YOUR GUIDE TO CITY-RELATED NEWS AND EVENTS | |
City Council to Consider Extending Data Center Moratorium
October 19 City Council Meeting
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On Monday, October 19, the Gilroy City Council will consider extending the City's temporary moratorium on new data center development for 10 months and 15 days, through September 3, 2027.
Initially adopted September 14 in response to community concerns, the moratorium pauses the acceptance, processing, and approval of new data center applications. It does not affect the previously approved Amazon facility under construction.
The extension would provide time for the City to research and develop standards addressing issues specific to data centers, such as electricity demand, water consumption, backup generator emissions, noise, traffic, and neighborhood impacts. Community input will be an important part of the process.
Residents, businesses, and other interested community members are encouraged to share their views about the moratorium extension with the City Council before or during Monday's meeting.
You can share comments by attending the October 19 City Council meeting and speaking during public comment, participating remotely via Zoom and providing comments when called upon during the meeting, or submitting written comments to the City Clerk.
Meeting details, Zoom participation instructions, and information about submitting written comments are available in the October 19 City Council agenda on the City's website: https://gilroyca.portal.civicclerk.com/
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Are You in a Flood Zone?
Take the Necessary Steps and Be Prepared
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Do you know if your home is in a flood area? Flooding can happen suddenly, and being ready helps keep you, your family, and your home safe. Floods can cause power outages, block roads, damage buildings, and cause landslides.
Take the first step and visit the Flood Zone Map to see if you are at risk. To help keep everyone safe, take steps now to get ready for possible flooding.
Flood Safety Tips
- Evacuate right away if you are told to leave. Never drive past barricades because they help guide people away from flooded areas.
- Be careful around electricity.
- Don’t touch electrical equipment if it’s wet or if you’re standing in water, and only turn off power if it’s safe.
- Never touch or go near a downed power line—always assume it’s dangerous.
- Six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot can sweep a car away. So do not walk, swim, or drive through flood water. Turn Around, Don’t Drown!
- Stay off bridges over fast-moving water because they can wash away without warning. If your car gets stuck in fast-moving water, stay inside, and if the water rises, climb onto the roof.
For more tips on flood safety, visit the City's Storm and Cold Weather Safety webpage.
Sign Up for Emergency Alerts
Sign up for the City’s alert system - Nixle, to receive emergency updates from the City of Gilroy.
Sign up for the County’s alert system - AlertSCC, to receive the latest and most accurate information for any weather-related event.
Learn more about flood hazards, flood insurance, and other preparedness resources by visiting the City of Gilroy Flood Management webpage.
| | 2026 State of the City Video Recording Now Available | | |
In case you missed it, a video recording of the 2026 State of the City is now available on the City website and YouTube channel.
The annual event brought together over 200 community members on Thursday, September 17 at Gavilan College Theater to reflect on Gilroy’s progress and look ahead to the community’s future.
Whether you couldn’t attend or would like to revisit the address, we invite you to watch the recording and learn more about the work underway in Gilroy.
Watch the 2026 State of the City
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Voter Resources
Find Your Polling or Ballot Drop-Off Location
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You've got your ballot; now what? Whether you prefer dropping it off in person or mailing it in, we're here to help make it easy. Check out your options below.
How to Vote:
By Mail: Just seal, sign, and send. No postage required!
Drop-Off: Find your nearest ballot drop box. Locations include City Hall and the Gilroy Library.
In-Person: Visit your nearest polling place. Early voting will open on Saturday, October 24, with regular voting opening on Saturday, October 31. Locations include the Gilroy Veterans Memorial Building and South Valley Middle School. Please use the link below to confirm dates and times for the location you’d like to visit.
All registered voters can vote at any polling location in Santa Clara County, even if you are participating in the Gilroy City Council District Election. Mail-in ballots can be returned at any ballot drop box in the county or mailed from any USPS location.
To find locations and hours for ballot drop-off and in-person voting, visit vote.santaclaracounty.gov/.
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Flying Commemorative Flags at City Hall in 2027
Application Opens Monday, October 26
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The application for flying commemorative flags at City Hall in 2027 will open on Monday, October 26, and close on Friday, November 6, 2026.
To ensure your application receives full consideration, please carefully review the Flag Flying Policy for detailed instructions on submitting a commemorative flag request.
In general, applications require the following:
🏴Applicant contact information
🏴Name and a full-color image of the commemorative flag
🏴A statement of explanation or purpose of the commemorative flag
🏴The month in which the commemorative flag is requested to be displayed
Online submission is strongly encouraged.
Applications may be submitted in one of the following ways:
Online: Complete the Online Flag Flying Application
By Email: Download and complete the Flag Flying Application and email it to Management Assistant, Akhill Miller at Akhill.Miller@cityofgilroy.org
In person or by Mail: Complete the application and drop it off at Gilroy City Hall, 7351 Rosanna St.
Please submit your completed application no later than Friday, November 6, 2026, by 4:30 PM. Please note that City Hall regular business hours are 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM, Monday through Thursday.
For additional information or to apply, visit the Flag Flying Applications webpage.
If you have any questions, please contact Assistant City Administrator Harjot Sangha at harjot.sangha@cityofgilroy.org.
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Calling All Artists!
For the Love of Gilroy Applications Now Open
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Join us in celebrating the vibrant culture of our city through the "For the Love of Gilroy" public art campaign. This is your chance to showcase your talent and creativity by designing new light post banners that will adorn Monterey Road in Downtown Gilroy.
14 selected designs will each earn $500 and be featured prominently in our community!
📅 Deadline: Submit your designs by 4:00 PM on Thursday, December 3, 2026.
📬 How to submit: Designs may be submitted electronically to https://gilroy.city/artform, or dropped off at the Gilroy City Hall Information Desk, located at 7351 Rosanna Street.
Let’s make the streets of Gilroy a canvas of our creativity!
For more information and templates, visit the For the Love of Gilroy webpage.
For questions and sponsorship information, please contact Manage Analyst Trainee Kylie Katsuyoshi at kylie.katsuyoshi@cityofgilroy.org.
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You're Invited: Free Energy Savings Workshop
Monday, November 9
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The community is invited to join the Silicon Valley Clean Energy workshop on Monday, November 9. Learn about programs, rebates, and resources that could help lower your energy expenses. This free event is open to all community members.
Representatives from SVCE and Breathe California will be on-site to answer questions. Dinner will be provided, and attendees will have the chance to win raffle prizes.
Event Details
Date: Monday, November 9
Time: 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Location: Gilroy High School, 750 W 10th St.
Space is limited. Reserve your spot by visiting Silicon Valley Clean Energy Workshop.
| | Santa Teresa Fire Station Staffing Report | | |
Between October 2 and October 8, 2026, our firefighters staffed the Interim Santa Teresa Fire Station for 5 days.
We will staff the station as often as available personnel and responsible overtime practices allow.
When we have enough staffing, we will place the station in service with either:
- A Type 1 engine with three firefighters, or
- A Type 6 engine with two firefighters, depending on daily personnel availability.
On days when we do not have qualified personnel, we will leave the station unstaffed. This approach aligns with our seasonal operations.
We will continue to staff the station whenever heightened public safety concerns arise, including:
- State of emergency declarations
- Red Flag Warnings
- Fourth of July and surrounding weekends
- Potential flood conditions or other disasters
- Public events or gatherings where increased risk is identified
This weekly report is part of our ongoing commitment to transparency regarding the staffing status of the Santa Teresa Fire Station.
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Thank you to everyone who shared their feedback about parks and recreation in Gilroy last week with our consultants, who visited Coffee with the Mayor and Cafecito and hosted two community meetings to talk about parks and recreation in Gilroy. Your thoughts, ideas, and feedback about what parks, trails, and recreation programming should look like in Gilroy are incredibly valuable. From program suggestions to new classes or events, your voices help us to better understand the community’s recreation needs and priorities for the future.
If you haven’t completed the survey, please visit the Parks and Recreation Assessment project page to share your feedback on parks, trails, and recreation programming. Your input will guide future planning and ensure we offer opportunities that meet the needs of all residents.
| | Development Activity in Gilroy | | Over the next few months, we're highlighting various development projects currently underway in Gilroy. For additional information about development activity in Gilroy, visit the Development Activity Projects webpage. | | |
Heat Wave Industrial Warehouse Project
On May 1, 2025, the City approved an Architectural and Site Review permit for the Heat Wave project, which consists of three industrial warehouse buildings on a vacant 7.29-acre site. The site is located between Forest Street and Murray Avenue in the M1 (Limited Industrial) zoning district and the Murray-Las Animas Overlay District. Heat Wave designs and sells eyewear and is headquartered in Gilroy. This project will enable the company to expand its operations. Construction has not yet begun.
For additional details, please visit the Heat Wave Project webpage.
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Voices of Our Community
Celebrating Positive Feedback
| | While working with a customer on a fire alarm control panel sprinkler monitoring system replacement project, our Permit Technician, Lisa Hernandez, and Fire Marshal, Jonathan Crick, coordinated closely with the customer on plan review, permitting, and inspections. Over the course of the project, we received the following feedback: | | Really appreciate you both. | | You are very efficient and been amazingly helpful. Really appreciate you. | | You've been above and beyond helpful. Definitely is important to be practical but also keep things up to code and safe which you do both well. | | I will gladly pass on the great experience we have had. We deal with a lot of cities Permit processes and plan submittals. Gilroy is one of the best to work with. | | We are thrilled to hear about your positive experience and appreciate you taking the time to share this feedback. Our Community Development Department – Building Safety and Fire Prevention Teams are committed to exceptional customer service, and it is wonderful to see that reflected in your project. | | |
Have you noticed any potholes, water leaks, streetlight outages, tree issues, or have a neighborhood or city-related concern?
Our online service request portal and mobile app (available for download in the App Store and Google Play), GilroyConnect, makes it easier than ever to report city-related concerns.
With just a few simple steps, you can submit your request, track your service request, and view other resident requests.
Once your request is submitted, you will have the option to create an account, which will give you access to additional features and to receive updates on your service request.
| | | Ask Gilroy: Your City, Your Questions! | | |
Thank you to everyone who submitted questions!
We've provided answers to one of the questions below, and look forward to more questions this week.
❓Can you provide updates about the Gilroy Sports Park and the delay/cancellation of the Gilroy Ice Rink?
The City Council received the Gilroy Sports Park Ice Skating Facility Ad Hoc Committee report on Monday, October 5. The report found that no economically feasible path currently exists to construct the Facility and recommended discontinuing active pursuit of the project. City Council directed staff to move forward with annexing the Gilroy Sports Park property through the Santa Clara County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), so that the site remains positioned for future development consistent with the Gilroy Sports Park Master Plan. Both the City of Gilroy and Sharks Sports & Entertainment remain committed to pursuing the project if economic feasibility changes in the future.
| Have a question about Gilroy’s services, projects, or community happenings? Submit it through the "Submit a Question" button above. Each week, we'll answer one or two in our newsletter so you can stay informed and connected. | |
City of Gilroy
Office Hours
Gilroy City Hall is open to the public Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, and on Friday by appointment only.
City of Gilroy
(408) 846-0219
7351 Rosanna Street, Gilroy, CA 95020
www.cityofgilroy.org
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