Although San Francisco’s summer jobs initiative failed to create all 2,500 of the desired private-sector positions, it surpassed Mayor Ed Lee’s overall goal of 5,000 jobs by placing more youths in positions with city government. Advocates and city officials are hailing Lee’s Summer Jobs+ as a first step in the right direction. City officials and youth advocates are evaluating the program as they prepare for next year’s effort, in which they hope to attract more participation from private employers while smoothing out other issues, such as improving the program’s Web site. Read More

Sustained neighborhood complaints about raucous nightlife have led one San Francisco official to suggest prohibiting new bars, liquor stores and shops selling tobacco products from opening along a six-block stretch of Polk Street. Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, whose District 3 includes the portion of Polk Street dotted with such businesses, said the concentration of watering holes has resulted in unruly behavior that causes problems for area residents. Read More

While Mayor Ed Lee says he is unhappy with his supervisorial appointee Christina Olague for voting to reinstate Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, he has not withdrawn his endorsement of her bid to be elected to a full term as District 5 supervisor. His powerful friends, however, are speaking out. Read More

San Francisco’s lack of care for its urban forest was underscored during a hearing Thursday that was called by Supervisor Scott Wiener, who is attempting to figure out how to reform The City’s tree care system. San Francisco oversees 110,000 street trees and 130,000 park trees. Including both public and privately owned areas, there are 670,000 trees in The City. But lack of funding has historically plagued the urban forest, resulting in sick trees, trees that topple and a thinner canopy compared to other cities. Read More

San Francisco’s law banning the delivery of Yellow Pages is being sent to the trash can after a federal court ruled that a similar law enacted in Seattle violated First Amendment protections. Board of Supervisors President David Chiu had authored local legislation that prohibited the delivery of the phonebooks to anyone who did not request them or who was not home to personally accept them. Read More

If approved by voters this November, San Francisco’s 30-year plan to fund affordable-housing development would undergo scrutiny every five years under a proposal headed toward approval by the Board of Supervisors. Mayor Ed Lee’s Proposition C, the Housing Trust Fund, would change San Francisco’s affordable-housing requirements and sink more than $1 billion into housing construction and housing programs for the next three decades. Read More