Carmen Chu: Merchant Summit Coming

When it comes to improving our community, cleaning and enhancing our busy merchant corridors can make a remarkable difference. As a member of the SF Board of Supervisors' Budget Committee this year, I advocated for additional funding to assist our district merchants with facade improvements in the upcoming year. I also advocated to keep funding to ensure our merchant corridors are clean and receive the attention they need through our Community Corridors Program, where we have helped local businesses with graffiti abatement, sidewalk cleaning and street repairs.

I am pleased to announce that my office will be hosting a District 4 Neighborhood Merchant Summit in conjunction with the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Through this free event, we will bring local businesses and neighborhood associations in District 4 together with city officials to discuss their specific concerns and issues.

In addition to city officials, small business resource providers will be on hand to provide information and answer questions. We also hope to provide merchants with information on facade improvements, parking, city mandates, lease negotiations and the Small Business Assistance Center.

The summit will be held at the Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Ave., from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Refreshments will be provided and registration begins at 7:45 a.m.

For more information about the Neighborhood Merchant Summit or to register for this free event, please contact our office at (415) 554-7460 or e-mail us at chustaff@sfgov.org.

We hope to see you at the summit!

Ocean Beach Community Meeting Update
After hearing from many community members about their interest in providing input on how to improve Ocean Beach, our office hosted a public community meeting on July 10 at the San Francisco Zoo where about 150 neighbors and beach users came to share their concerns and suggestions.

We received great feedback as a result of the public dialogue, including suggestions that touched on issues such as cleanliness, public safety, sustainability and the importance of maintaining a simple beach where families and community members can recreate and enjoy an oasis within the City.

If you would like to view comments from the community meeting, please visit our Web site at www.sfgov.org/chu.

Members of the Ocean Beach Vision Council will hold regular public meetings to discuss Ocean Beach, with the next meeting expected in October. We encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts on Ocean Beach with our office and to contact us for more information on upcoming community forums.

District Office Hours
I am holding district office hours on Tuesday, Aug. 26, between 6 and 7 p.m., at Polly Ann Ice Cream, located at 3138 Noriega St. (between 38th and 39th avenues).

Stop by to share suggestions or to say hello. You can also contact my office at (415) 554-7460 or chustaff@sfgov.org.

Carmen Chu is a San Francisco supervisor representing District 4.