Silicon Valley’s powerful chamber of commerce announced its new CEO a week before its Board of Directors could vote to approve it—an apparent violation of its bylaws. And now some of the group’s top leaders are questioning the hiring process and calling it flawed. The Silicon Valley Organization, plagued by months of scandal over a...
Is San Jose still the 10th largest U.S. city?
The heart of Silicon Valley might have lost its claim to fame as the 10th largest city in the nation. During a Charter Review Commission meeting Monday night, San Jose State University retired political science professor Terry Christensen made a statement that raised eyebrows during his presentation: the city of Austin, Texas surpassed San Jose in...
San Jose prepares for public reaction to Chauvin verdict
San Jose officials are preparing for demonstrations following the verdict reached by jurors in the case of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. On Tuesday afternoon, jurors found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. He faces up to 75 years behind bars. Top city...
Illegal dumping in San Jose could soon cost $10,000
Throwing a mattress by the side of the freeway or a bag of trash on a city sidewalk could soon cost $10,000. A pair of San Jose officials want to crack down on illegal dumping by quadrupling fines residents would face if they’re caught. Right now, fines begin at $2,500 but they could start at...
What stocks do San Jose lawmakers own?
San Jose elected officials can hold stocks, but at what point does it interfere with their work? Stock ownership became an issue for the San Jose City Council in February when two members abruptly recused themselves from a vote on hazard pay for grocery workers due to a potential conflict of interest. “That was a learning lesson for me,”...
San Jose RV dwellers find more leniency as tow companies find less profit
As Debbie Guzman got out of the hospital, she received a call from her only neighbor—police officers were trying to get into Guzman’s RV. By the time she got back to her vehicle on Will Wool Drive in San Jose, she said officers told her the vehicle would be impounded for unpaid registration, forcing Guzman...
San Jose names new park in honor of Filipino farmworkers
The thousands of Filipinos who have lived and worked in San Jose for generations will get a park named after their ancestors—the first such park in the city. A soon-to-be-completed park in East San Jose on Gimelli Way will be named after a Filipino-American group following a unanimous City Council vote Tuesday. The approved name, Delano Manongs...
How to help San Jose students return to the classroom
After a year of distance learning, students returning to the classroom may experience anxiety and insecurity. What can parents do to help? According to Dane Caldwell-Holden, director of student services for San Jose Unified School District, being back at school is going to look and feel different during the coronavirus pandemic. “This is not typical...
San Jose’s micro-retail center could shape future public spaces
A downtown San Jose business incubator and shopping center could be a blueprint for local lawmakers to develop future successful public spaces. A recent Knight Foundation study found widely applicable lessons learned from Moment, a micro-retail space in San Pedro Square, including how to build community engagement around public spaces, reimagining old and neglected spaces...
San Jose trash rates expected to increase due to household waste, improper recycling
San Jose residents will likely pay more to get their garbage and recycling picked up from the curb next year. Thanks to increased single-family household waste and contaminated recyclables during the pandemic, the San Jose City Council accepted a report Monday that higher garbage rates are likely unavoidable, despite the financial strains residents are feeling....