Dear neighbors,
Let's talk about the progress made on my active efforts to clean Monterey Road, protect our open space in Coyote Valley, and more:
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Happy February! I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Valentine’s Day filled with love and companionship. As the year takes shape, my team and I continue listening to issues that are important to you, working to address them in a meaningful way, and representing you at City Hall.
Earlier this year environmental stewards and I brought forward a plan to protect our most cherished city lands from development. Coyote Valley -- the treasure of both District 2 and San Jose that cleans our air, filters our water, and provides a crucial path for our animals -- has been the subject of much debate. I know as well as you do that once land is paved over, whether by a data center or a warehouse that adds to our carbon output and creates few low paying jobs, we lose the land forever. This truth is what drives me and many others to stand for the protection of our pristine lands. Now is the time to act!
I continue to urge my colleagues to move quickly and do right by the voters who supported Measure T last November. $50 million must be invested for the preservation of crucial land in Coyote Valley. Moving swiftly is necessary in order to leverage millions of dollars from organizations like Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), which has committed to being a partner with the City. Organizations like the Open Space Authority (OSA), which is based out of South San Jose, are committed partners who strive to conserve our natural lands for the benefit of future generations.
This issue of litter, graffiti, and illegal dumping continue to plague our City’s roads and public spaces. As a City we strive to be innovative and forward thinking but we MUST get the basics right. We must be able to innovate, create, and take chances all the while making certain our streets are clean and our communities are cared for.
With this in mind, I recently submitted several items for full City Council consideration during our upcoming Priority Setting session. One of my proposals is the creation of a “Blight Squad” (a term coined by District 2 community members Mila and Elvera), which is modeled after the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department’s (PRNS) Capital "Strike Team." The team’s sole job is to identify, prioritize, and complete important projects that otherwise lack necessary attention and/or resources. The Blight Squad would execute clean-ups of hot spots across the City plagued by constant litter and trash.
I believe that quick elimination of blight will elevate civic pride both in residents and businesses, promote a healthy and safer community, and most importantly, restore trust and instill confidence that the City is listening to its community and getting things done.
My colleagues will consider my recommendation to update the City’s Abandoned Shopping Cart Ordinance that has not been updated in 18 years. My idea is to work with businesses so that each and every business has a cart retention plan in place to stem the flow of carts into our community. My goal is to keep abandoned shopping carts off our streets and hold retailers accountable.
As we continue working through additional policy items such as High Speed Rail, homelessness, and housing, stay engaged and let me know if there is anything I can help with.
It is an honor to serve you.
In community,
Sergio Jimenez
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CONNECT, ENGAGE AND BE INFORMED.
#SJD2
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D2 News: Updates & Accomplishments
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Keeping our promise to taxpayers & ensuring that $50 million of Measure T funding protects Coyote Valley
Who stands up for our land and natural environment? I believe it is US -- it is our job. In November, San Jose taxpayers voted to approve Measure T, an infrastructure bond that includes $50 million to restore and preserve Coyote Valley — the wetlands, open space, and farmland in South San Jose. On Tuesday, January 22, 2019 prior to the City Council's special Study Session on the future of North Coyote Valley, we rallied to ensure that the full $50 million remains allocated for our natural habitat and flood protections.
Watch my Facebook Live video to hear what else I have to say about the importance of protecting South San Jose's gem (fast forward to around 20:10 in the video).
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Sale of Hayes Mansion completed
Over the years, the City has attempted to sell the Hayes Mansion in hopes of alleviating annual costs to the General Fund and to repay outstanding debt incurred from the Mansion's renovation.
The sale has finally been completed. The sale agreement allows us to pay off debt, protect workers — many of whom have served at the Mansion for over ten years — and preserve community access to the Mansion. Read this
memorandum from the City for more information.
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Volunteering for the Point-in-Time Count with a goal of ending homelessness
How many people are currently homeless in San Jose? How many of them are families, women, youth, or veterans?
Councilmember Esparza and I joined hundreds of volunteers on January 30 to help gather answers to these questions and more through the “Point-in-Time Count,” a biennial census of homeless individuals living in our neighborhoods, school campuses, libraries, food distribution centers, and other resource centers.
The counts can give us a sense of the problem as well as allow us to track ongoing trends and secure funding based on updated numbers. As we better understand the demographics of people living on the streets and get a clearer picture of our housing crisis, we will continue to progress toward the goal of ending homelessness.
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Safe Parking Pilot Program provides a safe place to sleep for people living in their vehicles
People deserve a safe environment to sleep in at night. Through San Jose’s Safe Parking Pilot Program, we are taking steps to ensure a sense of stability for families living in their cars as we address our city’s homeless crisis.
The program is overseen by the nonprofit
Life Moves, which is responsible for providing services, security, trash disposal, and more at the designated Safe Parking sites. The organization will also help families find jobs and housing.
Families are currently able to park safely at Seven Trees Community Center, and in January we talked about expanding the Safe Parking Program to Southside Community Center. Thank you all who participated in discussions about how we can do better for all of our community members!
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My monthly Office Hours: A time to inform, connect & relate to residents
I met with new and familiar faces at my February Office Hours. We had stimulating conversations about my #D2CleanStreetsInitiative, Coyote Valley, local shopping centers, public transportation, public banking, the peregrine falcons that call City Hall home, and more.
I want to thank the 10 neighbors who took invaluable time out of their day to sincerely learn about the issues and developments that affect them and how they can make a difference.
If you have questions or concerns about District 2 or the City of San Jose, I encourage you to reach out to my office directly so we may provide you with the most accurate, thorough information -- or connect you with an expert who can. If you hear or see anything online or by word of mouth that you have questions about, please ask us. We are here to inform and engage you!
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Organizing a Monterey Road Business Watch to keep stores informed & alert
The District 2 Office and SJPD hosted a Monterey Road Business Watch for establishments along the Monterey corridor, including the Edenvale Shopping Center and surrounding storefronts. Businesses learned about:
—Grants from the City’s Office of Economic Development;
—The Police Department’s STOP Program for businesses;
—Downtown Streets Team’s clean-up crew along Monterey road;
—Project Hope Neighborhood Academy;
—Safety tips for their employees & more!
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Wrapping up 2018 by recognizing influential community members and helping those in need this winter
My District 2 Office wrapped up our Annual Holiday Appreciation Party and Sock Drive on December 20!
We would like to thank all the residents who attended and celebrated the end of another successful year. We also want to acknowledge the following 2018 District 2 Awardees:
Community Leader: Mila Healy & Elvera Faria
Outstanding Youth: Oak Grove High School AFJROTC
Stellar Senior: Carole Holcomb
City Employee: Nate Donato-Weinstein
Woman of the Year: Jacquelyn Adams
Their dedication to public service brings a positive impact to our neighborhoods, and we appreciate their lasting commitment to improve the lives of those around them.
Lastly, we want to give a huge shout out to Downtown Streets Team for their continued support. We partnered with them to collect new adult socks for homeless and at-risk individuals in red bins placed throughout our community at: Southside Community Center, Starbucks at Village Oaks Shopping Center, Edenvale Branch Library, Santa Teresa Branch Library, and San Jose City Hall.
From our #D2CleanStreetsInitiative to this year’s Holiday Sock Drive, we appreciate this organization for always upholding the holiday spirit of giving and compassion.
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Celebrating the Year of the Pig at City Hall & in the community
San Jose is home to the largest Vietnamese American community in a U.S. city, and it is a vibrant one!
I celebrated first at San Jose City Hall, where the Vietnamese Freedom and Heritage Flag was raised and community groups joined together for words of acknowledgement and food. The Vietnamese Tet Festival was also a colorful ceremony packed with cultural traditions. We took a moment of silence to remember those who sacrificed so much after the Vietnam War to give themselves and future generations a better life.
As I wished everyone a happy new year in English, Vietnamese, and Spanish, I emphasized that each one of us on the City Council — no matter how similar or different our backgrounds are — are here to support and engage all residents.
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D2 Business Spotlight: Trine's Cafe
Trinidad Perez, by her own merit and grit, was the original founder of the Trine’s Cafe restaurants from 1969 to 1995. To this day her kids and grandchildren continue to run her business. Pictured above are Trine's daughter with a portrait of Trine, along with a painting of the Trine's Cafe Monterey Road restaurant that was her primary location. Her daughters and sons are local San Jose residents who live throughout the City of San Jose, including District 2.
Trine was well known for her hardworking and invincible spirit, always working for the betterment of her kids, family, and others. Nothing stopped her as she chased her dream to operate her own business.
Trinidad has 7 children. She was a creative and resourceful woman who helped many people, including those who needed or asked for her aid. She was loved by so many of the community members from her hometown of Villa Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico.
She was born on March 22, 1925 and died at age 93 on December 23, 2018.
Visit Trine's Cafe in District 2 -- we recommend the
caldo (beef stew), which is freshly made daily!
Trine's Cafe
5304 Monterey Rd.
San Jose, CA 95111
(408) 224-3243
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San Jose's bold steps to protect and preserve affordable housing
On December 11, 2018, the City Council took bold steps to protect and preserve affordable housing in San Jose.
First, Council directed the City Administration to pursue a commercial linkage fee and nexus study. A commercial linkage fee is a type of development fee that offsets the marginal impact that new commercial development has in generating need for affordable housing. A nexus study would assess the impact commercial developments have on the demand for affordable housing and provide an estimate for a supportable fee on commercial development. A feasibility study would project the effect a commercial linkage fee could have on the financial feasibility of various types of commercial activity. I was proud to co-author a memo with Councilmembers Carrasco, Peralez, and Rocha that adds another tool in our toolbox to help relieve the pressures of a soaring housing market on our residents.
Read our memo here.
Second, Council approved the development of an ordinance to protect renters from Source of Income Discrimination. Through this ordinance, landlords will no longer be allowed to discriminate against Section 8 voucher holders. Additionally, the Housing Department will implement an education and outreach plan in coordination with Santa Clara County Housing Authority to incentivize and increase the acceptance of rental subsidy programs among landlords.
Read the Housing Department’s memo and related attachments here.
Lastly, Council expanded tenant protections and modified the tenant protection ordinance by:
- Requiring landlords to post a notice that summarizes the requirements of the Tenant Protection Ordinance including prohibited actions such as retaliation, harassment, and intimidation against tenants based on their immigration status;
- Adding a provision to the criminal activity cause for eviction stating if the tenant is acquitted or the criminal charges which caused termination of tenancy are dismissed or reduced, the tenant is permitted to return to the apartment; and
- Recognizing protections afforded to victims of violence consistent with California and federal law.
Our lack of affordable housing, soaring rents, and homelessness are undoubtedly the greatest challenges facing our City. I am glad that the Council made progress in relieving some symptoms of our housing crisis. I look forward to working towards more solutions.
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2 Bridge Housing Community sites move forward in San Jose
On December 18, 2019, the City Council approved the development and construction of two Emergency Bridge Housing Community (BHC) sites and an agreement with Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley, Inc. to provide an interim housing solution for 80 houseless residents.
The approval of the recommended actions will result in the construction of two Emergency Bridge Housing Communities in San Jose, providing a total of 80 new Emergency Sleeping Cabins. The location of these sites are the Valley Transportation Agency construction staging site located at Mabury Road in Council District 3, and the Caltrans site located at the South West Quadrant of State Highways 101 and 680 adjacent to Felipe Avenue located in Council District 7.
BHC’s are just one of the many solutions being implemented to address our housing crisis. The City is prioritizing efforts to house our most vulnerable residents. I am looking forward to continuing work on safe parking and other interim solutions, protecting tenants, and supporting new developments of affordable housing.
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High Speed Rail updates
On Tuesday, February 12, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom provided updates on his planned approach to the High Speed Rail project during his
Sate of the State address. My office will keep you informed about any project developments. It is our goal to keep you updated and engaged about what the state's direction means for us in District 2.
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A Look at More Community Stories
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Dignity, respect, and recognition. These are the basic things that humble, hard working service workers demanded from their employer, Marriott. The hotel workers got it after many weeks of picketing, exercising their right to be heard! I had the honor of marching in solidarity with them as they strived for a just contract that includes better pay, benefits, and job security. I am proud of their efforts and warmed by their humility.
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The Southside Community Center's Dazzling Divas tap group is made up mostly of seniors who are active in their communities and love to dance. They perform at community centers and senior living facilities. In February, I invited them to treat us to a performance at our City Council meeting! Thank you to our lovely dancers: Eileen Roberts, Norma Callender, Terry Santoro, Loretta Carter, Lynda Kelaita, Marsha Liu, and Karol Wolf.
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Congratulations to Sam Koosha on his well-deserved retirement after 31 years of service to the City of San Jose! Sam played a key role in traffic operations as well as helping implement transportation safety projects in District 2 and throughout the city. Thank you for your dedication and great work to help improve traffic safety in south San Jose!
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We kicked off the Project Hope Neighborhood Academy in January with the goal of educating and organizing a Neighborhood Association in the Roundtable Neighborhood. I look forward to seeing the lessons and bonds created from the Neighborhood Academy implemented throughout the District. If you have questions about Project Hope, contact
Maribel.Villarreal@sanjoseca.gov.
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On January 29, we proclaimed a week of remembrance, held a candlelit ceremony, and lit the Rotunda in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Thank you Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley and Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley for bringing us together.
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I was honored to present a commendation to Jalen Butcher for winning the San Jose Youth Entrepreneurship & Innovation Summit business competition. This was the last ceremonial item for 2018, and it was even more special for me to have members of my family present.
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I was honored to have Reverend Jeff Moore give the invocation at City Council on Tuesday, February 12. Rev. Moore is also the President of the Silicon Valley NAACP, so it was my pleasure as well to share that the day was also the 110th Anniversary of the NAACP. The NAACP is the nation’s most widely recognized civil rights organization, leading the efforts for equal opportunity campaigns and voter mobilization. Thank you Rev. Moore for your leadership.
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At HomeFirst's Homeless Memorial event, 158 candles displayed on a table represented the 158 homeless lives lost this past year. As we remember those who passed away unsheltered on our streets, we continue to work as a community to help our most vulnerable residents. The
City's website
and Facebook for information about Overnight Warming Locations, centers where people can go to sleep when temperatures drop during cold months.
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D2 and You: Upcoming Events
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Click on flyer above for more information.
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Book Sale at Santa Teresa Library
Saturday, March 23
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Come shop hundreds of books (including lots of kids books) and media -- all for $1 and under!
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Click on flyer for more information
In partnership with the AARP, the City of San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services invites adults ages 50 and up to register for free tax assistance at their local community center by contacting the center directly.
February through April 2019
Mondays: 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.
Southside Community Center, 408-629-3336
For more information about classes and services PRNS provides for older adults, visit
sanjoseca.gov/prns.
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Free tax services for community members earning less than $55,000 a year - please click on flyer for more information
Tax-Aid is a nonprofit organization that provides free income tax preparation services for people who earn less than $55,000 a year. More information about Tax-Aid is available on the website
tax-aid.org.
In San Jose, we will be offering free tax preparation at the MLK Library/SJSU at 150 E. San Fernando Street and Roosevelt Community Center at 901 E. Santa Clara Street.
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Be in-the-know about local ongoing transportation projects
VTA 2019 Transit Service Plan
Caltrain Business Plan
San Jose Better Bike Plan 2025
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Styrofoam & pizza boxes go in the garbage! More garbage/recycling tips:
For your information: Pizza boxes should go into garbage cart, not the recycling bin. They are cardboard materials; however, most of the time the pizza boxes are greasy which contaminates the recycling process. Example of other nonrecyclable items that residents often place in recycling cart are soiled napkins, tissue paper, to-go containers, etc.
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A message from the Santa Clara Valley Water District:
The winter season is here – are you flood ready? The Santa Clara Valley Water District is committed to keeping residents and businesses safe through its flood protection programs. During storms, our crews actively monitor hot spot locations countywide. Parts of our county are historically prone to flooding and at risk during heavy storms. The water district wants residents to be aware of existing flood risks and be prepared with the help of our flood safety resources on
www.valleywater.org/floodready. On our flood ready pages you can determine if your house is in a flood zone, learn about flood insurance, find out where to get sandbags, and sign up to receive emergency notifications through AlertSCC, Santa Clara County’s emergency warning system. You can also keep an eye on streams with our Flood Watch Tool.
Additional resources:
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A message from Shapes, a new fitness center in District 2
Shapes Fitness For Women is the premier women’s only fitness center devoted completely to the needs of women. Shapes atmosphere supports and inspires women of all ages and fitness levels to live a happy and healthy life. We provide women a one-stop-shop facility, offering all of today and tomorrow’s most popular work out programs (35 classes a week), cardio and strength equipment, personal and elite training and an infrared sauna. Also, we have a terrific kid zone and full service showers and lockers.
Shapes strives to make a difference through the community by changing women’s lives in a positive way! Shapes is a place where they can develop friendships, bonds and relationships with other women who share the same goals. We offer a place for women to exercise in an environment that provides both privacy and comfort.
Shapes offers something that larger or multi-purpose facilities cannot offer—a place for women to exercise in an environment that provides both privacy and comfort. It has been proven that a large percentage of women prefer training in the safety and comfort of a women’s only environment.
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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 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 Jose: 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:
Saturday, March 2
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Edenvale Library, Study Room B
Monday, March 18
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Santa Teresa Library, Study Room B
(Office Hours on Monday, February 18 are
canceled
due to the Presidents' Day holiday)
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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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