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San Jose City Council candidate involved in a fatal collision

San Jose City Council candidate Jenny Higgins Bradanini revealed late Wednesday night that she was involved in a collision that killed a 66-year-old man. “Monday morning in Los Gatos, I was involved in a tragic car accident that resulted in a fatality of a man,” Higgins Bradanini wrote in the email. “I am heartbroken and...

Santa Clara County lawmakers put off Laura’s Law decision

The much-anticipated vote on whether or not to implement Laura’s Law in Santa Clara County is now another six weeks away. The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to push the decision in order to hear a more in-depth presentation on current mental health, substance abuse and general intervention services provided by the county’s Behavioral...

UPDATE: San Jose approves purchase of affordable Curtner Studio Apartments

The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the purchase of an apartment complex to convert it to a 100 percent supportive housing development at its last meeting of the year, securing nearly $15 million in funds for the project from Santa Clara County. Mayor Sam Liccardo was absent from Tuesday’s meeting. The councilmembers...

Santa Clara initiates litigation against business group accused of overbilling

Santa Clara lawmakers voted Tuesday to sue the former Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce, following a recent audit that claimed the chamber overbilled the city for nearly $580,000 while managing the city’s convention center. The announcement was made by City Attorney Brian Doyle at the start of Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “The council authorized the initiation of...

By discussing past, San Jose officials aim to temper racial bias in future

With an eye toward building a more equitable San Jose, the City Council last week re-examined San Jose’s history and discussed racial inequities that have kept hundreds of immigrants — predominantly of Mexican descent — from keeping up economically with white residents. A panel of three top experts on race and equity — Stephen Pitti,...

Silicon Valley candidates rally for support in San José Spotlight forum

Eighteen Silicon Valley candidates across four local and legislative races answered dozens of questions this month about homelessness, transportation, climate change and economic development in a two-hour discussion hosted by San José Spotlight. The Dec. 4 forum, held at CreaTV San Jose’s downtown studios and moderated by senior reporter Janice Bitters, was the first of two...

2019 was the year of housing in San Jose

If the San Jose City Council’s policy work this past year could be summarized in one word it would be housing. In 2019, San Jose passed a slew of housing initiatives meant to increase the city’s housing supply, while also tweaking crucial rent control and tenant protections, which housing officials enforce and implement through the city’s Rent...