Welcome to NeighborwebSJNeighborWebSJ is a local online news site that grew out of a need for San Jose’s residents to connect with each other and City Hall in order to promote civic engagement. NWSJ covers local and community news with a focus on the diversity of its residents and their efforts to make their neighborhoods cleaner, safer and engaged. NWSJ is edited and published by Janice Rombeck, a former San Jose Mercury News editor and reporter, and supported by a grant from the Knight Foundation.
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By Janice Rombeck View map of 908 streetlights targeted in 2008-2009 shutoff program (http://maps NULL.google NULL.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=212815086579913951517 NULL.000492f4553c6327d2e48&ll=37 NULL.46676,-121 NULL.87286&spn=0 NULL.925385,1 NULL.550446&z=10)
Read an earlier NeighborWebSJ report on this topic
Beginning in March, many San Jose streets will look a little brighter as the city reconnects 900 streetlights that were shut off intentionally (http://www3 NULL.sanjoseca NULL.gov/clerk/CommitteeAgenda/Rules/20081119/RULES20081119_g1 NULL.pdf) in 2008-2009 to save money, causing safety concerns in some neighborhoods.
 The “X” on this streetlight pole indicates it was shut off to save money. The San Jose City Council approved the action at its Tuesday, February 12, meeting as part of a mid-year 2012-2013 budget adjustment. At the same time, the city is also scrambling to repair lights darkened by copper wire thefts.
Council members appeared eager to approve the proposal to relight the 900 lights, which will cost $44,000 for equipment, materials and overtime pay to replace the lamps and fuses and an ongoing cost of $92,000 to pay for the electricity. The shut-off program saved the city about $77,000 a year in energy costs.
“This is something we’ve been receiving so many complaints about in the past few months” said Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen, who represents District 7 in which 76 streetlights were turned off. Continue reading
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By Janice Rombeck San Jose residents are sending a clear message to city officials as the 2013-2014 budget season moves into full swing: We want you to spend more on public safety and we’re prepared to pay more taxes to help you do it.
 Photo by Kymberli Weed Brady
Transportation Director Hans Larsen explains the city’s need for road repair at the priority-setting event. At the Mayor’s 2013 Budget Priority-Setting Session with neighborhood and youth leaders and in the annual telephone opinion survey with 980 residents, public safety emerged as the top priority among the participants.
Public safety and how to pay for it was also a strong theme in Mayor Chuck Reed’s State of the City (http://www NULL.sanjoseca NULL.gov/index NULL.aspx?NID=203) speech on Thursday, February 7, as Reed vowed to hire 200 police officers in the next two years. And at a study session on budget planning (http://www NULL.sanjoseca NULL.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11925) on Monday, February 11, council members indicated they heard the message.
“It’s clear public safety is a priority,” Reed said. Continue reading
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By Janice Rombeck A public protest against a proposed 44 percent water rate hike is catching steam in East San Jose and getting the attention of a powerful state senator.
 Photo by Juan Estrada
Senator Jim Beall listens to community input. “I’m going to listen,” Senator Jim Beall told a group of residents at a District 5 United (http://www NULL.district5united NULL.org/) meeting at Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock Library. “But I’m going to do something about it. That’s the bottom line.”
In January 2012, the San Jose Water Company filed a request with the California Public Utilities Commission (http://www NULL.cpuc NULL.ca NULL.gov/puc/)to charge customers 21.5 percent more this year, 4.87 percent more in 2014 and 12.59 percent more in 2015. Over three years, the increased rates would generate $95,154,000. The CPUC has not yet made a decision.
In response, District 5 United, a coalition of East San Jose neighborhood associations, launched an online petition (http://www NULL.district5united NULL.org/activitiesevents/san-jose-water-companys-proposed-44-rate-hike/online-petition-opposing-sjwcs-proposed-rate-increases/)signed so far by 700, produced a video and invited Beall, San Jose District 5 Councilman Xavier Campos and Richard Rauschmeier, who represents the CPUC’s Division of Ratepayer Advocates, (http://www NULL.dra NULL.ca NULL.gov/sanjose NULL.aspx) to the community meeting. Juan Estrada, president of District 5 United, also distributed flyers at the mayor’s budget priority setting session at City Hall on Saturday, January 26. Continue reading
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News BriefsNeighborhoods Commission to Explore Its Future at Study Session
The San Jose Neighborhoods Commission will continue its work on the commission’s future makeup, function and mission at a study session scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27, in the City Hall Wing, 200 East Santa Clara Street.
No decisions will be made at this session.
The commissioners will be guided by facilitator Shawn Spano, consultant and San Jose State University professor of communications. Topics include the role of the commission based on discussions from the February 13 meeting, the function of the commission and its mission and vision.
After a six-month break, the commission was reconvened in December 2012, still as a pilot project, but with a mandate to explore reorganizing the 30-member advisory group. The commission currently has 21 members, with vacancies in San Jose City Council Districts 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 10.
The next meeting will be Wednesday, March 13. For more information, contact Ernest Guzman, executive analyst in the City Manager’s Office, at (408) 535-8171.
Two Urban Village Workshops Scheduled for February, March
San Jose planners have scheduled two more meetings to provide information on the urban village plan included in Envision SanJosé 2040, the city’s general plan.
Areas targeted for the urban village concept include West San Carlos Street, South Bascom Avenue, The Alameda, Winchester Boulevard, the greater Santana Row/Valley Fair area, Stevens Creek Boulevard and East Santa Clara Street.
The next urban village workshop, which will focus on Stevens Creek Boulevard, will be 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., on Wednesday, February 28, 2013, at the Cypress Senior and Community Center, 403 Cypress Avenue.
Participants will help guide significant housing and commercial development along Stevens Creek between Winchester Boulevard and Lawrence Expressway. A second workshop will also be at the Cypress Center, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, March 11, but will focus on plans for the Santana Row/Valley Fair area.
For more information on these workshops, contact Michael Brilliot at michael.brilliot@sanjoseca.gov or 1-408-535-7831. To be notified of future Urban Village workshops, contact Mark Sim at mark.sim@sanjoseca.gov or Megan Shrubsole at megan.shrubsole@sanjoseca.gov.
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