Hi neighbor,
I am happily welcoming the recent warmer weather. Please enjoy the sun and a walk around our city at this month's Viva Calle on Sunday, April 23rd. Or, if you or someone you know is 65 years or older, join me and Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei at the Longevity Walk on Wednesday, April 26th at Valley Fair from 7AM-9AM. RSVP here.
I strive for all residents to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. This starts with having a well-connected community, having healthy places to eat nearby, and through policy. Learn more about how I aim to achieve this and have San Jose become a certified Blue Zones city in the State of the District recording below.
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If you missed this year's State of the District, but have a question or concern, I strongly encourage you to join my monthly virtual Office Hour, email, or call my office at (408) 535-4906. Having stronger communication helps us find solutions together to ensure District 6 thrives.
One way we can maintain the beauty of our District together is by celebrating Earth Day. On Saturday, April 22nd, there will be clean-up sites around San Jose where volunteers will help keep trails, parks, and neighborhoods well-maintained. Please email my staffer, Diana, if you want to volunteer on Earth Day.
Enjoy this Spring season and I will see you at many of the fun, outdoor events included in this newsletter.
Best,
Dev
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Budget Season Kicks Off
My colleagues and I have begun the process of adopting a budget for the next fiscal year by approving the Mayor’s March Budget Message. I wanted to ensure that certain priorities were included, which is why I co-authored a memo to make sure that we prioritize things that are important to District 6 residents. In the memo, my colleagues and I call for adding more traffic enforcement police officers, tackling blight in and around vacant buildings, expanding Sunday service to all library branches, and continuing programs for youth development. You can read the memo here.
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The Arena Hotel
More than 80 units of supportive housing for the unsheltered are coming to The Alameda. With funds from the State’s Project Homekey Program, the City recently completed the acquisition of the Arena Hotel (817 The Alameda) and have begun renovations to get the building ready for occupancy. With on-site wrap-around support services and an engaged property management team, I am confident that this will bring needed relieve to the homelessness situation in The Alameda.
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Partnership with Valley Water
Last week the City Council unanimously approved a partnership with Santa Clara Valley Water (Valley Water) that will help clear out encampments along Coyote Creek, while also offering housing and supportive services to those currently living there. This is a win-win for both our City and Valley Water. The area needs to be cleared to make more for important flood protection work and I am grateful to Valley Water for partnering with us in our efforts to tackle homelessness.
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Valley Water Rescinds Mandatory Water-Use Reductions
Since June 2021, Valley Water has declared a drought emergency locally. I am happy to share that the Valley Water Board of Directors recently voted to rescind the county-wide 15% mandatory water-use reduction. The strong atmospheric rivers have not only replenished depleted reservoirs but also resulted in a record snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California’s largest and most important reservoir. With this, conservation is now voluntary. We should all aim to keep California drought-free and abundant in water. Below are tips and tools to prevent excess water usage.
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How to Enjoy Spring in San Jose |
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CALLING ALL SENIORS!
If you or someone you know is 65 years or older, please join Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei and me at the Longevity Walk on Wednesday, April 26th.
To stay fit and strong, we will be walking in Valley Fair from 7AM-9AM. Goodie bags will be given to the first 100 that arrive and raffle prizes will be given out at the end of the walk.
RSVP here. If you'd like to volunteer and help my office pass out snacks and water during this event, please email my staffer, Isabel.
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Viva Calle is on Sunday, April 23rd! |
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I strongly encourage you to get to know our beautiful city and residents by attending Viva Calle on Sunday, April 23rd from 10AM-3PM. This fun day is full of food trucks, shopping from small businesses, and exercise! Bring your bicycle, scooter, rollerblades, dogs, and friends. Join at any point in the route in the picture. Below are the streets that will be closed during this event.
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Trans Day of Visibility at City Hall
Celebrate our transgender community with the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Center at the City Hall Rotunda on Saturday, April 29th from 10AM-4PM.
Speakers, resource tables, and artwork will be displayed at this event. No need to RSVP, simply show up and have fun!
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Honoring Cannery Workers
The Gardner Neighborhood Association will be honoring Cannery workers on Saturday, April 15th from 1PM-4PM at the Gardner Neighborhood Community Center.
To celebrate and thank cannery workers for their labor and dedication, there will be folklorico performances, an art exhibit, a documentary screening, and a lowrider display.
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Spring Wine Walk
Willow Glen's annual Spring Wine Walk is on Saturday, April 15th!
The Wine Walk will be held rain or shine. Buy your tickets for an afternoon of wine tasting and shopping along Lincoln Avenue.
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Spring Garden Fair
On Saturday, April 15th, from 9AM-2PM, enjoy a sustainable gardening showcase, premier plant sale, and educational fair at Martial Cottle Park.
Bring a box, cart, or wagon for an easier shopping experience. No dogs except service dogs in the sales area. Cash, checks, and credit/debit cards are all accepted. Kids will have a great time in the Growing Young Gardeners area. No need to RSVP, simply arrive and have fun!
Learn more about the event here.
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How to Celebrate Earth Day
Let's protect our Earth and clean up our neighborhoods together!
On Friday, April 21st, the San Jose Conservation Corps is celebrating Global Youth Day from 9AM-1PM at 691 W. San Carlos Street. Work alongside Corpsmembers and learn how they are making a difference, protecting the planet, and improving the well-being of their communities at this event. Volunteers must be age 18 and above to participate.
My office is looking for volunteers to help at multiple clean-up sites around San Jose on Saturday, April 22nd.
One site that needs love is Arena Green Park. Register to volunteer to clean up this area here. If you are interested in volunteering or creating a volunteer group, please email my staffer, Diana.
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Recycle Old Mattresses
this Earth Day
In honor of Earth Day, here’s a recycling pro tip – California has a statewide mattress recycling program. Visit www.ByeByeMattress.com to learn how to recycle these items at no cost.
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The San Jose Playhouse Presents |
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Enjoy this interactive, immersive, electro-pop musical where the audience becomes an integral part of the performance. The show runs from April 20-May 28. Get your tickets here.
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Career Fair at San Jose City College on Tuesday, April 25th
Bring your resume to SJCC's Career Fair on Tuesday, April 25th from 3PM-5PM. This event is open to all and will take place in the Main Gym. See companies that will be at this event and RSVP here. Free parking and lunch will be available.
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May is Bike Month
Cities all over Silicon Valley are competing to bike the most miles. Help San Jose win the Silicon Valley Pedal Power Challenge by pledging to ride. The more people who ride, whether child or adult, whether first-time, returning, or experienced, the better we all can support the goal of building healthier and more just communities by making bicycling safer and more accessible for everyone.
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Sip and Paint at Cahill Park on Friday, May 5th |
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Find your inner Picasso on Friday, May 5th from 6PM-8PM at Cahill Park. All paint supplies are free to registered guests and wine is available for purchase for anyone 21+ years (Must have a valid ID). RSVP as seats fill up quickly!
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Midtown Immersive
Night Parties
Let the outdoor festivities begin! On Friday, April 28th, and every Friday after that until June 16th, enjoy food trucks, a beer garden, artesian merchants, a live DJ, and musical performances at the Midtown Immersive Night Parties.
Invite your friends for a fun evening from 5PM-9PM at 245 McEvoy Street.
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PG&E Safety Net Program
Residential customers who lost power during the recent storms for 48 hours or longer may qualify for the PG&E Safety Net program. This offers payments to residential customers who are without power for more than 48 hours due to severe events, like storms (as determined by PG&E). The Safety Net program pays Storm Inconvenience payments automatically 60 to 120 days after the outage. The amount received depends on the outage length:
· 48 to 72 hours: $25
· 72 to 96 hours: $50
· 96 to 120 hours: $75
· 120 hours or more: $100
All San José Clean Energy (SJCE) residential customers (including those on CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline) qualify for the Storm Inconvenience Payments. Businesses, agricultural accounts, multi-family building common areas, streetlights, and all other non-residential accounts are ineligible. Public Safety Power Shutoff events are also not eligible for the program. See PG&E Outage Compensation FAQs. Those who believe that they qualify should also call (888) 743-4743 to confirm their outage credit.
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Fight Crime with Cameras
The San José Police Department wants your help in fighting crime by taking part in the Camera Archive & Mapping (CAM) program. The CAM program allows residents and business owners to register the locations of their video surveillance systems with the City. When a crime occurs, police will be able to identify the locations of nearby video cameras and enlist the assistance of the community to help officers collect video evidence and follow up on leads.
Through the program, SJPD will be able to directly contact CAM registrants who are using video in an area in which a crime occurred.
Learn more about the program and register your camera here.
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Apply to Join a City Board or Commission
The City needs your help in many ways. Be the voice of your fellow residents and make changes by joining a City Board or Commission.
Apply by Sunday, April 16th.
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Crossing Guards Needed
Help improve the safety of our children on their way to and from school by becoming a Cross Guard.
Play a role in helping our city continue working to make San José safer for pedestrians by submitting your application here.
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Lifeguards and Pool Managers Needed |
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Summer is approaching quickly. Apply to the position you're interested in by clicking on the respective image. |
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It’s free to get rid of your junk. Make an appointment, set out your junk, and the City’s solid waste contractors will pick it up. You can schedule a free junk pickup appointment by calling your recycling collection company. Junk pickups are scheduled on the same day of the week as the customer’s normal recycling collection, but may occur at a different time of day. For more information, visit SJEnvironment.org/junkpickup.
Why Recycle?
Recycling reduces waste, keeps recyclable materials out of landfills, and helps protect the environment. It also saves energy and valuable natural resources. You can do your part by recycling right. See which items below can be recycled and what belongs in the garbage.
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Plastic bags are not recyclable in San José’s curbside recycling program. They are too thin to recycle with hard plastics and will get caught in recycling machinery. Only plastic bags that are clean and dry can be recycled at plastic bag drop-off locations.
- Pizza boxes are not recyclable in San José. Put boxes stained with grease or oil in the garbage. Recycle clean lids.
- In San José, organics such as food scraps and food-soiled paper items from your garbage become compost. Leftover materials that can’t be composted are taken to the landfill. Residents should place all food scraps and compostable paper in their garbage containers, and the collection companies and processors will take care of the rest. Residents should also continue to separate and set out their yard trimmings for collection in piles and carts so that the material can become high-quality compost.
- Dirty takeout containers go in the garbage because the containers are soiled with food and liquid. To recycle aluminum and acceptable plastic takeout containers, empty and scrape food residue first.
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Cell phones and electric cords and cables are considered electronic waste (e-waste). You can dispose of e-waste through Santa Clara County's Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) program. Do not place them in your curbside recycling or garbage containers. If your items are in good condition, consider donating them.
- Empty packages made of cardboard boxes of all contents, including bubble wrap, air pillows, or Styrofoam; and flatten the box. Remember to place packaging, including bubble wrap, air pillows, or Styrofoam, in the garbage container.
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Volunteer in Little Italy
Little Italy is growing rapidly.
Volunteers are needed to help in the Cultural Center & Museum and at events such as the Annual Street Festival, Boss of the Sauce Competition, and more.
Sign up to volunteer here.
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