Please see the attached notice for upcoming work in one parking lot outside of Diridon Station, south of W Santa Clara Street between Montgomery and Cahill Streets, starting on July 12. Contractors will be undertaking extensive soil testing and trenching in preparation for VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project. This work helps us advance our engineering work as we continue to refine the project. 

If you have any questions about this work or about VTA’s BART Phase II Project, please contact Gretchen Baisa at gbaisa@vtabsv.com.

At this time, there will not be any customer drought surcharges (penalties) for excess water use, however, we are asking all of our customers to comply. SJW will continue to monitor water usage. If the desired level of conservation is not achieved by August 31, 2021, the Company may need to adjust its response. This could include the imposition of drought surcharges.

SJW is aligning this plan with its 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, and activating Stage 3 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan. Mandatory water use restrictions under this plan focus on outdoor water use, which accounts for half of the average household’s total use. A complete list of rules can be found at www.sjwater.com/drought. Those currently in effect include:

Limits Watering to Two Days per Week: Watering or irrigating of lawns, landscape or other vegetated areas with potable water is limited to two days per week. Irrigation will be allowed Mondays and Thursdays for odd numbered and numberless addresses, and will be allowed on Tuesdays and Fridays for even numbered addresses.

Limits Timing and Length of Watering: Watering or irrigating of outside plants, lawn, landscape, and turf areas with potable water using a landscape irrigation system or a watering device that is not continuously attended, is limited to no more than 15 minutes of watering per day per station, with no watering between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Limits Filling Decorative Fountains or Ornamental Lakes or Ponds: Prohibition of the use of potable water for filling or re-filling decorative fountains, ornamental lakes or ponds more than one foot, except when fountains or ponds/lakes are drained for repairs, and except to the extent needed to sustain aquatic life in ponds/lakes, provided that such animals are of significant value and have been actively managed within the water feature prior to declaration of a supply shortage level.

Limits Washing Vehicles: Washing of vehicles, except at a commercial car washing facility that utilizes recycled water or re-circulating water system to capture or reuse water.

Limit Use of Potable Water for Washing Buildings: Also structures, sidewalks, walkways, driveways, patios, tennis courts, or other hard-surfaced, non-porous areas, except to protect the health and safety of the public.

Read more here.

The City of San José is happy to announce that $75 million in new funding is now available for qualified, “shovel-ready” affordable housing developments. The City of San José Housing Department invites qualified applicants to submit written proposals for the funding of new, affordable, multifamily housing developments for extremely low-, very low-, and low-income individuals and families. Funding will be provided in the form of loans for construction and permanent financing, which may include acquisition costs.

While work proceeds on the Affordable Housing Siting Policy, funding for this round is only available to sites located in the City Council-approved growth areas listed below. Additional areas in the City will be eligible for funding in subsequent Notices of Funding Availability once the City Council approves the Affordable Housing Siting Policy this fall.

Applicants and service providers are encouraged to attend the pre-submission conference on Friday, July 9, 2021 at 10:30am. The details of the pre-application conference will be published in Biddingo and applicants may also register at the link provided.

To read the full NOFA and submit proposals, please visit the City’s Biddingo page. Final responses must be submitted by Monday, July 19, 2021.

All types of fireworks, even those labeled 'safe and sane' are illegal in San José and most of Santa Clara County. The illegal fireworks hotline number is 408-535-5600. You can also report online here.

The fines for using fireworks were increased in December 2020 and are now:

-$1,000 for a first violation

-$2,000 for a second violation (within 18 months of the previous violation)

-$3,000 for a third violation (within 18 months of the previous violation)

The sale of fireworks may result in a fine of up to $50,000 plus jail time, depending on quantity.

PG&E Thursday Safety Webinars

For information on how to participate, the full webinar events schedule, recordings and presentation materials from past events, and to learn more about PG&E’s Community Wildfire Safety Program, visit pge.com/wildfiresafety.

More information and resources to help you and your family prepare for and stay safe in the event of an emergency can be found at safetyactioncenter.pge.com.

 All the choices are posted at dinedowntown.com.

Every ten years, U.S. Census data is used to redraw City of San José City Council district boundaries. This ensures the districts are balanced for changes in population. The City Council wants to hear from you on how these boundaries should be drawn. Complete the form found on our website to tell the Commission about your community of interest – keeping communities of interest together is a high-ranking criteria in the redistricting process.

Survey here.

The City of San Jose invites interested members of the community to participate in the process of City Government by serving on one of several Boards and Commissions. All positions are voluntary and most appointed by the City Council. The time commitment for each board or commission varies, with some meeting on a regular schedule, while others meet on an as needed basis. Additional time obligations may include pre-meeting preparation or subcommittee attendance. Once appointed, attendance at regularly scheduled meetings is critical.

Vacancies and applications here.

The Senior Commission currently has vacancies in the following Council Districts:

Council District 2 ( Jimenez)

Council District 5 ( Carrasco)

Council District 6 ( Davis)

Council District 8 ( Arenas)

As BeautifySJ merges into the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services this coming fiscal year, we plan to share with you monthly reports about BeautifySJ data to highlight the services provided, including encampments receiving trash service, illegal dumping cleanups, graffiti removed and total tons of trash and debris removed through the program.

The City of San Jose is starting up plastic bag collecting again! Visit the link below and provide your zip code to find drop-off locations near you!

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services’ Park Rangers would like to share safety tips with visitors venturing through San José’s parks and trails. Follow these tips along with all park rules, posted signage and State and County health guidelines to stay safe during warmer days.

Warm weather/hiking precautions:

San Jose Public Library is kicking off its Summer Food Program from June 7 to August 13, which offers free healthy ‘grab and go’ meals for children and teens, ages 2-18, and their families. Last year over 5,000 families picked up meals at the four locations the program was offered. See the list of participating library branches below.

People can also participate in the Library’s virtual programs, sign up for Summer Learning, SJPL’s annual reading program, and show off their creative skills by joining the Graphic Novel Making Contest for a chance to win prizes (ends July 31). To learn more about these programs, visit here.

Construction at Clines Corners Wind Farm in New Mexico has officially begun! This is SJCE’s first investment in wind energy and will power nearly 186,000 San José homes with clean, renewable electricity. The project is scheduled to come online by the end of this year – you can check out its progress by watching this short video.

You can learn more about our investments in renewable energy, storage, and reliability by visiting our new Energy Sources and Reliability webpage.

Struggling to afford internet service? Eligible households can now apply for discounts through the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB), a temporary benefit from the @FCC.

Get all the details you need here.

Most of us have heard of the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle.” But do you know about the other two “Rs”? Read here to learn about the waste hierarchy and how the five Rs can help us to reduce waste and keep valuable items out of the landfill.

Visit here for program details.

You can look at the pavement projects map for the schedule.

Experts agree that the health risks associated with COVID far outweigh the risks of the vaccine. Make an appointment to get vaccinated today! There is also walk-in availability. http://sccFreeVax.org.

Santa Clara County Vaccine Update: Of residents 16+, 71.2% received at least one vaccine dose and 44.7% completed vaccination.

The County of Santa Clara offers support options for people who test positive or have been in contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive. If you need help with food, bills, or a place to stay while you isolate or quarantine, please call 408-808-7770, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily to see what services are right for you. To start the process, please leave a voice message with your name, phone number, and immediate needs in your preferred language. All calls are returned. www.scchelps.org.