One of the biggest takeaways from our meeting was the sheer volume of work our city staff have accomplished this past year. Since the beginning of the pandemic last year, City staff have taken on a whole new set of responsibilities, which are still consuming City resources: food and necessities distribution, digital equity, rental assistance, emergency housing – construction and operation, sheltering and enhanced encampment services, childcare learning pods, workplace safety, Federal and State stimulus advocacy, employee health and wellness, drive to digital, encampment waste pickup, BeautifySJ, and most recently a vaccination task force. This was all on top of the policy work that was already in process! As you might imagine, much of the non-pandemic-related policy work was substantially delayed.

Read more here.

Saturday, March 6, 2021: Three Creeks Trail and Iris Garden 

Saturday, March 6, 2021: Canoas Park

Thank you to the 17 volunteers that participated in this D6 creek cleanup! Over 2 tons of trash was collected. My office was happy to sponsor this event and is grateful for all the volunteers!

The next clean up is on March 13, 2021 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the Los Gatos Creek trestle bridge. Volunteers will meet at the Lonus Avenue entrance and clean the trash on the side of the creek.

More information and registration here.

If your neighborhood is interested in hosting a Neighborhood Watch meeting, please contact my office at district6@sanjoseca.gov. We can help get you connected with SJPD Crime Prevention.

Join me on Wednesdays for office hours. For the first meeting of the month, March 3 2021, turn on your cameras and join me on Zoom. You will be able to ask me questions from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.

Zoom link here

Meeting ID: 945 9169 0773

+1 669 219 2599 US (San Jose)

+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

Reminder: You can also send your questions in advance to district6@sanjoseca.gov.

The City Council voted to move forward with a portion of Phase 2 of the Electronic Billboard Policy priority item including way-finding signs on public property and removing the rest of phase 2 from the 2020-2021 City Roadmap of projects slated for completion by June 2021.

There were no changes made to Phase 1 which was previously approved by City Council on September 25, 2018.

Additional information on Phase I and 2 is available at this planning webpage here.

During this time of Covid-19 pandemic and Shelter in Place, we as business owners are faced with the challenge of offering a safe environment for our customers and employees, while still trying to stay afloat. It is important that we acknowledge the difficulties we have faced, stay connected as a community and accept that we are in a new stage of our operations- engaging in a new social “dance” as we like to call it.

Our grass-roots campaign called Safely Social San Jose is also designed as a means to address the unspoken stress and confusion faced by local businesses while uplifting and educating our community together in order to build a “better normal”.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has directed all investor-owned utilities (IOUs), including PG&E, to automatically transition customers to a Time-of-Use (Peak Pricing 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Every Day. San José Clean Energy customers, will be automatically transitioned to a Time-of-Use rate plan in June 2021 per state requirements. This means that electricity will be more expensive from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. but less expensive at all other times.

Approximately 75% of residential customers in San Jose would save money under Time-of-Use rate plans without changing their usage habits. Customers can switch back to their old rate plan or another Time-of-Use plan (with different peak hours) at any time. Customers statewide will be transitioned through March 2022 to better align energy usage with renewable energy availability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Customers are expected to save approximately $2.5 million in San José. If you can shift some of your energy use to take advantage of the lower-priced, off-peak time periods (before 4 p.m. and after 9 p.m.), you may be able to lower your overall electricity costs. For example, running the dishwasher during off-peak periods instead of on-peak periods is an example of shifting usage to lower electricity costs.

Customers may decline the transition and return to their previous rate plan at any time. Customers can also view a personalized rate comparison to help with this decision at any time by visiting www.pge.com/touchoice or calling PG&E at 1-866-743-7945.

Read more here.

The City of San José ESD has been working on promoting Zero Net Carbon (ZNC) Buildings, as they are an important facet of a more sustainable future. We are doing a giveaway to increase knowledge and awareness on ZNC Buildings.

Being that Zero Net Carbon (ZNC) Buildings are an important step towards a sustainable future, The City of San Jose would like to increase awareness and education on ZNC Buildings. We are giving away 2 FREE LED lightbulbs (mailed to your home) to any San Jose resident that watches the short "Zero Net Carbon Buildings" video and completes the quick survey after. Please share with your friends, family, and fellow community members! You can find the video, survey, and more information on ZNC Buildings here.

Thousands of people in San José are facing housing insecurity. The City of San José’s Housing Department has partnered with the County of Santa Clara Office of Mediation and Ombuds Services (OMOS) to create the Housing Mediation Program. The program helps resolve rental housing disputes related to the pandemic so people can stay in their homes. The program is voluntary for tenants and landlords.

There is no cost to participate. Many types of disputes are covered, including non-payment of rent, lease issues, and nuisance issues. Mediation is conducted online, and mediation services are available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

To request mediation through this program, the tenant or landlord should contact the City of San José’s Housing Department at 408-975-4480 or RSP@sanjoseca.gov. A City of San José staff member will help get the mediation process started. To learn more about this program, please visit the OMOS website here.

In response to the ongoing economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) said today it will extend the existing COVID 19 customer protections through June 30, 2021. The protections were set to expire on April 16. This comes after a vote by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) earlier today.

PG&E Customer Protections through June 30, 2021:

• Moratorium on service disconnections for non-payment for residential and small

business customers;

• Post-enrollment verification and re-enrollment requirements have been paused for the

California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE) and Family Electric Rate

Assistance (FERA) Program (FERA);

• Security deposits are being waived for small commercial customers (residential

customers are not required to submit security deposits);

• Customers on the Medical Baseline program offering customers with qualifying medical

conditions a lower monthly rate on energy bills are not being asked to re-certify through

a doctor or other eligible medical professionals for up to one year.

For customers interested in learning more about the financial assistance and bill payment

options visit here.

Your San José Clean Energy Bill Explained: As an SJCE customer, you will still receive one bill for your power service, sent by PG&E. Here are the main elements of your bill and what the charges are for. Use this worksheet to calculate your savings with SJCE.

Questions? Call us at (833) 432-2454 or email us.

Discount Programs: San José residents and businesses may be eligible for programs that offer savings on your electricity bill, home energy efficiency upgrades, and discounts on electric vehicles through State or Federal funding. Learn more about these programs and see if you qualify.

The Behavioral Health Call Center is the entry point for access to all Santa Clara County behavioral health services. We provide support for individuals and families who are in crisis; considering suicide; or struggling with mental illness, substance use, or both.

See below for a list of support services.

Attend a virtual community meeting on Monday, March 8 at 5:00 PM to share thoughts on what skills, experience, and characteristics the City should seek in its next Director of PBCE. You can also complete a survey here.

English: https://sanjose.abalancingact.com/2021

Spanish: https://sanjose.abalancingact.com/spanish2021

Vietnamese: https://sanjose.abalancingact.com/vietnamese2021

Recycling reduces waste, keeps recyclable materials out of the landfill and helps protect the environment. Recycling also saves energy and valuable natural resources, and creates jobs. Unsure of what goes where? Visit SanJoseRecycles.org for a complete recycling guide and more.

As a reminder, the City offers free junk pick-up! San José residents, it’s easy & FREE to get rid of your junk! Click on the link below or visit here to make a free appointment.

Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, recruits, trains and supports CASA Volunteers to ensure every foster child in Santa Clara County has a mentor and advocate to help them navigate the system. Volunteers must pass a background check and complete 30 hours of training. If you are interested in having a positive impact on a foster youth’s life, please attend an upcoming virtual info session. Register here.

PRNS offers volunteer events throughout the month of March to provide residents a safe way to enjoy our beautiful outdoor spaces and make a difference during their weekend.

All event sessions will require volunteers to follow current COVID-19 safety protocol measures such as face coverings, social distancing, and symptom checks. All sessions have a limited capacity of volunteers to ensure ample space for social distancing.

Volunteers are provided with all necessary tools and training, and are asked to bring a water bottle, snacks, and wear closed toed shoes. All sessions will be held, rain or shine.

Those interested in volunteering must register in advance in the events linked above. For more information, contact: ParkVolunteer@sanjoseca.gov or call (408) 595-3483.

View the schedule and fill out the volunteer form here.

Sunday in the Park is back! Sunday in the Park is a series of one day events that rotate through all council districts. This is a great way to get the community involved and students can receive community service hours!

Safety is our priority and below are some steps that we have implemented to keep everyone safe!

• Staff and Volunteers are required to pass a COVID-19 Health Check to participate.

• We provide personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer.

• All tools are disinfected before and after the use of each volunteer.

• Social distancing and masks required

• Pre-Registration is required with a 30 max participant limit

No experience is required, and all tools are provided! We do ask that volunteers wear closed-toe shoes.

Interested people can register on Eventbrite. You can find direct links on the attached flyer. Please fill out a Volunteer Service Agreement and email to parkvolunteer@sanjoseca.gov.

For more information go to our VMU volunteer event page here.

If you're looking for an opportunity to gain job experience and training, apply to become a corps-member at San Jose Conservation Corps. At the Corps you not only gain new job skills, but you can create positive change by preserving the environment, helping those in need, and more.

Apply here.

Join the County for our virtual community forum to learn more about wellness during COVID-19, directives and other local resources. This forum is on Wednesday, March 3rd at 11:00 AM.

Facebook: http://facebook.com/sccpublichealth

YouTube: http://youtube.com/sccpublichealth

Experts agree that the health risks associated with COVID far outweigh the risks of the vaccine. Get vaccinated when it’s your turn. Residents can now call Valley Connections at (408) 970-2000 for assistance making vaccine appointments.

Please visit the link here for vaccine information for SCC.

Testing sites in Santa Clara County here. 

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is creating a challenging business climate in San Jose and across the country. We are providing this page to serve as a centralized resource for employers, employees, small businesses and non-profits to discover critical information and help. To suggest an addition, email covid19sjbusiness@sanjoseca.gov.

We strongly suggest that interested businesses make contact with one of these trusted partners for free advice and help:

-Small Business Development Center https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/signup (408) 777-9311

-SCORE https://siliconvalley.score.org/ (408) 453-6237

-AnewAmerica https://www.anewamerica.org/en/ phone number/ (408) 326-2669

-Minority Business Development Agency https://www.asianinc.org/

Now is the time for residents, businesses, and government to partner together to help. Donate, volunteer and read more here. 

Off the Grid is partnering with the City of San Jose to roll out the COVID Food Relief Program. This Program delivers free weekly local groceries and prepared meals to residents who have faced financial hardship or are at high risk for severe illness due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sign-up here.

I am very concerned about people's mental and emotional health during this time and want to share any resources that may help. Read here.