Sam’s Corner

WORKING HARD TO RESPOND

• Airport Noise Curfew
• Homeless Encampments
• Envision San Jose’s Future
• Hiring Park Maintenance Workers

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

• Good Neighbor Awards
• Yolanda's Market in Tamien

NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD

• Neighborhood Walks
• SNI Top Ten
• Healthier Neighborhoods
• Join Big Tent

SAVE THE DATE

• Neighborhood Advisory
• Group Meeting (3/21/07)
• Upcoming Study Sessions

EVENTS CALENDAR

Sam’s Corner:

We’ve been in office only ten weeks, but our team has hit the ground running—here’s why:

Neighborhood Leadership

We’ve focused on enabling neighborhood leadership to become more engaged in policymaking at City Hall. In January, we initiated the gathering of the “Neighborhood Advisory Group,” consisting of the leaders of more than two dozen neighborhood associations. These monthly meetings are open to all—we had over 80 neighbors at our January meeting— and the next meeting will start at 6 pm, on Wednesday, March 21, on the 2nd floor of the MLK Library on the corner of 4th and San Fernando.

We’re reaching a critical point in the decision-making process for our group, and for downtown neighborhoods: at our March 21st meeting, we’ll identify three district-wide priorities. Why narrow our scope to three priorities? In a district as hectic as ours—the downtown and its neighborhoods remain the city’s busiest—we can easily spend all of our time fighting off the proverbial alligators. To really affect change, we need to stop flailing, and to focus on ways to drain the swamp. Prioritizing enables us to do that.

We also know that many neighborhoods share similar challenges—such as the need to reduce speeding on neighborhood streets, or to mitigate the impacts of group homes. Exchanging information and finding broader solutions can help us gain traction collectively. (Keep in mind that you can also join a virtual dialog district-wide through our on-line community, Big Tent. Read below for sign-up info)

Please join us at that meeting, to express your views. Special thanks to Ken Podgorsek for moderating the group, and to Tina Morrill for handling communications.

Recent Events in Council

Recent weeks have seen plenty of activity in City Hall. Here are some of the issues on which I’ve taken the lead:

• Buoyed by a strong show of support from the community, my council colleagues voted with my motion to prioritize the repair and re-opening of our neighborhood Biebrach and Ryland pools, over expensive and time-consuming upgrades. We’ll push during the budget-setting process to secure the funds to get those pools open.
• I moved to delay council’s action on the proposed airline leases until the community has had an opportunity to engage in a dialog about the impact of those leases on our enforcement of the curfew (read more about that—and the upcoming March 26th community meeting—below).
• With the support of my Downtown Working Group colleagues, we’ve pushed proposals to the Council to have nightclub owners pay their share of overtime policing costs, to implement “soft closings,” and to better regulate club promoters--all in an effort to reduce tensions downtown on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Finally, with the support of colleagues Madison Nguyen, Nora Campos, and Dave Cortese, I authored a resolution reaffirming the City’s policy to facilitate the reporting of crimes, fires, and other safety concerns by all residents, regardless of immigration status, by clarifying that city officials will not engage in immigration enforcement. The Council passed the measure unanimously.

I look forward to continuing to serve you!

Sam
City of San José
Councilmember – District 3

Contact Us
P: (408) 535-4903
www.sanjoseca.gov/district3/

D3 Staff
Sam Liccardo, Councilmember
Jessica Garcia-Kohl, Chief of Staff
Roma Dawson, Sr. Policy Analyst
Khanh Bui, Council Aide
Kevin Schwaba, Council Aide
Rhonda Hadnot, Exec. Assistant
Eric Hernandez, Council Intern

Airport Noise Curfew
On Monday, March 26th, there will be a community meeting from 6-8:00 pm in the City Hall Wing, room W 120, about the proposed airport-airlines lease agreement. This meeting is open to the public, and we encourage you to attend and voice your concerns. The following is information pertaining to the airport curfew policy.

Currently, the City can enforce curfew violations with a $2,500 fine per incident, and by civil injunction; the proposed lease agreements will maintain the same enforcement scheme. Imposing more restrictive regulations, higher fines, or tying curfew violations to lease default would require the City to bound nearly insurmountable barriers imposed under the federal Aircraft Noise and Capacity Act of 1990. Sam supports the strongest possible enforcement of the curfew to the extent permitted under federal law. Here are 5 things you can do to get involved and find more information:

• Call (408) 501-0955 to see if your home is eligible for the Acoustical Treatment Program which reduces the effects of airport noise in surrounding homes.
• Call 24-hour Noise Report Line at (408) 452-0707 or email noisecenter@sjc.org.
• Attend the Airport Noise Advisory Committee meetings which are open to the public and allot time for public input. For meeting dates, call (408) 452-0707.
• The Airport Commission will have a vacancy in July. Applications to fill this seat must be received by March 21. Contact our office quickly if you wish to apply at (408) 535-4903.
• When you have general neighborhood concerns e-write to communityinput@sjc.org or call (408) 501-0979.
  

Homeless Encampments
Our office has received calls and emails about homeless encampments prevalent along the Guadalupe River, Coyote Creek, the railroad tracks, in downtown parks and elsewhere. These encampments create fire hazards, noise, raw garbage dumps, pollution in our water system and problems for our city. The Metro Unit of the SJPD and the Departments of Housing and Environmental Services are working hard to mitigate the impacts of these encampments. You can help increase the effectiveness of their efforts. If you see an encampment, please report it immediately to the SJPD Metro Unit at (408) 277-4044. When calling, please provide specific information about the location, time, number of people present and the garbage conditions.

Cleaning up these encampments is a priority for this council office, however at the present time the Metro Unit has limited resources and can go out only once a month for clean up. When we are able, we will be allocating more resources to this on-going issue. We salute Sgt. Mike Sullivan and his dedicated team for their hard work in clearing out encampments and in securing the downtown area during big events. Sam is working with nonprofits like Innvision and Emergency Housing Consortium to find permanent solutions to homelessness. The goal is to move beyond a “transitional shelter” model to a “housing first” model. In other words, permanent housing with services to help the homeless stay off the streets and attain self sufficiency.

Envision San Jose’s Future
It’s time to begin a dialog about San Jose’s future. What do we want it to look like, and how can we achieve a collective vision for the future? Currently the City’s vision is laid out in the San Jose 2020 General Plan, which was adopted by the City Council in 1994. A lot has changed since 1994. It’s time to re-examine and update the plan for the future growth and development of the city.

Sam is collaborating with City staff on an early outreach to the community about the proposed update to the City’s General Plan. A series of meetings to inform you, the community, of the upcoming update process will take place shortly. These plans will impact the City’s growth over the next 20 to 30 years, so we want to get your input at this very early stage to help us focus on issues that are important to you.

For further information on meeting times and locations please visit http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/calendar, or contact Stan Ketchum, of the Planning Division, at (408) 535-7876 and Mike Mena at (408) 535-7907.

Hiring is Happening: D3 Park Maintenance Positions Filled
Here is the current status of hires and hiring for park maintenance:

We will keep you updated on our progress. Thank you, again, for your continued support on this issue.

Good Neighbors Honored

Sam is so proud of the Olinder Food Program and their commitment that he chose them to receive the Good Neighbor Award for our district. The award recognizes outstanding commitment to serving the community. On March 7, at the Mayor’s State of the City meeting, Sam had the honor of awarding silver medals to the Olinder Food Program volunteers with special recognition of two of its members, Octavio Lopez and Henry Martinez.

Eleven years ago, Octavio Lopez, along with Bob Gronachon, Gus Chavez, and Gerri Garcia (Octavio’s daughter), started the food program. Now there are 12 volunteers who meet twice a week, “rain or shine”, no holidays observed, to distribute food to those in need. Octavio, himself, has never been absent, except when his wife passed away this last year.

Henry Martinez joined the food program a few years after it was created, and now Henry and Octavio are inseparable; wherever one goes, the other follows. They are on the road at 5am so that the food donations reach the center in time for distribution to the families waiting in line. The dedication of the Olinder volunteers translates into over 30,000 volunteer hours, and more than 155,000 meals served.

Yolanda's Market Opens in Tamien Neighborhood
Another market has opened in District 3! This time at the corner of Humboldt & Vine. Yolanda's Market has everything: a large meat counter, fresh fruits and vegetables, canned goods, and even home-made Mexican food-to-go. Tamien now has fresh foods available just a short walk away. Yolanda says she has waited a long time to see her market open and is happiest when she sees smiling customers. Yolanda's is another example of the positive spirit of small business owners who choose to invest and grow in our local district. Stop by and you will find Yolanda behind the kitchen counter cooking up fresh made tacos, burritos, and quesadillas at 1198 Vine St. from 7am to 10pm, 7 days a week.

Neighborhood Walks

Neighborhood Walks have already taken place in the Spartan-Keyes and Washington areas with great turn out. Sam saw and heard, first hand, the issues important to the Spartan-Keyes and Washington neighbors. Over 20 issues and projects emerged in the discussions including: dealing with speeders, code violators, and homeless encampments. The news wasn't all bad; neighbors wanted to find ways for their communities to celebrate too. The next two Walks are scheduled for Tamien and Delmas Park. Thanks to all who hosted these meetings.

Want to invite Sam to your neighborhood? Call Rhonda at (408) 535-4903 to get on the schedule.

SNI Top Ten: Renewing Your Action Agenda
The “Strong Neighborhoods Initiative” (SNI) is a significant and crucial program in our district making it all the more important that you consider attending your neighborhood's Community Planning Day. This will be the first renewal process of the SNI action agendas in the six years since the program started. If your community is in the SNI program, you may know that setting a “Top 10 List” of priorities for the City and the Redevelopment Agency drives the policy, funding direction, and allocation for your neighborhoods. This in an important process in which you can help to identify a “Top Ten” of desired improvements which will lead to meaningful and visible change to the community.

The Five Wounds/Brookwood Terrance Neighborhood Action Coalition (NAC) has already updated and approved their Top Ten List. Other NAC's are in the process: University Neighborhood Coalition NAC, 13th Street NAC, Market/Almaden NAC, Spartan Keyes NAC, and Delmas Park NAC.

To find out the Community Planning date for your NAC call (408) 535-8505 or http://www.strongneighborhoods.org/

$5,000 Grants for Healthier Neighborhoods
Steps to a Healthier Santa Clara County is a federally-funded program led by community partners and Public Health. The program supports local communities in implementing President George W. Bush's HealthierUS initiative helping Americans live longer, healthier lives with a focus on asthma, diabetes, obesity, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and tobacco use. The applications are intentionally easy to complete and must be submitted by March 30, 2007. For more information and to download the application call Lori Martin or Maritza Rodriguez at (408)792-5120, or visit the following link:

http://www.sccphd.org/portal/site/phd/menuitem.244564f66e6d425580b558bb35cda429/?path=%2Fv7%2FPublic%20Health%20Department%20%28DEP%29%2FHealth%20Assessment%20%26%20Quality%20Improvement%2FSTEPS%20to%20a%20Healthier%20Santa%20Clara%20County

Want to Get The Word Out about Your Event? Join Big Tent
Stay connected to your Councilmember and the D3 community through the on-line community forum, Big Tent.

Big Tent lets you:

• Share information (e.g. upcoming meetings)
• Promote neighborhood activities (e.g. BBQs)
• Share best practices (e.g. successful fundraising activities)
• Share lessons learned ( e.g. projects that may not have worked as planned, and lessons learned)

To join our on-line community, email Khanh Bui at khanh.bui@sanjoseca.gov with your name and email address.

Neighborhood Advisory Group Meeting
The next Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting is Wednesday, March 21, 2007, at 6pm in the Martin Luther King Library, 2nd Fl., Rm. 225 (please note this is a location change from the last meeting).
This is the list of every date coming up. Please note changes:

• Wednesday, March 21 MLK Library, 2nd Fl. Room 225
• Wednesday, April 18 at Upper Watson Community Center
• Wednesday, May 30 at City Hall Wing Room 120
• Wednesday, June 20 at City Hall Wing Room 118-119
• Wednesday, August 29 at City Hall Wing Room 120
• Wednesday, September 19 at City Hall Wing Room 118-119

Note these date changes:

• Wednesday, October 24 at City Hall Wing Room 120
• Wednesday, November 28 at City Hall Wing Room 120

More information about NAG activities is posted on Big Tent.

Upcoming Study Sessions
Want to learn more about issues important to our City? The following study sessions will be in City Hall Council Chambers (200 E. Santa Clara St, San José, CA) and are open to the public.

• March 19: Downtown Revitalization/First Act & Convention Center Expansion (1-5pm)
• March 22: BART (8:30-Noon)
• March 29: General Plan: Economic Development & Employment Lands (9-Noon)
• April 5: Airport Obstruction Study (9-Noon)
• April 20: City Council – Santa Clara Valley Water District Board Joint Study Session on Watershed Issues (9-Noon)
  (Note Change: Room W118-120 for this meeting only)
  
• May 3: General Plan: Formal Initiation of the General Plan Update (9-Noon)
  

Take a look at the March/April Calendar of Events. Note that some dates and deadlines are coming up quickly. In the future, events will be posted on our on-line community, Big Tent. Consider joining us there.

13th Street SNI Fundraiser/E-Waste Collection Event
Here’s a chance to get rid of those old computers, telephones, TV’s, videos and microwaves that have been cluttering your house.
Date: Saturday, March 24, 9am-4pm
Place: Watson Community Center Parking Lot
550 N. 22nd Street (between E. Empire & Jackson)

BILINGUAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Do you have some time available in your week for volunteering? Can you translate or interpret Spanish/English? District 3 could use your help. We are looking for volunteers to do some of the following:

• Written translation from English to Spanish on documents that go out to the public monthly;
• Bilingual English/Spanish Interpretation at meetings that take place in our community on a weekly basis, mostly in the evenings, and in different locations.

If you think this is the right volunteer work for you, please email Jessica.Garcia-Kohl@sanjoseca.gov.