A semi-retired employment law and civil rights attorney thinks anyone in San Jose who wants to own an assault weapon should be required to pass a mental health check and hand over their gun to police for safekeeping. San Jose resident Maurits Van Smith, 77, drafted a proposed city ordinance, which he submitted to the police chief, the mayor and a handful of other public officials in the hopes that they’ll support his idea. Other topics going before the Rules and Open Government Committee meeting Wednesday include child obesity and how police interact with senior citizens.
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Marijuana Tax Returns to Rules
The city collected more than $3.5 million last fiscal year through taxes on medical marijuana collectives. Some city officials want more. Councilmember Sam Liccardo, along with Rose Herrera and Pierluigi Olivero, put forth a plan Monday to put all medical marijuana collectives not paying their Measure U taxes out of business. According to the city’s Department of Finance, in the past fiscal year, 80 of the 158 medical marijuana dispensaries have “never, or only sporadically, paid the medical marijuana tax approved by voters in 2010 through Measure U.”
Committee Delays on Gay Marriage Memo
A well attended Rules and Open Government Committee meeting Wednesday dealt with an uncommon topic at City Hall these days: love. Or, to be more precise, love between a couple that doesn’t consist of a man and a woman. After more than an hour of public comments where many people framed marriage as a civil rights issue and others called it a sacred religious institution, Mayor Chuck Reed, Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen and Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio unanimously agreed to delay any action on a memo from Councilmember Ash Kalra that wanted the City Council to form a resolution in support of gay marriage.
Committee Nixes Nora’s Request
It was somewhat ironic that Councilwoman Nora Campos couldn’t make it to the Rules Committee meeting Wednesday because she was stuck in a meeting regarding the proposed San Pedro Urban Square Market. Ironic because while Campos was talking with the Elections Commission, her colleagues were refusing to help her in her lonely effort to defeat that plan. Updated 3:45
More Time and Options Should be Given for Affordable Housing Policy
Last week, I visited the Rules committee to present a memo that Councilmember Constant and I wrote asking that the Council hold off on adopting a citywide Inclusionary Housing policy.
I first blogged on this topic on December 17, 2007 in a post titled ”Coming Soon: Affordable Housing Citywide.” The Council is set to vote on Inclusionary Housing on Dec 9. The proposed policy would mandate that 20-25 percent of all new housing in San Jose be priced below market rate. If the Council adopts such a policy it may raise the price on the market-rate units, which squeezes the middle class. It also may affect the home resale values down the road. There were two other councilmembers (besides myself and Constant) who opposed pursuing this policy during our current housing meltdown.
Rules and More Rules
Last week I visited the Rules and Open Government Committee which sets the agenda for upcoming Council meetings. The Rules Committee includes Mayor Reed, three councilmembers, the City Attorney, City Manager and the Redevelopment Agency (RDA). The purpose of my visit was that two memos that I wrote were going to be heard.
The first memo was to request that the city update it’s travel policy by using technology. I asked that the “travel request” form include a question asking if the proposed trip could be done via a “web meeting.” And if not, why not?
San Jose Lawmakers Propose ‘Al Fresco’ Dining Initiative to Aid Small Business Recovery
The proposal will be heard at 2pm Wednesday during the City Council’s next Rules and Open Government Committee session.
San Jose Hopes to Block Release of Incoming Police Chief’s Emails
San Jose has blocked the release of hundreds of emails sent and received by Eddie Garcia, who will become interim police chief in January. San Jose Inside has appealed this decision and will make arguments to release these messages at this week's Rules and Open Government Committee meeting.
Retirement Boards Hope to Break Away from San Jose’s Control
City leaders at Wednesday’s Rules and Open Government Committee meeting will talk about placing a measure on the November ballot that would give the city's retirement boards full autonomy.
Xavier Campos Pushes Half-Cent Sales Tax to Hire More Police
San Jose Councilman Xavier Campos has proposed a half-cent sales tax measure so the city can hire more police officers. “Ideally, no one would want to increase taxes,” he writes in a memo going before the Rules and Open Government Committee on Wednesday. “However, this council has worked before on making tough fiscal decisions to increase services to our citizens.”
San Jose Considers Officer-Worn Cameras
San Jose will start looking for ways to pay for body-worn cameras on police officers, which Independent Police Auditor LaDoris Cordell says will lessen citizen complaints and keep officers accountable for the way they conduct themselves in the field. That and more at this week’s Rules and Open Government Committee meeting.
City Considers Implementing Paid Parental Leave
City officials want to explore the option of giving both male and female employees a month of paid parental leave. The perk could help attract new hires and give existing workers more incentive to stay, according to a plan by Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen and Councilman Don Rocha going before the Rules and Open Government Committee meeting this week. Also on the agenda: an ordinance to clarify disability benefits and a ream of letters from town crier David Wall.
Councilman Kalra Wants San Jose to Ban Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
Councilman Ash Kalra wants to deliver San Jose from the evils of gas-powered leaf blowers. Also on the Rules and Open Government Committee agenda for Wednesday is a plea from senior citizens for the city to protect older affordable homes, like mobile home parks.
Who Authorized SJPD’s Change in Gang Crime Stats?
San Jose Councilman Ash Kalra says the city’s got some explaining to do about its police stats gaffe. In a memo to the Rules and Open Government Committee, which meets Wednesday, Kalra calls for a hearing in front of the City Council about why a change was made in calculating gang stats, and why the numbers were misrepresented to the public.
City to Revisit Softball Complex Discussion
Two minutes shy of deadline to place it on the Nov. 19 City Council agenda, Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio logged a request for the city to revisit the discussion about where to place a softball complex paid for by the remaining balance of a $228 million pool of bond funds. That and more at Wednesday’s Rules and Open Government Committee.
Proposals for San Jose Police Substation, Academy Retention under Scrutiny
Police Chief Larry Esquivel suggests holding off on opening the new-but-empty police substation in south San Jose until later next year. But are there enough officers on the force to staff a second field office? While the city considers the chief’s proposal, there are also a couple plans making their way to Wednesday’s Rules and Open Government Committee meeting to get cadets to foot the bill for their own training if they leave too soon after receiving their training.
