San Jose’s COVID-19 mask mandate is coming to an end almost two years after it was adopted. The city’s masking guidelines now align with the county and state, which lifted mask mandates earlier this year in almost all public indoor settings. The City Council unanimously approved ending local restrictions Tuesday with no discussion. Residents, regardless...
Silicon Valley residents left in droves during pandemic
Tens of thousands of people left Silicon Valley during the COVID-19 pandemic, but local housing and economics experts aren’t too worried about the mass exodus. The metro area encompassing San Jose, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale lost nearly 43,000 people between April 2020 and July 2021, according to recently released census data. That’s almost eight times more than the year before...
San Jose mayor candidate says opponent discouraged him from running
Two longtime labor leaders are running against each other for San Jose’s top political job, and one of them told the other to stay out—twice. San Jose Councilmember Raul Peralez claims Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez discouraged him from running for mayor—a position she announced she was seeking in September. Peralez was the first...
San Jose fire destroys elderly musicians’ home and instruments
Standing in front of the burned structure they used to call home, Jane Silver and Elaine Miller couldn’t help but be emotional. Music sheets, family photos and magazines still litter the ground. A broken and burned piano sits in their driveway. “We didn’t expect this,” Miller told San José Spotlight this week. “It was just another...
San Jose sees record in permits for backyard homes
San Jose residents are building mini homes in their backyards and bringing families close together. Despite economic hardships related to COVID-19 and supply chain delays, 2021 broke records for residents who want to add another home on their property. Permit requests for accessory dwelling units (ADU) reached 804, with 464 permits issued last year. The...
San Jose mayor’s nonprofit nets thousands from water company
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...