After grappling with years of people dumping trash in the recycling, San Jose is doubling the number of larger trash bins across the city at no extra cost. It’s part of a pilot program launched in July 2022 to provide bigger trash cans to nearly 4,200 residents in key areas with high recycling contamination rates....
Conservative group bombards San Jose school board meeting
Supporters of a censured Franklin-McKinley School District trustee showed up in force at a recent board meeting, but some say they are outsiders pushing an agenda. Informed Parents of Silicon Valley members spoke out at Tuesday night’s school board meeting, following Trustee Marc Cooper’s colleagues asking him to denounce the organization and resign earlier this...
UPDATE: Is San Jose spending too much on homeless outreach?
San Jose leaders are questioning if spending millions on homeless outreach is worth the investment, with efforts producing single-digit success rates last year. San Jose spent $24 million in federal grants last year aimed at addressing homelessness. Of the more than 1,000 people experiencing homelessness that two city-funded nonprofits reportedly connected with, less than 10%...
San Jose employees spent millions on travel, entertainment and dinners
From Disney resorts to animal funeral services, San Jose City Hall employees spent millions with city credit cards this past year. About a quarter of San Jose employees have city-funded credit cards, known as purchase cards or P-cards. The cards are typically issued to specific department representatives with intent to streamline small dollar purchases—mostly office...
Another warehouse planned for South San Jose
A freestanding home on a large plot of land in the South San Jose foothills is set to be demolished to make way for a warehouse. Gretchen Kendrick, chief executive officer of Xebec, a Dallas-based real estate development and investment firm, is proposing the project for nearly six acres at 469 Piercy Road near the corner...
Silicon Valley female officials face violence and family threats
A woman who runs for office in today’s political climate can find herself navigating a minefield of hostile, threatening public behavior, and she will face higher levels of harassment and danger than her male counterparts. In a first of its kind survey, the California Women’s List collected more than 100 responses from various gender identities...
Former San Jose council hopeful takes another try at District 8
San Jose City Council hopeful Sukhdev Bainiwal said he has watched his Evergreen neighborhood deteriorate over the past 40 years. He believes he will be the one to change the district’s trajectory. Bainiwal is a 56-year-old engineer, former city airport commissioner and longtime director on the board of the Sikh Gurdwara of San Jose. He is looking...
San Jose builds bridge between police and lowriders
San Jose’s rocky relationship with lowriding is taking an unexpected turn—the city will have a police car converted into a cruise-ready piece of art. The San Jose City Council voted Tuesday to donate a Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor to be transformed into a lowrider, a customized car with hydraulics that allow it to bounce or...
Labor union adviser enters District 6 San Jose race
Lifelong San Jose resident Olivia Navarro was on her deathbed last year when she realized she needed to change her life. While hospitalized from COVID-19, Navarro told herself if she recovered she would fulfill her high school dream of serving the community. Navarro is attempting to do just that by running for the open District 6...
UPDATE: Concerns remain after San Jose leaders approve police watchdog reforms
San Jose leaders moved forward with recommendations on how to improve the city’s police department, despite lingering concerns and drama around the resignation and retirement of the two top police auditors. San Jose City Council today approved all five recommendations from the Office of the Independent Police Auditor: tracking when an officer points a firearm...