Current Issues

Adopt-a-Street	The Adopt-a-Street program allows members of the community, including neighborhood groups and local businesses, to beautify and improve their community.  Volunteers select a portion of a street to adopt and maintain by picking up litter, removing graffiti, raking leaves, removing weeds, sweeping walkways, watering plants, and other activities that keep the street looking good.  All the necessary supplies, tools, training and support are provided by Adopt-a-Street staff.  Adoptions can vary between one to three years, depending on the interests of the volunteer.  To Adopt-a-Street or for more information, contact the Adopt-a-Street Program at (408) 975-3728 or send an email to Adopt_A_Street@sanjoseca.gov.
Open Government	In order to promote open government in San Jose, a continuing mission of the City Council, Pete Constant has created a page on his website to host copies of all of his nondisclosure documents and Council Memos that he has filed with the City Clerk. There documents are now available online at; http://www.sjdistrict1.com/opengovernment/p
Senate Bill 49	On January 23, 2007, Councilmember Dave Cortese and I asked the City Council to adopt a resolution in opposition to Senate Bill (SB) 49, which was introduced by California State Senator Carole Migden.  If passed into law, SB 49 would prohibit local agencies or redevelopment agencies from providing financial assistance in the building or purchasing of a sports stadium when a professional sport franchises is relocating within the same market area.  A single market area can stretch as far as 100 miles from the original franchise location.  Recently, the City of Santa Clara has received an abundance of media coverage as City Officials work to encourage the San Francisco 49ers to move to the South Bay.  To that end, Santa Clara has volunteered to partner with the sports team to build a new stadium across from the Santa Clara Convention Center and Great America theme park.  If Senate Bill 49 is passed into law, however, Santa Clara will be forced to retract this offer in the construction of a new stadium.  In turn, one of our favorite local sports teams may be forced to leave the Bay Area.  The loss of the 49ers will impact all of the cities in the Bay Area.  This team has long been a source of community pride and an economic asset that we have come to rely on.  I, along with Councilmember Cortese and our colleagues on the Council, feel that SB 49 fails to recognize how Bay Area cities might be negatively affected by the restrictions within this new bill.  During out meeting on January 23, 2007, the Council unanimously passed the resolution in opposition that Councilmember Cortese and I brought forward.    I encourage you to share your thoughts on Senate Bill 49 with your State Legislators and our Governor, as your City Council did earlier this week.  If you would like more information about Senate Bill 49 or if you would like to contact your State representatives, please visit http://www.legislature.ca.gov.
Intersection of Williams and Eden	During the Council Meeting on February 6, 2007, the San José City Council unanimously voted to approve budget changes that allowed for safety improvements to the intersection of Williams and Eden.  The safety improvements that were installed include median islands along Williams Road that feature more visible stop signs. The Department of Transportation and District 1 Council Office will be monitoring the situation to ensure that the improvements meet the traffic needs. For more information, please contact the District 1 Office at (408) 535-4901 or district1@sanjoseca.gov.
Calabazas BMX Park	The construction of the Calabazas BMX Park is now complete. We encourage all residents to visit the new 1.65 acre course. The site has a work area for bike repairs, signage to indicate park rules, safety tips, skill level, and traffic flow, and a 6 foot perimeter fence with 3 access points.  The tallest jumps on the track are approximately 5 feet tall.  For more information about progress on the Calabazas BMX Park, please contact the District 1 Office at (408) 535-4918 or district1@sanjoseca.gov .
Fingerprinting Available at the West San José Community Center	The San José Police Department’s VOLT Program is offering free fingerprinting services by appointment at the West San José Community Center.VOLT volunteers will be fingerprinting children between the ages of 2 and 14 years old, adults with developmental disabilities, and older adults.Fingerprinting has proven to be a valuable tool for finding missing persons and Appointments can be scheduled by calling the West San José Community Center at (408) 249-6580.
Don't see an issue you're interested in? Let us know! Just contact Rhovy Cansino in the District 1 Office at (408) 535-4901 or rhovylynn.cansino@sanjoseca.gov.