A fourth finalist for the San Jose Planning Commission was named late Friday, the latest wrinkle in what’s become a highly-politicized process to fill two seats on the city’s most powerful commission. Attorney George Casey was named a fourth finalist and will compete for one of two vacancies on the panel. The winding saga of...
San Jose leaders adopt environmental building codes
San Jose leaders on Tuesday voted 10-0 to adopt a new reach code ordinance that mandates all new buildings to become electric, a bold effort many supporters and environmental advocates praised as a response to what the City Council also unanimously declared is a “climate emergency.” Vice Mayor Chappie Jones did not vote, as he...
In diverse Silicon Valley, lawmakers are flooded with hate mail
San Jose prides itself on its diversity — a myriad of different cultures represented by an equally diverse City Council. But behind the scenes, many lawmakers in the heart of Silicon Valley are bombarded with aggressive and threatening hate mail, often mirroring stereotypically racist rhetoric. Though some councilmembers didn’t report receiving much hate mail during...
Three finalists for San Jose Planning Commission announced
After months of speculation, three finalists for a highly-coveted position on the San Jose Planning Commission were announced Thursday. According to city documents, the finalists are: Mariel Caballero, a Santa Clara County deputy director at the probation department; Louis Barocio, vice principal at East Side Union High School District; and business owner Rolando Bonilla. The...
San Jose approves law to curb Section 8 housing discrimination
As part of a slew of sweeping measures aimed at strengthening tenant protections, San Jose lawmakers on Tuesday voted 9 to 2 in favor of adopting a law that bars landlords from discriminating against renters with housing subsidies such as Section 8 vouchers. After more than three hours of back and forth deliberations, the City Council...
VTA directors ponder their future in latest committee meeting
In the aftermath of this summer’s explosive grand jury findings, VTA has been taking a long, hard look at its current governance setup. At the latest Ad-hoc Board Enhancement Committee meeting, members of VTA’s Board of Directors fielded a wide-ranging discussion about how to best address not only the findings of the grand jury, but...
San Jose council to mull workforce standards and new billboards
After a month-long summer recess, San Jose lawmakers on Tuesday will discuss initiatives that strengthen a recently-approved wage law for workers on projects that receive tax breaks and a plan to place two new billboards on city property. Headlining next week’s City Council meeting is a proposal that adds protections for construction workers on city-subsidized...
San Jose City Council: Who pays their staff the most?
Who pays interns? Also working on the floor is a few dozen interns – but they’re not all paid. Most of the councilors without paid interns, however, said that they often offer interns salaries if they wish to continue past their internship period. A spokesperson for Liccardo confirmed that while his office offers year-round paid fellowship programs,...
San Jose OKs three new fire stations, relocating two existing stations
San Jose is now in the market to build three new fire stations and relocate two existing ones after the City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to move forward with the search for five new sites. Emergency responses have spiked 83 percent in the last decade, according to a memo from San Jose Fire Chief...
San Jose looks to boost energy resiliency in wake of wildfire-driven blackouts
Since the California Public Utilities Commission decided to allow energy providers to unilaterally turn off the lights when the risk for wildfires is high, San Jose lawmakers want to know how it will affect the more than one million residents in the city. In a new memo, Mayor Sam Liccardo, Vice Mayor Chappie Jones and Councilmembers Sergio...