As this season brings change all around us -- colder days, more colorful leaves, new midterm election results -- I hope we all cherish this special time, remember that our community's needs are far deeper than our own opinions, and come together like never before.
I am thankful for the time spent acquainting myself with community members and helping grow neighborhood engagement. I am thankful for all the familiar and new faces I’ve met with at City Hall, in District 2, and across San José. I am thankful for the admirable community leaders who have initiated meetings and events to connect residents to share information with compassion and humility. I am thankful for the partnerships and support from businesses and organizations that have helped me move forward our goals of successful policies and events for the benefit of the community. I am thankful and honored for the opportunity to serve you.
I invite you to join me in the months to come as we move together to unite, make progress, and give back. Learn about opportunities to get involved in the community through my newsletter below.
As fellow San José residents, my office strives to create a space where each person feels a sense of family and community... where all are welcomed and encouraged to contribute time, energy, and passion.
Towards the end of this year, the City Council will be tackling significant and complex items, including housing policies that will affect our entire City (whether you live in a house, apartment, condo, mobilehome, or do not have a permanent place to call "home"). Let us be mindful of how the winter affects those less fortunate and how we can make the holidays safer for all.
My District 2 Team sends our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones!
Please note City Hall and other City offices will be closed in observance of the following holidays this month: Monday, November 12 for Veteran's Day, Thursday, November 22 for Thanksgiving, and Friday, November 23 for Thanksgiving.
In community,
Sergio Jimenez
CONNECT, ENGAGE AND BE INFORMED.
#SJD2
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D2 News: Updates & Accomplishments
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(Above: Before and after photos of Downtown Streets Team's impact on Monterey Road.)
#D2CleanStreets Initiative kicks off projects to combat blight in our community
✔️ my office, Downtown Streets Team, and Southridge Church came out in full force!
✔️ we launched a year-long, boots-on-the ground effort to pick up litter at
Blossom Hill Road and Snell Avenue every Thursday,
and along Monterey Road from Monday through Wednesday
✔️ we are engaging individuals living on the streets
✔️ we are changing the conversation surrounding homelessness
✔️ we are providing endless opportunities for residents like you to get involved in our community efforts
✔️ this is just the first of many projects I am initiating with the goal of cleaner, safer neighborhoods!
✔️ Mike, Larry, Chris, “Country”, and team lead John were enthusiastic, committed, and hardworking as they began their year’s effort at cleaning South San José
!
What is my #D2CleanStreets Initiative?
Making our community cleaner and more beautiful is a priority for my office, which is why I have secured nearly $200,000 from the City’s budget to kick off several programs that are part of my action plan to help beautify San José
, starting with our own District 2. I explain
more about the #D2CleanStreets Initiative in this video
!
In addition to the Downtown Streets Team, here are other programs and aspects of my
#D2CleanStreets Initiative
: Project Hope (read more in the article below), Dumpster Days and community clean-up events (read more in the article below), and clearing graffiti and trash along the Monterey Road soundwall (read more in my
October Newsletter
).
I sincerely thank everyone who contributes to community beautification projects. We all have a civic responsibility to pitch in, clean our community, and work towards #D2CleanStreets .
Visit my website for more information and join our community efforts! Please contact my office if you have any questions.
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Get to know the Downtown Streets Team: Meet Jonathan
The District 2 Office will be spotlighting members of the Downtown Streets Team (DST) and sharing their stories with you in our newsletters each month. Please enjoy the biographies sent to us from DST.
Jonathan Keim is an amazing Team Lead for the San José
Downtown Streets Team. Jonathan joined DST in June 2018 with the Guadalupe River Team because he wanted a healthy routine and to participate in his community. His Team Lead immediately recognized Jonathan’s leadership potential and began to teach Jonathan the responsibilities of a Team Lead. After only a few months, Jonathan was promoted to Team Lead for the new Monterey Road Team, which is a part of Councilmember Sergio Jimenez's
#D2CleanStreets Initiative. The decision to promote Jonathan was a straightforward one. Jonathan shows great passion for DST and its mission, and he is always looking for ways to provide support for the Team Members. We look forward to seeing Jonathan further grow as a valuable member of DST. Jonathan said, “I really enjoy the positive work we all do at DST in our community. San José is my home, and I would like to live in San José for the rest of my life. San José is my favorite city.”
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Project Hope begins to develop strong new community leaders & action-oriented neighborhood organizations
Another major aspect of my
#D2CleanStreets Initiative
is Project Hope, a community-driven initiative led by the City's Anti-Graffiti & Anti-Litter Program that builds community resilience and activation along the high-need area of Roeder Avenue and Roundtable Drive.
On October 18, we had the first of many Project Hope Town Halls. From street sweeping to graffiti abatement, the room was filled with discussions about how to improve our neighborhoods and streets. My office and I look forward to working closely with the residents of the Roundtable neighborhood to advance the needs of our community, schools, and surrounding homes.
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Dumpster Day connects City staff, community leaders, volunteers & residents to deter illegal dumping on our streets
My office has the capacity to fund a Dumpster Day for each neighborhood once every other year. In October, we had the pleasure of working with
Oak Grove Neighborhood Association,
Evergreen E-Waste Recycling, and City staff to make this event a hit! We are happy to provide this service for residents to get rid of their large junk items and to further deter people from illegally dumping on our streets.
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Neighborhood Associations organize 2nd Annual D2 Community Clean Up
Saturday, November 10
9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
CVS Pharmacy Parking Lot
470 Blossom Hill Road
We will be focusing on three areas: Blossom Hill Road/SR-85, Blossom Hill Road/Snell Avenue, and Blossom Hill Road/Lean Avenue.
Of course, you may pick up other areas you feel need special attention as well.
All equipment will be provided, as well as a light lunch and refreshments. Please make sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Together, we can keep our community clean!
Please RSVP here
!
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Measure T wins approval: Voters pass San Jose's $650 million public safety, disaster preparedness, and infrastructure bond
After the November 6 Election, Measure T has secured more than the two-thirds margin of votes required to pass.
Measure T – Disaster Preparedness, Public Safety, and Infrastructure Bond
Measure T authorizes $650 million in general obligations bonds that would be used to fund the repair and replacement of critical infrastructure in San José. The measure allows bond funds to be spent on the following types of projects:
- Natural land protection and restoration projects to reduce risk of downstream flooding and water quality degradation in Coyote Valley
- Upgrading 911 communications, police, fire, and paramedics facilities to improve emergency and disaster response;
- Repairing deteriorating bridges vulnerable to earthquakes;
- Repaving streets and potholes in the worst condition;
- Preventing flooding and water quality contamination; and
- Repairing critical infrastructure.
The measure requires that at least $300 million of that total be spent to repave streets and potholes in the worst condition. The remainder of the bond funds would fund the repair and upgrade of infrastructure, including land acquisition, that supports emergency response and disaster preparedness, along with other critical infrastructure and the cost of issuing the bonds.
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High Speed Rail updates
In March 2017, I sponsored a High Speed Rail (HSR) Community Forum to receive feedback from community members on alternatives, concerns, and preferred alignments. In this forum, the District 2 office participated in great conversations with our residents and received a large amount of feedback from community members about concerns such as construction impacts, property loss, safety, and noise. As a result of this forum and the leadership of our office, HSR has reopened and revamped the Community Working Group (CWG) to include active District 2 community leaders, residents, and stakeholders. Currently, there are five active CWG members and leaders from District 2 that participate in these monthly meetings. CWG members learn and review topics such as the Environmental Process, Property Acquisition, Construction Impacts, and more.
If you would like to get involved in the HSR District 2 Community Working Group, please contact
Maribel Villarreal. For more information about CWG schedules and notes, please visit the
San José to Merced project website.
The next HSR San José Community Working Group takes place on November 28, 2018 (time & location are to be determined). For more information, please contact
Maribel.Villarreal@sanjoseca.gov.
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Joining San Jose workers in their fight for better pay, benefits, job security & more
I had the honor of standing with hotel workers during my lunch hour as they strive for a just contract that includes better pay, benefits, and job security
with the major hotel chain
Marriott. I marched and shouted in solidarity.
The hundreds of hotel workers expose the underbelly of this otherwise thriving economy where many people are doing well, but far too many people are struggling for the essentials. It is my sincere opinion that the growing divide in our society, whereby people are left behind while others thrive, is going to come to a head somewhere, somehow.
I am increasingly frustrated that in one of the most affluent regions in one of the most prosperous countries in the history of the world, we can’t seem to find the will to make EVERYONE’S life better. We can do better. #onejobshouldbeenough
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Sharing insight and resources at the Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association meeting
I had the opportunity to engage with neighbors about my
#D2CleanStreets Initiative, building community resilience through
Project Hope, and more at the Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association's Fall General Meeting.
We also had the pleasure of hearing public safety updates from SJPD’s Captain Fong and environmental updates from Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority’s Mark Landgraf. Thank you all for providing insight and resources for our City.
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Edenvale Plaza Businesses come together for the first time
My District 2 Office hosted the first Edenvale Plaza Business Watch Meeting on October 25.
Small businesses enhance the vibrancy and quality of life for our community, and I’m committed to supporting business owners in our neighborhoods.
Thank you to Christ the King Parish for hosting the meeting, and to all the business owners who attended and made this Business Watch a success! For more information about the Edenvale Plaza Business Watch group, you may contact
Maribel.Villarreal@sanjoseca.gov.
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A Look at More Community Stories
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In San José, we grieved for the lives lost and hurt in the senseless Tree of Life Synagogue shooting. We do our best to uplift each other by standing alongside community leadership and residents, and standing against hate.
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Our Filipino American brothers and sisters have contributed extensively to the vibrancy and culture of our City. We recognized them by Proclaiming October as Filipino American History Month in the City of San José.
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The Red Cross and volunteers made District 2 a safer place for residents by installing smoke detectors at the Village of the Four Seasons. Thank you for saving homes and lives, and for granting me this opportunity to support you!
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I gifted glow sticks to our local Boys & Girls Clubs in celebration of Lights On Afterschool, which highlights the importance of quality afterschool programs, especially in San José. Learn about
the City's safe afterschool programs here
.
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We proclaimed November as Family Caregiver Month to honor the millions of Americans who give so much of themselves to provide for a loved one and who are a shining example of our nation’s great capacity to care for one another.
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I am surrounded by fierce, powerful women in both my professional and personal life. They all deserve equality and justice. I'm with them. I am proud of my office's #TimesUp pumpkin this year.
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My team celebrated Halloween by winning the Mayor/City Council costume contest! Get your tickets and popcorn, and get ready for a wild ride on the D2 SergCoaster!
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D2 and You: Upcoming Events
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Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful
Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful is
a small non profit that seeks to preserve, protect and share the beauty of one of the South Bay's greatest treasures: Coyote Creek. We recruit volunteers to help remove trash and debris from the waterways, we offer Bioblitzs that aid in the conservation of the plant/animals species that live in and along the creek, and we offer tours of the various sections of the creek that are accessible to the public.
UPCOMING EVENT:
Coyote Creek Clean Up
Saturday,
November 10th 2018
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Recycle Right and other Green Tidings for the Holidays: Upcoming holiday garbage & recycling collection
2018 – 2019 Holiday Collection Schedule
If your usual garbage, recycling, and yard trimmings collection or street sweeping day falls on or after Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Day, your collection and sweep day will be one day later during that week. Go to
www.sjenvironment.org/lookup to find your holiday collection and street sweeping day.
We rely on you to Recycle Right!
Prevent food waste this holiday season!
Plan ahead to reduce your household food waste. For tips, visit
www.sjenvironment.org/foodwaste. All food scraps belong in your black garbage cart and will be removed for composting.
Recycle Your Holiday Tree
Curbside collection of holiday trees will be on your regular collection day from December 26, 2018 to February 1, 2019. Remove stands, tinsel and decorations. Cut into 5-foot pieces. Set out by 6:00 a.m.
For Service
Contact your recycling, garbage, or yard trimmings collection company to report missed collections, service issues, replace damaged carts, or to change your cart size. Go to
www.sjenvironment.org/lookup to find your service provider, collection and street sweeping day.
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Property owners can apply for the City's Sewer Replacement or Repair Grant Program, which reimburses for a portion of the costs
As part of an agreement in 2018, the City agreed to fund and implement a program which reimburses homeowners for a portion of the cost of repairing their privately-owned and maintained sewer lines.
This grant program is open to all City of San José property owners who occupy the property as their primary residence at the time when a plumbing permit to replace or repair a sewer lateral is finalized. Grants are available to cover 50% of the replacement or repair costs, with a maximum of $3,500 per property. The City will make the grant program available to qualifying applicants until the $300,000 fund is depleted.
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Oracle Awards San José for Sustainability Innovation
Oracle has honored the City of San José a winner of the Oracle Sustainability Innovation Award and recognized Kerrie Romanow, Director of the San José Environmental Services Department (ESD), as Chief Sustainability Officer of the Year. The awards recognize the City’s creativity and leadership in the realm of sustainability, particularly the
My San José app, which enables citizens to report concerns such as illegal dumping from their smartphones and
Climate Smart San José, a new communitywide initiative to reduce air pollution, save water, and improve quality of life. Read more about the award and accomplishments in the
City's News Release.
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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
.
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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.
Thank you for keeping our City clean and combating illegal dumping!
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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:
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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!
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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.
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.
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Beyond San José: Get the latest news from your other elected officials
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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, November 19
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Santa Teresa Library, Study Room B
Saturday, December 1
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Edenvale Library, Study Room B
Monday, December 17
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Santa Teresa Library, Study Room B
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City Resources
Speak with a live Customer Service Representative (408) 535-3500
Additional Resources:
(408) 975-1440
(408) 535-7770
(408) 534-2900
(408) 793-5510
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JOIN US IN THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND TO
CONNECT, ENGAGE AND BE INFORMED.
#SJD2
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San José District 2 | Office of Councilmember Sergio Jimenez
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