Santa Clara County’s Civil Grand Jury for decades has attempted to improve government and investigate corruption, but whether it’s meeting those goals isn’t so clear. And most of the people lining up to serve on it are older white people. The Civil Grand Jury investigates complaints made by county residents, but not all complaints are...
San Jose Planning Commission OKs Berryessa public market plan
Vendors worried about the future of the San Jose Flea Market were dealt a blow Wednesday night. The San Jose Planning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend a revised development plan for the Berryessa BART Urban Village Plan, a 61.5-acre portion of the flea market site located on Berryessa Road near Highway 101. The site is...
San Jose’s Happy Hollow hangs on during the pandemic
The theater and rides at San Jose’s Happy Hollow Park & Zoo might be closed, but that didn’t dampen 4-year-old Zayden’s enthusiasm for his first time at the zoo. “I’m so excited!” said Zayden as he made his way from the ticket booth to the exhibits. Happy Hollow is owned and operated by San Jose’s Parks,...
San Jose police officers are getting a raise
Despite a year of tireless demands to defund the police, San Jose lawmakers voted unanimously to approve salary raises for officers in an updated labor agreement. The new agreement between San Jose and its police department takes effect July 1. The updated contract gives full-time officers a 3.85% raise – starting May 16. They’ll receive...
San Jose mayor, housing advocates talk post-pandemic housing
The region’s housing crisis isn’t going away even after the pandemic does, but advocates are searching for solutions. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and affordable housing executives joined together Friday for a roundtable discussion. The five-person panel talked about topics such as the state of the housing market, how employees can contribute to affordable housing, how to...
UPDATE: Valley Water OKs 9% rate hikes; faces opposition from San Jose mayor
The Santa Clara Valley Water District, the wholesale water provider for the county, approved water rate hikes in a unanimous vote by its directors Tuesday. Valley Water provides water to the San Jose Water Company, the San Jose Municipal Water System and the Great Oaks Water Company, who then sell the water to residents. It...
UPDATE: San Jose approves policy to rehire laid-off workers
A local labor-led ordinance will capitalize on a new state right-to-work law for the hospitality industry. The council unanimously approved a so-called “Return Together” ordinance, which mandates San Jose employers in the hospitality industry to rehire hotel and event workers, janitors and airport workers, among others, when they reopen. Priority will be given based on...
San Jose firefighters allege gear gave them cancer
When firefighter Teresa Mauldin was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2013, she attributed it to the dangers of the job. But Mauldin and more than four dozen San Jose firefighters now attribute the danger to the equipment they used and wore every day. “I feel betrayed,” she said. A group of 49 current and former San Jose firefighters,...
Morgan Hill Mayor Rich Constantine running for county supervisor
Morgan Hill Mayor Rich Constantine has joined the contest for Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman’s seat. Constantine joins former councilmember Johnny Khamis, County Board of Education President Claudia Rossi and Los Gatos Vice Mayor Rob Rennie in vying for the District 1 seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Wasserman’s term will...
Mansion proposal obstructs Santa Clara Valley ridgeline
A proposed Morgan Hill mansion is the target of a complaint claiming its construction will obstruct ridgeline views—something the county’s decades-old General Plan says should be avoided. “The whole idea is that ridgelines are the most aesthetically sensitive parts of the county, because everyone can see it,” said Brian Schmidt, advocacy director for environmental organization Green...