San Jose

By CivicFMGovernment

San Jose episodes

October 26Council steers housing study toward transit, accepts police auditor report
The San Jose City Council voted 9-2 to study tiered housing densities, higher near transit, in single-family neighborhoods. It also accepted the police auditor's 2025 report and denied an appeal over a data center in North San Jose.
City Council, Tuesday, October 20
Citywide planning work plan priorities and missing middle housing direction (02:01:49)
City staff said the citywide planning team is at about 130 percent of capacity for the coming year (02:04:36)
City staff said meeting all current timelines would take 3.3 more full-time staff the division does not have (02:04:36)
City staff said the legislature considered 1,800 bills in 2026, 300 of them on planning and land use, after more than 450 such bills in seven years (02:05:36)
City staff said the next housing element is due in January 2031 and work must begin by January 2028 at the latest (02:12:02)
City staff used the ADU condominium ordinance as an example, saying even an accelerated, clearly directed change took about six months (02:16:15)
City staff said the next budget's planning fee update would aim to add at least two positions (02:17:20)
City staff warned that adding geography to a graduated density approach requires more analysis and complexity (02:19:23)
City staff said a March return with citywide outreach is unrealistic (02:20:29)
City staff warned that excluding high-opportunity areas, as the second memo proposes, risks the state housing department rejecting the program (02:20:29)
The chair said 90 percent of planning capacity goes to responding to state mandates (02:52:48)
The chair said the childcare work is not new city funding but removing barriers to opening and running childcare centers (02:53:55)
The chair described the group memo's intent as tiered density, higher closer to high-frequency transit (02:56:11)
The chair said council members are seeking a meeting with the state housing department to test what it actually requires (02:57:16)
A councilmember stressed that the council is approving an analysis of density, not any density (02:58:41)
City staff said reaching all 10 council districts for outreach in about a month and a half is unlikely (03:03:11)
A councilmember moved the group memo, changing the return date from end of March to as soon as possible (03:06:16)
A councilmember added consideration of current densities for sites in moderate to severe fire hazard zones, restating August direction (03:07:18)
A councilmember explained she did not include the second memo because she opposes carving high-resource areas out of possible upzoning (03:07:18)
A councilmember objected that smoke shop zoning work, directed by the council in May 2024, was deferred again in the staff-preferred option (03:10:09)
A councilmember argued East San Jose neighborhoods with more smoke shops and liquor stores also see disproportionate rates of cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure (03:13:02)
The chair said the council could choose in the next budget to fund more planners to speed up the backlog (03:14:02)
A councilmember said the department had previously told the council it did not need more planners, and urged staff to pursue outside grants (03:16:10)
The chair said he recently helped bring in $750,000 from Bloomberg to speed multifamily permitting (03:17:19)
George Casey (Councilmember, District 10) argued that if transit access justifies tiers, areas far from transit should stay at current density (03:17:52)
George Casey (Councilmember, District 10) urged first absorbing new state missing middle laws before upzoning, saying upzoning cannot be reversed (03:20:07)
Rosemary Kamei (Councilmember, District 1) said the current workload is not sustainable (03:22:05)
City staff said the tiered analysis would force deferral of other housing element work, including updates to the public outreach policy (03:24:59)
Rosemary Kamei (Councilmember, District 1) opposed the substitute, saying excluding areas would push density onto other districts (03:28:16)
A councilmember thanked colleagues for elevating the childcare policy work (03:29:45)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) opposed the substitute as adding risk with the state and being unfair to other districts (03:31:34)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) noted state law (SB 9) already allows four units on any single-family parcel (03:33:40)
Domingo Candelas (Councilmember, District 8) said his memo does not oppose the missing middle program but asks for judgment based on neighborhood conditions (03:34:34)
Michael Mulcahy (Councilmember, District 6) asked whether dropping the 32-units-per-acre study would free up capacity (03:36:13)
City staff said that before going that way, staff would want an early read from the state housing department (03:37:55)
A councilmember proposed directing the city attorney to prepare a local control protection strategy on charter authority and state preemption limits (03:39:41)
The chair suggested the city's intergovernmental relations team begin with research instead (03:41:49)
City staff said the administration could give an update on the local control work in January, as part of the 2027 legislative program (03:43:56)
A councilmember said she would vote against the substitute over fairness (03:46:28)
The chair said he would not back the substitute if it meant Districts 8 and 10 were removed from consideration (03:50:16)
City staff said transit access usually means within a half mile, so defining limited access beyond that is arbitrary (03:51:13)
City staff proposed seeking written feedback from the state housing department before investing heavily in the analysis (03:53:06)
The chair said the community has been told a final vote on the approach is expected by December next year (03:56:03)
A councilmember cautioned that a new state administration could change the state housing department's leadership and philosophy (03:56:40)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) argued removing high-resource neighborhoods would push development into lower-resource areas (03:57:41)
2025 Independent Police Auditor year-end report and police response (01:02:17)
The police auditor said the office audited 330 internal affairs investigations in 2025, its most ever (01:06:25)
The police auditor said 102 of the 942 allegations closed during the year were sustained (01:06:25)
The police auditor reported procedural complaints up 58 percent, courtesy complaints up 33 percent and bias-based policing allegations up 40 percent, while cautioning that allegations are not findings of misconduct (01:07:29)
The police auditor said the department received 499 complaints in 2025, about 65 percent of them from members of the public (01:08:29)
The police auditor said the office agreed with department findings on first review in 290 cases, agreed after more investigation in 28, closed 11 with concerns and disagreed in one (01:10:54)
The police auditor reported 20 critical incidents in 2025, three of them officer-involved shootings, and use of force incidents up about 5 percent (01:14:02)
The police auditor recommended restricting license plate reader data to approved department systems with security and accountability controls (01:15:09)
The police auditor recommended the department give the auditor's office shooting and serious-injury investigative reports within 30 days of completion, with full evidence (01:17:22)
The police auditor summarized that the office reviewed 330 investigations, a record (01:19:28)
City staff said the department agrees with all 12 recommendations, either almost completely or in part (01:20:57)
City staff said a departmental order already bars employees from accessing sensitive law enforcement databases on personal devices (01:20:57)
City staff partly agreed on profanity, saying it is already forbidden and disciplined and that all four cases the auditor cited ended in sustained discipline (01:22:00)
City staff said implementation of the recommendations should be finished by February 2027 (01:26:20)
The chair said the officer in the license plate data misuse case immediately lost his job (01:43:12)
The chair listed council actions on license plate data: deleting it every 30 days, restricting access, and adding randomized audits of queries (01:43:12)
The chair said he is working with state legislators on a bill to make misuse of license plate data a criminal offense, after the district attorney found current law did not allow charges (01:44:13)
The chair said he will bring forward a nominee for the next permanent Independent Police Auditor later this year (01:45:14)
A councilmember praised the interim auditor's steady leadership during the transition and moved the staff recommendation (01:46:54)
City staff told Rosemary Kamei (Councilmember, District 1) the duty manual is updated constantly rather than on a schedule (01:50:17)
The police auditor said a dedicated community outreach position would help the office do more outreach (01:53:02)
A councilmember suggested the auditor's office report on open recommendations to the Rules Committee, as the City Auditor does, and said he would pursue it (01:53:36)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) said his understanding is that Mountain View's data exposure came from that city's own system setup, which the police department has said does not apply here (01:54:34)
City staff said that when police damage property, the department usually tells people how to file a claim with the city, and the city decides whether to pay (01:56:59)
The police auditor said the notice card officers leave after property damage does not explain how to file a claim, and filing deadlines can pass (01:58:31)
A councilmember raised the case of businesses facing high insurance deductibles and legal costs after police damage their property (02:00:25)
City staff offered to work with the City Manager's Office on policy options for property damaged by police through no fault of the owner (02:01:08)
Appeal of environmental exemption for data center use at 300 Holger Way (05:04:11)
City staff described the permit as allowing a data center use up to 20 megawatts inside an existing R&D building (05:04:48)
City staff said the permit includes no exterior equipment, including no backup generators (05:05:49)
City staff said the San Jose Municipal Water System confirmed sufficient water supply for the use (05:10:57)
City staff said any expansion with new exterior equipment would require a new permit, air district permits and new environmental review (05:13:07)
An appellant representative argued for the appellant that a diesel generator applied for at the air district would emit six times the daily NOx significance threshold (05:15:59)
An appellant representative argued the city is piecemealing approvals in violation of CEQA instead of analyzing the whole project (05:17:01)
An applicant representative said for the applicant that the building is an entirely existing facility (05:19:56)
An applicant representative said all work on the building was done by a union signatory contractor (05:22:01)
An applicant representative said for the property owner that NVIDIA signed a ten-year lease about two years ago and has spent over $100 million remodeling (05:23:29)
A councilmember criticized the city code's data center definition as so broad it covers any building that houses computers (05:35:04)
City staff said data center standards coming in December will update the base definition (05:36:09)
City staff said the permit would expire if the use does not begin within two years (05:37:57)
An applicant representative declined to commit to letting the permit lapse, noting it can be extended two more years (05:40:43)
An applicant representative said the building has 8.5 megawatts of service now and future power needs are unknown (05:42:50)
A councilmember said there were no grounds for the CEQA appeal, urged fixing the definition so this does not recur, and moved staff's recommendation (05:44:58)
Invocation and ceremonial recognitions (00:01:12)
Pam Foley (Councilmember, District 9; Vice Mayor) presented the disability employment proclamation and honored a local nonprofit cafe that builds job pathways for neurodivergent adults (00:11:06)
A councilmember honored a 102-year-old resident who has lived in San Jose since the early 1950s and supported the World War II effort (00:15:46)
A councilmember said two federal grants were secured with the parks department to restore the Chinese cultural garden at Overfelt Gardens Park (00:21:39)
A councilmember recognized three organizations for partnerships with the parks department, including camp scholarships and Guadalupe River trail cleanup (00:26:52)
2025-2026 City Manager's Annual Report and budget adjustments (00:37:26)
City staff said the general fund ended the year with an extremely small surplus and most other funds ended at or above estimates (00:39:48)
City staff said year-over-year employment growth of 1.3 percent, the main driver of revenue, points to low revenue growth ahead (00:39:48)
City staff said revenue and spending left $16.6 million, of which $8.1 million must carry forward to continue existing projects (00:41:54)
City staff recommended restoring the remaining $7.1 million to the budget stabilization reserve, as council policy calls for (00:42:55)
City staff proposed $1 million to design and bid a ventilation rehab at the police gun range, which he estimated as a $3 to $5 million project (00:45:00)
City staff proposed moving the police family violence unit out of leased space into the South San Jose substation, at about $300,000 one-time cost and roughly $300,000 in ongoing lease savings (00:46:09)
City staff said the budget stabilization reserve should be about $100 million but will be about $30 million, down from $61 million a couple of years ago (00:48:13)
City staff reported that Measure E property transfer tax revenue rose to almost $80 million, driven by 12 property sales over $100 million compared with five the year before (00:49:17)
Rosemary Kamei (Councilmember, District 1) welcomed adding money to the stabilization reserve, which she called very low, and moved approval (00:52:57)
A councilmember praised the budget office for keeping the general fund variance within 0.2 percent (00:53:44)
Appeals of 276-unit housing project at 470 West San Carlos Street (04:20:24)
City staff described the project as 276 units with 217 parking spaces (04:20:50)
City staff said the project includes 14 very low income units, which she described as 50 to 80 percent of area median income (04:21:51)
City staff said staff first questioned whether the site was on a hazardous materials list but concluded it is not and qualifies for the AB 130 exemption (04:23:33)
City staff summarized appellants' claims that the five density bonus waivers are unjustified (04:24:58)
City staff read into the record a new condition requiring height verification before a building permit, with AB 130 labor standards applying if the building exceeds 85 feet (04:29:27)
A councilmember disclosed that a member of her staff had an ex parte communication with the appellant (04:30:49)
An appellant representative argued for the adjoining commercial property's owner, an appellant, that the new building would sit directly against its building with no separation (04:31:17)
An appellant representative asked the council to require physical separation starting at six feet before fire issues are deferred (04:32:18)
An appellant representative argued for the neighborhood appellant that the council's June purchase of the Knox Goodrich building from the same developer creates a conflict (04:36:20)
An appellant representative argued that if the affordable units are actually low income rather than very low income, the project would not qualify for the density bonus (04:38:27)
A councilmember announced recusal after receiving campaign donations over $500 from Urban Catalyst (04:42:59)
An applicant representative said the developer accepts the staff height condition measured under the California Building Code (04:42:17)
An applicant representative said the fire variance was submitted October 16, after the director's hearing as the fire department directed, and is being processed (04:43:21)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) said affordability requirements tied to low-moderate housing funds apply to the units eventually built at the Fountain Alley site, not to this project (04:51:45)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) said he checked the law, and labor standards apply to buildings over 85 feet (04:51:45)
City staff confirmed that resolving fire code details through alternative means at the building permit stage is not unusual (04:52:56)
Michael Mulcahy (Councilmember, District 6) said neither his office nor the community knew of any link between the Knox purchase and this project when the council approved it (04:54:08)
Michael Mulcahy (Councilmember, District 6) listed neighborhood fixes under way, including nine streetlights on West San Carlos that were out because of copper wire theft (04:57:13)
City staff said the Knox Goodrich agreement includes timelines for this project but is outside the scope of this action (05:00:03)
City staff explained that under the building code the top floor surface measures about 84 feet 10 inches, with a three-foot parapet that does not count (05:01:06)
City staff told Domingo Candelas (Councilmember, District 8) that AB 130 itself has no affordability requirements (05:03:17)
City staff said the 5 percent very low income units let the project use unlimited waivers under density bonus law (05:03:32)
Conditional vacation of part of Spring Street for Columbus Park (00:54:47)
The chair recalled the city's commitment, made after the encampment at the site was decommissioned, to restore the park for public use, and asked for a timeline (00:55:04)
City staff said design is nearly done, construction should start in summer 2027 and the park should open in summer 2028 (00:56:03)
City staff said the project is funded, much of it with the last money from the Measure P bond passed in 2000 (00:56:38)
Michael Mulcahy (Councilmember, District 6) relayed concerns from nearby industrial-area users that Spring, Irene and Walnut serve as cut-throughs around backups on Taylor, and asked about striping and signal timing (00:57:31)
City staff said repaving in the area is planned for next summer, leaving time to adjust striping, and that the department would coordinate with Public Works on timing (00:59:35)
Michael Mulcahy (Councilmember, District 6) noted the park plan includes an enhanced crosswalk from the Heritage Rose Garden (01:01:33)
Early consideration: 525 Race Street general plan change for a private high school (04:03:28)
City staff said that if processing continues, a final approval or denial hearing could come at the end of 2027 (04:03:58)
City staff described the site as a vacant two-story office building built in 1998 (04:05:04)
City staff said the change would allow converting the building to a private high school for up to 800 students and 100 staff (04:05:04)
An applicant representative disclosed that the development advisors are registered lobbyists with the city (04:10:08)
An applicant representative said all pickup and drop-off queuing would be kept on the site (04:11:11)
A councilmember noted the project expands a school already operating a short walk away at Parkmoor and Race (04:14:14)
A councilmember responded to the jobs-land concern by noting a prior council had already set aside the larger block to the south for an 11-acre private school that never went forward (04:16:15)
A councilmember asked how the tuition-based school would serve underserved students (04:17:52)
An applicant representative answered that the school does not offer scholarships or tuition-reduction programs (04:19:24)
Civil Service Commission appointments (05:46:57)
The city clerk explained that three of the six applicants were present and the incumbent was eligible only for the full term (05:48:23)
A commission applicant said as incumbent he wants to continue after four years on the commission (05:50:05)
A commission applicant described retiring after 30 years with the county as a social worker and serving as a discipline review officer (05:52:00)
A commission applicant described his private-sector management career at a software company (05:54:58)
The chair asked applicants how they would stay impartial when they empathize with someone who broke a rule (06:04:51)
Documents: Agenda, Agenda
Planning Commission, Friday, October 23
Data centers: background ahead of proposed city standards (01:33:05)
City staff said the standards will come before the commission on November 18, so this session would not present them (01:33:05)
City staff said data centers are already allowed with a special use permit in four industrial and commercial zoning districts, which limits what the city can require (01:35:08)
City staff said the California Energy Commission leads environmental review when backup generation exceeds 50 megawatts (01:36:11)
City staff estimated a 99-megawatt data center brings about $6 million a year in utility user tax (01:39:20)
City staff estimated annual property tax at $500,000 to $1 million for a 99-megawatt data center (01:40:22)
City staff said one-time construction tax is likely closer to $17 million, and a commercial linkage fee and an energy programs fee are being proposed (01:40:22)
City staff said the proposal caps backup generators at 25 hours a year with Tier 4 certification, versus the air district's 50 hours (01:43:17)
City staff said the city's proposed requirements add to state CEQA standards even when the state leads the review (01:44:42)
City staff said council directed the standards in a May rules memo voted in June, and an August memo added community benefits, tax revenue and design (01:45:28)
City staff said the proposal sends all appeals of data center special use permits from the director's hearing to the City Council, bypassing the commission (01:48:49)
A commissioner objected that removing the commission takes away a chance for residents to give input, noting community concern and moratoriums elsewhere (01:53:04)
City staff said the appeal change responds to residents who want controversial data center decisions made by the council (01:53:20)
City staff said council directed staff to develop standards, not a moratorium, and that choice rests with the council (01:56:12)
A commissioner relayed residents' reports that no council members attend the data center listening sessions (01:57:05)
City staff said the full package goes to the commission and then to the City Council on December 8, with materials public November 10 (02:02:17)
City staff said a draft at roughly 80% was presented at a community meeting last week (02:01:08)
City staff said the last community meeting drew over 300 people (02:06:25)
City staff said remaining input opportunities include the Youth Commission on October 26 and an online comment form (02:05:24)
A commissioner praised staff outreach and said he would rather see data centers in San Jose than elsewhere, with safeguards (02:08:53)
City staff estimated about 20 data centers operate in the city, mostly much smaller than the 99-megawatt ones now proposed (02:10:32)
City staff said many projects cap at 99 megawatts to stay under the Energy Commission's small power plant exemption (02:11:24)
City staff said the standards are not streamlining, citing limits on cooling systems and generator hours (02:13:58)
City staff said Santa Clara has so many data centers because its utility costs are lower than neighboring cities (02:14:38)
Builder's Remedy, Housing Element and SB 79 updates (00:06:07)
City staff explained that Builder's Remedy is a penalty on cities without a certified housing element, letting qualifying projects ignore general plan and zoning (00:06:33)
City staff said the city can deny a qualifying project only by proving a specific adverse impact on public health and safety, and the burden is on the city (00:07:35)
City staff said such denials are very rare and he could not recall San Jose doing it (00:09:04)
City staff gave the required affordability options as 7% extremely low, 10% very low or 13% lower income (00:13:01)
City staff said staff worked with the developer of the Camden project to make sure its very-low-income for-sale units could actually be filled (00:11:54)
City staff said the city received 33 SB 330 preliminary applications between February and December 2023, and 24 of them became formal applications (00:13:17)
City staff said eight have been approved and two are pending, including a Topgolf ministerial permit and 741 South Winchester, which comes to the commission on appeal on November 4 (00:13:48)
City staff said three applications were withdrawn, two found a different path and 11 remain under review or inactive (00:14:50)
A commissioner asked whether the consequences of lacking a housing element are too severe, given they let anyone build regardless of zoning (00:15:09)
City staff agreed the penalty is very severe and said the city took over two and a half years to write and certify its housing element (00:15:52)
City staff said the city plans to start the next housing element at the start of 2028 because it is due in January 2031 (00:16:59)
City staff said cities out of compliance can face further penalties, including losing the ability to issue building permits or action by the Attorney General (00:18:40)
City staff said the eight approved projects total 697 units and replace a mix of uses (00:19:46)
City staff listed existing uses being replaced, including medical offices, restaurants, retail, Little League fields and an elementary school (00:19:46)
City staff said permits carry a two-year entitlement with an option to extend two more years to start construction (00:21:04)
City staff cited the 1655 Berryessa Road project of 62 townhomes beside the Berryessa BART station as an example of lower density than the city would want (00:21:20)
City staff said none of the approved Builder's Remedy projects has broken ground yet (00:22:11)
City staff said the housing element has over 130 programs whose progress the city must report to the state each year (00:24:46)
City staff said penalties come from failing to carry out promised actions rather than from missing the housing target itself (00:27:06)
City staff said the city had to show sites for 62,200 units on roughly 500 sites under the state's realistic-capacity rules (00:30:50)
City staff said the goal is to finish the next housing element by June 2030, ahead of the January 2031 deadline (00:32:56)
City staff said the city has produced several thousand units a year but has generally fallen far behind its targets, and offered to send the figures (00:34:20)
City staff said the biggest barrier is approved units that have not moved to construction because of economics (00:36:40)
City staff said three projects have been approved through the city's staff-level ministerial process adopted in December 2024, in about 100 days (00:36:40)
City staff said residential entitlements previously took about eight to nine months at the fastest and up to two to three years (00:38:12)
City staff said getting applicants' plans to completeness takes the longest, and staff are exploring earlier joint review with developers (00:40:30)
A commissioner suggested the city offer some kind of class to help developers submit complete applications (00:41:21)
A commissioner asked what penalties the city faces if it does not reach its housing allocation (00:43:05)
City staff said the allocation is an aspirational goal and a capacity the city must show, since the city itself does not build housing (00:44:44)
City staff said SB 79 took effect July 1 and covers about 56 light rail, Caltrain and BART stations in or near San Jose (00:45:23)
City staff said five industrial areas were exempted, and since July 1 the city has received no formal applications and one preliminary application (00:47:25)
City staff said staff will likely not pursue the exemption for sites lacking a one-mile walking path and will explain why in an information memo (00:49:30)
City staff said staff are drafting an ordinance defining demolition for historic resources, targeted for the commission in November (00:51:33)
Public comment (02:14:49)
A commissioner thanked the speaker and invited them to attend the November hearing (02:17:42)
Documents: Agenda
This episode was produced with AI from the public recording of the meeting. Links to the source are in the show notes.
11 min
October 25Council and Valley Water prepare for El Niño; council asks for ranked flood hotspots
At a joint meeting with the Valley Water board, the San Jose City Council directed city staff to work with Valley Water on a risk-ranked list of flood hotspots, ideally before the rainy season. Plus a short update on Anderson Dam and Coyote Creek, and a look at next Tuesday's council agenda.
City Council, Tuesday, October 13
Joint El Niño flood preparedness update (00:11:45)
Valley Water staff said a stronger-than-normal El Niño does not necessarily mean flooding locally, but the national attention is a chance to educate the public (00:12:22)
Valley Water staff explained that creek ownership is a patchwork across about 800 miles of county waterways, with Valley Water owning or managing about 350 miles and maintaining the roughly 185 miles where it built flood projects, while private owners must maintain their own land (00:14:36)
City staff described the city's role: readying storm sewers, monitoring weather and creek debris, clearing streets, closing roads and supporting recovery (00:16:00)
Valley Water staff said Valley Water's dry-season stream maintenance program did about 166 projects this year, a number that has been as high as 300 (00:18:30)
City staff said the joint emergency action plan written with Valley Water after the 2017 flood has been tested 12 times in storms (00:19:44)
City staff said the plan is updated every year and signed by the city manager and Valley Water's chief executive, and that 29 staff from both agencies last updated it on September 21 (00:20:54)
An official said Valley Water has hosted three inter-agency exercises on Anderson Dam and flooding scenarios since the end of July, with the city taking part (00:23:34)
Valley Water staff said Valley Water's annual multilingual flood awareness campaign would launch in two days (00:27:03)
Valley Water staff said Valley Water sent more than 48,000 flood awareness mailers last year and expects a similar reach this year, plus about 17,000 targeted mailings in hotspot areas (00:28:04)
Valley Water staff announced an annual winter preparedness workshop on October 29 and a joint press conference planned before the first big storm (00:28:04)
Valley Water staff said Valley Water lobbied state and federal officials for permitting relief, including Endangered Species Act flexibility, so emergency storm-prep work can be done in creeks (00:30:11)
Valley Water staff said Valley Water runs five sandbag sites countywide, with webcams at two San José sites, and will stock them before storms arrive (00:31:51)
Valley Water staff reminded residents that a flood insurance policy takes thirty days to take effect, and later corrected the federal website to floodsmart.gov (00:34:07)
An official said Valley Water monitors more than 100 blockage hotspots countywide and clears debris with cranes and excavators before, during and after storms (00:38:10)
City staff said the city clears blockages on its own property through emergency contracts with Tucker Construction (00:39:36)
Valley Water staff said Valley Water works with outreach crews before storms to warn unhoused people living below the high-water line (00:44:23)
City staff said the city alerts unhoused residents to move to higher ground, has opened shelters, and once set up interim housing with raised tent platforms (00:44:42)
An official said the city has had to keep 26 miles of waterways clear of encampments for the past two years and will hold shelter capacity for storms (00:45:31)
The mayor asked whether the agencies have done a full risk assessment ranking the top hotspots, and what they will do about each before heavy rain (00:51:50)
Valley Water staff said Valley Water inspects its own waterways every year but has no program to inspect all 800 miles of creek, and is limited by regulations on natural channels (00:52:48)
City staff said the city is working now to remove two spots of woody debris mixed with carpet and chain-link fence along Coyote Creek (00:55:53)
City staff acknowledged the city has historically relied on Valley Water to tell it about risk in the waterways (00:55:53)
The mayor moved to have city staff, working with Valley Water, produce a flood risk analysis with ranked hotspots and a way for residents to report concerns (00:57:32)
The mayor added longer-term direction for city staff to work with Valley Water on reducing flood risk and setting out each agency's role (00:58:35)
A councilmember asked what maintenance is planned along Penitencia Creek on the East Side and what risks remain (00:59:55)
City staff said Upper Penitencia is an unimproved channel and the city will partner with Valley Water to remove a fallen tree and clear an encampment under a bridge (01:00:44)
Valley Water staff said a capital project for Upper Penitencia is years away, so Valley Water has asked the governor to waive permitting and mitigation requirements there for sediment removal (01:02:07)
City staff said the encampment cleanup on Upper Penitencia is about two weeks out (01:03:33)
An official said the city is working with its housing department to offer outreach and housing resources to the person living in the waterway (01:04:10)
A councilmember noted there was no concrete housing destination yet, and asked what accountability measures keep problems from falling through the cracks between agencies (01:04:22)
An official pointed to the two trail-user commenters and asked both agencies whether there is a plan to keep flooded Guadalupe River Trail underpasses open this year (01:06:49)
City staff said trail underpass cleanup is not a standalone item in the plan, but the city will add it to its post-storm list (01:07:10)
Valley Water staff said trail underpasses sit in the low-flow channel, the lowest point of a creek, so they are the slowest to drain (01:07:52)
An official urged Valley Water to do a proactive creek bank assessment and a long-term prevention plan for homeowners along the Los Gatos Creek and Guadalupe River (01:09:18)
Valley Water staff said Valley Water usually does not know about problems on private creekside land until someone reports them, and offers permitting guidance through its hotline (01:11:07)
Valley Water staff said Valley Water lacks the resources to walk all 800 miles of creek each year, though new revenue could change that (01:14:00)
An official said a website referral was not enough and residents deserve more proactive effort from Valley Water (01:15:42)
An official noted that regulators close creeks to in-stream work after October 15 regardless of flood risk (01:15:58)
An official urged both agencies to press state and federal officials together for permit waivers at the worst hotspots this year (01:18:04)
An official said creek trails were designed to flood because they sit in low-lying areas (01:19:07)
An official promoted the city's Adopt a Storm Drain program and asked colleagues to link the joint emergency action plan in their newsletters (01:21:12)
A councilmember cited a petition from several hundred residents asking for the agencies to work together (01:22:47)
A councilmember argued Valley Water's expertise puts it in a position to lead, possibly through central permitting help, fee-for-service maintenance, or city easements (01:22:47)
Valley Water staff said Valley Water already offers permitting help and contracts to do work for San José when the city asks (01:24:18)
City staff said the city will support Valley Water's lobbying for funds and waivers, and noted that woody debris is not always a flood risk (01:26:49)
A Valley Water board member urged the city to stop allowing building in floodplains and to consider reclaiming such areas (01:29:17)
A Valley Water board member asked whether the city's general plan update includes a policy against building in flood-prone areas (01:30:28)
A councilmember said this probably wasn't in the scope of the council's four-year general plan review, but could be part of the coming housing element and next general plan (01:30:44)
A Valley Water board member called for action and motions instead of long discussion, saying federal funding is needed to finish Penitencia Creek work (01:32:32)
An official raised concern about the growing burden of flood protection and water costs on residents, citing a letter he sent (01:33:04)
A Valley Water board member raised a point of order that water rates were not on the agenda and had already been adopted in June (01:34:54)
An official asked the board to look for ways to reduce costs (01:35:44)
The mayor restated the motion: a joint report back, ideally before the rainy season, listing and risk-ranking hotspots on the city's roughly 140 miles of waterways, with plans for high-risk sites (01:36:19)
A Valley Water board member suggested a joint fiscal emergency team to get as much federal and state emergency money as possible, recalling the 1983 floods (01:38:08)
The Valley Water board chair said the Valley Water board could direct its staff to work with the city on the council's motion as a joint effort (01:40:16)
An official said city staff stand ready to work with Valley Water on pursuing outside funding (01:41:34)
Anderson Dam seismic retrofit and Coyote Creek flood protection update (01:42:35)
An official proposed a brief two-minute update and questions in place of the full presentation because time was short (01:42:35)
Valley Water staff reported the Anderson Dam tunnel project is done, in testing, and can operate this winter together with the completed Coyote Creek phase one (01:43:14)
Valley Water staff said contracts are awarded and construction is just beginning on the dam seismic retrofit and Coyote Creek phase two (01:43:14)
Valley Water staff said Valley Water is working with the city on planned park closures, property purchases and encampment cleanups for the Coyote Creek work (01:44:23)
Call to order, roll call and opening remarks (00:00:44)
The city clerk announced that the mayor was taking part remotely under the Brown Act's just-cause provisions (00:01:12)
The Valley Water board chair recounted that the two bodies first met jointly in 2002 and have met every year since, putting this at about their twenty-fourth meeting (00:03:55)
The mayor said the agencies have learned a lot since the 2017 floods and are coordinating more closely than ever (00:06:59)
The mayor argued that residents who see a blockage in a creek should not have to think about which agency owns it, and called for clear roles between the agencies (00:08:04)
Pam Foley (Councilmember, District 9; Vice Mayor) announced there would be no open forum and asked elected officials to keep their comments to three minutes because of a two-hour limit (00:10:54)
Pure Water Silicon Valley potable reuse project update (deferred) (01:48:50)
Commendation for the retiring Valley Water board chair (01:49:10)
An official honored the chair for more than three decades of service on the Valley Water board and for advocating for vulnerable residents (01:50:19)
An official presented a commendation, noting the mayor had signed it remotely, and congratulated the chair on retiring (01:52:24)
The Valley Water board chair thanked the bodies and described coming to San José through Job Corps, going back to high school, and giving decades to legal aid and the water board (01:56:01)
Documents: Agenda
This episode was produced with AI from the public recording of the meeting. Links to the source are in the show notes.
9 min
October 24Council approves delivery robot rules; new developer for the Arena Hotel
The San Jose City Council passed rules for delivery robots on sidewalks and in bike lanes, started talks with a new developer for the city-owned Arena Hotel, and approved a loan of up to $5.7 million to turn a former Comfort Suites on North First Street into housing.
City Council, Tuesday, October 6
Rules for delivery robots on sidewalks and in bike lanes (00:36:40)
A speaker said three operators approached the city this spring, and with no regulations in place the city let them operate while it developed a framework (00:39:53)
A speaker described the proposed 5 mph limit on sidewalks, pedestrian paths and crosswalks (00:42:57)
A speaker said a disabled robot must be moved within thirty minutes or the operator faces a fine (00:42:57)
A speaker said that on the advice of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, bikeway robots would match the pace of cyclists instead of having a fixed speed limit (00:43:58)
The meeting chair asked what the city is doing to limit its liability exposure in future accidents, noting past lawsuits involving scooters and e-bikes (00:52:12)
City staff said the ordinance has a robust indemnification provision modeled on lessons from the city's micromobility programs (00:52:54)
Pam Foley (Councilmember, District 9; Vice Mayor) said she is very concerned about congestion on sidewalks, and asked whether the companies have the financial strength to back their indemnification (00:53:16)
City staff said the ordinance requires the city to be named as an additional insured, with policy limits to be set in administrative regulations before permits are issued (00:55:04)
Pam Foley (Councilmember, District 9; Vice Mayor) criticized outreach to the disability community as limited to a few organization leaders, and asked how many people with disabilities staff had heard from (00:55:25)
A speaker said staff will work with the Independent Living Center to set up a focus group of San Jose residents with disabilities to give ongoing feedback (00:56:32)
A speaker said more than 50 people attended the outreach webinar, though she did not recall the exact number (00:58:06)
A speaker gave the fines for improperly parked devices as $100, $200 and $500 for first, second and third offenses (00:58:06)
Pam Foley (Councilmember, District 9; Vice Mayor) said the fines did not seem stiff compared with the harm to someone in a wheelchair blocked by a device (00:59:09)
Pam Foley (Councilmember, District 9; Vice Mayor) raised concern about robots sharing sidewalks with electric scooters and said she was not sure she could support the item (01:00:09)
A speaker urged a go-slow-to-go-fast approach and limits on the number of devices, warning that congestion builds quickly when many devices share limited space (01:03:16)
City staff said the regulations reserve the right to limit operators, device numbers and service areas, but staff is not proposing those limits yet (01:04:58)
A councilmember said that downtown has been the testing ground, and that robots replacing car trips and double-parked delivery drivers could be a net safety benefit (01:09:54)
City staff said no state or local law currently regulates these devices, so without the ordinance the city has no direct authority to stop or shape their operation (01:11:07)
A councilmember asked about the process for making property owners whole, citing reports of a dispute over repairing a window broken by a robot on the Paseo (01:11:56)
City staff said a Coco robot cracked the window while under human remote control, and that his understanding is the company quickly agreed with the owner on responsibility and cost (01:12:48)
A speaker asked whether the department has the staff to oversee the program, especially in the pilot phase (01:13:55)
City staff said a paid-for position to oversee the program has been filled, and the hire accepted last week (01:14:31)
City staff said operators are expected to indemnify the city for ordinary sidewalk irregularities, but the city cannot waive liability where it is the sole cause of negligence (01:15:27)
A speaker asked whether data from the robots could be used to find sidewalk trouble spots before they become problems (01:16:21)
City staff said staff will evaluate using operator data during the pilot, weighing liability and accuracy concerns (01:17:03)
A speaker urged the operators to maintain their devices so they do not add to sidewalk clutter and blight, as he said scooters have (01:19:55)
City staff said the plan is nine months of operation followed by about three months of analysis before returning to council, with operations continuing in the meantime (01:21:17)
The meeting chair noted the city has roughly a $2 billion deferred maintenance backlog, while saying the city should still push to fix sidewalk problems quickly (01:21:52)
A speaker argued that human delivery drivers stopping in traffic are a bigger problem than robots (01:23:00)
A speaker described seeing delivery robots move safely through crowds at Oregon State University (01:24:08)
City staff said the regulations can be changed on twenty-four hours' notice to the companies (01:25:32)
City staff said staff could recommend ending the bikeway pilot if it pushes cyclists into traffic, and will do both quantitative and qualitative outreach (01:26:44)
Pamela Campos (Councilmember, District 2) asked what fees Los Angeles and West Hollywood charge, since the staff report describes them as the highest (01:29:29)
A speaker said Los Angeles charges $10,000 for up to 50 devices and a flat $20,000 above that, and West Hollywood works out to about $250 per device (01:29:55)
Pamela Campos (Councilmember, District 2) asked whether the city could raise the fee after a year if warranted (01:30:57)
City staff said fees are reviewed every year for cost recovery and go back to council in the budget cycle (01:31:21)
Arena Hotel: new developer and reworked Homekey plan (01:40:24)
City staff said the city bought the site in 2023 intending 30%-and-below permanent supportive housing with Urban Housing Communities, and is now recasting the project as mixed-income in two phases (01:40:43)
City staff said ECS was the highest-scoring respondent and has about forty years of experience, including converting eight hotels (01:43:12)
City staff said the parking lot phase is expected to hold around 200 or more units (01:43:12)
City staff said the city will ask HCD to move the 100% 30%-of-median-income occupancy requirement to other sites, giving the Arena property income flexibility (01:44:18)
City staff said the agreement includes a right to switch to a second developer if the first cannot move forward on time, a structure staff plans to use going forward (01:45:50)
A speaker said the city spent $46 million between Homekey and Measure E on the roughly acre-and-a-half site for 87 units, and that the BART tunnel's path now limits density there (01:47:46)
A speaker argued the community was promised new investment but got the opposite, and that the site was awarded to a developer that was not qualified (01:48:50)
A speaker described the memo's direction for staff to return in six months with an update on negotiations and, when ready, an amended Homekey agreement (01:51:59)
Pamela Campos (Councilmember, District 2) asked which parts of the transition from interim to permanent housing are in the city's control and which need approval from HCD, saying her district faces a similar situation at 1 Branham Lane (01:53:14)
City staff said all approvals go through HCD, and in early conversations HCD has been open to the city's requests, with no guarantees (01:55:07)
City staff said the conversion will need a fully funded financing plan, likely low-income housing tax credits, and the building is structurally suitable for permanent housing (01:55:33)
City staff said the city's 22 interim housing sites are too varied for one conversion approach, though the city wants a consistent policy framework (01:56:33)
$5.7 million loan to convert former Comfort Suites at 1510 North 1st Street (01:32:18)
City staff said the conversion will create 57 units at 30% of area median income and below, with services (01:32:56)
City staff said the city is contributing a total of $5.7 million, and the Housing Authority is developing the site and fully project-basing its vouchers there to cover operating costs (01:34:01)
City staff said the cost per unit, excluding the $10 million acquisition cost, is about $366,000 (01:34:56)
City staff said the Housing Authority's plan is to move the roughly 43 participants now living at the SureStay interim site into the converted building (01:35:57)
City staff described the financing as a 9% low-income housing tax credit project, with about $11 million in permanent financing from the Housing Authority and $5.7 million from the city (01:37:01)
A speaker said the area needs a lift and has been a challenge for the surrounding neighborhood, including Rosemary Gardens (01:38:28)
City staff said the official transfer of the neighboring SureStay property to the Housing Authority is expected around the end of October or November (01:39:10)
A speaker noted that a privately owned motel just south of the site, which had been a trouble spot, has been shut down and the owner plans to reinvest (01:39:30)
Proclamation: National Arts and Humanities Month (00:05:14)
A councilmember said she was proud to celebrate the arts and humanities and the impact they have on the community, at a time when major cultural institutions in the country are under threat (00:05:41)
A speaker announced that the annual Cornerstone of the Arts Awards will be celebrated on October 16 at the Hammer Theatre Center (00:08:34)
Proclamation: Walk and Roll to School Day (00:10:41)
Pam Foley (Councilmember, District 9; Vice Mayor) described the day as a way to encourage parents to walk their children to school instead of driving, and called for continued investment in crosswalks, sidewalks and protected bike lanes (00:10:57)
A speaker said the Department of Transportation's walk and roll program has grown to 115 participating schools (00:14:09)
Proclamation: Filipino American History Month (00:16:54)
A councilmember noted that he is the first Filipino American elected to the San Jose City Council and recounted the history of the month's national recognition (00:17:05)
Adjournment in memory of a longtime San Jose teacher and coach (00:23:34)
A speaker described his nearly four decades at Yerba Buena High School teaching business, leading the cheer program and coaching basketball (00:24:04)
City Manager's report: new director of racial and social equity (00:30:26)
City staff said the new director will lead an office of six employees with an annual operating budget of about $3.3 million, and described her past work as the first chief equity officer for the District of Columbia (00:30:31)
A speaker said she sees the work as changing outcomes and centering the experiences of the people most affected, including sharing power with the communities the city serves (00:35:34)
Consent calendar (00:29:45)
Orders of the Day: Civil Service Commission interviews deferred (00:22:36)
The meeting chair relayed the clerk's recommendation to defer item 3.3 to October 20 (00:22:36)
The city clerk reported the voting system was showing only 10 members and asked for a voice vote while it was fixed (00:23:20)
Open Forum (01:57:39)
The meeting chair thanked the speaker who raised bike lane debris and said the city would follow up offline (01:59:51)
Documents: Agenda, Agenda
This episode was produced with AI from the public recording of the meeting. Links to the source are in the show notes.
11 min
October 20Council splits on downtown parking rates; detention facility moratorium adopted
The San Jose City Council passed a scaled-back downtown parking package that raises garage rates but leaves meters alone, and adopted a temporary moratorium on detention and custodial facilities on private and public property. Also: a Friday study session on two tools for paying for infrastructure.
City Council, Tuesday, September 29
Downtown parking meter and garage rates and hours (00:53:24)
A speaker gave the budget background: the council closed a $50 million ongoing general fund shortfall in the 2026-27 budget. (00:54:10)
A speaker noted the adopted budget includes an ongoing transfer from the parking fund to the general fund, supported by the proposed meter rate and hour changes. (00:55:18)
A speaker acknowledged staff fell short on outreach before the June 23 meeting and were told to do more. (00:56:26)
A speaker said downtown meter rates were last updated in 2014 and most meter operating hours have not changed in more than twenty years. (00:57:37)
A speaker said the city runs about 2,500 on-street metered spaces and that meter revenue has been roughly flat at about $3 million to $3.2 million a year. (00:57:37)
A speaker compared rates: Santana Row charges $3 an hour on the street against San José's current $2. (00:58:41)
A speaker said staff held eight stakeholder meetings between July 17 and September 2, including with the Downtown Association, business districts and the Downtown Parking Board. (01:00:45)
A speaker said the employee permit discount would be open to workers earning up to 50% above minimum wage, up from 30%, with tips no longer counted. (01:01:48)
A speaker laid out the five-year phasing, with downtown meter hours extending from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in year three. (01:03:55)
A speaker said the plan keeps the $1.2 million annual general fund transfer and would produce about $5 million in new money for the parking system over five years. (01:03:55)
A speaker listed upcoming capital needs, including adding an elevator at the Second and San Carlos garage, estimated at $11 million to $15 million. (01:05:08)
A speaker said the administration supports the memo from Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3), with suggested wording on its item 2A. (01:08:23)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) proposed a two-year plan instead: year one raises garage special-event and daily rates ($1.25 per 15 minutes), and year two sets $3 an hour at meters in all meter districts. (01:28:15)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) said the memo drops the 6-to-9 p.m. meter extension and the extra downtown-only meter increases, based on feedback from downtown residents, businesses and workers. (01:29:22)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) said the memo would cover the $1.2 million general fund contribution and still leave about $800,000 a year for the parking fund, and moved approval of the memo. (01:30:24)
A speaker confirmed the memo would replenish the parking fund over several years. (01:32:11)
David Cohen (Councilmember, District 4) said it was frustrating that rates had not risen in years, and suggested the city consider regular CPI-style adjustments. (01:32:20)
David Cohen (Councilmember, District 4) said he had found downtown Oakland and Sacramento parking to cost about twice as much as San José's. (01:33:21)
A speaker said meter data comes from payment transactions, so staff cannot tell exactly how long cars stay or how many spaces are open at a given time. (01:34:45)
A speaker said staff add manual counts and are working on a curb management program that uses cameras to track curb use. (01:35:51)
David Cohen (Councilmember, District 4) suggested staff eventually report the utilization data to the Transportation and Environment committee. (01:36:33)
A speaker said the smart meters are nearing the end of their useful life and staff are looking at replacing them with virtual, pay-by-plate payment, which would need an RFP. (01:37:49)
A speaker told George Casey (Councilmember, District 10) the Downtown Parking Board has three vacancies and five applications on file with the clerk. (01:40:03)
George Casey (Councilmember, District 10) asked whether staff had analyzed the effect on downtown businesses, which he said run on thin margins. (01:40:31)
A speaker said staff had not done a detailed business impact analysis, and suggested the future parking plan could include one. (01:42:08)
George Casey (Councilmember, District 10) said he would not support the memo and wanted more time to avoid harming businesses. (01:42:44)
A speaker said that without the deficit, the general fund transfer probably would not be proposed, but staff would still seek rate increases to pay for capital needs. (01:43:56)
A councilmember said the process began disingenuously, because the revenue was built into the budget without the council fully understanding it. (01:45:02)
A speaker said that under the staff plan, money for extra garage security and cleaning would come in years four and five. (01:46:42)
A speaker said the memo would leave about $800,000 a year in ongoing revenue beyond the general fund transfer, available for maintenance and capital work. (01:47:42)
A speaker said the old garage bonds were refunded years ago and the parking fund now carries no debt obligations. (01:49:42)
A speaker said staff review parking budgets with the Downtown Parking Board three times a year. (01:50:46)
A councilmember asked the city to reconsider requiring parking board members to file Form 700 disclosures, and to present information to the board even when meetings lack a quorum. (01:51:03)
A speaker said the city does not coordinate event pricing with private parking operators but reviews their rates once a year. (01:54:38)
A councilmember asked what new meter technology would cost and whether there is a reserve for it. (01:56:40)
A speaker said there is no cost estimate yet and no reserve for replacing the meters. (01:56:56)
A speaker asked whether staff had studied how longer meter hours affected foot traffic in other cities' downtowns. (01:57:40)
A speaker said staff compared only peer cities' rates and did not do an impact analysis. (01:58:57)
A speaker argued that service workers who now park free after 6 p.m. would in effect pay to go to work, even with a discount. (01:59:59)
A speaker questioned why the budget gap was being closed on downtown in particular, citing the hotel tax as well. (02:01:02)
A speaker said he wished staff had brought information on other cities that made similar changes. (02:03:10)
A councilmember pointed to aging meters and garages, including a garage between Second and Third Streets so old it is not ADA compliant, and urged earlier investment. (02:03:41)
A councilmember urged filling the parking board vacancies quickly. (02:05:42)
A speaker clarified that the memo's two main differences from staff are no 6-to-9 p.m. meter extension and no extra $1 downtown-only meter increase. (02:07:20)
A speaker said that if nothing passed, the parking fund would spend more than it takes in, and the gap would have to be dealt with in the 2027-28 budget. (02:09:07)
A speaker noted other budget trade-offs the council had already made, such as not opening a fire station or the police training center. (02:09:07)
City staff added that the longer action on the fund is delayed, the deeper its structural imbalance becomes. (02:12:34)
The meeting chair said she had heard from event ushers worried about parking costs, supported keeping meter hours ending at 6 p.m., and was unsure about the rest of the memo. (02:13:00)
The meeting chair said she worries about her safety walking through the San Pedro garage at night. (02:14:01)
Pamela Campos (Councilmember, District 2) asked whether the item could go to a joint meeting of the council and the Downtown Parking Board, since the board has been unable to meet for lack of a quorum. (02:15:24)
City staff said a joint meeting is possible but the board would still need a quorum. (02:16:20)
A speaker said four members are seated on the board, so all four must attend for a quorum, and the clerk's office is pressing for the three appointments. (02:16:35)
A speaker said the formal five-year budget forecast is not available until March 1. (02:19:02)
David Cohen (Councilmember, District 4) said the council could approve parts of the memo, since the meter-rate increases in items 1D and 1E seemed to be what concerned members. (02:19:58)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) preferred his full memo, warning that approving only the event and garage increases would not break even. (02:22:24)
A councilmember called a joint meeting with an advisory board unusual and preferred filling its vacancies so it can advise the council. (02:23:05)
A speaker said the city should not create barriers to coming downtown, while recognizing the budget urgency, and that he liked parts of the memo's phased approach. (02:25:07)
A councilmember asked how much the downtown employee parking discount is used. (02:28:04)
A speaker said fewer than about 70 permits are in use; the program offers garage parking for $50 a month to qualifying workers. (02:28:53)
A councilmember urged better promotion of the employee discount through the downtown and Japantown business associations. (02:29:47)
A speaker said the memo's $800,000 a year would be available for reinvestment starting in the first year. (02:31:15)
George Casey (Councilmember, District 10) backed the joint-meeting motion, calling it unusual but warranted by the circumstances. (02:33:00)
David Cohen (Councilmember, District 4) asked the maker of the joint-meeting motion to add some memo items, including the event rates, the employee permit expansion and the Convention Center free parking. (02:33:35)
A councilmember declined the amendment, saying those items were exactly what the joint meeting should discuss. (02:34:22)
A councilmember confirmed that no action could be taken at the joint meeting; the item would come back to the council afterward. (02:35:53)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) opposed the joint meeting, noting the parking board had already met twice and made its objections clear. (02:37:08)
The meeting chair opposed the joint meeting, saying it would set a precedent for other advisory boards. (02:37:55)
Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) moved the reduced package, acknowledging the parking fund would still lose some money each year under the $1.2 million transfer. (02:39:36)
A councilmember said the dais clearly wants the parking board fully staffed and its appointments expedited, though that was not written into the motion. (02:41:01)
Temporary moratorium on new or expanded detention and custodial facilities (00:45:57)
A speaker thanked a member of Congress's office and the coalition of supporters, said he hoped other cities would follow San José's lead, and moved approval. (00:50:55)
The meeting chair said the item passed as it should have and thanked the colleagues who brought it forward. (00:51:48)
Commendation for On Lok's 55th anniversary (00:06:44)
George Casey (Councilmember, District 10) described On Lok's 55 years serving Bay Area seniors and noted its newest PACE center opened in District 10. (00:07:24)
A guest presenter accepted for On Lok, saying it serves more than 2,000 seniors through its PACE program and is the only PACE provider serving the whole county. (00:08:43)
Proclamation: September 2026 is Transit Month (00:10:34)
Pamela Campos (Councilmember, District 2) credited SJSU student advocacy for bringing the Bay Pass to campus, which lets students ride transit across the nine Bay Area counties. (00:11:53)
Pamela Campos (Councilmember, District 2) noted the city's transit-first policy, adopted with the Move San José plan in 2022. (00:12:56)
A speaker said, speaking for SJSU's Associated Students, that during the Bay Pass pilot, students with the pass dropped out or left campus 6% less often than students without it. (00:15:52)
Proclamation: International Day of the Girl (00:20:38)
The meeting chair said City Hall will join other downtown landmarks in lighting up pink from October 5 through 9 for Day of the Girl. (00:22:43)
The meeting chair said she is the honorary chair of this year's Day of the Girl event, hosted by the Boys & Girls Club. (00:22:43)
Joint Council/Financing Authority: wastewater commercial paper program up to $200 million (00:30:45)
A speaker described the sewer system the program funds: more than 2,000 miles of mains and 17 pump stations. (00:31:58)
A speaker said about $300 million of sewer work is planned in the five-year capital improvement program. (00:33:02)
A speaker said about $1.6 billion of investment is expected at the treatment plant over the next ten years, correcting a figure he misspoke first. (00:34:06)
City staff said a request for proposals led to a contract award to Bank of America, and that the city plans to issue notes before October 16, 2026 to refund $90.1 million in outstanding subordinate revenue notes. (00:34:28)
City staff said the facility fee will be 0.31% under the city's credit rating, that wastewater revenues repay the notes, and that the general fund is not pledged. (00:34:28)
City staff said the debt management policy and the municipal code require a two-thirds council vote to approve the notes. (00:36:37)
David Cohen (Councilmember, District 4) thanked staff for their management of the wastewater system and its finances, and moved approval. (00:39:18)
Higher payment to Santa Clara County for household hazardous waste collection (02:42:03)
A councilmember asked why the payment to the county was roughly quadrupling. (02:42:46)
A speaker explained that lower fee revenue, more participation and higher costs combined, leaving the city to pay more or residents to lose access to the program. (02:43:14)
A councilmember called a roughly 400% increase surprising but said the program is important to continue. (02:43:51)
Contract for replacing elevators in the airport terminal (00:51:48)
Consent calendar (00:29:11)
Land use consent: alcohol sales permit for Sakura Market (00:30:18)
Audit of the economic development office's performance measures (00:40:59)
A speaker presented the audit's single finding: the measures are generally useful and reliable, but reporting could be improved. (00:41:27)
A speaker said OEDCA reports 39 measures in the operating budget and that the audit makes five recommendations, including documenting how each measure is calculated. (00:42:31)
City staff said the administration accepts all five recommendations and has prepared a response. (00:43:48)
A councilmember asked whether OEDCA could report small business assistance by council district or neighborhood business district, to show whether help reaches businesses across the city. (00:44:53)
City staff said the office can sort its data that way and will coordinate with the councilmember. (00:45:16)
Documents: Agenda
City Council, Friday, October 2
Study session on infrastructure financing tools: Community Facilities Districts and Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (00:00:47)
The presiding officer said he asked for the study session to learn how infrastructure financing tools could help investment in jobs, housing and downtown revitalization (00:00:47)
City staff stressed that the session is only for information and does not authorize forming any district or structure (00:02:45)
City staff went through the history: redevelopment agencies authorized in 1945, the 1982 Mello-Roos Act creating CFDs, redevelopment agencies dissolved in 2012, EIFDs created in 2014, and EIFDs streamlined in 2019 (00:04:48)
City staff explained that a CFD creates a new special tax, while an EIFD funds infrastructure from future growth in property tax without raising taxes (00:06:05)
City staff said a CFD needs two-thirds approval from voters or landowners, while an EIFD needs no vote to form but must go through a set series of public hearings (00:07:06)
City staff said a CFD can sometimes be set up in less than a year (00:08:06)
City staff noted that San Jose already has a Convention Center Facilities District, a special tax paid by hotel property owners that goes back into the convention center (00:08:06)
City staff said an EIFD is much slower, because new property value has to build up before it can be borrowed against, which could take five, eight, ten years or more (00:09:07)
A speaker said, speaking for Public Works, that bonds from a CFD can pay for roads, public parking, streetlights, parks, water and sewer, and flood control (00:12:52)
A speaker said CFDs can fund added services but cannot replace services that existed before the district was formed (00:13:55)
City staff gave a made-up CFD example: 65 units on one acre needing about $5 million of streets, water and sewer work, bonded over about 30 years (00:14:07)
City staff said the example works out to about $4,500 of special tax per unit per year, or about $378 per unit per month once debt service is added (00:15:07)
A speaker said Council Policy 1-14, last amended in 1993, sets a $10 million minimum for the council to consider a new CFD that borrows money (00:15:51)
A speaker said the policy also requires 1,000 single-family homes, a density that may not fit the Envision 2040 general plan, and called the policy out of date and in need of an update (00:15:51)
A speaker said the made-up CFD example would not meet the policy's minimums (00:16:54)
City staff explained that agencies taking part in an EIFD commit all or part of their share of new property tax, either to pay costs as they go or to repay bonds (00:17:06)
City staff listed what an EIFD can fund, including highways, roads, water systems, public safety, civic facilities, parks, site preparation and affordable housing (00:18:08)
City staff said, citing the county controller's figures, that the city's share of new property tax is 13.5%, school districts get 44%, the county 18%, and other taxing entities 24% (00:20:11)
City staff said school districts' share can never go into an EIFD, while most other taxing entities can choose whether to commit their share (00:21:14)
City staff said a made-up $10 billion mixed-use development would, once mature, support about $9 million a year in debt payments from the city's share alone, or about $138 million of bonds over 30 years at 5% interest, and called that yield somewhat modest (00:22:16)
City staff mentioned a state transportation infrastructure loan program that could stretch borrowing capacity further, with conditions attached (00:23:16)
City staff said an EIFD needs a separate public financing authority with a lot of administration and reporting, and can pay costs as it goes, repay developers, or issue bonds (00:24:16)
City staff compared San Francisco, a combined city and county with a single school district that captures about 64 of the yield, with San Jose's roughly 13% share spread among dozens of school and special districts (00:26:19)
A guest presenter explained that under state law an EIFD's public financing authority has five members: three elected officials from the participating bodies and two members of the public who live or work in the district (00:30:13)
A guest presenter described the protest hearing: under 25% protest the district goes ahead, between 25% and 50% an election must be held within 90 days, and over 50% stops it (00:32:17)
A guest presenter clarified that private developers can build market-rate housing inside an EIFD, but housing paid for with EIFD increment or bonds must be affordable (00:34:17)
A guest presenter cautioned that committing the city's property tax share to an EIFD requires weighing the effect on the city's future ability to pay for everyday services (00:35:20)
A guest presenter explained that business owners inside a CFD who are neither registered voters there nor landowners cannot vote on forming it (00:37:22)
A guest presenter described the $10 billion example's bonding capacity as $238 million, after the staff slide had said $138 million (00:40:25)
A guest presenter said timing usually points to using CFDs early in a project and EIFDs later (00:40:25)
A guest presenter said developers benefit because the tools let them borrow at tax-exempt interest rates instead of higher construction-loan rates (00:41:26)
A guest presenter described Sacramento's Aggie Square EIFD, formed in 2021 together with a CFD, where a city policy sends 80% of the increment to infrastructure and 20% to affordable housing (00:43:29)
A guest presenter described West Sacramento's EIFD, formed in 2017 over a little more than 4,100 acres in 14 subareas, which issued bonds in 2025 (00:45:30)
A guest presenter described the Placentia EIFD from 2019, a city-county partnership, and the Eastern Coachella Valley EIFD from 2023, both of which will take years to produce usable value (00:46:30)
A guest presenter noted that the Eastern Coachella Valley district covers 91,000 mostly undeveloped acres and includes 20% of the county's increment (00:47:32)
A guest presenter described San Francisco's Treasure Island financing district, formed in 2017 on a former naval station with 8,000 homes and 300 acres of parks, as a success (00:48:35)
City staff suggested questions for judging future proposals, starting with whether the investment enables development that would not otherwise happen (00:49:57)
City staff said the city could set up a policy framework or decision tree ahead of time for ranking projects and deciding how much increment to commit (00:51:05)
City staff said Public Works, Transportation, Finance, and to some extent planning and housing staff took part in working-group meetings on the session (00:52:09)
A speaker asked who pays the costs of issuing CFD bonds and of compliance, and whether the city does (00:53:07)
A guest presenter answered that issuance costs come out of bond proceeds and ongoing administration out of the special tax, so the city does not pay, though those costs reduce borrowing capacity (00:54:39)
A speaker asked whether an EIFD built on the city's share alone would be worth the effort (00:55:44)
A guest presenter agreed that 13.5% is not a big share and said generating only $138 million from such a development may not be worth it (00:56:02)
A speaker pointed to Measure T's success and said going directly to voters seems more practical than these tools (00:56:55)
A speaker said she does not think the tools are appropriate right now, noting that affordable housing does not bring in property tax (00:57:55)
A speaker said the city has a lot of aging infrastructure and must start thinking about how to pay for it (00:59:04)
The presiding officer responded that the tools are not only for affordable housing and may be useful at some specific sites in the city even today (00:59:40)
A speaker asked what income-level requirements apply to housing funded by tax increment, citing a state code section that lists housing for very low to moderate incomes as eligible (00:59:54)
A guest presenter offered to follow up afterward with the specific requirements (01:00:42)
A speaker said he is interested in using tax increment to support mixed-income housing while keeping properties on the tax rolls (01:01:35)
A speaker suggested EIFDs could add to funding for the city's existing alternative housing finance efforts (01:02:58)
A speaker pointed to Google's Downtown West, approved after years of negotiation and then stalled when the market turned, and asked how forming a district would fit with land assembly and negotiations with developers (01:02:58)
City staff said each case would be judged on its own, ideally starting once land is already assembled and there is a clear development plan, and that hotel and sales tax gains could also be considered (01:04:33)
A speaker summed up the council's homework as updating the CFD rules and getting the city ready to move quickly on large projects with assembled land, rather than forming a district now (01:05:58)
A speaker asked whether staff had modeled any particular areas of the city (01:06:34)
City staff declined to discuss specific locations, saying it could distort landowners' behavior (01:07:16)
A speaker asked whether the county took part in Sacramento's Aggie Square EIFD, where the city's share was 22.6% (01:07:58)
A guest presenter answered that Aggie Square is a city-only EIFD, in partnership with Wexford and UC Davis (01:08:30)
The presiding officer asked how the CFD and EIFD work together at Aggie Square, as a possible model for combining the two (01:09:24)
A guest presenter explained that CFD bonds can be issued once phase one is built, and the expectation is that tax increment from that phase will cover the debt payments instead of levying the special tax (01:11:01)
The presiding officer asked what made county participation possible in some examples and what shared benefits might encourage it (01:11:50)
A guest presenter said Riverside County joined in Eastern Coachella Valley because a large undeveloped area needs infrastructure it wants built sooner (01:12:11)
A speaker noted that special districts and water districts, not only the county, can be EIFD partners (01:12:53)
The presiding officer asked whether school districts are left out by practice or by law, and the answer given was by law (01:13:15)
A guest presenter warned that agencies with small shares usually need a bigger partner, and that some agencies elsewhere that formed EIFDs without one now feel their hands are tied (01:13:35)
City staff said the memo shows the county-wide distribution and she can share a breakdown of the other taxing entities (01:15:13)
The presiding officer said San Jose's share seems low for the city's size and services, and asked what drives it and whether reform is possible (01:15:31)
City staff pointed to a state bill adopted last year on EIFDs for commercial-to-residential conversions, and said she would need to research whether it changed the share available to cities (01:16:20)
A speaker said there probably has been no state bill in the last decade rebalancing the shares, only fixes for specific projects (01:17:08)
A speaker confirmed that the 13.5% is a share of the 1% property tax, and asked for a concrete San Jose case where an EIFD would beat a CFD (01:17:48)
City staff declined to name a specific site, saying near-term CFD revenue could build momentum toward a broader EIFD (01:18:23)
A speaker asked what measure the city would use in five or ten years to tell whether a tool delivered the promised benefits (01:19:12)
City staff said that by the end of a district's life the added land value and other tax revenue should be greater than the cost of the investment (01:19:52)
A speaker asked how the long wait for revenue fits with developers needing infrastructure money upfront (01:20:27)
City staff acknowledged, in reply to an earlier question, that the staff time and consultants needed for analysis bring near-term costs and extra workload (01:23:12)
Documents: Agenda
This episode was produced with AI from the public recording of the meeting. Links to the source are in the show notes.
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What San Jose's City Council and its Planning Commission decided, who said what, and how they voted, on the Saturday after they meet. Produced with AI from the public recordings of the meetings, and…

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