DUTIES: The Neighborhoods Commission shall integrate the voice of neighborhoods into the City’s decision-making processes; study issues, courses of action, policies, and programs that affect neighborhood quality of life; make recommendations to Council and Redevelopment Agency; and empower neighborhoods. The Commission will make regular reports to the San José City Council, City Staff, and Neighborhood Groups. The Neighborhoods Commission work plan will be developed in coordination with, and approved by, the Neighborhood Services and Education Committee. Annual reports will be provided by Commissioners at the yearly Neighborhood Caucus by Council district.

RELATIONSHIPS: The Neighborhoods Commission is advisory to the City Council regarding San José neighborhoods. The Commission would work with both City and, when applicable, Redevelopment Agency staff, and when appropriate, collaborate with other commissions and boards.

QUALIFICATIONS: All Candidates for Neighborhoods Commission must reside within the boundaries of the City of San José, apply through the City Clerk’s office, and meet all City requirements for appointment to a Commission (availability to attend meetings, and legally required disclosure of economic interests through Form 700). There shall be equitable representation on the commission from throughout the City. Each District shall designate three Commissioners and two alternates through a Neighborhoods Caucus process, which will be forwarded to the City Council for appointment. In the initial two-year pilot, Commissioners will serve two year terms. It is intended that if the Commission is granted permanent status, Commissioners will be elected and serve for staggered two and three-year terms, and that an individual Commissioner may serve a maximum of four two-year terms.

MEETINGS: Dates for the Commission to meet will be determined once the Commission is seated. It is intended that for the purpose of the pilot period, the Commission will meet at a minimum of 10 times a year, not including committee and other meetings as required by the work plan. Commissioners may average 5-15 hours per month on Commission business.

BENEFITS: Not known/Not Established.

POLITICAL REFORM ACT OF 1974 AS AMENDED: The Conflict of Interests Section of the Political Reform Act applies to the Neighborhoods Commission. Commissioners are required to file a Statement of Economic Interests, Form 700, and to disclose investments, income including loans and gifts, and business positions. Reportable interests are limited to persons, business entities, or other sources providing employee/employer relations services to the City or its employees, or advising or representing City employees in administrative or legal actions relating to employment.
Conflicts of Interest Section of the Political Reform Act applies to the Traffic Appeals Commission. However, Commissioners are not required to file a Statement of Economic Interests

SELECTION PROCESS:
• An Ad Hoc Committee, made up of representatives chosen by each Council District, is planning the overall format and requirements for the Neighborhood Caucus, which will be used for each District.
• As defined in Planning Outreach Policy 6-30, a “Neighborhood Group” is a group or organization that is representative of its specific neighborhood, and whose primary purpose is the improvement of that neighborhood. The neighborhood group is self-identified and provides an annual update of its’ contact information to the City. Additionally, for the purposes of this process, a Neighborhood Group must be registered with the City of San José, be acting in good faith to meet the criteria outlined above, and be composed of multiple members from different households in its geographic area.
• Each Neighborhood Group must register in advance (deadline April 4, 2008) and select one (1) delegate and one (1) alternate that will attend the District Caucus, whose purpose is to select three (3) commissioners and two (2) alternates who will represent the District on the Commission. A Neighborhood Group must formally designate their Delegate to the San José Neighborhood Development Center a minimum of seven (7) days in advance of their District Neighborhood caucus. If the seven day deadline falls on the weekend, the designation must be made by the end of the business day (5:00 PM) of the Friday prior.
• No individual delegate shall represent (or cast a ballot on behalf of) more than one Neighborhood Group in the District Caucus.
• A Delegate must reside in the District in which he or she is casting a ballot on behalf of a Neighborhood Group.
• An individual who meets the City requirements to serve on a Board or Commission may apply as a candidate to be considered for the position of Neighborhoods Commissioner.
• Present at the Caucus shall be designated Neighborhood Group Delegates/Alternates, Candidates who have been vetted through the San José City Clerk’s office, interested members of the community, a neutral Caucus Moderator/ Facilitator and assistants and interpreters (as needed and requested in advance). Candidates are encouraged to be present at the caucus and may not have “stand-ins” speak on their behalf.
• Candidates are encouraged, as part of their application process, to prepare and submit beforehand a written statement of up to two hundred and fifty (250) words explaining their candidacy, skills/experience, and prior service to the community.
• It is the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Committee that City Council members not endorse individual candidates or take steps to influence the outcome of the Neighborhood Caucus. The Ad Hoc Committee encourages Council Offices to work with the Neighborhood Development Center in providing non-partisan support and assistance in the outreach process.
• Neighborhood Commission Candidates Statements and information will be posted on the Neighborhood Development Center website, as soon as this is available.
• All Neighborhood Caucuses will be held between May 17 and June 14, 2008.

CAUCUS PROCESS:
• Neutral Moderator/ Facilitator will provide welcome, introductions, ground rules, and explanation of the caucus process to all in attendance in each of the ten (10) respective Council District caucuses.
• Candidate Opening Statements: two (2) minutes each (chosen in random order).
• Question & Answer Period: All Candidates will have the opportunity to briefly respond (one minutes answers) to four (4) questions provided by Delegates, The questions shall be received, reviewed, and asked to the Candidates by the neutral Moderator/ Facilitator to prevent repetition and inappropriate questions.
• Each Candidate shall be provided with time for a one (1) minute closing statement prior to the balloting.
• There will be a caucus period provided (time for Delegates to talk one-on-one with the Candidates and members of the community in attendance). Additional caucus time may be requested and provided by the Moderator/ Facilitator during the process as needed to promote dialogue and resolve “ties” in the balloting process.
• There will be successive rounds of public balloting in which designated Delegates in each of the ten (10) respective Council District caucuses select three (3) Commissioners and two (2) Alternates.
• To be elected to a Commissioner seat, a Candidate must receive a majority vote of the delegates in attendance at the Caucus.
• In the initial (first) round of balloting, each Delegate shall choose five (5) Candidates. Any candidate who receives a majority of votes cast by all Delegates voting shall be elected. If on the initial ballot fewer than three (3) Commissioners and two (2) Alternates are elected by majority vote, successive rounds of balloting shall occur with the single lowest ranking candidate eliminated on each successive round until such time as three (3) Commissioners and two (2) Alternates have been elected by a majority of votes cast by all Delegates voting.
• The two candidates elected by a majority of votes cast by all Delegates voting who received the lowest number of votes or who were elected in the latest of successive rounds of voting shall be considered Alternates. As between the two Alternates, the Alternate with the higher number of votes or who was elected earlier in successive rounds of voting shall be considered the First Alternate. The other Alternate shall be considered the Second Alternate. If a Neighborhoods Commissioner leaves the position during his or her term, the First Alternate from the same Council District shall then move into the position of Commissioner. If a second Neighborhoods Commissioner from the same Council District leaves the position during his or her term, the Second Alternate from the same Council District shall then move into the position of Commissioner. In the event there is an equal number of votes between the third and fourth and any additional candidates for Commissioner in a given Council District, successive rounds of voting shall take place to determine which of these candidates shall become a Commissioner and which an Alternate.
• In the event that not all five Neighborhood Commissioner and Alternate seats are filled during the caucus process for a given Council District, the status of open seats shall be reviewed and resolved by the Neighborhoods Commission once the group is seated.

APPOINTMENT PROCESS: Names of those individuals chosen through the Neighborhood Caucus process will be provided to the City Council, who will formally ratify and appoint Commissioners.

ATTENDANCE : Commissioners are expected to attend all Commission meetings. San Jose Municipal Code Section 2.08.2030 specifies that a Commission Member who has unexcused absences from any three consecutive regular meetings, or 20% of the meetings in a calendar year, is deemed to have resigned.

For further information about this Commission, contact the Commission Staff or the Neighborhood Development Center, at 408 723-4114.