David Wulff and and Karina Gallardo Wulff were planning on leaving Santa Clara County if they couldn’t buy a house soon. The couple, who have two children, ages seven and five, had always lived in apartments. But they wanted more space and a yard, particularly for their kids to play in. The median sale price...
Santa Clara County makes it easier to building housing for agricultural workers
Citing a severe shortage of housing for farmworkers, Santa Clara County has paved the way to build more units by relaxing zoning and streamlining the permitting process. There are about 400,000 to 800,000 migrant farmworkers living and working in California. But while some counties have an idea of how many workers live in and travel...
Bob O’Keefe counts on roots in Santa Clara to boost City Council bid
Santa Clara is home, more than any other place, for Bob O’Keefe. It’s where he grew up, and where he chose to retire. Now he wants a seat on the City Council for a say in how to maintain and improve his favorite place. A retired California Highway Patrol officer, O’Keefe is running for the...
Suds Jain targets traffic, pollution, housing in bid for Santa Clara City Council
The planet’s changing climate disturbs Suds Jain so much, he says, that more than a decade ago he retired so he could have more time to fight it. A former electrical engineer, Jain is seeking election to Santa Clara City Council’s District 5 seat, competing against retired CHP lieutenant Robert “Bob” O’Keefe. Jain has been...
Santa Clara County scraps new jail plans for mental health facility
After pushing for construction of a new county jail in downtown San Jose for years, Santa Clara County supervisors are now putting the project on hold and proposing a mental health facility instead. When 2020 began, the tumultuous year became an unintended pilot program in reduced incarceration in the county. With a third of the...
UPDATE: Supervisors approve $1 million to review sex discrimination policies at county schools
After emotional and contentious debate about federal changes to campus sex discrimination laws, supervisors agreed to spend up to $1 million to study the issue in Santa Clara County schools. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Oct. 20 to begin the process of reviewing county compliance with Title IX and other laws regarding sexual harassment...
San Jose facility forced to move mentally ill patients, baffling families
Some 30 psychiatric patients who live in a Santa Clara County facility in San Jose have been notified they may have to move out — but they say they don’t know why. Riviera Villa houses patients with serious mental illness, developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries. The patients have been caught in the middle of...
Santa Clara approves new financial tracking for 49ers, Levi’s Stadium
After years of finger pointing and court battles, Santa Clara lawmakers approved a new way to keep tabs on Levi’s Stadium and the 49ers’ financials. Most recently, the city and 49ers have clashed over who owes money to whom. The 49ers, which manage Levi’s Stadium, say the city owes $2.74 million for losses from non-NFL...
Exclusive Q&A: Santa Clara County health chief answers San José Spotlight readers
Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody sat down Oct. 8 to answer San José Spotlight readers’ questions about the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding of the virus has evolved considerably since Cody last answered reader questions in April. The advice, however, has been consistent: People should maintain physical distance from those outside their household, avoid...
Update: Los Altos Hills, South Santa Clara fire districts dodge ax — for now
Despite scathing audits and pleas from fire officials to create a consolidated fire district, Santa Clara County Supervisors refused to dissolve the South Santa Clara and Los Altos Hills fire districts. Instead, supervisors punted the decision to the Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO. The group typically completes a comprehensive review of the county’s fire...
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