As we begin the process of rebuilding our community in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must face and defeat another epidemic; that of racism against our Asian community. I’m sure many of you have seen the reports of terrible acts of harassment and violence across the country and, indeed, right here in the Bay Area.
This must stop. Period.
Our Asian community has been a major part of our success and growth as a city and we must make them feel safe and welcome. In my decades of professional experience, both public and private, my Asian colleagues, friends and allies have been integral to my own growth. They have enriched my life and my perspective, as well as that of my family, and I am outraged that they no longer feel safe in the communities they helped to build.
That being said, anger and concern are meaningless without action. This is why I am working with our allies in our Asian communities to provide funding and resources. I am working with them to create safe spaces for them to express their frustrations and, most importantly we are listening. Their input and allyship will help us to work with City organizations such as law enforcement to create effective solutions.
If you or someone you know has experienced a hate crime, please report it here. This information is critical to the San Jose Police Department so I encourage you to speak up.
To the Asian members of our community, I pledge to work diligently, thoughtfully and urgently to help make our city a safe place for all.
Sincerely,
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SAN JOSÉ HAS A NEW CHIEF OF POLICE
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I'm excited to welcome San José's next Police Chief, Anthony Mata. The City Council confirmed the City Manager's recommendation to appoint Anthony Mata as the next Police Chief after an intensive search process that involved input from the public, community-based organizations and local non-profits. We narrowed down the search to four very strong candidates before selecting Mata. I am confident he will use his decades of experience to provide strong leadership to the San Jose Police Department and I give him my full support as he assumes his new role. Click here for the full press release.
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TRY THE CITY'S INTERACTIVE BUDGET TOOL |
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Last Tuesday, the Council received and discussed the Mayor’s Budget Message. As a City Council, we deliberated and ranked priorities for the upcoming year, and will have study sessions dedicated to the budget in May. I expect allocating funds to the recovery of our City’s economy post COVID and addressing our unhoused population will be of high importance in our discussions. I will be seeking input from District 4 residents regarding budget allocations, so look for a survey and opportunities for input in future communications from my office. |
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I also invite you to try out the City’s interactive budget tool to show how you would prioritize San Jose’s budget. As a part of our budget engagement process for the upcoming 2021-2022 budget, the City of San Jose has created this tool, called the "Balancing Act,” to gather resident feedback.
City services impact the well-being of our community and affect how we meet the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic The Balancing Act allows us to gather feedback on how residents and community stakeholders would prioritize dollars when trying to balance the budget.
The Balancing Act is available in three languages: English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
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UPDATE ON ABATEMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES |
In response to the number of emails that we have received reporting abandoned cars on City streets, our office reached out to the Department of Transportation (DOT) to get an update on the follow-up and timeframe for removal of reported vehicles. The City is still very actively responding to issues related to COVID-19 and has been pulling staff into the Emergency Operations Center in order to support vaccination sites, food distribution, COVID-19 testing and several other efforts. The Department of Transportation had to modify staffing levels and shifts to adapt to the conditions caused by COVID and to prioritize supporting programs related to the pandemic.
In order for an abandoned car to be removed, it needs to be deemed:
- Inoperative
- A safety Hazard
- Extreme Blight
If there is a car that meets these criteria, please include a photo when you report the vehicle though SanJose311 that shows the state of the vehicle. Some examples of conditions that would meet this criteria include cars:
- On jacks / blocks
- With missing or shattered windows, or
- That are vandalized / have graffiti (non-commercial vehicle), or
- With significantly flat tires, or
- Missing both the front and back license plates, or
- Attracting illegal dumping activities
The DOT is still monitoring all streets in the City of San José, as of January. After two months of issuing warnings, Street Sweeping Zone restrictions are being enforced again. At the beginning of this month, after a two-week warning period, enforcement of overnight parking restrictions based on street signage that limits parking between certain hours began. We understand how frustrating it can be to have an abandoned car in your neighborhood. Please understand that there is a very large backlog in addressing these abatements. Continue to report these vehicles on SanJose311 so we have a good set of data to work with when we get closer to a normal level of city services.
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TOWN HALL WRAP UP - BRIDGE HOUSING COMMUNITY |
One of the recurring challenges our District faces is the need to reduce our unhoused population.
In January 2020, District 4 became the site of San Jose’s first Bridge Housing Community, with 40 units built at 1410 Mabury Road for individuals seeking permanent housing; 10 units were set aside shortly after opening for populations vulnerable to COVID-19.
In its first few months of operation, the community housed 76 people at varying times, and I’m proud to say that the majority of them were able to access permanent housing within 120 days, exceeding the goals set when the community opened last year.
That surpassed the project’s goal of having 50 percent of participants exit the program to permanent housing within 120 days. We hope to continue our success with this program. Go to HomeFirst for more information.
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I would like to congratulate Morrill Middle School for receiving the California Distinguished Schools Award. The faculty, parents, students and Berryessa Union School District deserve to be recognized for their hard work and diligence. Their efforts have helped to turn a school that had many challenges and difficulties into one of the state's best.
The California Department of Education (CDE) identifies and awards eligible schools based on performance and progress on state indicators specified on the California School Dashboard, the state’s accountability and continuous improvement system. Indicators include test scores, suspension rates, and conditions and climate.
This honor is given to schools that have shown meaningful improvement in those many areas and, as a former school board member, I couldn't be more proud to have a school in my district given this distinction. I wish the faculty and students continued success. Thank you for providing an exemplary educational environment for future generations in District 4.
Go Tigers!
More on the California Distinguished Schools program can be found below:
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Webinar on Eviction Moratorium for Business Owners who Lease
Thursday March 18, 2021 at 3:30-5 PM
If you didn’t pay rent for your business at any time during the pandemic, you need to attend the free, online webinar. Start Small Think Big and other experts will give you the lease negotiation tips and tools you need now and after the moratorium ends.
Distribute 300 Grocery Gift Cards, Books and Gifts to 300 Children
Saturday, March 27, 2021 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
McKinley Elementary School, 651 Macredes Avenue, San José, CA 95116
Food and book distribution, gifts and Community Policing-Fostering a positive experience for children and families from the McKinley/Bonita neighborhood. This is a NO CONTACT event; mask requirements and social distancing will be in effect with curbside pick-up.
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CORRECTION FROM PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER
In the Alviso vaccination clinic section of our Feb. 11 newsletter, we provided a couple of incorrect links for Micron Technologies and Micron Gives, their philanthropic division.
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