Santa Clara County is keeping its indoor mask mandate even when the state and several neighboring counties are ready to ease back some COVID-19 restrictions as soon as next week. Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state health department announced Monday that California will begin pulling back some of its COVID-19 rules, starting with the mask...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County supervisors approve millions for affordable housing
Several affordable housing projects are coming to Santa Clara County as officials race to build more homes to address growing homelessness. The Board of Supervisors approved $75.5 million on Tuesday to build six new affordable housing projects—four in San Jose, one in Mountain View and one in Sunnyvale—adding 758 apartments to the South Bay’s housing...
Santa Clara County puts funds toward disaster service workers
Santa Clara County is adding scores of permanent workers who can focus on delivering COVID-19 aid to residents amid an ongoing pandemic. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to pay for 251 disaster service worker positions. Most of these positions will be added to the County Executive Office and Office of Emergency Management, and...
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San Jose approves park plan to keep homeless out of flight path
San Jose is moving forward with plans to convert a 40-acre homeless encampment at the Guadalupe River Park in downtown into a recreational site. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, councilmembers unanimously approved plans to build a prototype park, Guadalupe Gardens, to help prevent homeless camps from popping up again and comply with Federal Aviation Administration...
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San Jose flood victims await relief five years later
San Jose residents who suffered through a disastrous flood enjoyed a significant courtroom victory just weeks before the five-year anniversary of the catastrophe that upended their lives. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Sunil Kulkarni struck down a motion for summary judgment on Jan. 27 filed by Valley Water. The district filed its motion in...
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Going to an event in San Jose? You’ll likely need a COVID booster
San Jose’s COVID-19 booster mandate for those attending large events at city-owned facilities is officially in effect. Some operators are reporting no impact on the amount of visitors so far. The requirement, passed by the City Council in late January, went into effect last Friday and only applies to indoor events with 50 people or more. It...
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Top lobbyists give the max to most San Jose mayoral candidates
The San Jose mayoral race is just getting started, but lobbyist donations are already flowing in. Of the nearly $1.5 million raised last December for the San Jose mayoral race, about $44,000 came from lobbyists or their firms. Donors distributed funds almost evenly between the four leading candidates: San Jose Councilmembers Matt Mahan, Dev Davis and Raul Peralez...
Santa Clara County candidates report 2021 money haul
The race is on to replace Santa Clara County’s long-term assessor, sheriff and district attorney. The top two DA candidates have raised a cumulative $725,000, while the two leading contestants for assessor have raked in more than $571,000. Below is a glimpse of what candidates in county races raised from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31,...
Santa Clara County sheriff candidate secures key endorsement
A contender for the top law enforcement job in Santa Clara County has won a coveted endorsement. The Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of Santa Clara County is throwing its support behind retired sheriff Capt. Kevin Jensen, who announced his run for sheriff last September. The association’s members voted overwhelmingly to support endorsing him. “We know Kevin Jensen...
Santa Clara County wants to empower minority-owned businesses
Santa Clara County is launching a disparity study to level the playing field for minority-owned businesses. The county wants to be more inclusive by identifying underrepresented businesses facing language and cultural barriers that have been left out in the past. Dennis King, executive director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Silicon Valley, said organizations that get...