups before applying for an extended-hours or place-of-entertainment permit.

It is not exactly a requirement, but the commission approved the change Tuesday in hopes that bar owners would take more time to reach out instead of springing a notice on the community late in the permit process.

The commission could have made it a requirement, but after two years battling police at the Board of Supervisors to change the codes that govern nightlife in San Francisco, it decided to go with a less substantial amendment.

“I believe it will help the commission be able to understand the issues from the neighborhoods perspective, and it will help start a dialogue between local residents and bar owners early in the process,” Entertainment Commission Executive Director Bob Davis said. “It just gets you off on the right foot.”

Cost to improve city streets daunting

By: Joshua Sabatini
11/18/09 1:52 PM

A recent memo to Mayor Gavin Newsom from Department of Public Works head Ed Reiskin said just to keep San Francisco’s streets in their “average poor street conditions from deteriorating further,” The City would need to find a quarter-billion dollars during the next 10 years.

A recent presentation to the Capital Planning Committee didn’t mince words: “San Francisco’s streets are unraveling.” The streets have an average overall condition rating of 63, out of 100, which is considered “fair,” according to the average pavement condition index rating system.

The financial problem is as follows according to the report presented Monday to the committee:

“Over the next 10 years, we need $751 million to improve the PCI score [to] 70. In addition, we would have a deferred maintenance backlog of $477 million increasing the total need to $1.2 billion.”

The report says “projected funding does not come close to this level.”

During the next 10 years, the city projects only $239 million for streets. If The City wants to improve its street conditions to a rating of 70 pci, known as “good,” it would need $751 million, leaving a shortfall of $512 million. There is also a backlog of work totaling $477 million.

The City is now trying to figure out how to come up with the funds.

Community group set to receive planning update on Central Subway Project

By: Will Reisman
11/18/09 12:34 PM

Planning officials will give a progress update Thursday on the Central Subway project, The City’s ambitious undertaking to extend train service out to North Beach and possibly beyond.

The project’s Community Advisory Group, made up of local residents, professional planners, and merchants, will hear from officials with the Municipal Transportation Agency to get information about the proposed subway’s affect on utility services and real estate. The $1.58 billion project, projected to be up and running by 2018, could carry as many at 100,000 daily passengers when fully completed.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Central Subway’s project headquarters at 821 Howard Street.

Bridge S-curve added to Capitol agenda

By: John Upton
11/18/09 11:56 AM

Caltrans officials will be grilled about the Bay Bridge’s deadly S-curve and recent eyebar repairs during a joint state senate hearing scheduled Jan. 12 in Sacramento.

The hearing was scheduled last month by three lawmakers to discuss the falling of steel pieces from a recent repair to a cracked eyebar – which is a load-bearing rod – onto traffic on Oct. 27, which led to a nearly weeklong bridge closure.

The repairs were initially installed over Labor Day weekend, when the bridge was closed to allow Caltrans to replace a piece of roadway that connects the Bay Bridge with Yerba Buena Island.

The roadwork related to a multibillion-dollar effort to construct a replacement span between Oakland and the island.

But that piece of roadway, called an S-curve, has proven to be accident prone, with the sudden dog-leg and its reduced speed limit baffling Bay Bridge commuters.

A 56 year-old Hayward man was killed Nov. 9 when his truck flew off the s-curve and fell onto Yerba Buena Island, helping to prompt the senators to add the S-curve as an item of discussion during the hearing.

“Now we feel there are more questions to be asked and answers to be retrieved,” said Senator Mark Leno, Chairman of the Select Committee on Bay Area Transportation and one of three lawmakers who were called for the hearing.

Independent engineering experts will also be invited to provide te...

Stabbed S.F. artist to make return

By: Mike Aldax
11/18/09 11:42 AM

The San Francisco artist who was recently stabbed while painting a mural on Market Street to benefit a city beautification project will resume work on the piece on Saturday.

Glen Park resident Jason Hailey, also known as “Chor Boogie,” has been painting a nearly half-block-long mural in the 1000 block of Market Street as part of a series of city projects intended to beautify the seedy strip and attract more pedestrians and bicyclists.

He was stabbed while doing so at around 7:15 p.m. on Nov. 7 by thieves attempting to steal his paint.

“Chor is in pain, but resting up and preparing for a resilient return to this amazing creation for Market Street,” the San Francisco Arts Commission said in a statement.

A celebration will accompany the artist’s return to the piece on Saturday at 11 a.m., the commission said. He will deliver a brief welcome speech, a live demonstration on the mural, and will also pick children from the audience to participate in painting the mural.

“We are thrilled Chor will complete the mural,” Director of Cultural Affairs Luis R. Cancel said in the statement. “Artists often work in adverse settings to bring hope and change to neighborhoods and we support Chor's determination.”

District considering first boarding school

By: Kamala Kelkar
11/18/09 11:38 AM

The San Francisco Unified School District could see its first boarding school in coming years if the Board of Education decides to facilitate a charter school in the Bayview.

The school board has been considering Mt. Kilimanjaro Charter Boarding School, which would be the tenth charter in the district, but this one is unique because it would eventually turn into a boarding school.

Charter schools are paid for by the district but are governed on their own accord in most cases.

A district representative said the school would have to teach at least 80 students for the district to pay for its facilities.

The school would start as a K-8 then expand to a K-12 as the students progressed, and within the first two years the school would then come up with a capital plan to turn to boarding.

However finding a boarding school facility would be difficult, said SFUSD representative Mary Richards.

The school board is expected to vote on whether to approve the school in January. If it gets the green light, it could be open for the next school year.

Bad biz can’t mess with Herrera

By: Mike Aldax
11/18/09 10:28 AM

City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s vigilant attacks on businesses that harm consumers have earned him a national award.

The National Association of Consumer Advocates said Tuesday Herrera won the 2009 Consumer Attorney of the Year Award at their annual meeting in Philadelphia.

Herrera was described by the Los Angeles Times as “the most effective public office in the country,” NACA said in a release.

NACA pointed to a case last year in which Herrera obtained a court order prohibiting credit card collection agencies from publishing debtors’ Social Security numbers and other private information in court documents, which the city attorney called “a clear invasion of privacy and a recipe for identity theft.”

The “first of its kind court action against the National Arbitration Forum served as a catalyst for similar actions and ultimately led to the end of that company’s abusive and deceptive treatment of consumers,” NACA said.

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History of Danish cycling to be on display

By: Will Reisman
11/18/09 10:20 AM

The storied tradition of Denmark’s bicycling history will be on display at City Hall starting tomorrow.

“Dreams on Wheels,” an interactive art exhibit showcasing the Danes’ unique commitment to two-wheel transportation will make a four-week stay at City Hall, following recent stops in Portland, Oregon and London.

The exhibit, the collective brainchild of curator Thomas Ermacora and Danish urban designer Jan Gehl, merges “urban cycling culture, design intelligence and environmental consciousness,” according to a release from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which worked with the Danes to bring the exhibit to The City.

“The SFMTA is proud to share this exciting exhibit on bicycling with San Francisco and the Bay Area,” said executive director Nat Ford.

The exhibit will be on display until Dec. 15 at City Hall’s South Light Court on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (except for Nov. 26 and 27).

Newsom Tracker: Meetings, game plans

By: Mike Aldax
11/18/09 9:29 AM

Mayor Gavin Newsom continues to lock himself in City Hall, reportedly conducting meetings, according to the Mayor’s Office.

Newsom has been dealing with city budget issues and has also been finalizing his game plan for the remainder of his mayoral term ending January 2012, among other tasks, staffers said.

Public regulation would lead to better private shuttle services, report finds

By: Will Reisman
11/17/09 6:57 PM

Public regulation of private shuttles in San Francisco would result in less congestion, better enforcement of idling buses, and fewer traffic snarls with Muni vehicles.

Those findings come from a new report issued by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (TA), a public planning body that was tasked with addressing the proliferation of private shuttles in The City.

The private shuttle report came at the request of Supervisor Bevan Dufty, whose district includes Noe Valley, a neighborhood particularly affected by the services.

About 85 to 100 large shuttle buses enter The City to take employees to large corporations in the Peninsula and Silicon Valley (that total does not cover workers who get shuttled to universities and hospitals), according to Tilly Chang, the TA’s deputy planning director.

While those shuttles have proven to be a beneficial alternative to mass automobile commutes, the TA’s report said that they would operate better if they were voluntarily brought under the management of the Municipal Transportation Agency, which oversees all transit operations for San Francisco.

The MTA would act as one-stop shop to make sure that the shuttles don’t park in designated Muni zones, idle for longer than five minutes (which is illegal), or ignore weight-restrictions on smaller streets, according to the report.

The regional shuttle providers — entiti...

Supes OK $650K tree death settlement

By: Joshua Sabatini
11/17/09 6:55 PM

The Board of Supervisors approved Tuesday a $650,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed by the family of a woman killed in April 2008 when a branch fell from a redwood tree in Stern Grove and crushed her vehicle.

Kathleen Bolton, a San Francisco resident, was loading her car in the grove’s concert meadow parking lot when the branch fell onto the car, crushing it and killing her.

Hammer proves a shoo-in

By: Joshua Sabatini
11/17/09 6:52 PM

The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to appoint former prosecutor James Hammer to fill a vacant seat on the Police Commission.

Hammer, who is thought to be a potential District Attorney candidate, was previously praised by Supervisor Chris Daly as someone who will be “an immediate game changer.”

The seven-member Police Commission is required to set “policy for the Police Department and to conduct disciplinary hearings on charges of police misconduct filed by the Chief of Police or Director of the Office of Citizen Complaints, impose discipline in such cases as warranted, and hear police officers’ appeals from discipline imposed by the Chief of Police,” according to the commission’s web site.

MTA laying off 110, cutting 140 jobs

By: Will Reisman
11/17/09 3:31 PM

The Municipal Transportation Agency will begin laying off 110 employees starting next month as a measure to help the department close a $45 million projected budget shortfall.

Along with the 110 employees, the MTA will eliminate 140 unfilled positions, which the department calculates will result in a savings of $12.3 million.

MTA Director of Administration Debra Johnson said that the department has issued a staff-wide memo alerting impacted employees of the reductions. She said that the MTA will offer resume-writing courses, workshops and counseling to those affected by the layoffs.

The MTA will also divert $6.7 million in stimulus funds once intended for capital projects and slash overtime possibilities by $5 million to help balance its operating budget.

Even with those savings, the department still faces a $19.6 million shortfall, which it must reconcile by the end of this fiscal year in June.

Big yachts coming to Treasure Island

By: John Upton
11/17/09 3:17 PM

Megayachts could become a familiar sight on Treasure Island.

Bay Ship and Yacht Co. is in talks to lease berth space on the island’s pier, where it plans to dock luxury yachts that stretch over 150 feet.

The yachts would likely be berthed at the pier while awaiting repairs or refurbishment at the company’s Alameda headquarters, according to Business Development Director Ira Maybaum.

“One of our market segments that we’re working hard to develop is superyachts or megayachts — the high-end yachts that come into the Bay,” Maybaum said.

Treasure Island Development Authority directors are due to consider the proposal Wednesday during a meeting on the island.

Superior Court disputes Adachi’s budget claims

By: Brent Begin
11/17/09 3:16 PM

Remember how Public Defender Jeff Adachi complained that the mayor was not allowing him to replace staff members that have resigned while other public safety departments keep hiring?

Well, San Francisco Superior Court Presiding Judge James McBride has taken umbrage with those claims, writing Mayor Gavin Newsom Tuesday that the court has not taken on new personnel, and even if it did, The City wouldn’t be paying for it.

The San Francisco Superior Court has not hired a new employee since January 2009, and has instituted a hiring freeze, McBride wrote. The City has no authority to hire court employees, who are paid by the state with exception of the Community Justice Center coordinator.

“I was mystified that someone as knowledgeable about local government budget matters as Mr. Adachi could be so mistaken, which led me to scrutinize the list of requisitions accompanied by his news release,” McBride wrote.

Apparently, The City processes the payroll and retirement systems for court employees, which made it appear as though their salaries were coming from city coffers when they actually come from state taxpayers.

This should make for a little heated conversation as The City works to curb its growing budget deficit.