Community Events
Do"s and Docent"s
Commission Hearing Rooms
A Note From Kerry
Did You Know?

Community Events for the Month of April
Community events are free, educational and fun for both you and the public. Feel free to participate.

April 15th
We are hosting the kick-off party for "The Women"s Summit". Any woman in City Hall is welcome to attend from 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

April 22nd
"Bring Your Daughter to Work Day". If you don"t have a daughter consider mentoring a relative"s or friend"s.

April 23rd
We"ll be celebrating "The Week of the Young Child" in the North Light Court from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.. Bring your child to work for the morning or tell your friends. Appropriate age is 3-5 years.

April 28th
The "Waterfront Transportation Task Force" will be in the North Light Court from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. You"re welcome to come, learn and listen.

Do"s & Docent"s
by Paula Benton

do-cent \dot-sent\ n [obs. G (now Dozent), fr. L docens, prp. of docere to teach] :TEACHER, LECTURER: also: a person who leads a guided tour The Merrian Webster Dictionary 1997

Spring is a time for vibrant renewal. And it is no surprise that curious Bay Area natives and out-of-town tourists are finding our newly reopened City Hall as one of this seasons most popular destinations. Since January 5th more than 500 people a week drop in to experience the grandeur of this beautifully restored building we call home. City Hall"s complimentary Docent Tour Program provides 24 free tours, 7 days a week! In addition to our regularly scheduled daily tours, we also conduct special tours for groups of 8 or more people.

I am honored to introduce Docent, Ellen Schumer and to announce she was chosen as the first City Hall Docent of the Month. A fourth generation native of San Francisco, Ellen is a fascinating and superb story teller. With inimitable flair she is able to communicate with everyone from ages 8 to 80.

Ellen"s stories and anecdotes are educational, fun and always enjoyable. Generous and outstanding efforts like Ellen"s are the reasons the City Hall Docent program is such a success. Ellen, is one in a million and we thank her for the splendid job she does. As an expression of our gratitude for her dedication as one of our most dependable and delightful volunteers we are thrilled to name Ellen as "Docent of the Month."

If you are interested in group tour information or if you would like to become a City Hall Docent please call me at 554-4858. Our next training session is scheduled for Friday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the South Light Court.

Commission Hearing Rooms
by Jeannie Taulealo

City Hall has four hidden treasures known as the Committee Hearing Rooms on the 4th floor. These rooms are reserved for the sole use of commissions, boards, committees, advisory councils and City departments that hold City, public and special hearings regarding issues that concern San Franciscans.

There are currently 52 committees that are scheduled in these rooms by the Office of the Building Manager. In March alone, three commissions were newly created. Committee rooms are scheduled 6 months in advance. AV equipment is unavailable to the committees without training or log-in by an AV staff person assigned to maintain and monitor rooms.

Since City Hall reopened on January 5th, these rooms have been used to their full potential. This column will be dedicated to educating you on these rooms. For more information or scheduling call 554-5780.

A Note From Kerry
As Building Manager, I"d like to welcome you back to City Hall. Many of you are returning home, and others such as myself, are moving in for the first time. Whichever is the case, I hope you will love your new home.

In this first issue, you"ll read about monthly activities in the building; information that will help make your working environment better; new rules and regulations for the building; and other interesting "neighborly news" about the tenants in the building.

The Building Management Office, in Room 368, is a new entity created to provide all the services needed for tenants and visitors. Here are a few things we do for you and the citizens who use this building.

Book and manage the hearing rooms on the fourth floor.


Provide tables, chairs, and audio visual needs for the building. Manage your repairs and improvements.

Create and manage docent tours, children"s educational programs, and special needs assistance programs.

Rent the public spaces for parties, fund-raisers, weddings, and lectures (or anything else you can think of!).

Create monthly community events on behalf of the building which are free, educational and fun for you and the public.

I hope to make every day in this building innovative, exciting and comfortable. If we, in the building management office, can be of any assistance to you, or you wish to submit information for the monthly building newsletter, don"t hesitate to call JoAnn with Building Services at 554-4799. JoAnn recently joined our office and she"s always happy to help and will make every effort to return calls as quickly as possible. Take a moment today to stop in the rotunda and notice how lucky we really are to be working in such an incredible building. Again, welcome back to City Hall.

Kerry Painter
BUILDING MANAGER

Did You Know?
The Mayor received a letter on March 2nd from a citizen who came to do business in City Hall and ended up severely ill. She was allergic to chemicals and perfumes. As a result of her dealings here she had an allergic reaction, a migraine headache coupled with flu-like symptoms, which caused problems with breathing. It"s very important that we take caution when using scented products like perfume or cologne on ourselves and in the building.

The housekeeping staff will make every effort to use scent-free chemicals when available. Please be courteous and respectful of those around you, and in turn everyone will enjoy their time at City Hall safely.