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A local water company gave a lot of love last year to zoos, books, food and homeless services—as well as an advocacy nonprofit spearheaded by San Jose’s mayor. San Jose Water Company (SJWC), the largest water retailer in San Jose, gave $250,000 in donations to a number of local nonprofits in 2021 to help improve the...
San Jose official opposes extending water board term limits
A San Jose councilmember is calling out a local water board for putting a costly and “misleading” measure before voters. Councilmember Matt Mahan plans to introduce a resolution at City Council next week to oppose Valley Water’s ballot measure, which would allow members to serve four consecutive four-year terms instead of three. Mahan told San José Spotlight...
San Jose council review: Homeless report, mental health response
Homelessness, mental health response, cost-saving recommendations and fee decreases to incentivize commercial development were the hot topics at Tuesday’s San Jose City Council meeting. Here’s the weekly breakdown: Annual Homeless Report Despite the hardships exacerbated by COVID-19, the city’s housing department said it has made notable progress on San Jose’s 2020-2025 plan to end homelessness....
Election 2022: The race for San Jose City Council District 5
The fight for an East San Jose City Council seat is bound to be one of the most contested races this election season, as five candidates compete for voter support. With District 5 Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco terming out at the end of this year, some longtime community leaders and politicos are running for a chance to...
UPDATE: San Jose gives more fee breaks to commercial developers
Commercial developers in San Jose will see another fee cut—and some advocates say it’s at the expense of affordable housing. On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously approved a 20% reduction in commercial linkage fees citywide if the fees are fully paid before construction. The fee is a cost per square footage. The plan also increases...
Santa Clara County officials call freeway trash ‘a hot mess’
Willow Glen resident De Anna Mizradegan doesn’t understand why the Interstate 280 exit ramp near Meridian Avenue is constantly covered in trash. She’s contacted officials in San Jose and Santa Clara County to urge Caltrans to clean up the area, but claims the state agency has done almost nothing to keep this location clear of trash....
Santa Clara developer scales back project plans
A developer looking to redevelop 46 acres of northern Santa Clara has scaled back its plans by more than half. Mission Point is a proposal to build a new mixed-use neighborhood by developer Kylli at 3005 Democracy Way in Northern Santa Clara. It was first submitted in 2019 after collecting feedback that began in late 2017....
Santa Clara County to subsidize prescription drug costs
Santa Clara County is launching a program to help offset high prescription drug costs for residents with chronic diseases. MedAssist will provide monthly grants to adults who rely on asthma inhalers, insulin or epinephrine auto-injectors (EPI pens) to function on a daily basis. The county has worked on this effort for several years and has already enrolled several dozen...
Silicon Valley unemployment declines but disparities increase
Unemployment is in decline across Silicon Valley, but experts say the region’s recovery reflects social inequities. The South Bay’s unemployment rate dropped to 2.8% last month, 0.1% lower than the unemployment rate in March 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, according to a new report from Joint Venture Silicon Valley’s Institute for Regional Studies. Employers added...
Election 2022: The race for San Jose City Council District 1
With San Jose Vice Mayor Chappie Jones terming out this year, three candidates are vying to represent the residents of West San Jose. Ramona Snyder, president of the San Jose Downtown Foundation board, Rosemary Kamei, a Santa Clara County Board of Education trustee, and Tim Gildersleeve, a paratransit operator, are facing off for the District...