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After being whittled down by fierce community opposition, San Jose lawmakers have officially paused a plan to erect digital billboards on private property. Before lawmakers stopped it, Phase 2 of the city’s signage plan involved placing electronic billboards on public buildings downtown and up to 75 digital signs on private property along freeways. The proposal...
San Jose school district to monetize land to fund educational programs
After years of struggling to stay afloat financially, the Cambrian School District will now be able to monetize its excess land to bring in cash for education. Instead of selling the land outright, the Cambrian School District — long strapped for cash and hampered by budget cuts — opted to exchange 2.7 acres of its vacant...
San Jose, facing service cuts, looks to hire workers to boost COVID-19 vaccine rollout
Struggling to meet its COVID-19 vaccination goals, Santa Clara County is calling on San Jose to help. But helping the county ramp up vaccinations could mean a reduction in some city services. In response to the county’s call for mutual aid, San Jose could recruit up to 250 people — hired and funded by the...
Conference tackles Silicon Valley’s woes post COVID-19, starting with workplace diversity
Community leaders gathered at Joint Venture’s 17th State of the Valley conference Tuesday to discuss strategies for helping Silicon Valley address inequities. Each year Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a local nonprofit, hosts the event to discuss the findings of its Silicon Valley Index report: a 100+ page gold mine of data detailing just how the South...
San Jose seeks to squeeze more affordable housing out of developers
San Jose lawmakers Tuesday unanimously approved updates to a housing policy that requires developers to integrate affordable housing into new projects — but the plan had some South Bay builders riled up. “The city of San Jose’s ability to produce housing is clearly broken and the costs are too high,” Silicon Valley development company KT...
San Jose considers rate hike for garbage service
San Jose residents may be facing another unexpected consequence of the pandemic: Higher garbage bills. The city is working double time to collect weekly trash, which has only increased since people became more confined to their homes. As a result, residential garbage and recycling rates could increase up to $8.21 per month or $98.52 per...
San Jose Legends: East Side matriarch Blanca Alvarado fights on for justice
Editor’s Note: San Jose Legends is a new monthly series that tells the remarkable stories of the historic and legendary people who have helped shape and transform our city. When life gives Blanca Alvarado lemons, La Madrina — the godmother — of East San Jose, zests them for cake. While harvesting lemons from her backyard...
Could canceled homeless count in Santa Clara County affect funding?
A biennial count of Silicon Valley’s unhoused population —- critical for understanding if the homeless crisis is getting worse — won’t happen this year because of COVID-19. Some advocates worry that could mean a loss in federal funding for homeless services. Santa Clara County’s “Point-in-Time” count, which involves volunteers scouring streets, tents and underpasses to...
San Jose leaders push to limit council meetings that drag until midnight
After debating until midnight and cutting off public comments, San Jose lawmakers are on a mission to make City Council meetings more efficient. But they can’t always agree on next steps. City leaders on Wednesday voted 4-1 in favor of a plan forcing the San Jose City Council to contemplate its time management skills and...
San Jose mayor proposes plan to build housing on school property, gets pushback
A proposed move by San Jose to make it easier for school districts to sell and develop their land has irked some education leaders who say the city is overstepping its authority and keeping them in the dark. At stake are coveted and valuable properties that could be developed for housing, bring in cash for education and...