San Jose Water Company proposed in 2012 to increase water rates nearly 40 percent over three years. A report on the proposed rate increase shows that, to a large degree, the project is tied to a a worthwhile expansion of our water recycling infrastructure.
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Don Rocha Begins New Council Session with Fire in His Belly
Don Rocha issued a scathing memo Friday in support of a general sales tax measure while calling out Mayor Chuck Reed and his bloc of Measure B supporters on the council, as well as the Mercury News editorial board. On Monday, Rocha doubled-down.
Transport Tax Dies; Guardino Defends SVLG Poll Tactics
A transportation measure intended to raise the local sales tax will have to wait until 2016. Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino said new polling projects low voter turnout. But questions remain about how Guardino's been handling his polling information.
Proposal: ‘Micro-Cottages’ to House the Homeless
San Jose may explore the idea of building “micro-housing”—tiny, 150-square-foot cottages—to house the homeless.
City May Lose Recycling Revenue to State Budget Cuts
San Jose could lose a $255,000 annual allotment from the state, if Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to cut a statewide recycling program goes through.
Investors Eye San Jose Hillsides for Luxury Subdivision
Environmentalists clash with private landowners who want to develop a greenbelt property in San Jose's southeastern hillsides.
Mayor Reed’s Final Budget Message: Public Safety First
In his final budget message before he terms out at the end of this year, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed says it’s time to invest in public safety again.
Fighting Crime in the Mayor’s Race
The first poll for the San Jose mayor’s race came out this week, and county Supervisor Dave Cortese sits atop the pack. This really isn’t surprising. What’s interesting is the fight for second.
Councilman Oliverio’s Public Safety Plan Returns to Rules Committee
Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio's plan to change the way San Jose funds it police department comes back to the Rules and Open Government Committee this week.
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed Takes Long View in Final State of the City Speech
Chuck Reed spent much of his eighth and final State of the City speech thanking his predecessors while noting that a mayor’s work goes on long after he or she leaves office. Noting that he and past elected officials in San Jose have stood “on the shoulders of giants,” Reed said the work he and the council have carried out in recent years must be viewed outside the prism of four-year term limits. “We have to think in much longer timeframes,” he said.
Starbucks, Developer Want to Bypass City’s Living Wage Policy
San Jose will consider skirting its living wage policy to appease a massive corporation and some developers. The City Council on Tuesday will discuss an appeal from Starbucks and other vendors to be exempt from the rule—they’re interested in leasing space at City Hall and the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
Mayor Reed Asks Unions for Feedback on Statewide Pension Reform Plan
After launching a statewide ballot initiative to scale back pension benefits for public employees, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed reached out to union leaders, suggesting an open dialogue in the process. The move has already been described as shrewd, naive and/or insincere.
Arresting Developments
A recent discussion within our community has focused on building even more single-family homes in areas that are reserved for jobs or fall outside of the urban service area. The proposal would allow those who convert industrial land to pay a fee per housing unit created. Those dollars would then be used to purchase open space in Coyote Valley. Although this idea may be worthy of discussion in theory, my concern is that such land use decisions would ultimately hurt San Jose’s economy.
Millions at Stake in Fight over Fire Safety Requirements for High Rise Buildings
For the last several months, a fight with multi-million dollar implications has quietly been waged over fire safety requirements in San Jose’s tallest buildings. The clash—featuring a tangled array of alliances between elected officials, developers, lobbyists, a monopolistic breathing device manufacturer, a union spurned and an ambivalent fire department—will come to a head Thursday afternoon, when the Public Safety, Finance & Strategic Support Committee meets to discuss the city’s tri-annual review of its fire and building codes.
Bay Bridge Had to be Dedicated to a Brown
There is no question that Willie Brown deserves the honor of having a span of the Bay Bridge named after him, given his lifetime of service to the city and county of San Francisco. Considering the political heavyweights who share that last name, there isn’t an infrastructure project since 1958 that does not have a Brown imprimatur.
Leadership Transition Continues with City Manager Debra Figone’s Retirement
San Jose City Manager Debra Figone announced this week she will retire after overseeing city operations for six years. Her tenure, which will come to an end in December, has marked some of the most difficult years in the city’s history, as the City Council enacted layoffs and pay cuts to cope with historic budget deficits. Her departure will likely leave the city with an interim city manager, police chief and fire chief, all while the 2014 mayoral race is in full swing.
