D2 News: Updates & Accomplishments

Residents tour Fire Station #35 and get an inside look at City services

At our Fire Safety Town Hall on October 16, our residents learned about the state of the Fire Department and had the opportunity to witness our firefighters respond to an emergency call while on duty! My purpose in organizing Town Halls like this is to connect residents to essential city services through first hand experiences.

We want to thank Fire Chief Robert Sapien, the San José Firefighters Local 230, and the firefighters at Station 35 for sharing their passion for fire safety and opening up their doors to our community.

Why I said NO to the Downtown High Rise Incentive Program

On Tuesday, September 24, the City Council heavily debated the extension of the Downtown High Rise Incentive program. This program exempts high rise developers from complying with the City’s workforce standards and paying their fair share of construction taxes and affordable housing fees. The program was put in place in 2007 during the Great Recession in hopes of incentivizing development in Downtown and was scheduled to originally end in 2012, but was extended on two previous occasions and was set to expire in 2019. We debated whether or not to extend the exemption a third time into 2023, with some Councilmembers even proposing to make the tax breaks permanent. 

I voted not to extend the Downtown High Rise Incentive program because I believe that our economy is strong, that San José is a profitable and desirable city to build in, that we cannot put profit margins on the backs of our workforce, and most importantly, that our residents should not be obligated to guarantee developers a fair rate of return.  

It was disheartening for me to see that a narrow majority (6-5) of our City Council voted to continue these tax breaks for developers -- without any plan to backfill the loss of an estimated $67 million in revenue that could support affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, park maintenance, and so many other City services that our residents depend on.

I will continue to fight for the residents of this great City by not caving into the special interests and putting people before profits.  

More information about the Downtown High Rise Incentive Program

Watch the debate on this issue (See Item 4.3)

Related Articles:

San Jose Spotlight

The Mercury News

Getting boots on the ground for a safer, cleaner community

I know that we have notoriously blighted areas in District 2. I am changing that through my #D2CleanStreets Initiative and by partnering with the  Downtown Streets Team (DST) , a non-profit organization that contributes to a cleaner community while engaging homeless and at-risk individuals, through the SJ Bridge program.

Together, we have identified hot spots in District 2 that will be monitored regularly by the SJ Bridge program in 2019-2020. These hot spots are:

We have the opportunity to expand or change these hot spots as areas improve this year.

For questions about hot spots and updates, contact [email protected] .

In 2018-2019, the hot spots where DST conducted clean-ups were:

I am proud to highlight some of DST's successes and impacts in 2018-2019:

If you would like to volunteer with Downtown Streets Team or participate in regular clean up days, please contact  [email protected] .

Collaborating with Vietnamese leaders to serve our community at Chua Bao Phuoc

During meditation time and ceremonies, the temple is a quiet, sacred space. But during our visit to Chua Bao Phuoc located on the border of San José's District 2 and District 7, Councilmember Maya Esparza and I couldn't help but share some laughs with the Abbot.

It was such a valuable and enjoyable lunch meeting to collaborate with this community leader at the community temple he built! Chua Bao Phuoc welcomes everyone -- from all neighborhoods, backgrounds, ages, religions -- at all times! Their temple is open for walk-in visitors, and their hope is to bring peace to the community and provide a space where people can find their peace.

Visit Chua Bao Phuoc:

270 Senter Road

San José, California

(408) 365-1228

chuabaophuoc.com

Inspiring students to reach for the stars at Edenvale Elementary School's College Day

I was amazed at each and every class' College Day chant, but I must be honest... I rooted the loudest for my alma mater, San José State University!

It was an inspiring morning spent with future college grads and community leaders: the K-6 students at Edenvale Elementary. Fun fact: They have some bilingual classes, and I was so proud to see this school embracing and fostering diversity!

I told the students how lucky they are to have the unwavering support of their teachers, principal, superintendent, and community who organized this exciting rally for them to learn about future possibilities. When I was their age -- and even through high school -- I didn't know college was a possibility for me. Thanks to my mentors, supporters, and hardworking single mother, I was motivated to take the necessary steps to build the future I wanted for myself. I was the first in my family to attend college and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from San José State University.

We all want to see our youth succeed, and we can't wait to see what these students achieve in San José and beyond.

Thank you Silicon Valley Education Foundation and Santa Clara County Office of Education for helping pave the way for our future leaders.

Walk n' Roll-ing to Baldwin Elementary School

The City of San José Department of Transportation ensures that our families have safe routes to school (stop signs, crossing flags, smooth roads), the Julia Baldwin Home and School Club makes walking to school fun (balloons, rulers, pencils, stickers, prizes, and most importantly — a community of friends to walk with), and I supply cool sunglasses for sun protection + water bottles for hydration. Thank you all for an energizing morning!

About Walk n’ Roll San José : Walk n’ Roll San José is funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission through its Climate Initiatives Program with the goal of increasing walking and biking to school, fostering a healthy and active lifestyle, and reducing traffic congestion and related air pollution, leading to a safer environment within school zones.

Young citizens share ideas for a better community during their visit to City Hall

More than 100 3rd graders from Hayes Elementary School received a grand tour of City Hall! I am thankful I was able to meet each of them because these students are already proving to be impressive young citizens.

Together, we discussed ways that residents of all ages in all areas of the City must work together as a compassionate community to address important, relevant issues such as:

Keeping our streets safe and clean

Aligning with my #D2CleanStreets Initiative and #BeautifySJ goals, these students understand the importance of teamwork when it comes to cleaning our neighborhoods. They are excited to receive free litter pick up sticks from the City and take part in their own Clean Up Party! If everyone commits to doing their part and puts their trash / recyclables in the right place, it will make such a difference in the world!

Homelessness

These students have already made care packages to assist people living on the streets. In their classrooms, they have talked about long term solutions to homelessness, including how each District and neighborhood can explore housing options / programs. An individual is no longer homeless if he or she has a place to call home!

I am proud to call this group of students my neighbors and fellow District 2 residents!

Anderson Elementary School students see San Jose from a new perspective during their visit City Hall

As a Councilmember, I meet with many important people. Some of my favorite people to meet with are local students!

I enjoyed showing kids from Anderson Elementary School around my office and giving them an inside look at local government as well as decision making processes. Examples of topics we talk about at City Hall that affect kids and their families: safe routes to school, funding for parks to play at, engaging library programs, and more.

We hope you learned something new and had a little fun, too.

Newly formed Roundtable N.A. activates and empowers residents

The Roundtable Neighborhood Association met once again in September as a self-reliant and thriving organization.

I am happy to see the Roundtable N.A. -- one of the initiatives led by Project Hope -- build community resilience and activation along the high-need area of Roeder Avenue and Roundtable Drive. Although this is a huge win for the neighborhood, there is much work to be done, and we look forward to further collaboration.

If you live in the area of Roundtable Drive along Monterey Road, call Maribel Villarreal at 408-535-4923 to get engaged.

This summer, I was proud to have joined a monumental evening for the Oakridge Palmia Residents Neighborhood (OPRNA) — they hosted their first Neighborhood Association Meeting!

If you live within the areas of Cottle/Santa Teresa/Lean/HWY85 (850+ Households and Palm Valley Communities Apartments), and would like to lead or be involved in your community, please contact OPRNA to learn how to get involved and join their next meeting at Santa Teresa Library: [email protected]

Emergency? Text to 9-1-1 is now available in Santa Clara County!

Information and FAQ's on the City's website about Broadband Strategy and Small Cell Deployment: sanjoseca.gov/smallcell

Contact the City for more information: [email protected]

Contact AT&T for information about small cell projects:

1-800-678-1169 Ext. 2084

[email protected]

For your information: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) preempts cities from denying any small cell permit based on the environmental effects of radio frequencies under Section 332(c)(7) of the Communications Act. To learn more, please see the FAQ's on the City website: sanjoseca.gov/smallcell

“Light Up the Night” was held on Thursday, October 17, 2019 at the Corinthian Grand Ballroom in San José .

 

I am proud to have supported this inspiring event with a $1,000 grant to celebrate and remember the 7 lives lost to domestic violence in Santa Clara County last year. A video was shared of 3 survivors sharing their own personal journeys. Watch: vimeo.com/nextdoorsolutions   

The evening was a great success and will help increase the number of services available to victims of domestic violence and their children.

 

The women and children served are courageous and resilient. Every day, Next Door Solutions empowers women to escape a life of violence and strive for a future of peace. Because of the community's support, Next Door Solutions can provide them the services they need to transition to a life free from violence.

Thank you Matt Mahood for inviting me to speak at the Silicon Valley Organization's Monthly Breakfast on October 17. It was insightful joining fellow City leaders in discussing opportunities to support, retain, and grow local businesses. I enjoyed the opportunity to talk about public policy priorities and businesses in District 2!

Our local Boys & Girls Club members have an amazing place to learn and grow in STEM thanks to a huge renovation by Google of the Technology Lab at the Levin Clubhouse! I was honored to join celebrations and I am excited for them to have this newly upgraded, safe, and fun learning space in our community!

We met tons of families enjoying a good time outdoors on Friday, September 20 at Taylor Elementary’s Harvest Festival! Thank you, PTA, for creating an engaging event for residents and for providing my office an opportunity to share helpful City resources with our local families.

The Youth Climate Strike mobilized outside City Hall on September 20. I am inspired to see our youth engaged and leading the call to address climate change. Read about my call for a Climate Emergency declaration in the City of San José in my September Newsletter.

Click on the flyers below for more information.

A message from Protect Coyote Valley :

The campaign to protect Coyote Valley got a big boost last month when Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 948, creating the Coyote Valley Conservation Program. 

“What Coyote Valley offers is irreplaceable: vibrant wetlands, an essential wildlife habitat and migratory area, active farmlands, a resource to fight climate change and open space for all to enjoy,” State Assemblymember Ash Kalra stated when he first introduced this bill in April. Now that it has passed with bipartisan support, it’s clear that the State of California recognizes the importance of protecting Coyote Valley.

AB 948 names Coyote Valley as a landscape of statewide significance for its natural ecosystem benefits, including flood risk reduction, climate resilience, and wildlife protection. The Coyote Valley Conservation Program will be administered by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, and will cover over 17,000 acres of both the Coyote Valley floor and the hills on each side (up to the first ridgeline).

But our work is not over! While AB 948 recognizes Coyote Valley’s importance as a natural area, it doesn’t prohibit development. And San José's General Plan still designates North Coyote Valley as a site for industrial development.

We’re pleased to see Coyote Valley’s regional significance being recognized and the growing awareness of the need to protect its opportunities for recreation, its water sources, and its critical wildlife corridors. We need to continue to spread this message in order to protect Coyote Valley for future generations!

Apply to the Measure T Community Oversight Committee

On November 6, 2018, City of San José voters approved Measure T, with 71% support. Measure T will raise $650 million to finance the cost of land or improvement of land for projects that will upgrade public safety facilities to improve emergency and disaster response, repair deteriorating bridges vulnerable to earthquakes, repave streets and potholes in the worst condition, prevent flooding and water contamination including the acquisition of land in the Coyote Valley for these purposes, and repair critical infrastructure.

The Measure T Community Oversight Committee serves as an advisory committee to the City Council, meeting at least once a year with responsibilities to include the following: 1. Review the expenditure of Measure T funds to ascertain consistency with the voter approved purposes for the funds; 2. In connection with the review of Measure T expenditures, review and forward to the City Council an audit of the Measure T Bonds Financial Statements for the fiscal year ending June 30th as well as the Director of Finance’s annual report on the amount of Bonds issued and the amount of ad valorem tax collected for each prior fiscal year ending June 30th; and 3. Review the status of projects funded with Measure T funds and forward a status report on the pending Measure T projects to the City Council.

The Measure T Community Oversight Committee is to be comprised of fifteen members, with each member nominated pursuant to San José Municipal Code 2.08.180, as may be amended. Each Councilmember shall recommend one Committee member who is a resident of the district of the nominating Council Office. The Mayor shall recommend five members as citywide representatives, with each member possessing subject matter expertise in one of the following fields: public safety, environmental issues, labor, business, and finance or accounting. Each of the nominations shall be considered by the full Council for formal appointment. Nominees must be residents of San José. Nominees possessing subject matter expertise in the fields of emergency and disaster response, public safety, finance, and/or transportation is highly desirable.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY NOW TO THE Measure T Community Oversight Committee

The Housing Payment Equality Ordinance took effect on September 26, 2019 . The ordinance prohibits discrimination against housing voucher holders who apply for rental housing in San José.  

The law requires landlords to consider all applicants who have an ability to pay, and to treat all applicants equally throughout the applicant-screening process. The ordinance is intended to expand housing opportunities for voucher holders, many of whom have previously faced discrimination.

The ordinance specifically prohibits the following:

·    Advertising that housing vouchers are not accepted for a rental property;

·    Assessing a rental applicant's ability to pay based on an amount greater than the portion of rent to be paid by the applicant; and

·    Imposing rental terms on voucher holders that differ from terms for rental applicants who do not use housing vouchers.

The ordinance applies to all rental properties in San José. The only exemption is a single-family home when the landlord lives in the home.

More information about the ordinance can be found on the Housing Department's website.

If you have any questions about the Housing Payment Equality Ordinance, you may contact the San José Housing Department at 408-975-4480.

Mayor Sam Liccardo and the City of San José, with the assistance of the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), is launching the Digital Inclusion Partnership to bring digital access and skills to the 50,000 unconnected households in San José.  This year, up to $1M will be granted to community organizations that propose programs to advance digital equity in San José by providing devices, internet access, and digital literacy skills .

Apply now at sjdigitalinclusion.org ! The application deadline is November 15, 2019 at 5pm PST. For questions, please reach out at [email protected] . 

Apply for grants to support 2020 Census education and outreach! Deadline: November 26, 2019, 11:59 p.m.

 

The Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) in partnership with the County of Santa Clara announces a grant program to support 2020 Census education and outreach efforts. SVCF will award grants to nonprofit organizations engaging in education and outreach to hard-to-count communities in the County of Santa Clara. Grant applications should include specific target populations and plans to educate and encourage participation in the census. Examples of activities that will be funded include: 

Key Dates

November 8, 2019:  RFP Info Session: County of Santa Clara Census 2020 Interested applicants are invited to participate in the information session, available in-person, via webinar (WebEx), and to recorded and post online. To register,  click here . 

November 26, 2019, 11:59 p.m.: Proposal submission deadline 

January 2020: Announcement of grant awards 

Questions?  Email  [email protected]  for questions about program concepts, content, eligibility and evaluation. You can also view SVC instructional video at   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feZAuJUKbDI&feature=youtu.be

Ready to Apply? Visit     https://www.siliconvalleycf.org/grants

Caltrain changes to southbound service to Gilroy and San Jose

Effective Monday, Oct. 7, 2019, Caltrain will adjust its southbound Gilroy service based on feedback provided by the South Santa Clara County riders in a survey conducted on April 23, 2019 that indicated their preference to have an earlier train between the first two trains.

View the Oct. 7 Timetable Changes  HERE .

For more information, please visit Caltrain's South Santa Clara County Service webpage . If you have questions, contact Caltrain Customer Service. Fill out the online form  HERE or call 1.800.660.4287

What you need to know about PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs

This summer and fall, PG&E can de-energize (or shut off) power to their distribution and transmission lines to prevent their equipment from starting wildfires, also called PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).

The City of San José has formed a task force with the Office of Emergency Management, Community Energy Department, Fire, Public Works, and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services to prepare for PSPS events, assess and plan City response during an event, and coordinate with PG&E, the County of Santa Clara, and other stakeholders.

One or more PSPS events  could happen in San José , and power outages could last  seven days . Public Works is coordinating with departments to determine their backup power needs and capacity.  In the meantime, here is what you need to know about preparing yourself and your family for a multi-day power outage.

Why San José could be affected

Even though much of San José is urban, parts or all of the city could be affected because transmission and distribution lines powering San José are located in areas the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has designated as extreme and elevated fire-threat. In addition, if high voltage transmission lines are de-energized, the interconnected nature of the grid could result in a cascading effect that causes other transmission lines and distribution lines – potentially far from the original fire-risk areas – to also be de-energized, potentially resulting in a    regional    power outage.

Learn how to sign up to receive power shutoff notifications from PG&E or make sure your contact info is up-to-date:

Visit www.pge.com/psps or

Call PG&E at 1-866-743-6589

PG&E steps to  prepare for a power outage , include:

Creating an  emergency plan

Making an  emergency supply kit

Learning about  generator safety

Get more guidance from PG&E.

Rad more information and FAQs on the City's website .

Safe Parking Pilot Program provides a safe place to sleep for people living in their vehicles

People deserve a safe environment to sleep in. In 2019, over 6,000 people were counted as experiencing homelessness in San José on any given night and over 1,000 of them sleep in their vehicles.

On May 15, 2019, the City of San Jose opened a Safe & Supportive Parking program at Southside Community Center to provide a space where homeless families living in their vehicles can park and sleep overnight. The program is overseen by the nonprofit  Life Moves, which is responsible for providing services, security, trash disposal, and more at the designated Safe Parking sites. The organization will also help families find jobs and housing.

Through this program, we are taking steps to ensure a sense of stability for families and individuals living in their cars as we address our city’s homeless crisis.

If you know anyone who could benefit from the Safe & Supportive Parking program, please email [email protected] or call 669-238-6193 for more information about resources and program eligibility.

About the Ordinance and how you can get involved: The City of San José developed a Safe Parking Ordinance that allows private property owners to designate their parking areas in places of assembly for safe parking. The ordinance approved by City Council in February 2019 included amendments to the Municipal Code, specifically to Title 20 of the San José Municipal Code (Zoning Code). The property owner does not need to obtain a permit and may design operations from hours, type of vehicles, and target population. If you are a property owner and interested in partnering with the City of San José on this important endeavor, please contact Lorena Diez with the City of San José’s Homelessness Response Team at (408) 975-4456 or [email protected] for more information.

How you can help keep our community safe and clean

See blight or homelessness in your neighborhood or around San José? Report it to the appropriate agency. All reporting is tracked at each agency and forwarded to the appropriate response team for action.

Union Pacific (usually the property around the railroad tracks)

1-888-877-7267

Submit complaints regarding the Union Pacific Railroad to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Complaints regarding train noise or encampments can be submitted to their office directly by constituents either by sending an email to [email protected] or by phone to 916-414-2315.

Caltrans (usually property surrounding / adjacent to freeways and highways)

Fill out a Maintenance Service Request (MSR): https://csr.dot.ca.gov/ 

Homeless Concerns (on City of San Jose property)

408-975-1440

[email protected]

MySanJose App - request services on City property

408-535-3500

sanjoseca.gov/mysanjose

Download the app to your smartphone!

Schedule a FREE Large Item pick up , right in front of your home

Visit the San Jose Free Junk Pick Up website to learn more and schedule your free appointment: sanjoseca.gov/index.aspx?NID=3649

Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office for support in contacting these agencies and departments: (408) 535-4902 | [email protected]

Need to report abandoned vehicles, street light outages, and more? Use MySanJose: Our quick & easy tool to request City services



Want to get that pothole or street light fixed? Need to report graffiti, illegal dumping or an abandoned vehicle? Have a different question for the City? With the new state-of-the-art MySanJose  app  and  website , it is now a breeze to file and track a City service request or reach one of our customer representatives. It is super easy to use – see our zippy  tutorial . 

Download the MySanJose app today:  www.sanjoseca.gov/mysanjose

Please don't leave your large items on the side of the road. It's easy & FREE to get rid of your junk!



San José residents can schedule FREE appointments to have large items (such as mattresses, sofas, refrigerators, tires, and  more ) picked up by their recycling collection company. 

Visit the San José Free Junk Pick Up website to schedule your free appointment today!

Thank you for keeping our City clean and combating illegal dumping!

Learn how to   report and prevent illegal dumping . Let's work together to stop trash that is illegally dumped in public spaces, sidewalks, streets, etc.!

Get involved: District 2 Neighborhood Associations



Neighborhood Associations (N.A.s) are groups of community members who meet and collaborate to work towards common goals such as: beautification/clean-up efforts, safety enhancements, and social events. N.A.s serve as a connection between the community and City Hall. We are here to support N.A.'s by providing direction, resources, grants, help with outreach, models for success, and more.

View the interactive map of D2 N.A's on my website to find your N.A. or work with my office to start a N.A. in your area!

Sign up for N.A. Newsletters:

Reserving meeting space as an N.A.

As an established Neighborhood Association, you may reserve space for community use directly with Libraries and Community Centers in our District. As long as the meeting takes place during regular hours of operation, there is no charge to to your N.A.

If your event goes beyond the hours of operation, there is a charge for staffing. Our office is happy to accommodate 2 uses per N.A. per year for N.A.’s by paying for the staff time. Any additional uses outside of this would require your N.A. to cover the cost. 

Please contact the District 2 Office for more information!

In addition to the City Resources listed below, here are City contacts for common resident concerns. We encourage you to copy (CC) [email protected] when you submit a report to these addresses:

[email protected]

Request pavement maintenance and pothole repair, median landscaping, and clean-up of illegal dumping on streets and sidewalks

[email protected]

Report burned out bulbs and other street light damage

[email protected]

Report problems with signs, street markings, and striping on roadway to improve traffic safety

[email protected]

Contact the City Arborist

[email protected]

Report safety concerns related to street trees and sidewalk damage

[email protected]

Request bicycle, pedestrian, and traffic safety improvements in your neighborhood

[email protected]

Report traffic flow problems and request traffic signal adjustments

[email protected]

Report encampments and vehicle dwelling

[email protected]

Report parking violations and abandoned vehicles

[email protected]

Report illegal dumping