Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.
League Day 2021 Registration Is Open
The League of Women Voters of the Bay Area will host its annual Bay Area League Day on Saturday, March 6 at 9 a.m. The virtual gathering, “Equity in Action,” focuses on defining, measuring, and putting equity into practice to advance League goals for a just and inclusive society. The keynote speaker is San Francisco Foundation CEO Fred Blackwell (pictured here), who explains in his bio the reasons why he’s focused his career on social justice efforts. League Day also will include a call to action by Stephanie Doute, executive director of the LWV of California. Additional speakers and panels will address the economic impact of racism on multiple groups and how to create effective legislation that promotes equity in our communities. Register here to join League Day 2021 and follow Monitor Notes this month for additional information.
Get Your Feet WET
Nonprofit group Sustainable Silicon Valley has invited Newsha Ajami, Stanford University water researcher, to headline its next WET (Water, Environment & Technology) discussion on Thursday, February 18 at 10 a.m. Ajami (pictured here) is expected to speak about her recent appointment to the San Francisco Public Utility Commission Board, as well as share perspective about the Biden Administration’s water policy and her earlier work on the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. Read more about Ajami’s background and interest in water issues in a 2020 Monitor article by reporter Robin Meadows.
Key Housing Figures
California YIMBY, a Sacramento-based housing reform group, is organizing a discussion about “Money and Housing in the 2021-22 State Budget,” on Thursday, February 18 at 5 p.m. It’s invited Jason Elliott, a senior counselor to Governor Gavin Newsom, to discuss housing. Many communities, especially those in the Bay Area, grapple with massive supply and affordability issues. The governor’s proposed state budget has proposals to reduce homelessness and produce more affordable homes, some of which are summarized in this January 8 CapRadio report.
Working on the Railroad
Watch a February 4 webinar recording to learn about Link 21. It’s a new plan from BART and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority to build an integrated rail network serving 21 counties in the Bay Area and surrounding “megaregion” comprised of Sacramento, Monterey Bay, and Northern San Joaquin Valley. The plan’s signature project is a second Transbay rail crossing between Oakland and San Francisco, the potential of which a Bay Area Council Economic Institute report explores. Transportation planners said they believe travel demand will rise post-pandemic, and greater rail capacity is necessary to provide better travel, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support economic growth. For a look at earlier planning efforts, hop on board a 2019 Monitor article about the needs — and complexities — surrounding Bay Area passenger rail expansion.
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