Los Gatos’ former police chief Peter Decena was ousted by the town manager amid efforts to hire more 911 dispatchers, says the president of the town’s police union. “I can tell you what he told me personally to tell the press… He resigned in lieu of being fired by the town manager,” Bryan Paul, president...
Los Gatos expands housing advisory board to include residents
As the debate over Los Gatos’ plan to densify housing continues to escalate, the town is asking the public to join the policy-making process. Los Gatos is seeking up to four residents to serve on its housing element advisory board, which will help develop strategies and policies to accommodate new housing required by state law. The...
Residents split on Los Gatos’ plan to densify housing
Los Gatos’ goal to densify its housing is too ambitious, residents say, but they can’t agree on how the town should address the issue. Democracy Tent, a group of Los Gatos residents, invited officials to a virtual meeting Monday to talk about the town’s goal to include more housing in its 2040 General Plan. Los...
Los Gatos Vice Mayor Rob Rennie jumps into supervisorial race
Los Gatos Vice Mayor Rob Rennie is officially jumping into the race to replace Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman who terms out in 2022. Rennie is running for District 1, which includes parts of San Jose, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and county unincorporated areas. An engineer for 25 years, Rennie has served...
Trustees stand behind Los Gatos superintendent in COVID-19 vaccine scandal
Los Gatos Union School District trustees are backing the district’s superintendent almost a week after he came under fire for encouraging teachers to skip the line for COVID-19 vaccines by pretending to be health care workers. “I firmly believe teachers are essential workers and that we should be vaccinating them all as soon as possible,”...
State watchdog fines San Jose Water executive, Cupertino political committee for campaign violations
The state’s political watchdog has fined a Silicon Valley political action committee and San Jose Water Chief Administrative Officer Andrew Walters $5,000 for failing to file campaign finance reports on time. The Cupertino Chamber PAC and Walters, who was the committee’s treasurer at the time, failed to timely file two expenditure reports disclosing a total...
Sand Hill invokes controversial state law to build 91 townhomes in Saratoga
Sand Hill Property Co. is planning a new 91-townhome development in Saratoga, but the project comes with a twist: the prominent developer is using a controversial state law to streamline city approvals. Since Senate Bill 35 took effect in 2018, the law, which speeds up the development of certain housing projects, has been used only...
Cupertino commissioner threatens lawsuit for Nextdoor posts
The Cupertino Planning Commission chair who in July came under fire for a past harassment lawsuit and more recent controversial posts on social media site NextDoor says a former resident’s postings on the site have defamed his character and he is considering legal action. Planning Commission Chair R “Ray” Wang’s attorney, Krista Baughman, a partner...
Residents brace for 8×8’s move next to busy Campbell intersection
Campbell officials celebrated the day San Jose-based 8×8 announced it would become the city’s largest employer by moving its headquarters to a busy part of the small South Bay city in the new year. But rather than excitement, some residents or neighbors can only muster anxiety about the news of the move. The office it’s set...
Cupertino policymaker in hot water for past sexual harassment lawsuit
After making headlines for encouraging people to contact pro-growth activists’ employers to get them “reprimanded,” Cupertino Planning Commission Chair R “Ray” Wang is in hot water again — this time for a sexual harassment lawsuit that was buried for more than a decade. Rosanne Foust, a top transportation leader, accuses Wang of sending sexually explicit...