The GrowSF Report: Mayor Lurie unveils emergency ordinance to fight fentanyl crisis
PLUS: Former Oakland mayor Sheng Thao indicted on federal charges
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of January 12, 2025:
- Mayor Lurie unveils emergency ordinance to fight fentanyl crisis
- Former Oakland mayor Sheng Thao indicted on federal charges
- San Francisco health director Grant Colfax resigns
- SFPD has implemented reforms recommended by California DOJ
- 200 homes for seniors are coming to Outer Sunset, why are neighbors angry?
- $3.6 million gift surprises San Francisco parks
Recent & upcoming openings:
- Outta Sight Pizza brings bold flavors to Chinatown
Mayor Lurie unveils emergency ordinance to fight fentanyl crisis
Mayor Lurie launched a “Fentanyl State of Emergency” on on Tuesday which would allow the city to move fast and fix things. Supervisors Matt Dorsey, Joel Engardio, Stephen Sherrill, Bilal Mahmood, Danny Sauter have all signed on as co-sponsors. (Read the full text of the law here)
It's not just about increasing resources to arrest dealers and ensure safe streets, it's also about quickly building out detox and medical care facilities to help the people addicted to fentanyl break out of their addiction.
The emergency declaration will:
Make the DMACC (Drug Market Agency Coordination Center) permanent, ensuring 24/7 police response for fentanyl dealing
Create a 24/7 drop-off Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), where people in a drug crisis can be taken instead of the ER or jail
Grant emergency powers for procurement, contracting, funding, and hiring to make it easier to staff up new treatment facilities and neighborhood safety teams
Create an SF Hospitality Zone Task Force to ensure SFPD treats the TL, Union Square, and other blocks vital to the city are safe and clean
Sign our petition in support of the fentanyl emergency declaration to ensure the Board of Supervisors votes Yes!
Former Oakland mayor Sheng Thao indicted on federal charges
It’s more bad news for Sheng Thao. The former Mayor of Oakland, who was raided by the FBI and recalled by voters last year, is now facing an indictment for bribery from a federal grand jury.
In the June 2024 raid of her home, FBI agents sought evidence that Thao accepted bribes from local contractors in exchange for favorable treatment on city projects. I guess they found what they were looking for!
Her boyfriend (and head of a waste management company), Andre Jones, David Trung Duong, and his son, Andy Hung Duong are likewise accused of participating in the scheme. Thao herself faces six charges that include bribery, conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud. Her bail’s been set at $50,000, and she’s surrendered her passport.
“The public needs to know it can trust those in charge of City Hall to work for the best interests of the people of Oakland,” said Patrick D. Robbins, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, in The New York Times.
San Francisco health director Grant Colfax resigns
Grant Colfax, who served as San Francisco’s Director of Public Health for the past five years, has stepped down. His tenure had decidedly mixed results on public health in SF. His swift and decisive reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic ensured SF had among the lowest number of infections and deaths in 2020, but many criticize how long and how extreme the rules were. And, according to many advocates in the drug treatment space, his focus on harm reduction over other interventions for addiction was misguided and failed to prevent thousands of overdose deaths while leaving thousands of others trapped in addiction.
DPH Deputy Director Dr. Naveena Bobba will serve as the acting director for now. The San Francisco Public Health Commission is now tasked with recommending at least three qualified candidates for the role, as required by the City Charter. So, unfortunately, the replacement isn’t even up to Mayor Lurie — he has to pick from whatever options an unelected commission puts forward. If you want to weigh in, you should contact the commissioners.
SFPD has implemented reforms recommended by California DOJ
After nearly 10 years of close monitoring by the California Department of Justice, the SFPD has implemented nearly all recommendations by the DOJ. Among them were use-of-force policies and creating stronger systems for community feedback.
“This report marks an important milestone in SFPD’s years-long effort to increase public trust,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in the SF Chronicle.
The reforms came after a series of police shootings and accusations of racial bias. The DOJ began an ambitious overhaul in 2016, which saw the SFPD create new training programs and create policies to improve its transparency and accountability. Now in its 124-page report, the DOJ noted that SFPD shootings had decreased by 50 percent since 2018.
“We’re hopeful that progress continues, so long as SFPD and its stakeholders are steadfast in a commitment to public safety,” Pamela J. Holmes, senior assistant attorney general, said in the report.
200 homes for seniors are coming to Outer Sunset, why are neighbors angry?
Nearly 200 affordable homes for seniors, with some reserved for formerly homeless seniors, are coming to a beach-front location in the Outer Sunset. Normal people think that’s great, but in typical San Francisco fashion a couple dozen people have lost their minds because the building will be (shock! horror!) 8 stories tall.
Elected officials need to be reminded that the vast majority of San Franciscans want more homes to be built, and to ignore the haters who show up to these meetings to compare an eight story building to armageddon.
“We just can’t wait,” said Grace Chan, 77, who, along with her husband Henry Chan, 78, has been renting an apartment in Parkside for the past ten years. “Especially in San Francisco, the rent is so high, and your Social Security income can’t keep up with it. I wish they can speed up the building so we can apply to see if we qualify.”
San Francisco is far behind its state mandate to build 82,000 new homes between 2023 and 2031. The City has only approved 3,870 new homes over the past 18 months.
$3.6 million gift surprises San Francisco parks
San Francisco’s parks are getting a $3.6 million upgrade, thanks to a donor who left the funds to build more benches. It’s going to make a huge difference for anyone who loves spending time in the city’s green spaces.
Longtime resident William “Ben” Bobo left the money for the upgrades in his will. According to SF Chronicle, he was a quiet man who loved walking his golden retriever, Chad, at Alta Plaza Park. He wanted to fund new park benches across the city, so now 81 new ones will be installed, including 31 in Alta Plaza.
The rest will spread out to places like the Great Highway park and Golden Gate Park’s JFK Promenade. The donation is one of the largest of its kind, so it also will go toward general park maintenance and upgrades, including sprucing up dog play areas.
“I see this gift as being about community and connections and the fact that Mr. Bobo wanted to provide comfort so you could linger in your leisure,” Rec and Park Commission President Kat Anderson said in the SF Chronicle.
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Outta Sight Pizza brings bold flavors to Chinatown
Outta Sight Pizza, known for its thin-crust and creative pies, is bringing its signature style to San Francisco’s Chinatown. The new location that opened this week expands on the original Tenderloin shop’s offerings with a larger kitchen. The menu will feature inventive options like tea-smoked duck pizza, loco moco-inspired pies, and wraps such as a ginger scallion chicken Caesar. Wings, a beer and wine menu, and potential late-night hours hint at an exciting evolution for the spot.
WHERE: 643 Clay Street
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
Support Mayor Lurie’s fentanyl emergency declaration
Sign this petition to show your support for Mayor Lurie's fentanyl emergency declaration, and demand that the Board of Supervisors approve it.
This emergency declaration will allow the city to move fast and fix things. It's not just about increasing resources to arrest dealers and ensure safe streets, it's also about quickly building out detox and medical care facilities to help the people addicted to fentanyl break out of their addiction.
Without an emergency declaration, it could take a year to open a single treatment facility with just a few beds. But with the emergency, we can do it in just a matter of weeks. The faster we can get addicts into treatment, the faster we can clean up our sidewalks and break the cycle of addiction.
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
What we’re doing this week
Candlelight Tour of Fort Point
Immerse yourself in history with a Candlelight Tour of Fort Point National Historic Site. Explore the site by candlelight, guided by rangers, and uncover the fort’s hidden stories. With the Golden Gate Bridge as your backdrop, this unique experience offers a fresh perspective on the fort’s history. Engage in dialogue, climb to the roof, and gain insight into the fort’s role in San Francisco’s past and present. This is your opportunity to access the fort when it’s otherwise closed to the public. Uncover the secrets of Fort Point and be a part of this special, memorable journey.
When: Next tours are January 18th and January 25th, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Fort Point National Historic Site
Chinese Flower Market Fair
The Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair is held on the weekend before Chinese New Year Day. The Flower Fair is the place to come to purchase fresh flowers, fruits, candies and brand new supplies for the home to begin the new lunar year. Delight in performances of traditional Chinese magicians, acrobats, folk dancers and opera as you take in the beautiful fragrances of spring. You will find over 120 booths and concessions making this a shopper’s paradise.
When: Jan. 25 & 26th, 2025
Where: Grant Avenue between Clay to Broadway
FOG Design+Art Fair
The FOG Design+Art Fair is scheduled to take place in San Francisco from January 23 to 26, 2025, at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture. This event will feature nearly 60 prominent exhibitors, including 13 galleries participating in the second edition of FOG FOCUS, which highlights emerging artists. Additionally, the fair will introduce FOG MRKT, a curated installation showcasing artisanal products and crafts with an emphasis on the Bay Area. A Preview Gala benefiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is set for January 22, providing early access to the fair's offerings.
The gala is on the same night as the SF Ballet’s! But The Bold Italic will likely make it to both. Read our review from last year.
When: January 23–26, 2025
Where: Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, San Francisco
What we’re writing about
Dragcula is a black-and-white monster movie come to life
Dragcula is a fun show happing now at SF Oasis: The plot involves a British lawyer who inadvertently revives Dracula, whose pansexual escapades wreak havoc on the fragile moral order of 1930s London. Can Professor Van Helsing, a parapsychologist with an unusual skill set, resist the eternal temptations long enough to save the city
The show’s slogan is “a parody in living grayscale,” and they aren’t exaggerating. All the costumes, makeup, props, and lighting are shades of grey, giving the show an eerie, cool vibe that’s not unlike watching an old movie come to life. Here’s our review — the show runs through Feb. 1 with tickets here.
‘Happy Endings’ show turns pain into performances
Happy Endings isn’t a consortium of perfect people whose lives are fit for a fairytale. It’s a group of people who come together and retell crappy situations. Once a month, five writers work through their messiest moments on a stage and in front of a hundred people.
It’s a process of sharing — the vulnerability of standing in front of a room full of strangers and putting your story out there raw and unpolished. I left the Make Out Room unsure how to feel. I laughed, cringed, and felt genuine empathy for the people on stage.
These coffee orders prove SF likes its drama and fun
Nothing says “good morning” in San Francisco like sipping something that sounds suspiciously like a dessert experiment. If you’ve ever tried elderflower syrup in your espresso and thought, “Is this me now?” welcome to the club. Let’s take a sip through some of the most unexpected and weirdly wonderful coffee creations San Francisco has to offer. Here’s our guide.
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