For Years, San Franciscans have been able to beautify their properties and neighborhoods with unattached planters. Here is the ordinance that allows unattached planters: https://sfpublicworks.org/sites/default/files/4084-DPWOrder179231_container_guidlines.pdf

Now, Rachel Gordon, at the Department of Public Works  (DPW), wants SF residence to get a permit for their planters going forward and RETROACTIVELY! Planters are not the problem in San Francisco, years of neglect to the conditions on our streets and our neighborhoods is the problem. 

Permit enforcement targeted at responsible residents is not a solution; it is punitive and unjust. The city must redirect its efforts towards providing adequate support and resources to address real problems we face like unsheltered homelessness, crime, graffiti, trash-strewn streets, damaged sidewalks, streets full of potholes, and cleaning around rental bikes and slow-street signage.

DPW is not asking a fee but, of course, there is a "cost" associated with tracking planter owners. They may not collect it but we will see it in our taxes. Already, San Francisco is burdened with excessive commissions, crooked non-profits, and a dysfunctional city government. Now, DPW is poised to add to this surfeit of unnecessarily and ineffective bureaucracy at great costs. 

Furthermore, the excessive bureaucracy surrounding permit enforcement only exacerbates the problem, creating unnecessary barriers for residents who wish to contribute positively to their surroundings. 

We demand transparency, accountability, and genuine engagement with the residents of San Francisco. It is only through collaboration and mutual respect that we can build vibrant and livable communities for all. San Francisco residents have the right to the quiet enjoyment of our homes and neighborhoods without harassment and undue burdens. We urge DPW to reconsider further harm to the citizens of San Francisco by imposing this unnecessary, costly, and burdensome bureaucracy on us.

For more information about this project and our organizations click HERE