Silicon Valley climate activists are urging the VTA to declare a climate emergency and reallocate funds from a 2016 half-cent sales tax to public transit projects in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But the San Jose City Council on Tuesday, which has five directors on the VTA board that includes Mayor Sam Liccardo...
San Jose lawmakers approve plan to keep Winchester Ranch seniors housed
For seven tumultuous years, the residents of a west San Jose mobile home park dueled with the city over razing their community of mobile homes to build 700 units of luxury housing. But last week, the uncertainty the park’s residents faced for nearly a decade was put to rest. Lawmakers unanimously approved a plan that...
San Jose city, business leaders announce new ‘Innovation Zone’
San Jose city officials and business leaders on Thursday unveiled a new “innovation zone” on the city’s west side, where companies can test new technology and the onetime Century 21 theater building may become a new “Innovation Hub.” The new innovation zone, announced by San Jose Vice Mayor Chappie Jones and Councilmember Dev Davis will...
Amid opposition, San Jose approves hotel’s use of San Pedro Square garage
Despite opposition from neighbors and downtown businesses, San Jose lawmakers approved a plan to allow guests of a proposed 19-story hotel with more than 200 rooms to park off-site at a public parking garage. The arrangement approved Tuesday between the proposed Almaden Corner Hotel and the city to allow hotel guests to use up to...
Unusual allies: Ex-San Jose mayor endorses Dave Cortese for Senate
After lending his support to Mayor Sam Liccardo in his 2014 run for mayor against Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese, former Mayor Tom McEnery is all in for Cortese — an unusual decision given the two politicians’ starkly opposite views. Cortese, who this year terms out from the Board of Supervisors after 12 years...
Khamis: Potential highway/streets funding diversion — and how I’m fighting it
We have an important vote coming up at City Council on Jan. 28 when we will decide whether to discuss a memo I authored, along with my colleagues, Vice Mayor Chappie Jones and Councilmembers Dev Davis and Pam Foley. We are calling on VTA to keep its commitment to the voters who approved 2016’s Measure...
San Jose firefighters unveil new life-saving truck
After several years of destructive wildfires in California, San Jose firefighters on Saturday unveiled a new fire engine that costs close to $1 million but could travel the state to help extinguish disastrous blazes. “We build it from the ground up to make sure we get all the equipment we want and need in there,”...
San Jose lawmakers approve new tax for primary ballot
A hotly contested real property transfer tax will be placed on the March 2020 ballot, but it wasn’t easy getting there. Several lawmakers reignited a debate Tuesday around putting the measure on the ballot before settling on a draft. In a 8-3 vote, the councilors approved the ballot draft language for next year’s primary election,...
Santa Clara officials discuss 2020 ballot question, innovation and transportation collaboratives
Santa Clara city leaders on Tuesday approved the language set to appear on the March 3, 2020 ballot to split the city into districts for future voting following a tense discussion that at times turned to yelling and head-shaking from audience members. Now, the question of how the city will redistrict is in residents’ hands....
San Jose education leader revokes City Council endorsement
In a stunning move Sunday night, a leading Evergreen education leader revoked her endorsement of San Jose City Councilmember Sylvia Arenas, who is facing re-election in 2020. Evergreen School Board President Bonnie Mace announced she’s withdrawing her support for Arenas and opting instead for a sole endorsement of her challenger Jim Zito, also an Evergreen...