Together, we have accomplished a lot in the two years that I have been in office. I am fiercely committed to advocating for a better, more equitable San José for all our residents each and every day.
Let’s reflect on some of our most monumental victories in 2018:
52 grants to community organizations that benefit D2 residents
The organizations I am proud to support include: our D2 Neighborhood Associations, Santa Teresa Little League, The Trash Punx, Committee for Green Foothills, CreaTV, Oak Grove High School AFJROTC, Red Cross, SIREN, and other San José foundations and community organizations.
40 memoranda, including my policy proposals, stances on crucial issues & other recommendations
The memoranda I wrote, which voiced my positions on many high-profile and important issues, include:
- Actions Related to Google in the Diridon Station Area
- Tenant Protection Ordinance
- Apartment Rent Ordinance
- Mobilehome Opt-In
- Memorandum of Understanding Between the City of San José and Union Pacific
- Audit of Homeless Assistance Program and Annual Report on Homeless Programs and New Funding Opportunities
- Vehicle Abatement Audit
- General Obligation Bond Ballot Measure: Disaster Preparedness, Public Safety, and Infrastructure Bond
40 D2-hosted meetings & events to educate, unite & engage the community
These include my:
- bi-weekly D2 Office Hours
- Viva Parks (park activations with games & activities) & Movie Nights
- Annual D2 Village Fest
- Viva Calle San José - Open Streets & mini festival in D2
- Parks Town Hall on Trends & Funding
- Housing Town Hall
- Fire Safety Town Hall
- High Speed Rail Town Hall
- Caltrans Community Meeting
- Coffee with the San José Police Chief
- Wildflower Community Hike
- Holiday Appreciation Party & Sock Drive, and more.
24 clean up events, beautification days & #D2CleanStreets Initiative projects
These include:
- my #D2CleanStreets collaboration with Downtown Streets Team and Project Hope
- my office’s push to get the Caltrans property near Tennant Ave./Monterey Rd. cleaned up
- my team’s boots-on-the-ground mission to clear litter and blight along the four corners of Blossom Hill Rd. & Snell Ave.
- the annual Great American Litter Pick Up at Oak Grove High School, Santa Teresa High School, and St. Gabriel Ethiopian Othodox Church
- the annual D2 Community Clean Up with Blossom Valley Neighborhood Association and Oak Grove Neighborhood Association
- Neighborhood Dumpster Days / Clean Ups / tree plantings, and more.
15 successful initiatives completed in our community, thanks to our strong partnership with our residents & other City departments
These include: Project Hope Neighborhood Academy to strengthen our D2 Neighborhood Associations, outreach to Edenvale Plaza Businesses & Monterey Road Businesses & businesses at and the corner of Blossom Hill Rd. & Snell Ave., our Faith Leaders Breakfast, Bernal to Bailey Participatory Budgeting, support of the D2 Neighborhood Leadership Council, support of D2 Neighborhood Associations’ National Night Out events, and mobilization of the Walnut Mobile Home Park, Havens, and Serenade areas.
10 commendations, invocations & proclamations in which I invited influential community members to present at City Council meetings
These ceremonials include: recognizing Father Abiy Demilew, Pastor Micaiah Irmler, Father Saju, Albert and Virginia Beck with the Blue Tarp Project, Walter Wilson, Jalen Butcher, the Ledesma School Safety Patrol, and more.
5 approved Budget Documents that secured money for District 2 community programs & capital improvements
I was thrilled that my following budget priority requests were approved to make District 2 a better place for our residents. I secured: $1.5 million for the San José Police Department South Substation, $250,000 for Census 2020 in San José, $90,000 for the Downtown Streets Team (DST) Monterey Road Clean-Up, $32,500 for District 2 Fire Station Improvements, and $915.00 for Signage for Identification of Wildlife Crossing on Monterey Road.
1 more remarkably productive year in the books!
I take pride in being able to use my platforms -- including my
website
,
Facebook
,
Twitter
,
Nextdoor
, and this
monthly newsletter
-- to share with you both our office and community’s hard-earned successes. With every post I publish, it is my goal to provide transparency and invite you to see behind the scenes of everything my team and I do.
From community events that bring people together to neighborhood discussions that move policies forward, thank you for being part of what makes District 2 a safe and thriving community. I appreciate you taking time out of your day to read about our work in our District, San José, and beyond.
I have big plans for 2019, including strengthening community outreach and establishing new projects for my #D2CleanStreets Initiative, my ongoing multi-faceted approach to combating the trash and blight plaguing our streets. I hope you will join me in moving our City forward as we work together to make our neighborhoods a more inclusive place for people like you who call San José home.
In community,
Sergio Jimenez
