The San Jose City Council unanimously supported Mayor Liccardo’s new spending plan which aims to rebuild the economy and help San Jose recover from COVID. On March 9, the mayor released his annual March Budget Message with recommendations for the city’s 2021-2022 budget. Liccardo’s main focus is on creating jobs, helping local businesses get back...
Scooter aware: AI-endowed e-scooters hit San Jose streets
Thinking of taking the electric scooter you rented for a fast ride? Want to do wheelies off the curbs? You could find yourself banned from using a Link scooter ever again. The latest company approved to rent e-scooters in San Jose deploys artificial intelligence to make sure riders follow the rules. Riders who zip over...
How much will your San Jose water bill be in 2021?
Driven by maintenance costs and supply price increases, higher water bills could be coming to San Jose residents as soon as July—despite pandemic-related hardships and resident pushback. Read more to learn about increases from your specific provider by selecting them below. Santa Clara Valley Water District | San Jose Water | Great Oaks Water Company | San Jose...
Street races: San Jose could target sideshow promoters
As illegal street racers continue to terrorize San Jose neighborhoods, city leaders are pushing forward a new law to target sideshow promoters and supporters. The committee that sets agendas for the San Jose City Council has unanimously approved a plan to make it illegal to promote racing on social media or elsewhere. Councilmember Dev Davis said SJPD’s...
San Jose to establish COVID-19 ‘Resiliency Corps,’ hire up to 500 youth
San Jose’s mayor hopes to create a jobs program to help bounce back from the economic devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The “Resilience Corps” would hire up to 500 residents, mostly young adults, to focus on five specific areas of need, Mayor Sam Liccardo said, including pandemic response, environmental issues, education support, disaster preparedness...
Tiny home inspires San Jose mom to support fellow homeless people
Cindy Trinh keeps a busy schedule: The first two times San José Spotlight reached out to her, she said she couldn’t talk—she was driving to an encampment to hand out food to the homeless. One of her three children could be heard crying in the background. “Being a single mom with three kids is very...
Where should San Jose build affordable housing?
Most San Jose residents support affordable housing—but there’s less agreement on where to put it. Almost every precinct in the city backed Measure A in 2016, allowing Santa Clara County to borrow $950 million by issuing bonds to fund affordable housing. But when it comes to the details, even advocates disagree—should affordable housing be built in...
Gunshot detection technology is ready for testing in San Jose
San Jose is ready to launch its gunshot detection pilot program with hopes of decreasing crime in the Cadillac Winchester Neighborhood, an area in West San Jose historically impacted by gun violence. The San Jose Police Department will host virtual community meetings on March 17 and 18 so residents can learn more about gunshot detection...
A ‘history of complicity’: Business group explores how to help the housing crisis
A powerful business organization known to push back against low-income housing policies could change its stance to help solve San Jose’s housing crisis. That was the sentiment this week at the Silicon Valley Organization’s first housing committee meeting of the year. The meeting Wednesday brought developers and housing advocates — two often clashing groups —...
Will cannabis come to retail centers in San Jose after another delay?
If you’re looking for a cannabis dispensary in San Jose, you have 16 to choose from. But you won’t be able to find one next to a CVS or your favorite restaurant: By city ordinance, all dispensaries are located in industrial zones instead of with other retail in places like strip malls. The San Jose City...