Three prominent Cupertino government buildings are set to switch to green energy as the city warms up to the idea of solar power. The Cupertino City Council voted 3-2 Feb. 4 to install solar panels at the Quinlan Community Center, Cupertino Sports Center and Community Hall. Mayor Liang Chao and Councilmember R “Ray” Wang voted...
San Jose tackles thousands of homeless camp fires
Fires emanating from San Jose’s homeless encampments far outnumber those coming from homes and businesses, leaving nearby residents scared for their safety and health. Over the past year thousands of non-structural fires have been sparked by homeless camps, causing toxic fumes and safety problems for people and property. Jerry May, president of the San Jose Fire...
Cupertino app augments reality at nature preserve
Cupertino residents can now tour one of the city’s most historic nature preserves using augmented reality — a unique blend of a city known for its cutting-edge technology and agricultural roots. Cupertino recently soft-launched an augmented reality app, Cupertino McClellan Ranch, with the goal of teaching users about the 18-acre historic McClellan Ranch Preserve. The...
What happens to South County firefighters as district dissolves?
A fight over fire response in South County has sparked threats of service disruptions and put firefighter jobs in flux. Citing years of financial struggle and fragmented emergency response, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Jan. 14 to begin dissolving the fiscally insolvent South County Fire District. The decision will end an...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County artificial turf ban fails to move forward
A potential artificial turf ban in Santa Clara County is in stasis as officials have failed to come to a consensus. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors was unable to agree on how to limit artificial turf on county fields at its Tuesday meeting. The board rejected a total ban with a 2-3 vote,...
West Valley city with highest fire risk seeks emergency manager
One Santa Clara County community with high fire risk is proactively taking steps to protect residents from disaster amid blazes in another part of the state. The Los Gatos Town Council unanimously voted to create a full-time emergency preparedness manager position Tuesday, alongside allocating $1 million from reserves to partially cover their salary and boost wildfire and...
Valley Water CEO on leave amid misconduct complaint
Valley Water CEO Rick Callender is on “voluntary leave” after one of his employees filed a misconduct complaint against him, according to agency leaders. The region’s largest water supplier is searching for an interim leader in Callender’s absence through April 1. Richard Santos, a Valley Water board member and one of Callender’s elected bosses, confirmed...
Santa Clara tackles gas emission reductions
Santa Clara has paused its ban on natural gas in new buildings and is looking for other ways to lower its greenhouse gas emissions. The Santa Clara City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to suspend the city’s ban on natural gas in new construction over potential legal issues, with Councilmembers Kevin Park and Suds Jain voting...
San Jose-PG&E partnership could end power utility plans
Improved relations with PG&E could lead San Jose officials to drop the proposal for a city-owned power utility despite unanimous support from City Hall. As San Jose plans for growth to the north and downtown areas, Deputy City Manager Kip Harkness said in a recent memo that breakthroughs in talks with power giant PG&E could...
Silicon Valley water district maintains hiring freeze
Silicon Valley’s main water supplier will maintain a hiring freeze in order to offset hundreds of millions of dollars in a budget shortfall. Valley Water officials instituted a hiring freeze in February for 72 job vacancies amid a $222 million budget deficit for the fiscal year ending in June. The skyrocketing price tags for projects...