SAN FRANCISCO – The Sundance Institute is considering a relocation after its current partnership with Park City, Utah, expires in 2026. The city of San Francisco will apply to be the new host.

Moviegoer and publicist Karen Larsen says she's not sure it's a good idea.

“I think San Francisco already has too many festivals,” Larsen said. “There is a festival for everything here, including dogs.”

The Sundance Institute opened a “request for information” this month, inviting cities to submit proposals explaining why they should host the festival starting in 2027.

San Francisco is expected to be one of many cities bidding for the role, but Larsen believes Park City is part of the festival's appeal.

“I thought it was strange because Sundance was founded in Utah. That was the whole point. It was a destination festival like Telluride, so it was kind of surprising news,” Larsen said.

She understands why they might consider other options. She used to attend Sundance, but hasn't been there in recent years.

“It’s really cold, really difficult to get around,” Larsen said. “It’s hard to work there.”

She admitted that San Francisco would have nicer weather and more hotels available for the festival.

Suzanne Pfeifer waited in line to see one of the films at the San Francisco International Film Festival. She says she has conflicting opinions.

“I think it would be wonderful. I just don’t want it to have a negative impact on the San Francisco Film Festival,” Pfeifer said. “But if it’s a different time of year, I think it would work well here. This festival sells out every year.”

In a statement, Gloria Chan of the SF Office of Economic and Workforce Development said, “The city can confirm that we will comply with the RFI (Request For Information) proposal. San Francisco is a center for artistic expression that offers a unique blend of urban sophistication and natural beauty, providing filmmakers and visitors with an unparalleled setting with the infrastructure and amenities to immerse themselves in the magic of cinema. From our bustling neighborhoods to the tranquil shores of the bay, every corner of the city pulses with energy and inspiration, capturing the imaginations of storytellers and audiences alike.

“San Francisco is one of the most cinematic cities in the world – one that showcases independent and innovative storytelling, cultural vibrancy and creativity from filmmakers like Joe Talbot (The Last Black Man of San Francisco), Marielle Heller (The Diary of a “Teenager Girl”) and Barry Jenkins (Medicine for Melancholy),” Chan said. “San Francisco is the perfect backdrop for the Sundance Film Festival and has a rich history of celebrating the groundbreaking works of independent filmmakers from around the world.”

Many films had their world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, which usually takes place in January. They then attend other festivals later in the year.

Larsen says if Sundance actually came to SF, she thinks it would impact the festivals already happening here.

“Like this festival, the Asian Film Festival, which is happening in two weeks, all the films will be picked up at Sundance,” Larsen noted.

The Sundance Institute continues to collect proposals through May 1.

The final location is expected to be announced in late 2024 or early 2025.

More from CBS News

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(J. The Jewish News of Northern California via JTA) — Ask a rabbi about self-driving cars and you’d better be ready for a long answer.

Self-driving cars — also known as robotaxis, autonomous vehicles or driverless cars — with their whirring sensors and their odd, almost tentative movements, have become a familiar sight on the streets of San Francisco.

Familiar they might be, but not without controversy. With local incidents of self-driving cars trying to drive into active fire zones, stalling en masse and even crashing into a fire truck this month, reports of autonomous misconduct have been plentiful. Regardless, the California Public Utilities Commission in mid-August expanded commercial robotaxi service to daytime hours in San Francisco for GM’s Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo autonomous vehicle divisions. City officials are opposed to the expansion, citing safety and other concerns.

And yet the all-electric fleets offer intriguing Shabbat possibilities — not least for observant Jews who traditionally refrain from driving and using electricity on the day. So what do local rabbis say?

“As an Orthodox Jew, in order to evaluate new realities, they are going to try and understand how they work and categorize them within already existing precedent in Jewish law,” said Rabbi Joel Landau of Adath Israel, an Orthodox synagogue in San Francisco.

There is one existing piece of technology that might offer a clue, he said. It’s the Shabbat elevator, which automatically stops and opens its doors at each floor, negating the need to press a button. 

It may seem that an autonomous vehicle, if pre-programmed, could possibly meet the same requirements as a Shabbat elevator. But Landau said it’s not that simple.

“Not everyone is happy with a Shabbat elevator,” he said.  

Many elevators make adjustments based on the weight of the passenger, he said, which negates their neutrality, so to speak. By contrast, a running escalator or moving walkway might be OK.

If self-driving cars react to a passenger’s weight or position, that alone might rule them out for Shabbat use among observant Jews. The same is true if riders would need to activate anything to start the ride. Landau said he’s sure the technological know-how to make a Shabbat-compliant autonomous electric car could be developed. He’s just not sure it should be.

The issue of driving on Shabbat was addressed in the Conservative movement back in the 1950s when rabbis allowed driving to synagogue for services as Jews moved into the suburbs and lived too far from shul to walk. Still, the movement does not encourage driving on Shabbat.

“The ideal is that one does not drive on Shabbat and that people live close by to their Jewish communities — to walk to synagogue, share meals, raise families,” Rabbi Amanda Russell of Congregation Beth Sholom, a Conservative synagogue in San Francisco, wrote in an email to J.

But not everyone can reach that ideal, she said. “We know that to be in community on Shabbat, many people have to drive.” 

But what about self-driving robotaxis? Would they be better than driving?

“Funny you should ask about this,” Russell said. “These cars have become a small topic of conversation at Beth Sholom, simply because they are taking up precious parking spots in the early morning for daily minyan and on Shabbat!”

Annoyance aside, Russell said the question comes down to the way the cars operate, what they are used for and whether they undermine the spirit of Shabbat. If “pre-arranged and prepaid,” she said, self-driving cars could be “more ideal” on Shabbat than someone driving even an electric car.

So how do self-driving cars really work? Could they really be Shabbat-compliant?

To put it simply, an autonomous car is equipped with an array of sensors and imaging devices, including cameras and LIDAR, which is the spinning device atop the cars that uses light to measure distance. While GPS helps the car map its route, it’s all those sensors that help the car navigate a chaotic street environment.

Right now, riders access the cars through apps on their phones, but pre-arranging a robotaxi pickup is possible. 

“To make it permissible, one would want to make the arrangements before Shabbat: pickup and drop-off locations, payment, etc.” Russell said. “That would prevent the passenger from having to use their phone, any ride-share-related technology and any form of money, all of which are prohibited on Shabbat.”

Russell and Landau both said that focusing on keeping the spirit of Shabbat is a crucial guide. Landau said that even if self-driving cars can technically be used — an assumption that hasn’t been truly tested yet — he doesn’t believe that most observant Jews will tap on the Waymo app a few minutes before sundown on Friday.

“Not everything you could do, you should do,” Landau said. 

The post Are self-driving automobiles kosher? San Francisco rabbis weigh in as robotaxis flood the town’s streets appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

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Artificial intelligence and robotics

Law firms rapidly migrating to AI are weighing benefits against risks and unknowns

By Matt Reynolds

Jul 20, 2023 8:46 am CDT

“When you think about its ability to collect, analyze and summarize a lot of data, that’s a tremendous head start for any legal project,” says DLA Piper partner and data scientist Bennett B. Borden. Image from Shutterstock.

Updated: In autumn 2022, David Wakeling, head of the Markets Innovation Group at law firm Allen & Overy in London, got a glimpse into the future. Months before the release of ChatGPT, he demoed Harvey, a platform built on OpenAI’s GPT technology and tailored for large law firms.

“As I peeled the onion, I could see that it was quite a serious matter. I’ve been involved with technology for a long time. It’s the first time the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end,” says Wakeling.

Allen & Overy were soon among the first to adopt Harvey, announcing in March that 3,500 lawyers in 43 offices were using it. Then, in March, accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers announced a “strategic alliance” with the San Francisco-based startup, which recently secured $21 million in funding.

Other major law firms have adopted generative AI products at breakneck speed or are developing their own platforms. DLA Piper partner and data scientist Bennett B. Borden calls the technology “the most transformative technology” since computers. And it works well for lawyers, as it can speed up mundane legal tasks and help them focus on more meaningful work.

“When you think about its ability to collect, analyze, and summarize a lot of data, that’s a tremendous head start for any legal project,” says Borden, whose firm uses Casetext’s CoCounsel AI generative legal assistant for legal research, document reviews, and contract analysis. (In June, Thomson Reuters announced that it had agreed to buy Casetext for $650 million.)

But generative AI is forcing companies to address the risks of deploying the new technology, which is largely unregulated. In May, Gary Marcus, a leading expert on artificial intelligence, warned a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee subcommittee on privacy, technology and law that even the makers of generative AI platforms “don’t quite understand how they work.”

Law firms and legal technology companies face the unique security and privacy challenges that come with using the software and with a tendency to provide inaccurate and biased answers.

Those concerns became clear when it emerged that an attorney relied on ChatGPT for citations in a brief filed in New York federal court in March. The problem? The cases mentioned did not exist. The chatbot had invented them.

Careful, proactive

Harvey representatives did not respond to several interview requests. But to guard against inaccuracies and bias, Allen & Overy’s New York partner Karen Buzard says the firm has a solid training and vetting program in place, and attorneys are greeted with “rules of use” before using the platform.

“No matter what level you’re at — from youngest to oldest — if you’re using it, you have to validate the output or you could embarrass yourself,” says Wakeling. “It’s really disruptive, but wasn’t every major technological change disruptive?”

However, other law firms are more cautious. In April, Thomson Reuters surveyed mid-to-large law firm attitudes toward generative AI, concluding that the majority “take a cautious but hands-on approach.” It found that 60% of respondents had no “current plans” to use the technology. Only 3% reported using it and only 2% “actively plan to use it”.

David Cunningham, chief innovation officer at Reed Smith, says his company is proactive when it comes to generative AI. The company is currently testing Lexis+ AI and CoCounsel and will try out Harvey this summer and BloombergGPT when it comes out.

“I wouldn’t say we’re more conservative,” says Cunningham. “I would say we put more emphasis on making sure we’re doing this with guidance, guidelines and training and really focusing on the quality of the results.”

He says the law firm’s pilot program focuses on commercial systems where the firm “knows the guard rails.” “We know the security, we know the retention policies,” he adds. “We know the governance issues.”

“The reason we are cautious is because the products are still immature. The products still do not offer the quality, reliability, transparency and consistency that we would expect from a lawyer,” he says.

Pablo Arredondo, co-founder and chief innovation officer at Casetext, says there’s a big difference between “generic chatbots” like ChatGPT and CoCounsel, which are based on OpenAI’s large GPT-4 language model, but are trained on rights-based datasets, and where Data is secure and is monitored, encrypted and audited.

He understands why some are taking a more cautious approach, but predicts that the benefits will soon be “so noticeable and undeniable that I think the adoption rate will increase.”

New rules

Meanwhile, regulators are catching up. In May, Sam Altman, CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, called on lawmakers in Congress to regulate the technology. He first said that OpenAI could withdraw from the European Union due to the proposed artificial intelligence law, which includes requirements to prevent illegal content and disclose copyrighted works that manufacturers use to train their platforms.

In October, the White House released a draft AI Bill of Rights. This includes safeguards against “unsafe or ineffective” AI systems. Algorithms that make a difference; practices that violate privacy; a notification system so people know how AI is being used and what impact it is having; and the ability to completely opt out of AI systems.

In January, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released an AI risk management framework to foster innovation and help organizations create trusted AI systems by controlling, mapping, measuring, and managing risk.

But the public had to wait until June for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to unveil a much-anticipated strategy to regulate the technology. He introduced a regulatory framework and said the Senate will hold a series of forums with AI experts before formulating policy proposals. Then, in July, the Washington Post reported that the Federal Trade Commission was investigating OpenAI’s data security practices and whether they had harmed consumers.

Still, DLA Piper partner Danny Tobey argues there is a risk of over-regulation due to scaremongering and misconceptions about how advanced the technology is.

“I worry that regulations will become obsolete before they even come into effect, or stifle innovation and creativity,” he says.

But speaking to lawmakers in May, Marcus said AI systems must be unbiased, transparent, protect privacy and “above all, be safe.”

“Current systems are not transparent, they don’t adequately protect our privacy, and they continue to encourage bias,” Marcus said. “Most importantly, we cannot remotely guarantee that they are safe.”

Others are calling for a halt to the development of large language models until the risks are better understood. In March, the technology ethics group Center for AI and Digital Policy filed a complaint with the FTC, asking it to stop further commercial releases of GPT-4. The complaint was followed by an open letter signed by thousands of technology experts, including SpaceX, Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk, calling for a six-month pause in research into generative AI language models that are more powerful than GPT-4.

Ernest Davis, a professor of computer science at New York University, was one of the signers of the letter and considers a moratorium a “very good idea”.

“They release software before it’s ready for general use simply because the competitive pressure is so intense,” he says.

But Borden says there is “no global authority” or global governance of AI. Even if freezing is a good idea, “it’s not possible.”

“Pausing AI is like pausing weather,” Tobey adds. “We have to innovate because countries like China are doing it at the same time. Still, companies and industries need to play a role in shaping their own internal governance to ensure these tools are used securely like any other tool.”

Updated July 20 at 11:20 am to include additional reports and information on the Federal Trade Commission investigation into OpenAI and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s announcement of a regulatory framework.

The post Regulation corporations transferring shortly on AI weigh advantages with dangers and unknowns appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

There’s no shortage of ideas for how to fix things in San Francisco.

We know, because you told us.

Last month, the San Francisco Chronicle published an investigation that shone a spotlight on one of the biggest challenges: The pandemic has depressed tourism and office attendance, hurting the downtown area’s local economy and putting the city’s long-term fiscal health into question.

The story struck a nerve. It was the Chronicle’s most read article the day it was published, and remained in the top 10 for a week. Digital readers didn’t just click it, they pored over it, our analytics show, and shared reactions in comments, tweets and emails. One person channeled a widely held sentiment: “I love San Francisco and hate to see it suffer.”

Positive reception to a follow-up story, about proposed changes to the urban environment to help downtown bounce back, showed that readers don’t just want to hear about problems — they want solutions.

What’s SFNext

SFNext is a Chronicle special project to involve city residents in finding solutions to some of San Francisco’s most pressing problems.

Send feedback, ideas and suggestions to sfnext@SFChronicle.com

Where to find more SFNext content

So there we go. This package of stories was the kickoff of the Chronicle’s SFNext project, designed to engage residents in finding fixes to problems facing the city. One after another, many readers offered up creative solutions to the city’s woes. Here are some that stood out (and we want to hear yours; email us at sfnext@sfchronicle.com):

Addressing homelessness

Perhaps the most cited problem was the homelessness crisis, which people find daunting and dispiriting.

One person offered a plan, with cost estimates, for relocating homeless people from the streets to ships docked in the Bay Area, where they could live and receive food, social services and treatment. For some people, admission would be compulsory. Key elements of this idea are not new — in 1989, the US Navy sent ships and personnel to shelter San Franciscans displaced by the Loma Prieta earthquake, and in 2016 former mayor Art Agnos said the city should use the approach to immediately house all unsheltered people .

Some readers suggested moving homeless people from the streets into the empty offices downtown. This might resemble City Hall’s partnership with hotels that have housed homeless people during the pandemic as an alternative to congregate shelters, where the virus could spread more easily.

SF Next Public Square

Residents share ideas for fixing San Francisco

See the responses here

One person said the city should create a mobile app that would let members of the public collaborate with the government and help people out of homelessness. For example, housed residents might talk with nearby encampment dwellers to learn about their backgrounds and needs, then feed that information to the app so that outreach workers could better target their assistance. By getting involved, citizens might feel less helpless, the reader said.

Another person said they’re trying to start a networking service, styled after LinkedIn, specifically for homeless and low-income job seekers. (Here is a prototype web page.)

And then there was the idea of ​​offering more and better public bathrooms to cut down on street defecation.

Reimagining the urban landscape

More than one person said that San Francisco deserves its own version of the High Line — a park in Manhattan that runs along an elevated old railroad just above street traffic, serving as a tourist attraction and a pleasant route for residents. San Francisco’s nearest equivalent is probably Salesforce Park, but our readers wanted something at street level along a main thoroughfare rather than on a rooftop. Bicycling would be safer if riders could use it instead of sharing the street with cars, one person suggested.

Or San Francisco could become a destination for conventional and alternative medicine by transforming the Embarcadero Center into a hub for the healing arts. “Imagine,” a reader said by email, “yoga studios and dance studios, health spas with Himalayan salt saunas. Spaces for individual massage therapists and chiropractors and osteopaths.” Some of the services could focus on treating long COVID.

Someone pitched a San Francisco Vision Corps: This team of high school and college graduates, compensated with grants and housing, would work with the government to brainstorm and carry out urban planning and design solutions to the city’s problems.

How to bring people downtown

People had many ideas to help revitalize downtown, which is struggling post-pandemic, with a majority of workers still preferring to work from home.

The defunct retail spaces in that area, with their long glass windows, could host pop-up businesses or workspaces for artists whom passers-by could observe, said Desi Danganan, who leads economic development strategies for SOMA Pilipinas cultural district.

Maybe office workers would return if they received free vouchers to the area’s restaurants, one reader said, adding that the city and BART could make public transit free on days when workers were generally downtown in the lowest numbers, such as Fridays through Mondays. Another reader asked that MUNI bring back its express lines from the city’s outlying neighborhoods to the downtown area.

One reader proposed that, similar to the model for streaming television, people could buy monthly “subscriptions” of discounted, bundled downtown services, such as access to public transit and credits toward restaurants and bars. Because people would feel inclined to keep using the services they were already paying for, businesses would get a steady clientele.

Convert office buildings to housing

By far, the most popular idea among readers was converting vacant office buildings to homes, to foster a “15 minute neighborhood” where everything a resident needed was within a quarter-hour’s walk from their doorstep.

Many argue that such conversions are economically unfeasible. It’s true that this is a complex and expensive way to produce housing because it entails major structural alterations, but the potential benefits are great. It would inject new residents into the downtown area, increasing foot traffic beyond business hours to make the area feel generally safer and help small businesses, restaurants and retailers operate more sustainably. This could also help ease the city’s housing shortage.

“People WANT to live near where they work!” wrote one reader. “If you build the apartments they will come.”

Many people said this should include homes for low- and middle-income residents, rather than just homes priced at the market rate. But affordable housing is one of the elements that can make it difficult for conversion projects to pencil out, developers say, and a plan to scale up this type of real estate development would need to account for that somehow.

Other uses for empty offices

If the office workers don’t want their workspaces, then maybe others can have them?

City Hall could acquire empty commercial space and give the deeds to local nonprofits, freeing up their resources to amplify their impact instead of paying rent, said Mabel Teng, executive director of the Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative and a former city supervisor and assessor-recorder . Nonprofits “are collectively the safety net for the working families in the city,” Teng said, and those services are vital while San Francisco continues to claw its way toward recovery. Organizations providing complementary services could be on the same floor, to better coordinate and serve clients.

Maybe some high-rise office buildings could be converted for light industrial or manufacturing uses, said Malcolm Yeung, executive director of Chinatown Community Development Center.

“The pandemic exposed significant supply chain weakness,” he said, and the city could explore using these spaces to mitigate the damage of similar upsets in the future. The result would be “working class jobs that might not be so reliable on the boom and bust (and seasonality and exploitation) of the service industry,” Yeung said by text message.

Readers suggested other uses for vacant spaces: live-work housing, urban gardens and farming, aquaponics and more.

The government could encourage certain uses with subsidies for the buildings’ owners, readers suggested.

Many more ideas

Readers submitted many other ideas:

• New tax: Tax companies whose employees work from home, and use the tax revenue to buy office space for conversion to housing.

• Tax break: Approve a new version of the tax break that city officials passed in 2011 to entice companies, especially those in the tech industry, to settle in the mid-market area. But the new policy would give greater breaks to companies with more employees living in ZIP codes that were the same as, or adjacent to, the company’s. This would give companies an incentive to have more staff live near San Francisco’s economic core.

• Private security: Hire a team to patrol the downtown area and make visitors feel safer, handling low-level confrontations so that the police don’t have to. This could follow the example of the “Purple Patrol,” in Los Angeles.

• Police booths at all BART entrances: This, too, could attract visitors by making them feel safer.

• Clean the sidewalks and streets.

• Open more navigation centers: These alternatives to emergency shelters could help more homeless people off the streets.

• Open more mental health hospitals.

• New rehabilitation facilities elsewhere: San Francisco and other counties could partner with the state to establish top-notch rehabilitation facilities in parts of California where they’re cheapest to build. San Franciscans battling addiction could go there to get help.

• Make it easier to open a business: The city should remove all obstacles to starting a business, like fees, long permitting processes and opportunities by the public to oppose an opening. People should receive subsidies to start businesses.

• Give businesses one or two months’ free rent: This could attract businesses to settle in empty retail spaces that aren’t producing revenue for their owners.

• Coronavirus testing on site prior to entering a business: “I won’t feel as concerned about getting sick if I know everyone in the building is most likely not sick,” said one reader.

• Businesses draw out remote workers: Entice remote workers to downtown restaurants and cafes, with more comfortable furniture, free WiFi and the ability to spend long hours there working on laptops.

• More childcare services: The city should make policies that help businesses either pay for their employees’ childcare or provide it on site at reduced cost, making use of all that empty office space.

• Citywide elections for supervisors: A district’s voters elect their supervisor, so that person has a political incentive to consider their constituents’ needs over those of other residents — and this can make it hard for supervisors to agree on important citywide matters. The city should switch to citywide elections for supervisors.

• All public employees must work on site: Discontinue remote work among all staff of the City and County of San Francisco. If they have to work in the city, then they’re more likely to spend money at local businesses, and that could help the economic core recover.

• Make downtown the Florence of the 21st century: Recruit universities from around the world to open foreign campuses in the empty office buildings downtown.

We’ll keep digging into the city’s problems and seeking out solutions. Please keep the ideas flowing.

Noah Arroyo (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle writer. Email: noah.arroyo@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @noah_arroyo

The post What might assist remedy San Francisco’s issues? Readers weigh in with concepts appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

There’s no shortage of ideas for how to fix things in San Francisco.

We know, because you told us.

Last month, the San Francisco Chronicle published an investigation that shone a spotlight on one of the biggest challenges: The pandemic has depressed tourism and office attendance, hurting the downtown area’s local economy and putting the city’s long-term fiscal health into question.

The story struck a nerve. It was the Chronicle’s most read article the day it was published, and remained in the top 10 for a week. Digital readers didn’t just click it, they pored over it, our analytics show, and shared reactions in comments, tweets and emails. One person channeled a widely held sentiment: “I love San Francisco and hate to see it suffer.”

Positive reception to a follow-up story, about proposed changes to the urban environment to help downtown bounce back, showed that readers don’t just want to hear about problems — they want solutions.

What’s SFNext

SFNext is a Chronicle special project to involve city residents in finding solutions to some of San Francisco’s most pressing problems.

Send feedback, ideas and suggestions to sfnext@SFChronicle.com

Where to find more SFNext content

So there we go. This package of stories was the kickoff of the Chronicle’s SFNext project, designed to engage residents in finding fixes to problems facing the city. One after another, many readers offered up creative solutions to the city’s woes. Here are some that stood out (and we want to hear yours; email us at sfnext@sfchronicle.com):

Addressing homelessness

Perhaps the most cited problem was the homelessness crisis, which people find daunting and dispiriting.

One person offered a plan, with cost estimates, for relocating homeless people from the streets to ships docked in the Bay Area, where they could live and receive food, social services and treatment. For some people, admission would be compulsory. Key elements of this idea are not new — in 1989, the US Navy sent ships and personnel to shelter San Franciscans displaced by the Loma Prieta earthquake, and in 2016 former mayor Art Agnos said the city should use the approach to immediately house all unsheltered people .

Some readers suggested moving homeless people from the streets into the empty offices downtown. This might resemble City Hall’s partnership with hotels that have housed homeless people during the pandemic as an alternative to congregate shelters, where the virus could spread more easily.

SF Next Public Square

Residents share ideas for fixing San Francisco

See the responses here

One person said the city should create a mobile app that would let members of the public collaborate with the government and help people out of homelessness. For example, housed residents might talk with nearby encampment dwellers to learn about their backgrounds and needs, then feed that information to the app so that outreach workers could better target their assistance. By getting involved, citizens might feel less helpless, the reader said.

Another person said they’re trying to start a networking service, styled after LinkedIn, specifically for homeless and low-income job seekers. (Here is a prototype web page.)

And then there was the idea of ​​offering more and better public bathrooms to cut down on street defecation.

Reimagining the urban landscape

More than one person said that San Francisco deserves its own version of the High Line — a park in Manhattan that runs along an elevated old railroad just above street traffic, serving as a tourist attraction and a pleasant route for residents. San Francisco’s nearest equivalent is probably Salesforce Park, but our readers wanted something at street level along a main thoroughfare rather than on a rooftop. Bicycling would be safer if riders could use it instead of sharing the street with cars, one person suggested.

Or San Francisco could become a destination for conventional and alternative medicine by transforming the Embarcadero Center into a hub for the healing arts. “Imagine,” a reader said by email, “yoga studios and dance studios, health spas with Himalayan salt saunas. Spaces for individual massage therapists and chiropractors and osteopaths.” Some of the services could focus on treating long COVID.

Someone pitched a San Francisco Vision Corps: This team of high school and college graduates, compensated with grants and housing, would work with the government to brainstorm and carry out urban planning and design solutions to the city’s problems.

How to bring people downtown

People had many ideas to help revitalize downtown, which is struggling post-pandemic, with a majority of workers still preferring to work from home.

The defunct retail spaces in that area, with their long glass windows, could host pop-up businesses or workspaces for artists whom passers-by could observe, said Desi Danganan, who leads economic development strategies for SOMA Pilipinas cultural district.

Maybe office workers would return if they received free vouchers to the area’s restaurants, one reader said, adding that the city and BART could make public transit free on days when workers were generally downtown in the lowest numbers, such as Fridays through Mondays. Another reader asked that MUNI bring back its express lines from the city’s outlying neighborhoods to the downtown area.

One reader proposed that, similar to the model for streaming television, people could buy monthly “subscriptions” of discounted, bundled downtown services, such as access to public transit and credits toward restaurants and bars. Because people would feel inclined to keep using the services they were already paying for, businesses would get a steady clientele.

Convert office buildings to housing

By far, the most popular idea among readers was converting vacant office buildings to homes, to foster a “15 minute neighborhood” where everything a resident needed was within a quarter-hour’s walk from their doorstep.

Many argue that such conversions are economically unfeasible. It’s true that this is a complex and expensive way to produce housing because it entails major structural alterations, but the potential benefits are great. It would inject new residents into the downtown area, increasing foot traffic beyond business hours to make the area feel generally safer and help small businesses, restaurants and retailers operate more sustainably. This could also help ease the city’s housing shortage.

“People WANT to live near where they work!” wrote one reader. “If you build the apartments they will come.”

Many people said this should include homes for low- and middle-income residents, rather than just homes priced at the market rate. But affordable housing is one of the elements that can make it difficult for conversion projects to pencil out, developers say, and a plan to scale up this type of real estate development would need to account for that somehow.

Other uses for empty offices

If the office workers don’t want their workspaces, then maybe others can have them?

City Hall could acquire empty commercial space and give the deeds to local nonprofits, freeing up their resources to amplify their impact instead of paying rent, said Mabel Teng, executive director of the Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative and a former city supervisor and assessor-recorder . Nonprofits “are collectively the safety net for the working families in the city,” Teng said, and those services are vital while San Francisco continues to claw its way toward recovery. Organizations providing complementary services could be on the same floor, to better coordinate and serve clients.

Maybe some high-rise office buildings could be converted for light industrial or manufacturing uses, said Malcolm Yeung, executive director of Chinatown Community Development Center.

“The pandemic exposed significant supply chain weakness,” he said, and the city could explore using these spaces to mitigate the damage of similar upsets in the future. The result would be “working class jobs that might not be so reliable on the boom and bust (and seasonality and exploitation) of the service industry,” Yeung said by text message.

Readers suggested other uses for vacant spaces: live-work housing, urban gardens and farming, aquaponics and more.

The government could encourage certain uses with subsidies for the buildings’ owners, readers suggested.

Many more ideas

Readers submitted many other ideas:

• New tax: Tax companies whose employees work from home, and use the tax revenue to buy office space for conversion to housing.

• Tax break: Approve a new version of the tax break that city officials passed in 2011 to entice companies, especially those in the tech industry, to settle in the mid-market area. But the new policy would give greater breaks to companies with more employees living in ZIP codes that were the same as, or adjacent to, the company’s. This would give companies an incentive to have more staff live near San Francisco’s economic core.

• Private security: Hire a team to patrol the downtown area and make visitors feel safer, handling low-level confrontations so that the police don’t have to. This could follow the example of the “Purple Patrol,” in Los Angeles.

• Police booths at all BART entrances: This, too, could attract visitors by making them feel safer.

• Clean the sidewalks and streets.

• Open more navigation centers: These alternatives to emergency shelters could help more homeless people off the streets.

• Open more mental health hospitals.

• New rehabilitation facilities elsewhere: San Francisco and other counties could partner with the state to establish top-notch rehabilitation facilities in parts of California where they’re cheapest to build. San Franciscans battling addiction could go there to get help.

• Make it easier to open a business: The city should remove all obstacles to starting a business, like fees, long permitting processes and opportunities by the public to oppose an opening. People should receive subsidies to start businesses.

• Give businesses one or two months’ free rent: This could attract businesses to settle in empty retail spaces that aren’t producing revenue for their owners.

• Coronavirus testing on site prior to entering a business: “I won’t feel as concerned about getting sick if I know everyone in the building is most likely not sick,” said one reader.

• Businesses draw out remote workers: Entice remote workers to downtown restaurants and cafes, with more comfortable furniture, free WiFi and the ability to spend long hours there working on laptops.

• More childcare services: The city should make policies that help businesses either pay for their employees’ childcare or provide it on site at reduced cost, making use of all that empty office space.

• Citywide elections for supervisors: A district’s voters elect their supervisor, so that person has a political incentive to consider their constituents’ needs over those of other residents — and this can make it hard for supervisors to agree on important citywide matters. The city should switch to citywide elections for supervisors.

• All public employees must work on site: Discontinue remote work among all staff of the City and County of San Francisco. If they have to work in the city, then they’re more likely to spend money at local businesses, and that could help the economic core recover.

• Make downtown the Florence of the 21st century: Recruit universities from around the world to open foreign campuses in the empty office buildings downtown.

We’ll keep digging into the city’s problems and seeking out solutions. Please keep the ideas flowing.

Noah Arroyo (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle writer. Email: noah.arroyo@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @noah_arroyo

The post What might assist clear up San Francisco’s issues? Readers weigh in with concepts appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Over the last two years, news outlets in search of additional readership have been incessantly reporting on the number individuals moving in or out of San Francisco. We compiled a list of the top moving companies in San Francisco who weighed in on the alleged ‘SF Exodus’ by providing us with access to their anonymized move data. Cities like Austin, Nashville, and Miami, as well as those who stand to benefit from the political ramifications of the Exodus, have repeatedly pushed the message that San Francisco and New York are dead. The conservative daily tabloid The New York Post famously printed exactly that on August 17, 2020 just to publish the opposite belief a mere 5 days later, with the title “No, New York City is not ‘dead forever’ — here’s why.”

The reality is that New York and San Francisco are two of the top cities in the USA for more reasons than the highest paying jobs. And yes, there was a major bout of move-out fever in 2020 and 2021, but recent research suggest that San Francisco is one of the top cities to “find a new, high-paying job in 2022—without sacrificing quality of life,” per this CNBC article. Business Insider looked at the data and found “the urban exodus out of New York City and San Francisco is more myth than reality.” Further, SFist reviewed over 10,000 client requests for moving jobs from 2019 to 2022, and found that late 2021/earl 2022 more closely reflected 2019 than it did 2020/2021. And let’s face it, both SF & NYC are the host cities for the most famous events, are home to the country’s top sports teams, and are destinations for foodies seeking the most innovative dining experiences from around the world.

As you prepare for a big move in or around the SF Bay Area, hiring the best movers near San Francisco can make the experience less stressful and allow you to fully enjoy entering your new home. Why is this list free to read?

Sweet Lemon Moving Services is a California based company that is fully licensed and insured. This San Francisco Moving Company not only services the Bay Area, it also provides assistance on longer moves within the large state of California. Other services offered include moving furniture or one large item, packing/unpacking or loading/unloading. Rates are based on the number of crew members needed as well as duration of rental time for the truck and supplies.

Planning a move is hard, but OCD Moving Services LLC, a professional SF mover, is here to help. This San Francisco, California, moving company thrives on being customer-focused. They help customers with each step of the moving process from start to finish. Initially, they communicate with their potential clients and offer a free consultation. Once the customers are ready to move, OCD Moving Services LLC proudly provides them with services that cater to all aspects of a move, including packing and unpacking items, disposing of furniture, and transporting automobiles. The company is available for local and long-distance moves and provides moving services for individuals and businesses. Their number one goal is providing a stress-free moving experience to their customers. From their customer-focused approach to their numerous services, it is no wonder that this company has been meeting the needs of people in the San Francisco area for over ten years.

Ace Marin Moving

#3 of 26 Leading Professional SF Movers
★★★★★

Ace Marin Moving is a 5-Star rated moving company that has been in business for over 37 years. Not only is Ace Marin a Mover in San Francisco, but there are also offices located in San Jose and Oakland. Services provided are local, long distance and office moving. Rates are based on the number of hours required for the job and other expenses like taxes, tolls, equipment and protection materials are all included for free.

College Movers USA

#4 of 26 Top-Notch Moving Services in San Francisco
★★★★★

College Movers USA provides commercial, residential, and junk hauling services throughout the Bay Area. They have significant capabilities and can work with virtually any size move due to their flexible professional moving team size and a number of trucks, up to 26ft box trucks which can accommodate some of the largest of moving projects. College Movers touts their ability to handle any business move up to 10,000 sq. ft. and have transported everything from retail to offices to warehouses and more. On the residential side of things, this team has handled every size of home, from studios to mansion, and specializes in carefully handling heavy or awkward items.

West Coast Moving Systems is a reliable moving company based out of San Francisco. This San Francisco moving company offers its clients a number of services include but not limited to, moving, packing, and even storage solutions. West Coast Moving Systems San Francisco is a fully bonded and insured company, providing their clients peace of mind when it comes to their most valuable belongings. If clients find it difficult to describe what services they need, this forward-thinking moving company offers virtual walk-throughs that allow them to assess your needs via video chat. This is merely one way in which West Coast Moving Systems ensures that their clients have a stress free and seamless move. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, it is no secret that this moving company is professional, prepared, and a high-quality choice for anyone in the San Francisco area that is moving.

Commander Moving

#6 of 26 Top Professional SF Movers
★★★★★

Commander Moving is an SF mover often considered among the first choices in relocating needs whether you’re moving a residential home, your business, or even moving your goods from storage. Commander Moving is fully licensed and insured and offers custom crates for your move, services to pack and unpack your goods, full inventory can be taken of your move, and Commander even offers services just to move goods from one room to another in your home. If you have relocation needs in the San Francisco area, call or email to get an estimate, then plan and schedule your move. It is that simple with Commander. With over 11 years of experience in the Bay Area, Commander helps to make your next move with peace of mind.

If you are in the market for a mover in San Francisco, you have come to the right place. Paradise Moving & Storage is the best option for anyone looking to relocate their belongings. They offer a wide range of services, from local moves to long-distance relocations, and they are here to help make your move as smooth as possible. They aim to mediate this stress by properly protecting and packing your belongings and promoting open communication with the customer. In addition, their office staff is ready 24/7 for any questions or concerns you may have about your next move. Contact them today to learn more about their services or get a free quote.

In & Out Movers & Storage is a full-service moving company with extensive knowledge of the industry. In addition to providing precise estimates, they also provide full kitchen packing and unpacking, disassembly and reassembling of mattresses and cribs, and wrapping any significant furniture pieces. There is no house or apartment that is too large or too little for In & Out, as their employees are well-known for being dependable, courteous, and efficient.

Franklin Moving Services is a company that is dedicated to catering to the needs of people looking to move around the city of San Francisco. Their professional movers are equipped with the required skills and equipment necessary to facilitate secure movement within a short period. This San Francisco Moving Company not only offers its incredible services to local movers but also to long-distance movers. For this category of clients, they are assisted with loading and unloading the rental trunk hired or PODS container that will be used to transport the items across the country from San Francisco. Once you decide to work with Franklin Moving Services, a team leader is immediately assigned to be in charge of your moving. Therefore, any questions you may have during the entire period are handled by the respective representative. This is done to ensure that you do not encounter any stress as the company takes full control of your moving process.

Using a professional mover can save you a lot of time and headaches. A company that should be on your list when considering an SF mover is iMoving. The iMoving Professional Moving System is perfect whether you are moving to or from a large house or a small apartment in the Bay area. The company offers a full range of services, including full-service moves for both residential, as well as packing, loading and unloading services. IMoving offers advanced equipment, competitive rates and professional service. Call or check out the company’s website to get more information and book your move.

Larro’s Moving Services is one mover in San Francisco that you want on your side right now. This is a moving company that knows exactly what you need in order to get the job done really well. They have been in the business for moving for a great many years. In doing so, they have learned a lot about the world of moving. They know how to ensure that everything you need to have moved arrives safely at the intended destination. This means that they’re a moving service that you can trust. Each year, this is one company that does a lot of moves all over the greater San Francisco fully. They can make sure that you get the kind of personalized attention and service you need to make any move as fast and easy as possible. That is why this is one mover with a very loyal client base.

Boutique Moving Services is worth considering if you’re looking for a reliable moving services provider. The moving company is a San Francisco based SF moving services provider that offers quality and affordable services for those who need to move. The movers are experienced and efficient, making your relocation less stressful while your belongings are taken care of. They also offer packing and unpacking services so you can focus on more important things. Whether you’re a student, local or in need of commercial service, this professional moving service provider has got you covered. The affordable payment options make it easy to budget your move without breaking the bank. Moreover, this SF moving services provider is licensed, insured and bonded, thus making them an excellent choice for moving. You can be sure that your valuables are in safe hands with Boutique Moving Services. Contact them today to get started and enjoy a stress-free and safe relocation experience.

The Big Leprechaun Moving & Storage is a San Francisco-based moving company, serves customers across the entire Bay Area. They will simplify your residential or business move whether it’s across town or across the state of California. It’s a family-owned and operated company with a proven track record for customer satisfaction. Their rates are affordable, and the San Francisco Moving Company is known for its dependable and exceptional service. The firm handles all of your moving needs including short and long-term storage. Big Leprechaun Moving & Storage offers a wide range of moving products and supplies. Their expert team will even pack up your home in preparation for your move.

Trust and reliability are two of the many words that people use to describe just how much they enjoy working closely with Finch Moving and Storage San Francisco. This is a high quality company that makes a priority of customer service. They will assist you with everything you really need in order to make sure your move is done properly. If you’re looking for an SF mover, you’ve come to the right place. You have a company on your side that is ready for anything. They know what it takes to get a move done according to your time table. This is why they’ve been able to stay in business for over a decade. In the process, many people in the San Francisco area have found them to be a valuable and useful ally. Contact them today for help with all of your moving needs in the entire SF area.

Jay’s Small Moves

#15 of 26 Top-Notch Professional SF Movers
★★★★★

Jay’s Small Moves is a trusted mover in San Francisco with a reputation for helping customers to simplify their relocation efforts. The company offers a variety of different moving trucks along with the valuable help of its experienced movers who assist customers to efficiently relocate to their new address from their old one. The various moving trucks available from Jay’s Small Moves include options that are ideal for relocating to a studio or a 1,2, and 3 bedroom home, office relocations, or relocation to a new commercial address. The company’s team of movers is there to provide professional packing services, offer furniture disassembly and reassembly and to do the loading/unloading. All of these factors have helped the company to become the preferred mover in San Francisco by countless area residents and business owners.

A member of the California Moving & Storage Association, Luigys Moving is a premier SF moving services provider. Luigys began their business in 2001, giving this San Francisco based moving company over 20 years of experience taking the hassle out of moving for companies and families throughout the San Francisco Bay area. Their services are wide ranging and include everything from simple local moves to long-distance interstate moving. The company even provides a specialized “special task” service that specializes in moving fine art and antiques allowing clients to have peace of mind about their most valuable possessions. With such a knack for moving, Luigys Moving San Francisco has received a number of awards, raving reviews, and certifications for their services. Most notably, the company has an A+ rating with the Bester Business Bureau and is Screened and Approved by Home Advisor. Whether undergoing a corporate or residential move, Luigys Moving and Storage is a top choice for many in the San Francisco area.

If you’re looking for a really great worker owned company in San Francisco, you’ve come to the right place. Up and Up Moving and Storage is a San Francisco Moving Company that is just what you need to make any move work. This is one company that is on your side and ready to help you with all aspects of your move. It’s also one company that also cares deeply about what all aspects of any move you have to get done and wants to make your move a lot easier. They are very reliable. Make an appointment with them and you can be sure they’ll show up at the appointed time. They’re also one company that lets you sit back and does all the heavy lifting for you. This is precisely why your first call when it comes to planning a move in SF should be to them today.

Clutch Moving Company is a well-known mover located in San Francisco. Initially, the company started in the Bay Area with the goal of providing quality services to its customers’ satisfaction. They provide services such as residential move, commercial move, local and long-distance move, staging, receiving and warehousing, packing services, white glove delivery, and senior moving. Moreover, the company provides free move quotations to its esteemed customers or schedules on-site estimates. Their services are available throughout the week. Clutch Moving Company is unique because they thoroughly screen their employees before hiring them. They check their background and train them for two weeks to properly handle and secure clients’ items. Additionally, because they pay employees good salaries, the turnover rate is very low, giving them enough experience to handle the moving items. The company’s goal is to offer secure, efficient, and satisfactory moves. Reach them today and get the best moving services in San Francisco Area, and its sorroundings.

Captain Move-A-Lot

#19 of 26 Top-Notch Moving Services in San Francisco
★★★★★

Captain Move-A-Lot is one moving company that is very fast and efficient. Over the years, many people have praised them. That’s because they are know to be professional as well as extremely speedy. They will come to any home in the SF area and help anyone who needs to have a mover in San Francisco. They are very friendly with a true emphasis on the kind of customer service that everyone wants. This is a company that has what it takes to begin a move and see it through from start to finish. They offer all types of moving services. They’ll move anything you need moved in the San Francisco area. They can also assist anyone with the kind of long distance moving they need either in the SF area or out of it. They’re ready and able to help you get the job done you need done right now.

Golden Bay Relocation is a reputable SF Moving Services Provider specializing in handling all your storage needs. For over ten years, they have been providing local moves throughout The Bay Area for residential and commercial customers. The best way to get your life in order is by using these professional movers. They will pack, move and unpack all necessary items for you fast and efficiently. They have a team that will always be ahead of the game because they’re attending various training seminars. Plus, they know how difficult moving can get- which is why their high-quality solutions for relocation will fit all your unique needs.

Fast N’ Reliable Moving & Zhang’s Moving has been in business since 1994. They are a family-owned and operated firm with a good reputation for fair pricing and exceptional customer service. Fast N’ Reliable has moved houses, offices, and warehouses. They have an excellent record with the PUC and are on the Better Business Bureau’s Honor Roll. They realize relocation is more than just relocating. Families and businesses alike benefit from relocation. This staff wants to be a part of your new adventure, therefore they strive to be economical and reliable, making your relocation as easy as possible.

Local N Long Distance Movers San Francisco is a leading name for those seeking to move. They specialize and provide best-in-class solutions that fit your unique needs, be they local or long-distance moves. Hiring them will help you save time by taking away most if not every hassle related to this arduous task of changing homes. They also provide secure and professional facilities where you can store your valuable belongings without any worries about them being damaged or lost during the relocation. In addition, their rates are economical, and they offer a wide range of services, from packing to loading or unloading at your new place.

Master Movers

#23 of 26 Top-Notch Movers in San Francisco
★★★★★

Are you living in the CA area, and do you need to move? Do not worry again because you have the best movers around you. Master Movers are a recognized and licensed moving company that offers complete services, including storage services. Therefore, they are your trusted partners moving you from your place to your destination. They are committed to giving their clients the best moving experience and a smooth moving process. Their knowledge of twenty years plus makes it easy for them to provide you with the best services. Furthermore, they have familiarized themselves with the procedures, thus assuring you a smooth transition.The company have the best haulage vehicles and modernized telecommunication technologies. Furthermore, their technical and support staff are well trained and fitted with skills to handle the clients responsibly and offer them high-quality services. Master movers ensure that your load and belongings are properly packed and safely delivered to your new place. If you want moving or trustworthy storage and reliable services, do not hesitate to contact them.

Pedro’s Moving Services is a premier and inclusive moving company in the San Francisco Bay Area. The company was originally started by Pedro himself in 2001 with only a single pickup truck. Today, Pedro’s has grown into a bustling company ran by Pedro’s three daughters, Vanessa, Veronica, and Brenda. The company offers services that go above and beyond most moving companies including, packing, relocation, moving, and even deep cleaning after the packing and moving is over. These specialized services are the key to the company’s commitment to service to each of their clients. With such great success, Pedro’s Moving and Storage is keen on giving back to the community that built them up. Each week Pedro’s dedicates their staff and trucks to help local non-profits deliver food to those in need. Those interested in using this dedicated team in their next move can easily contact Pedro’s and receive a free quote on their services.

Top Gun Irish Moving & Storage is a premier moving and relocation service in the San Francisco Bay Area. This small family-owned company has over 16 years of experience in relocating families to and from the San Francisco Bay area. As a family-owned business, Top Gun Irish Moving & Storage takes great pride in the quality of their work and the speed at which they move. This San Francisco moving company also offers free estimates to each and every one of their prospective clients in order to provide transparent pricing. Some of the services offered by the company include full concierge packing, storage solutions, providing packing materials, residential moves, and even international moving. Although they offer a range of services, this moving company prides itself on taking special care in their clients’ needs no matter how big or small they may be. The family-owned company is so dedicated to helping clients, they even provide helpful moving tips ahead of time.

With the help of a professional moving and hauling service, you can alleviate some of the stress associated with moving and make the process as simple as possible. Whether you’re moving down the street or relocating your business to a new city, Dywer Mover has a team of movers ready to assist you. Dywer is a full-service moving business with a price guarantee that will match or better any competitor’s quote. They make no compromises when it comes to transporting your priceless possessions. Rather than that, they ensure that each assignment is completed with the utmost care. They are capable of doing any work, large or small. Dwyer’s success is based on the recommendations of hundreds of delighted clients.

WHY THIS LIST IS FREE TO READ

The above list includes Movers in San Francisco that SFist believes actively provides superior services. In some cases, they are among the most successful teams in the region. In some cases, variable, sponsorship listing fees or commissions effect the ranking position of the teams, but they are still known to have a history of providing great products or services. To learn more about SFist’s classifieds listings read more here.

SFist / Best of San Francisco / 26 Best Movers SF

The post 16+ Movers/Shifting Firms Weigh in on ‘SF Exodus’ in 2022 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

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Months after breakfast service was temporarily canceled on some campuses in the Unified School District in South San Francisco due to staff shortages, officials were offered a range of solutions on how to improve and potentially rebuild the overstretched meal service program.

Fran Debost, the district’s former director of food services and distribution, spoke to the district trustees during a study session Thursday, October 21, explaining the disruption the district was facing when it tried to hit thousands of daily Students to use since the state has introduced free meals for all students regardless of household income

The district saw a 27 percent increase in meal service attendance. The increase was most noticeable in middle and high schools, where comparing current consumption with the 2018/19 school year, the number of lunches served increased by 44% and 75%, respectively.

This influx of participation, coupled with a staff shortage, caused the district to temporarily suspend breakfast service at its six middle and high schools. Debost, realizing that she has long been a champion of breakfast services, called the decision heartbreaking but necessary.

The small 40-person team, without three drivers, has nine vacancies and three people who are ill for a long time. We urgently need four part-time site managers who can oversee operations and handle the paperwork, as well as four part-time assistants.

Filling the roles was also made difficult by a test requirement that largely disqualified non-English speaking candidates who have difficulty passing the test. To bypass the test, the California School Employee Association would have to vote to remove the district merit classification, which requires employers to select the best candidate through a rigorous performance process.

The burden is supplemented by a vacant director position, which is temporarily occupied by nutrition service supervisor Teri Inocencio.

“This year has been a tough year for all of the nutrition services departments in all of the districts. Staffing is an issue everywhere, ”said Debost, adding that he will remain available to support the district as long as necessary.

The part-time positions are the hardest to fill, she said, encouraging the district to consider increasing salaries for food service workers. Previously, a 13% raise was raised to attract staff, but these additional funds were contingent on adequate funding from the canteen fund.

A sharp decline in catering participation during the pandemic forced the district to scrap the extra dollars. Debost suggested that greater participation now might justify scaling back the increases, especially given the government funding the program is now supporting.

The district has benefited from a partnership with the Adult Transition Program, which connects 18-22 year olds with developmental disabilities with businesses and organizations to develop professional skills. With nutritional services, Debost said, students prepare and serve the food, and then do the cleaning.

Trustee John Baker, who shared the great disappointment with the district’s suspension of breakfast service, suggested that other students might be able to work for the program before or after school for pay or work experience. Dr. Jay Spaulding, assistant director of human resources, said the district is already considering the idea.

In addition to additional employees and better pay, Debost pleaded for improvements to the infrastructure that could lead to better efficiency. A $ 75,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture has enabled the department to purchase ovens and tilt pans.

But the district is still in need of additional equipment and is seeking up to $ 100,000 in grants from the Second Harvest Food Bank. Additional equipment, like two ovens in each kitchen, would enable lunch staff, who often work alone in smaller schools, to better respond to the growing number of meals requested, Debost said.

Cafeterias are also not designed to serve more than a number of students at a time, forcing staff to serve about 33 students per minute from a single file. Queues have moved slowly this year, as students reported, but could end up moving even more slowly when staff start collecting student PIN information for future exams next year.

Ted O, deputy superintendent of Business Services, said his staff had started looking for an architect who could review the cafeteria facilities for possible improvements, but it would “take a long time to find and hire someone”.

To deal with queues on short notice, Debost said the district could also move a two-lunch system that would split high school students into two 30-minute meals. Spaulding said the idea has received strong support from students, parents and staff, but requires additional work to account for class time.

As a long-term solution, Debost said the district could adopt a food court model rolled out in other districts that would allow students to serve and check out a variety of items at stations.

No formal decision was made during Thursday’s study session, so it remains unclear which of these actions the district will take. Still, the trustees praised Debost for returning with ideas to improve the program, despite no longer working with the district.

The two trustees Patricia Murray and Chialin Shieh also praised Debost for thinking of innovative solutions.

“I appreciate that you are always looking for new and better ways to do things,” said Murray. “No idea is too big to look up.”

Vaccination orders, teacher remuneration

During the study session, district officials also discussed a potential COVID-19 vaccine mandate for college students that would require the vaccinations ahead of the state’s schedule. Without a localized mandate, students would be covered by state requirements that will require vaccination for anyone aged 16 and over from Jan. 1, as the Pfizer vaccine has full state approval.

If full state approval for students 12 years and older is not approved before the end of the year, compulsory vaccination for younger students will begin on July 1st. If it comes before the end of the year, the date of January 1st will apply.

Students ages 11 and under are still not allowed to get a vaccine, but officials expect an emergency permit will be issued in November, with full approval next spring.

The district would have to build the infrastructure to implement the mandates, regardless of whether it is ahead of the state or not. Spaulding said it would take the district at least a month to develop a vaccine tracking system and remote options for students with religious or medical exemptions.

The district teachers used the discussions as an opportunity to rally for higher wages, arguing that in addition to safe schools and decent meals, students also need good quality teachers to run the classrooms.

The district offers teachers a salary range from $ 58,043 to $ 108,128, depending on experience and educational level. But educators cited the past nearly two years of working amid the pandemic and the rising cost of living as evidence that they deserved and deserved pay increases.

The post South San Francisco colleges weigh options to meal service points | Native Information appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

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