AUGUST 2018
Some highlights from Village Fest 2018: Councilmember Sergio Jimenez posing with Angie Cocke Realtor Century21 M&M Associates' prize wheel, David Martinez Magic giving a young boy a special show, Echo Church and Oak Grove High School CA-861 AFJROTC -- our strong and amazing volunteers, Sharkie playing with attendees at the Inflatable Slapshot, a local family enjoying their day (and their freebies), Councilmember Sergio Jimenez greeting everyone along with Assemblymember Ash Kalra and Supervisor Dave Cortese, and a little visitor who is learning the ropes on SJFD Fire Engine 35!
Dear neighbors,
My District 2 team and I hope your summer has been as action-filled and productive as ours! As the school year begins, the San José City Council is back in session after our July recess.

In this newsletter, I'll give you a glimpse of what my office has been up to this past month, including: our Caltrans Community Meeting, my approved recommendations for Bond Measures you'll see on the November Ballot, traffic safety improvements near schools, High Speed Rail meetings, outdoor community festivals, and more.

We would also like to share a friendly reminder that if you are ever in need of City Resources or Contacts, here is a great place to start:

Report on  MySanJose :

Graffiti   (866) 249-0543
Illegal Dumping (408) 794-1900
Potholes (408) 794-1900
Streetlight Outages (408) 794-1903
Speak with a live Customer Service Representative (408) 535-3500

Additional Resources:

(408) 975-1440 

(408) 535-7770

(408) 534-2900

(408) 793-5510 




 
We look forward to seeing you and collaborating with you. Together, let's continue making our slice of San José a wonderful place to live, work, and play.


In community,

Sergio Jimenez

CONNECT, ENGAGE AND BE INFORMED.
#SJD2
D2 News: Updates & Accomplishments
Caltrans Community Meeting provides residents with useful resources & opens up conversations about how everyone can be involved in keeping our highways clean

"We need help. The litter and trash [on our state highways] has grown exponentially. We are doing our part, but we need to work together and change the culture. Illegal dumping is not acceptable." - Caltrans District 4 representatives.

Hundreds of residents joined our Caltrans Community Meeting to learn about the agency’s response to trash, blight, and homelessness. We also talked about how we, as a community, can be a part of the solution. We heard directly from Caltrans, California Highway Patrol (CHP), Destination Home, Downtown Streets Team, and Santa Clara Valley Water District regarding their work to improve our state highways. Topics included: Hot Spots in San José, clean up efforts in Santa Clara County, Customer Service Request process, Senate Bill 1 – The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, SB 1 Projects in Santa Clara County, homelessness in Santa Clara County, impacts of trash, and contacts/resources. Learn more by viewing the Caltrans Community Meeting Presentation.

My office co-hosted this meeting wtih Senator Jim Beall, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, Assemblymember Kansen Chu, and Councilmember Raul Peralez.   

MORE INFORMATION:                                                  


See blight or homelessness in your neighborhood or around San José? Report it to the appropriate agency. All reporting is tracked at each agency and forwarded to the appropriate response team for action.

Union Pacific (usually the property around the railroad tracks)
1-888-877-7267

Caltrans (usually property surrounding / adjacent to freeways and highways)

Homeless Concerns (on City of San Jose property)
408-975-1440
Bond Measures you'll see on the November Ballot will raise millions for Disaster Preparedness, Public Safety, Infrastructure, and Affordable Housing

On Tuesday, August 7 and Friday, August 10, t he City Council voted to place two major Bond Measures on the November ballot for your consideration:

1. $650 million General Obligation Bond Ballot Measure: Disaster Preparedness, Public Safety, and Infrastructure Bond

This includes $50 million for buying land in Coyote Valley to protect against floods and preserve water quality, along with a minimum of $300 million to be allocated for repairing the streets in the worst condition.

2. $450 million General Obligation Bond Ballot Measure: Affordable Housing Bond

These funds are to build homes for low-income workers and homeless individuals.

It is no trivial task to prepare Bond Measures of this magnitude that can win the support of two-thirds of voters in our City. I authored a memorandum with my recommendations, which are simple and intended to bring greater clarity to this process. The City Council voted to include my following recommendations in the final proposal:

- Engage the community and solicit City Council office feedback to develop a list of projects or specific, clearly defined project categories.
- Return to Council with a list of projects and/or specific, clearly defined project categories for final approval.
- Evaluate projects based on maintenance history, focusing on assets in the greatest state of disrepair.

I believe these Bond Measures will go a long way in helping our City address the considerable deferred maintenance backlog and improve public safety infrastructure. It is my goal to make certain that, if passed, these funds are used to improve our District 2 community.

Watch the City Council Meetings on August 7 and August 10
We had a ball at our nine District 2 Viva Parks events!

Community spirit was evident at all nine of our District 2 Viva Parks events this summer! Thank you to the Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services Department for the high energy and leadership in our series of events that gave hundreds of neighbors the opportunity to enjoy a safe, fun evening at our local parks. Viva Parks has brought District 2 residents closer together through immersive activities such as inflatable obstacle courses, zorb races, ziplines, dart soccer, sumo suits, climbing walls, extreme air, and arts & crafts. We even got a special treat of a few movie showings and food trucks! Seeing everyone's happy faces, educating our community, and working with different departments and organizations made our office feel truly accomplished. We look forward to hosting many more of these events in the future.
Village Fest: Continuing the community tradition of fun and learning

Our annual District 2 Village Fest on Saturday, August 18 was a lively, joyful, and memorable event at the Village Oaks Shopping Center.

I want to extend a heartfelt and sincere THANK YOU to our volunteers, sponsors, special guests, performers, local businesses/organizations, and attendees for spending the day with us and truly exemplifying what the District 2 office works on every day to strengthen: a sense of community!

Re-live the memories through our Village Fest 2018 photo gallery!
Twelve D2 neighborhoods unite their block on National Night Out

I loved the view around District 2 on National Night Out, an annual campaign that promotes police-community partnerships to make our neighborhoods safer. Thank you Neighborhood Association leaders and residents for strengthening your community! Thank you for going door-to-door inviting your neighbors to your event, supporting each other to plan your party, and creating a lively space for all to meet. Thank you for the diverse turnout, activities, and food! Thank you for warmly welcoming other guests of honor who dedicated time to join us: San José Police Department, San José Fire Department, California Highway Patrol, and more. From BBQ-ing in your driveway to hosting huge park events, you are making our slice of San José a more inclusive and enjoyable place for adults, kids, dogs -- everyone!
Improving traffic safety by working with concerned neighbors to get 4-way stop on Serenade Way

Just in time for back-to-school, our office is happy to announce that our collaboration with residents, staff at nearby Christopher Elementary School, and the Department of Transportation has resulted in a 4-way stop being installed on Serenade Way! If you have traffic safety concerns in your neighborhood, contact traffic.safety@sanjoseca.gov.
Blossom Hill Rd. Street Sweeping: Signs installed; no parking to be enforced starting September

New street sweeping prohibition parking signs for the Blossom Hill area were installed on August 16. Department of Transportation staff distributed the attached flyer on August 28 to the neighborhood in advance of the enforcement date of Monday, September 17 so that residents are aware and to ensure compliance. Please be advised that Parking Compliance will begin parking enforcement on Monday, September 17, which is the next sweeping enforcement date. Failure to remove cars during street sweeping will result in a citation.

Street sweeping on Blossom Hill Road is scheduled on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month.
Repaving D2 roads this year

This summer, the City of San José was granted $6.5 million to improve our City streets.

Repavement and sealing projects to maintain our streets are slated to be completed on:

- Santa Teresa Boulevard from Cottle Road to Dunn Avenue
- Blossom Hill Road from Cottle Road to Blossom Avenue (October 2018)
- Calero Avenue from Snell Avenue to Lean Avenue
- Sylvandale Avenue from Senter Road to Kauai Drive

As part of the pavement project, new six-foot buffered bike lanes will be installed on Blossom Hill Road between Monterey Road and Blossom Avenue. The bike lanes between Entrada Cedros and Blossom Avenue will be protected with plastic delineators. 
 
Near the east end of the project, to accommodate a continuous bikeway, eight westbound parking spaces will be removed between Monterey Road and Poughkeepsie Road. 

You can keep up with the Department of Transportation’s plans and progress as they resurface and seal approximately 100 miles of San José streets. View and subscribe to a weekly update on pavement projects on DOT’s Pavement news flash page. Click the "Notify Me" button to receive weekly notices delivered to your email. The new updates complement the Current Pavement Projects map.
It’s easier to build a granny unit (ADU) in San José

San José has eased the rules for building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), also called a granny unit or secondary unit. Lots as small as 3,000 square feet with a single-family home qualify.

You can obtain a no-fee evaluation of your property and project idea from a City planner. Simply bring the ADU-Secondary Unit Review Worksheet to the Permit Center at City Hall (validated parking available). Visit www.sanjoseca.gov/ADUs for complete instructions.

Using the worksheet, our planners will help with questions such as:

  • What if my property is in a Planned Development Zoning District?
  • What are the rules for setbacks, height limits, and parking for my project? 
  • What do I need to do to get a building permit?

Or, find answers to these and other common questions at www.sanjoseca.gov/ADUs .
High Speed Rail Update

As you may know, High Speed Rail (HSR) has pushed back their San José to Merced timeline to accommodate our community and City needs. Since taking office in December 2016, I have been committed to receiving feedback from community members on alternatives, concerns, and preferred alignments. The City and I have heard our residents loud and clear.

One of the avenues through which we hear from our residents is the Community Working Group (CWG) . The District 2 HSR CWG includes different community leaders, residents, and stakeholders who participate in monthly meetings to learn and review HSR topics that affect the community at large.

HSR held its second Community Working Group meeting this year on August 16th, 2018. You may view the PowerPoint presentation from this meeting here .

For more information about CWG schedules and notes, please visit the San José to Merced project website .

For more information about HSR in District 2, Independent Peer Review, Letters from the City of San José , and more, visit my High Speed Rail webpage .

To get involved or learn more about the District 2 HSR CWG, please contact Maribel Villarreal at Maribel.Villarreal@sanjoseca.gov or 408-535-4923.
A Look at More Community Stories
D2 and You: Upcoming Events
Please click on the photos/flyers below for more information:
If you share my vision of making our neighborhoods safer, cleaner, and more engaged, please join us for our District 2 Project Hope Kick-Off Event & Resource Fair!

Project Hope is a community-driven, City-led program focused on improving quality of life in the Roundtable Drive neighborhood. Program leaders have dedicated the next year to meeting with residents and getting them involved.

Project Hope was one of my approved Budget Requests, and I am thrilled to see it take shape to transform District 2!

For more information, please contact Maribel Villarreal at Maribel.Villarreal@sanjoseca.gov or 408-535-4923.
Viva CalleSJ 2018 (Open Streets) comes to District 2 neighborhoods in South San Jose!

Viva CalleSJ is a free program that temporarily closes miles of San José streets to bring communities together to walk, bike, skate, play, and explore the city like never before. 

Each year's event opens upwards of six miles of streets through some of San José's most iconic neighborhoods for people to come out and play for the day!

Viva CalleSJ 2018: SoFA to the Streets (click for more information)
Sunday, September 23
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

In District 2, Viva CalleSJ will be coming down Monterey Road and turning on Branham Lane! Stop by to:

- Zip line!!!
- Taste something new from our featured food trucks
- Meet artist Samuel Rodriguez, who will paint the Edenvale Library Mural on the building's wall that faces Monterey Road
- Visit the SJPL Maker[Space]Ship, an innovative mobile workshop
- Check out resource tables, games, and entertainment from local organizations!
Who are the Rose Garden Angels that maintain the rose garden at Lean & Calero Avenues?

Have you ever admired the beautiful roses along the overpass at Lean Avenue and Calero Avenue? The garden is maintained by members of the San Jose Garden Club, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is civic beautification. The primary purpose of the San Jose Garden Club is to educate and promote the study of horticulture, gardening, landscape design, floral design, and related subjects such as conservation and civic beautification. In fact, the Garden group received a proclamation from the City of San Jose for city beautification in regard to the rose garden project several years ago.  

Since 2010, Garden Club members have been giving the roses lots of tender loving care by deadheading, pruning, watering, fertilizing, weeding, and even picking up litter on a monthly basis. These dedicated volunteers don their sun hats, garden gloves, and sunscreen as they utilize pruners, loppers, rakes, brooms, and other gardening equipment.  

If anyone is interested in joining the group that meets the second Tuesday and Wednesday of the month from 9:00-10:00, just wear a hat, bring your garden gloves, and the group will gladly teach you the business of rose care. For more information about the San Jose Garden Club go to the website at sanjosegardenclub.com.
For Your Information
Need to report abandoned vehicles, street light outages, and more? Use MySanJose: Our quick & easy tool to request City services

Want to get that pothole or street light fixed? Need to report graffiti, illegal dumping or an abandoned vehicle? Have a different question for the City? With the new state-of-the-art MySanJose  app  and  website , it is now a breeze to file and track a City service request or reach one of our customer representatives. It is super easy to use – see our zippy  tutorial

Download the MySanJose app today:  www.sanjoseca.gov/mysanjose
Please don't leave your large items on the side of the road. It's easy & FREE to get rid of your junk!

San José residents can schedule FREE appointments to have large items (such as mattresses, sofas, refrigerators, tires, and  more ) picked up by their recycling collection company. 

Visit the San José Free Junk Pick Up website to schedule your free appointment today!

Thank you for keeping our City clean and combating illegal dumping!

Learn how to   report and prevent illegal dumping . Let's work together to stop trash that is illegally dumped in public spaces, sidewalks, streets, etc.!
Meet our D2 intern, Jonathan!

Jonathan is a philosophy major and history minor attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He will be graduating in June 2019. Jonathan was born and raised in San José, and graduated from Santa Teresa High School in 2015. He loves sports -- especially soccer and hockey -- as well as cars, hiking, listening to music, and spending time with his friends and family. Jonathan is very excited to be a part of the District 2 team and to have the opportunity to help his community continue to move forward.
Students, get involved! My District 2 Team is looking for Fall 2018 interns!

Join our team and make a difference in the community! The Office of Councilmember Sergio Jimenez welcomes college or graduate school students interested community engagement, public service, policy research, and local government to apply for our District 2 Internship. 

This unpaid internship provides students with an immersive experience in day-to-day operations of a City Council office that serves about 100,000 residents. 

Student interns are expected to:
Communicate effectively with others
Adapt and work in a fast-paced environment
Have a willingness to learn and apply academic training to required job assignments
Commit a minimum of 15 hours per week

How to apply:
To be considered for the District 2 Internship, please:
1. Complete the District 2 Internship Form 
2. Upload your District 2 Internship Form, along with your Resume and Cover Letter, to the District 2 Internship Application
Community Resources
Have a D2 question or concern? Contact my team!

You may have met them at City Hall, Neighborhood Meetings, or just out and about in our community! In addition to supporting me at meetings and events -- or attending on my behalf -- my team members follow specific policy areas and have other responsibilities. They are happy to speak or meet with you regarding your questions or concerns!

Get involved: District 2 Neighborhood Associations

Neighborhood Associations (N.A.s) are groups of community members who meet and collaborate to work towards common goals such as: beautification/clean-up efforts, safety enhancements, and social events. N.A.s serve as a connection between the community and City Hall. We are here to support N.A.'s by providing direction, resources, grants, help with outreach, models for success, and more.

View the interactive map of D2 N.A's on my website to find your N.A. or work with my office to start a N.A. in your area!

Reserving meeting space as an N.A.

As an established Neighborhood Association, you may reserve space for community use directly with Libraries and Community Centers in our District. As long as the meeting takes place during regular hours of operation, there is no charge to to your N.A.

If your event goes beyond the hours of operation, there is a charge for staffing. Our office is happy to accommodate 2 uses per N.A. per year for N.A.’s by paying for the staff time. Any additional uses outside of this would require your N.A. to cover the cost. 

Please contact the District 2 Office for more information!
Beyond San José: Get the latest news from your other elected officials

Read your Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman's Newsletter

Read your Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese's Newsletter

Read your California State Assemblymember Ash Kalra's News/Updates

Read your California State Assemblymember Mark Stone's News/Updates



Sergio's Office Hours 

Office Hours are a time to come ask questions, share concerns, or simply have a conversation! Please visit my website for more information.

Upcoming Office Hours:

Monday, September 17
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Santa Teresa Library, Study Room B

Saturday, October 6
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Edenvale Library, Study Room B
City Resources

Report on MySanJose :

Graffiti (866) 249-0543
Illegal Dumping (408) 794-1900
Potholes (408) 794-1900
Streetlight Outages (408) 794-1903
Speak with a live Customer Service Representative (408) 535-3500

Additional Resources:

(408) 975-1440 

(408) 535-7770

(408) 534-2900

(408) 793-5510 


Vanessa Sandoval – Chief of Staff
Helen Chapman – Policy & Legislative Advisor
Maribel Villarreal  – Policy & Legislative Analyst
Lucas Ramirez  – Policy & Legislative Analyst
Laura Nguyen – Community Relations & Web Coordinator
Kimberly Hernandez  – Executive Assistant