San Jose

San Jose

San Jose’s oldest park remains in disrepair

One of California’s oldest municipal parks in San Jose is still in disrepair after suffering damages from historic rain storms and ongoing neglect by the city. Alum Rock Park in the foothills of the Diablo mountains was one of the hardest hit areas by the January storms and has yet to make a full recovery....

How Live Nation almost took over San Jose venue

Newly obtained information reveals how Live Nation, a large live entertainment company, attempted to take over a key entertainment venue in San Jose in 2021. Emails withheld by the city and released to San José Spotlight after a judge’s ruling show Live Nation approached Team San Jose, a nonprofit that manages the city’s arts and...

Advocates say San Jose homeless ban at schools doesn’t solve problem

San Jose officials are considering banning homeless encampments and RVs around schools even as homeless advocates decry the move, saying it further criminalizes an already marginalized group of people. A proposal to prohibit homeless people and their vehicle dwellings within 150 feet of most city preschools, day cares and K-12 schools will go before the San Jose City Council in coming weeks after it...

UPDATE: San Jose delays decision on city-run power grid

The San Jose City Council is holding off on creating a new, city-run power utility until officials are better informed to make a decision. Councilmembers unanimously voted today to defer a decision to Oct. 3 that would amend city code to establish “San Jose Power” — a city-run electricity utility to capitalize on two new...

San Jose strikes deal to avoid worker walk off

San Jose leaders and union officials have reached a tentative deal on wages less than a day before the city’s core workforce prepared to strike. After months of impasse and a week spent in daily mediations, the city and its two largest unions—IFPTE Local 21 and AFSCME Local 101—agreed to suspend the strike until the...

San Jose flea market sales tax revenue took major hit

Newly obtained data shows how much San Jose’s historic flea market has contributed annually to city coffers and how it has faltered over time. Emails withheld by the city and released to San José Spotlight after a judge’s ruling show the financial decline of the San Jose Berryessa Flea Market, which has seen a roughly 50%...

San Jose leaders and unions close to striking a deal

San Jose leaders are moving toward a resolution with union leaders in an attempt to stop the biggest planned strike of city workers in recent history. Two of the city’s largest unions may reach a deal by Monday morning — 24 hours before the three-day strike is set to begin on Aug. 15. Staff Up...

San Jose has hundreds of vacancies but barely hiring

As San Jose braces for what could be largest strike by employees in 40 years, an examination of the city’s 800 job vacancies reveals that only a fraction are open for applicants. City officials say this is intentional and strategic – prioritizing the most important positions to fill first. But union leaders say some of...

Silicon Valley Black cultural center receives funding boost

As Silicon Valley’s Black population continues to shrink, local leaders are celebrating a decades-long effort with a new cultural center to honor the history and contributions of Black residents. The Silicon Valley African American Cultural Center is slated to open its doors in 2027, with the help of $3 million in state funds thanks to the...