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A new poll floating around San Jose is trying to gauge how much support former Mayor Sam Liccardo would receive if he ran for Congress. The mysterious survey asks questions that pit Liccardo against Congressmember Zoe Lofgren, who currently represents parts of San Jose. About 10 questions tout the former mayor’s accomplishments, including his gun regulation law and leveling out...
FAA pauses investigation of Santa Clara County leaded fuel ban
The Federal Aviation Administration is temporary suspending its investigation into Santa Clara County’s ban on the sale of leaded fuel at its airports. The investigation is on hold for six months as part of an agreement signed this week between the FAA and county officials. The agreement also serves as an invitation for the two county...
Residents don’t want to retire in San Jose
San Jose residents don’t think the city is a good place to retire. In the latest annual audit of city services, 60% of residents surveyed said San Jose was a “poor/very poor” place to retire. It’s a sharp contrast to the 59% who said the city is a “good/excellent” place to work. The city survey randomly sampled...
Glitches spark controversy at San Jose flag ceremony
A flag raising ceremony has sparked concern about respect for San Jose’s Vietnamese residents. The city-sponsored event was held on Jan. 25 to celebrate the previous Lunar New Year weekend. Leaders said technical glitches and a lack of communication leading up to the ceremony were signs of inattention to the Vietnamese community. Dozens gathered last Saturday...
Santa Clara County sued for missing housing plan deadline
Housing advocates are taking Santa Clara County and several cities to court for their lackluster efforts in new housing amid an ongoing crisis. Californians for Homeownership, California Housing Defense Fund and YIMBY Law filed 12 lawsuits this week after numerous Bay Area cities and Santa Clara County failed to submit plans on how to achieve state mandated...
Longtime San Jose official leaves for smaller city
San Jose’s public works director has left to take on a leadership position in a neighboring city. Matt Cano, who worked for San Jose in a variety of roles over the span of nearly 24 years, took over as deputy city manager in Milpitas on Jan. 30. He has an annual base salary of $275,341, plus...
San Jose mayor criticized for secret committee meetings
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan created five committees to meet privately and advise him on the city’s most pressing problems, but some say the move lacks transparency and could flout the law. Mahan formed committees to help him tackle homelessness, crime, blight, permitting for development and downtown vibrancy. There are 123 total people on the committees, including community leaders, business executives,...
UPDATE: Santa Clara hires new city manager
Santa Clara is getting a new city manager after nearly a year of searching for the right person to lead the city. The Santa Clara City Council voted 4-1 to hire Jovan D. Grogan at an annual salary of $405,506. Councilmember Anthony Becker voted no. Mayor Lisa Gillmor and Councilmember Kathy Watanabe were absent. Grogan,...
San Jose council gets failing grade for policing
F is for failure. That’s the grade the San Jose City Council scored when it comes to decisions on policing, according to Sacred Heart Community Service’s report card. Advocates said the grades, released Monday, represent years of inaction on making meaningful police reform. “We need to make clear that our city council has failed us...
How clean is Silicon Valley’s drinking water?
It’s been more than two decades since the movie “Erin Brockovich” brought the real-life issue of contaminated drinking water in a small Southern California town to a mass audience. But the harmful compound at the heart of the film, Chromium-6, is still present in much of the drinking water around the state, including in the...