WEDNESDAY OCT 26 - PUMPKIN GIVEAWAY

Mark your calendar! My office is holding our Second Annual District 4 Pumpkin Giveaway on Wednesday, October 26th from 5-7pm. We’ll have pumpkins of all sizes for the kids, plus games and prizes. It’ll be happening at Brooktree Elementary School at 1781 Olivetree Drive. First come, first served while supplies last. Call 408-535-4904 for more information. 

In The Wake of the Week

Vision Zero: Prioritizing School Route Safety

The 2022-23 school year is shaping up to be a return to normal for schools throughout Santa Clara County and residents and school leaders to more effectively enforce speed limits around schools and along the routes students use to get to and from school. 

The recent traffic fatality of a 3rd grader walking to Castlemont Elementary School on September 16th was a call to action for our office to take a proactive and holistic approach to expand the reach of the City’s traffic safety programs to improve pedestrian safety near schools.

I am joining Vice Mayor Jones, Mayor Liccardo, and Councilmember Foley, who chairs the Vision Zero Taskforce, to ask subject matter experts from the Department of Transportation, SJPD, City Manager’s Office, County Office of Education, and local school districts to commit to collectively working to:

• Generate potential solutions that will improve pedestrian safety for children and their parents/guardians as they travel to and from school, including but not limited to, road improvements near schools.
• Create a multi-phased workplan that will allow the implementation of these solutions and recommend the metrics by which we can monitor success.
• Define the budget and resource requirements that will be needed make the systemic changes to our programs.

October is National Pedestrian Safety Month. Please take time to talk with your friends and family about the dangers of distracted driving and drunk or buzzed driving. Our kids are our most precious and vulnerable citizens, let’s keep them safe!

Stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. Check out this video of San José Police posing as pedestrians crossing the street and busting drivers who don't stop to allow them to cross safely.

Safer Routes To School

The San José Police Department’s School Safety and Education Unit is now hiring Crossing Guards. You could play a major role in improving the safety of our kiddos on their way to and from school and get paid! Click here for more information. It’s all part of our plan to make San Jose safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

It's Time to Vote! 

Ballots are in the Mail! Voting Starts Now! Election Day is November 8th!

Did you know California modernized our voting system when we passed the Voter’s Choice Act in 2016? Gone are the days of paper voter rolls and having to vote at only one specific polling place in your neighborhood. Now the Registrar Of Voters employees are able to look you up at the check in desk, print your particular precinct’s ballot, and show you to a voting booth anywhere in the county! You can request a paper ballot or vote using an electronic machine. You can even vote from your car in most Vote Centers, using drive-up services intended for folks with health and mobility issues. 

(Fun fact: The touchscreen voting machines are technically just another way of marking a paper ballot. They record your choices and print them on a sheet of paper you can double check before depositing it into the ballot box. Voting machines do not tally votes and are not connected to the internet.)

• RIDE OUT THE DROUGHT W/ SVBC & VALLEY WATER
• BERRYESSA SPOOKTACTULAR HALLOWEEN
• FINANCIAL HELP WITH HOME REPAIRS
• CITY BEAUTIFICATION GRANT PROGRAM BEGINS

SVBC AND VALLEY WATER INVITE YOU TO RIDE OUT THE DROUGHT!

Join us for Ride Out the Drought (#ROtD), a free, month-long program that combines the joys and benefits of riding bikes with learning about the water system. Register here to get access to the kickoff event and routes (geared toward different levels of riders), as well as a chance to win prizes! Oct. 15-Nov. 12, 2022

We'll start with a kickoff event at the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center on Oct. 15. That includes breakfast munchies, a tour of the Purification Center, two different guided rides, and ice cream afterwards.

The month continues at your own pace. Choose a route from the list of rides provided in the Ride with GPS Ride Out the Drought challenge and follow them when it's convenient for you. Ride with GPS includes directions and information about the points of interest we've called out to help you learn about the water system.

Ride to win! Record your ride in Ride with GPS and post to social media to get more chances to win in the weekly raffle. Those who ride the most miles can earn special grand prizes.

Register to receive updates about Ride Out the Drought and instructions on how to use Ride with GPS.



P.S. We need some volunteers too, click here to help Ride Out the Drought.

BERRYESSA SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN

We are getting ready to bring back our annual SPOOKtacular Halloween in person this year! Our event is set to be on Friday, October 28th from 6:00pm-8:30pm. We will have a Haunted House, costume contest, games, DJ, and a pumpkin patch! 

This is a huge event we put together and the Haunted House alone needs a lot of help from volunteers. We really need volunteers, and we offer to sign community service volunteer hours for high school students! 

IS YOUR SAN JOSE HOME IN NEED OF REPAIRS?

Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley has partnered with the City of San Jose to offer home repair grants to low income homeowners--mobile homes included. We make repairs that directly impact a homeowner’s health, safety and quality of life. Eligible repairs in this city include, but are not limited to the following:

Repair assessments are made by Habitat staff after visiting the home with the homeowner to determine the scope of work. Projects range in size depending on the home and homeowner's needs.

Download a Request for Service form inDownload a Request for Service form in English – Español – Tagalog – 繁體中文 - 简体中文 – Tiếng Việt - Hindi.

Required Documentation

• Photo IDs and Proof of Legal Residency for all Applicants
• Copy of Certificate of Title
• Proof of occupancy (including space lease agreement if in a mobile home)
• Copy of Homeowner’s Insurance Policy
• Income documentation for all household members 18 years of age and older

You can visit the Habitat for Humanity website for more details on grant amounts, requirements and other information.

BEAUTIFY SJ GRANT PROGRAM

The City of San José is committed to supporting residents in their efforts to beautify their neighborhoods and create a cleaner and more vibrant San José.

The mission of the BeautifySJ Grant Program is to support residents’ efforts at reclaiming their public space and to empower residents to aesthetically demonstrate their pride in our City. The City believes that the power to shape the future of our neighborhoods lies in strengthening the civic participation of our residents.

The BeautifySJ Grant Program provides funds (from $300 up to $5,000) for neighborhood clean-up efforts, beautification projects and neighborhood engagement opportunities in San José.

Proposals will only be accepted online via WebGrants. To register for a WebGrants user ID and to access the application, please go to: grants.sanjoseca.gov.

EMERGENCY HOUSING UPDATE

As a result of your advocacy and the efforts of my staff, plans to utilize the Robert Gross Perculation Ponds/Noble Park have been canceled. As part of the process, the City of San José collected suggestions for alternative locations in District 4. In the spirit of full transparency, the City published the entire list of suggestions they received. City staff is currently vetting the locations on the list and will share a revised list when it is available. We will update the Emergency Housing Page as new information becomes available.

COVID 19 UPDATE

Omicron specific booster shots are available for everyone who has had the two initial vaccinations. Reservations can be found at sccfreevax.org.

How to Protect Yourself and Others From COVID-19: With COVID-19 cases on the rise, it is important to follow CDC guidelines to prevent illness. Most importantly, stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines, wear a well-fitting mask, avoid poorly ventilated areas and crowds, and take precautions when you travel.

Free Masks Available: Each adult can get three free N95 masks at pharmacies and community health centers. For help finding a location, call 800-232-0233.

Resident Resources: The City of San José’s Virtual Local Assistance Center is a one-stop for information on Food Assistance, Housing, Employment, Health & Wellness, Utilities, and Immigrant Resources.

Current Vaccination/Booster Sites: The full list of vaccine sites, and testing sites are available on the County of Santa Clara COVID-19 website. Please note that vaccination sites are a combination of drop-in and by appointment only. Residents are encouraged to make an appointment, where possible. All sites have boosters available.