SF Supervisor Jackie Fielder holds first town hall after mental health leave
SF Supervisor Jackie Fielder holds first town hall after mental health leave
San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder attended her first town hall meeting in three months following a leave of absence. During the meeting, held at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, the District 9 supervisor openly addressed questions regarding her recent time away from City Hall, which she took to address a mental health crisis.
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder attended her first town hall meeting in three months following a leave of absence.
Supervisor Opens Up About Mental Health Leave
During the meeting, held at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, the District 9 supervisor openly addressed questions regarding her recent time away from City Hall, which she took to address a mental health crisis. Fielder expressed gratitude for the opportunity to step away and stated that the time off has better prepared her to serve her constituents for the long term.
"Thank you everyone for the well wishes when I was out. I really appreciated it, and it made me feel so supported," said Fielder. "I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I had a mental health crisis. This is a challenging job and I’m still very privileged to be here and have majority support from constituents, supporters alike across the city."
Community Welcomes Fielder Back to District 9
Fielder, who represents the Mission District, Portola, and Bernal Heights neighborhoods, received significant support from the packed room of attendees.
When asked by a constituent how the community could best support her moving forward, Fielder responded, "Just showing up, being a part, being a part of this is great. It makes my job easier."
The town hall also brought out representatives from the San Francisco Police Department and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to take questions on crime and traffic safety.
In response to a resident raising concerns about motorists running through stop signs weekly, city representatives discussed potential traffic-calming measures in the middle of blocks and highlighted ongoing traffic safety operations along the city's designated high-injury network.
Priority Set on Homeless Resources and Future Sessions
The availability of local services for the homeless population was also top of mind for attendees, with some noting a visible decline in available public pit stops used for mobile showers and bathrooms. Fielder identified the expansion of these resources as a key focus now that she has returned to full-time work at City Hall.
"Public restrooms is a big issue. Still seeing a lot of feces around the district and around the city," said Fielder. "[I] would love to see our city stand up more public bathrooms and be able to maintain them as well. And hoping to see some movement on that this year too."
What's next:
Tonight's town hall was the first of three listening events the supervisor plans to attend in July. The two others are scheduled as follows:
The Mission: Thursday, July 23, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Youth Art Exchange Studios at La Fénix.
Portola: Thursday, July 30, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Family Connections Center, located at 2565 San Bruno Ave.