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San Jose businesses can continue operating safely outdoors through December, city lawmakers decided unanimously Tuesday. The Al Fresco program has allowed many businesses such as gyms and cafes to move outdoors amid COVID-19 health restrictions. But rules that permit businesses to run on city-owned parking lots, streets and parks free of charge were set to...
Behind closed doors: These are San Jose’s top 10 lobbyists
In the heart of Silicon Valley, local policies and laws, especially on land use and the economy, shape our way of life. But key policy discussions don’t always happen in public. Despite a global pandemic shuttering in-person meetings for more than a year, a data analysis by San José Spotlight found lobbying remains to be...
Historic or racist? San Jose lawmakers debate new designation
An effort to create a new historic district in an affluent part of San Jose is raising concerns the city is memorializing segregation and racism. Elected leaders voted 4-1 at a City Council committee meeting this week to nominate a new historic district near downtown called The Alameda Park/Schiele Avenue Historic District. Councilmember Dev Davis championed...
San Jose takes steps to get hospitality employees back to work
Losing her job at the DoubleTree hotel in San Jose during the pandemic meant Maria De Rueda could no longer afford to send her son to college. She got laid off after 21 years of service. “We had to tell our son that we could no longer afford his university tuition,” she said. “I want to...
San Jose police expect rise in sexual assault reports as shelter in place lifts
As Santa Clara County moves into the less restrictive orange tier, San Jose police are bracing for an alarming uptick in reports of sexual violence. Police suspect many cases of sexual violence that took place in 2020 behind closed doors have gone unreported due to shelter in place orders. “When the COVID-19 pandemic began, there was...
San Jose leaders push back against bill to change VTA governance
San Jose councilmembers are pushing against a new state bill that would keep them off the county’s transit board. AB 1091, introduced by Assemblymember Marc Berman, would prohibit elected officials from serving on the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) board. Instead, cities can appoint expert residents to represent their communities. San Jose would also...
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...
Santa Clara County approves scaled back hazard pay plan
After intense backlash from business groups, Santa Clara County lawmakers are scaling back a plan to give low-wage workers a pay bump for risking their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal is called hazard pay and it offers frontline employees a pay bump for working during the pandemic. San Jose approved a plan earlier...
San Jose leaders push to limit council meetings that drag until midnight
After debating until midnight and cutting off public comments, San Jose lawmakers are on a mission to make City Council meetings more efficient. But they can’t always agree on next steps. City leaders on Wednesday voted 4-1 in favor of a plan forcing the San Jose City Council to contemplate its time management skills and...
Hazard pay is coming to San Jose for grocery workers
Hazard pay is finally on its way for San Jose grocery workers. After hours of debate, the San Jose City Council voted 7-3 on Tuesday to give retail food workers an extra $3 per hour for putting their health at risk during the pandemic. Hazard pay would apply only to stores that have over 300...