October 2024 Newsletter
News and updates from City of San José Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, representing Council District 1 in West San José
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Hello neighbors,
Hope you all had a lovely September! This year seems to be flying by, so be sure not to miss out on the wonderful events ahead.
I especially want to highlight that our office is leading Disability Awareness Day here at City Hall on October 10, from 10 AM to 1 PM. We encourage you to stop by for helpful resources that promote opportunity for all.
If you have questions, comments, or thoughts on anything you would like to share with me directly, you may reach my office at district1@sanjoseca.gov or (408) 535-4901.
You may also attend my office hours. This month, my in-person office hour is canceled, so see the information below on how to join the virtual one.
Virtual only:
I hope you and your family have a lovely October, and a happy Halloween.
Sincerely,
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Council & Policy Updates
- Recent Council Actions
- Upcoming Council Actions
- In the Neighborhood
- Speed Safety Camera Pilot Program
District 1 Project Updates
- Costco Project Proposal at Westgate West
- Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor Vision Study
- Paseo de Saratoga Urban Village
Community Events
- Recap: Viva Calle, Parks to Roses
- Disability Awareness Day 2024
- SJPD Women in Law Enforcement Career Day
- Halloween Booktacular Giveaway 2024
- West Valley Friends of the Library Book Sale
Engagement Opportunities
- Autumn Litter Harvest
- Cypress Center Fall Season
- Adopt-a-Storm Drain Pilot Program
- CERT Trainings
Public Services & Resources
- Key Services for Helping Your Community
- Self-Start Building Permits with Plan Review Program
- Animal Care Services Adoption
- Pavement Project – Repave San José GIS Map
- SJCE Midday Super Saver Rate
- Resources From Your Representatives
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With all that City Council has been working on, I wanted to highlight important policy actions we took in September.
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September 10, Item 8.1: Adopted a Resolution of Intent to set a public hearing for the establishment of the Tully Road Eastridge Business Association, presented by staff from the Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs.
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September 17, Item 3.3: Adopted a Statement of Policy and City Council Questions for the Prospective Director of Environmental Services.
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September 24, Item 8.3: Approved a Soft Story Retrofit Ordinance.
View these recent meeting agendas by visiting the following:
To see all agendas, minutes, and recordings of City Council and other committee meetings, go to the City Clerk's Council Agendas & Minutes.
To learn more about the City of San José's form of government and how City Council operates, go to the City Clerk's Guide to Council Meetings.
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My colleagues and I will address more critical issues in the coming weeks. City Council is expected to consider the following actions:
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October 1: Whether to adopt a Statement of Policy and City Council Questions for the Prospective Director of Finance.
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October 8: Whether to accept a Resolution of Intent to Set Public Hearing for the Establishment of Monterey Corridor Business Association.
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October 22: Whether to adopt the Speed Safety System Usage Policy and Impact Report.
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October 22: Whether to approve a Conditional Use Permit to allow a Costco at Westgate West.
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October 29: Whether to accept the Climate Smart San José Plan Semi-Annual Report.
View these upcoming meeting agendas by visiting the following:
To see all agendas, minutes, and recordings of City Council and other committee meetings, go to the City Clerk's Council Agendas & Minutes.
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Special thanks to our Code Enforcement contractors who cleared the lot at 1485 South Winchester Boulevard. We appreciate all the work you did in taking care of our community. | |
Speed Safety Camera Pilot Program | |
Image by Wirestock at Freepik.com | |
Curious about automated speed cameras? We’ve just posted two important documents describing how our upcoming Speed Safety System Pilot Program will work. We’d like your input on the Impact Report and Use Policy. Together, these two documents describe how the system will work, where the cameras might be installed, who can access the data, what safeguards are in place, and more. The two documents will be available for a month before the City Council discusses them at their October 29 meeting.
Read both documents and provide your feedback at bit.ly/speed-safety-system-feedback.
Learn more about the Speed Safety System Pilot Project at bit.ly/speed-cameras-project.
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Costco Project Proposal at Westgate West | |
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The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for this planned Costco at Westgate West published on September 13, 2024. Last week, on September 25, the Planning Commission took up initial public consideration of the project’s conditional use permit. Thank you to the many members of the public who came to the meeting to voice their thoughts and input. Your feedback makes a difference. Readers can review the Planning Commission meeting on the City’s Youtube page. The project applicant announced a number of voluntary contributions and changes they are willing to make at the Planning Commission meeting. The Planning Commission ultimately voted unanimously to recommend approval of the project’s conditional use permit to the City Council.
Talks regarding community concerns continue to occur between City representatives and Costco. The next and likely last stop for a final decision on this project application is the October 22, 2024, City Council meeting. More project-related documents will publish closer to the time that the agenda for that meeting is finalized. Readers can learn more about this project proposal at the City Planning Division's Westgate West Costco Project Page. The project applicant maintains a website with additional information at Costco's Westgate West Project Page. There is also a website created by neighbors and other residents about the Costco project proposal with information, opinions, and concerns. If you have questions, please send them to my office at district1@sanjoseca.gov.
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Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor Vision Study | |
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On September 6, the Steering Committee met to discuss adopting an implementation plan for their vision of the future of the corridor. They did not have a quorum, so they will meet again on December 18, from 10 AM to 12 PM.
To learn more about the study, as well as meeting agendas and recordings, visit Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor Vision Study.
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Paseo de Saratoga Urban Village | |
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The planning process for the Paseo de Saratoga Urban Village is now here. The first general community meeting to help design District 1’s newest urban village—running from El Paseo de Saratoga and Westgate West at the Saratoga border, up Saratoga Avenue all the way to the entrance of I-280—will take place on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at 6 PM at the West Valley Branch Library. A follow-up Zoom meeting is also available for those unable to come in person that day. It will occur on Thursday, November 14 (link and time TBD).
This process will establish new and revised land uses designed to bring homes, jobs, and amenities closer together and to allow for more walkable, bikeable communities. They are essential to ensuring that San José plans thoughtfully for future growth in order to minimize the cost of service delivery, improve overall quality of life, and minimize social, fiscal, and environmental impacts from new development. You can read more about them at City of San José Urban Villages.
For those interested in receiving updates and participating, please feel free to sign up using the Paseo de Saratoga Urban Villages Updates Form.
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Disability Awareness Day 2024 | |
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Join us for a celebration dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive community! This free event will feature a wide range of opportunities in employment, education, and recreation ensuring everyone has access to resources and activities that promote empowerment and inclusion.
In honor of October being recognized as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), this year's event will also include a job fair and employment resources.
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Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024
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Time: 10 AM to 1 PM
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Location: San José City Hall Plaza and Rotunda, 200 East Santa Clara Street, San José, CA 95113
Learn more at bit.ly/CSJDAD. Attendance is free and open to all, RSVP not required. For any questions, contact alex.dersh@sanjoseca.gov or call (408) 535-4901.
ASL interpreters will be present. Other accomodations and multi-language interpretation are available upon request; providing at least 7 days notic ewill help to ensure availability. Please contact Raania Mohsen via email at raania.mohsen@sanjoseca.gov or phone at (408) 535-8147 or 711(TTY).
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SJPD Women in Law Enforcement Career Day | |
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Attend a free Women in Law Enforcement Career Day, hosted by the San José Police Department. Free and open to all!
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Date and time: Saturday, October 19, 2024, 8 AM
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Location: 6087 Great Oaks Parkway, San Jose, CA 95119
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Halloween Booktacular Giveaway 2024 | |
Once again, San José Public Library (SJPL) is excited to present their annual Halloween Booktacular Giveaway! Running from Monday, October 21 through Thursday, October 31, 2024, all youth ages 0–18 can stop by any SJPL location and pick out one free book of their choice, plus one free spooky-themed comic book or graphic novel. | |
West Valley Friends of the Library Book Sale | |
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West Valley Friends of the Library are hosting their regular book sales again in November. Visit San José Public Library Events to learn more.
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Book sale: Saturday, November 23, 10 AM to 4 PM.
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Bag sale: Sunday, November 24, 12 PM to 3 PM.
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Location: Both are at the West Valley Branch Library, 1243 San Tomas Aquino Road, San José, CA 95117.
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BeautifySJ is hosting their 2024 Autumn Litter Harvest on Saturday, October 5, from 9 to 11 AM. Contact us at district1@sanjoseca.gov or (408) 535-4901 to check if your neighborhood is participating!
The Autumn Litter Harvest is a citywide event to clean up litter across various neighborhoods and communities in San Jose. This initiative is similar to the Great American Litter Pickup in April. Participating neighborhood groups will receive training and supplies from BeautifySJ staff.
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Cypress Center Fall Season | |
The Cypress Community and Senior Center is hosting their fall season of classes, programs, and events. Learn more by visiting the Cypress Center Facebook. Register in-person at 403 South Cypress Avenue or go online to www.sjregistration.com. | |
Adopt-a-Storm Drain Pilot Program | |
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The Adopt-a-Storm Drain pilot program is a new initiative launched by my office that invites individuals and groups in District 1 to play an active role in protecting the environment by keeping storm drains clear. These drains play a critical role in managing rainwater and preventing flooding, but accumulated leaves, trash, and other debris prevent them from working effectively. Removing trash also prevents pollutants from entering our creeks and streams, which flow into the San Francisco Bay.
What does it mean to adopt a storm drain?
By adopting a drain, you're committing to keeping it clean and clear. Plus, you can even give it a fun name! Volunteers will receive training on maintenance techniques and participate in our clean up activities.
How do I apply?
Individuals or groups can participate by filling out an application to adopt a drain on the District 1 Adopt-A-Storm Drain webpage. Contact my office for any questions at district1@sanjoseca.gov or call (408) 535-4901.
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The Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) program educates volunteers to be prepared for common local disasters. The program teaches basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Volunteers are trained to react safely, responsibly, and effectively to emergency situations, as well as support their communities during non-emergency events.
Submit the San José Neighborhood CERT Education Inquiry Form to learn about future program dates.
You may also take this free, self-paced Introduction to Community Emergency Response Teams Online Course from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
For questions, contact sjcert@sanjoseca.gov or call our Office of Emergency Management at (408) 793-5373.
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Key Services for Helping Your Community | |
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If you see issues or needs in your community, report it to the appropriate department or agency and loop in our office by emailing or calling us. See contact information for key services and resources from the City of San José and other agencies below.
From the City of San José:
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Homelessness: Visit the new Homelessness Hub for finding services, reporting encampments, answering questions, and viewing data about the City’s homelessness response.
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San José 311: Request services such as filling potholes, fixing streetlight outages, junk and large item pick-up, and more by visiting San José 311, calling 3-1-1, or downloading the app at San José 311 App Store Download or San José 311 Google Play Download.
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Code Enforcement: Report code violations online at Code Enforcement Service Request Form or call (408) 535-7770.
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Parking Compliance: Report parking violations by emailing parking.compliance@sanjoseca.gov, or calling (408) 277-8900.
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Eviction Help Center: Tenants and landlords who want to learn more about rental assistance and eviction protections can visit the Eviction Help Center, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, on the first floor of San José City Hall Tower. Call (408) 975-4444 or email evictionhelp@sanjoseca.gov.
From Other Agencies:
If you would like help in contacting departments or agencies, or want help finding other services and resources, reach my office by email at district1@sanjoseca.gov, or give us a call at (408) 535-4901.
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Self-Start Building Permits with Plan Review Program | |
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You can already go to SJPermits.org for an online building permit for 56 types of simple projects, like solar installations. But what about projects where the building permit requires plan review? As of Monday, October 30, 2023, applicants who need plan review can also use this website to start the permit process and then upload the plans to SJePlans.
With SJePlans, you'll communicate with plan reviewers and see and respond to comments (any day, anytime). There will still be an appointment with staff to verify documents and secure the permit fee payment, but it's a fast appointment!
Learn more by visiting Building Permits With Plan Review Instructions.
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Animal Care Services Adoption | |
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There are hundreds of pets looking for a forever home each day. If you are willing and able, consider adopting!
Visit Pet Adoption with Animal Care & Services to see all the adorable pets that are up for adoption at the San José Animal Care Center.
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Pavement Project – Repave San José GIS Map | |
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Thanks to voter support for Measures B and T, and State Senate Bill 1, we are quickly improving San José streets. By 2028, we will repave all 1,552 miles of local and neighborhood streets.
Please see the Interactive Pavement Project Map to see when your street will be repaved.
The City will also continue the maintenance schedule for much of our major streets, which carry most of the City's traffic. Learn more by visiting City of San José Pavement Maintenance Program.
Thank you for your patience and understanding while we rejuvenate San José’s streets. Please obey all road closures, parking restrictions, and detours during preparation and construction. Your cooperation will help our work go smoothly and allow life on your street to return to normal sooner.
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SJCE Midday Super Saver Rate | |
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San José Clean Energy is piloting a new Midday Super Saver rate. This new rate allows customers on the E-ELEC rate plan to save on electricity use between 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every day when there’s more clean energy on the grid. Rates during this new “super off peak” period are ~33% lower than off peak rates and ~60% lower than peak rates.
This is a great time to charge an EV, do laundry, or run the dishwasher and save. There is no downside to being enrolled in this rate.
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Resources From Your Representatives | |
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Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei
Council District 1
City of San José
18th Floor, 200 East Santa Clara Street, San José, CA 95113
district1@sanjoseca.gov
(408) 535-4901
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