TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Norberto L. Dueñas
SUBJECT: City Manager’s Weekly Report
DATE: April 22, 2016
INFORMATION
Thousands Attend Grand Opening of Village Square Branch Library - The new Village Square
Branch Library officially opened its doors to the public on Saturday, April 16. The Grand
Opening began with a celebration from SJPL Foundation thanking the community for their
donations and support and the leadership from the Mayor and Council. The Village Square event
was attended by more than 6,000 people, the highest number of guests attending any SJPL
branch library grand opening, and more than 9,000 items were checked out by card holders on
the first day. The celebration also featured live cultural performances, children’s activities, and
an attempt for a Guinness World Record for public reading that was organized by the Office of
Vice Mayor Rose Herrera. Village Square Branch is the 24th location in the SJPL system and is
the final facility constructed under the Library Bond Measure that San José voters approved in
November 2000 to provide $212 million for construction of six new and 14 expanded branch
libraries. For more information, visit sjpl.org/villagesquare or contact Nancy Macias, SJPL
Public Information Representative, at 408-808-2092.
Fines are Going Up for Illegal Fireworks - The fines for illegal fireworks-related violations are
increasing in San José. As of May 26, the fines for a first violation will be $500, a second
violation will be $700, and a third violation will be $1,000. Code enforcement officers, park
rangers, and some fire officials can issue these administrative fines to anyone who sells, uses,
possesses or stores illegal fireworks. The City Council approved the higher fines on April 12,
along with a pilot program that will beef up fireworks enforcement efforts in neighborhoods and
parks. The pilot will take place from Friday, July 1, through Tuesday, July 5, when illegal
fireworks activity typically increases over the Independence Day holiday weekend. All
fireworks, including so-called “safe and sane” fireworks, are banned in San José. The public is
encouraged to celebrate safely by enjoying fireworks at large public displays that are permitted
and run by professional pyrotechnicians. For additional details, visit
www.sanjoseca.gov/fireworks. For more information, contact Captain Christopher Salcido, SJFD
Public Information Officer, at 408-794-6959.
San José Trail Program Among Presenters at California Trails & Greenways Conference More than 500 trail planners, developers, consulting firms and vendors attended the 31st Annual
California Trails and Greenways Conference this month in Riverside. The goal of the conference
was to increase and share the knowledge of trail, recreation and wild land management and
improve non-motorized, recreational, and heritage trail systems and programs throughout
California. PRNS Trail Program Manager, Yves Zsutty, provided a one-hour talk on the
challenges and opportunities presented by urban trail crossings based on the San José experience.
San José Trail Network is one of the largest in the country at 57 miles, and urban crossings have
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2016
Subject: City Manager’s Weekly Report
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been addressed along many of the trail systems the network comprises. For additional
information, please contact Marybeth Harasz, PRNS Interim Division Manager, at
408-793-5514.
Diane Milowicki Appointed to Deputy Director of Transportation for Infrastructure
Maintenance - Diane Milowicki has been named Deputy Director of Infrastructure Maintenance
in the Department of Transportation. Diane’s career with the City began in 1998 as hiring analyst
for DOT, and she was promoted 2007 to Division Manager for the Landscape Services and
Traffic Maintenance programs. As Division Manager, and more recently the Interim Deputy
Director, Diane led and supported the teams dealing with the backlog of streetlight outages
caused by wire theft and the backlog of illegal dumping incidents, oversaw effective preparations
for the El Niño storm season, and led DOT’s continuing efforts to improve safety in the field. As
the Deputy Director, Diane now is responsible keeping the City’s transportation infrastructure in
the best condition possible in order to provide our community with safe streets, reliable
infrastructure, and quality neighborhoods. Diane was born and raised in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, graduated from Duquesne University with a B.A. degree in Political Science and
French, and earned an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. For more information, please
contact Kevin O’Connor, Assistant Director of Transportation, at 408-535-3563.
It Was A "Beautiful Day"! - Westgate Church annually sponsors weekend of community
service for volunteers. Over April 16 and 17, Parma Park in South San José was the host site of a
large "Beautiful Day" project where about 200 volunteers helped scrap and paint the entire
wrought iron fence that borders the park and tot lot. The volunteers removed rust and flaked
paint to prepare a smooth surface for the two coats of paint that other volunteer teams applied.
More volunteers weeded and then spread 110 yards of wood chip throughout the park. Trimming
bushes, picking up trash and thinning plants were additional projects for the volunteers. By the
end of the day on Sunday, the manicured Parma Park looked fabulous. The estimated value of
the volunteer time for this "Beautiful Day" event was more than $16,000 in just a single
weekend. For more information, please contact Steve Hammack, PRNS Deputy Director, at
408-793-5579.
More than One Hundred Older Adults Dance at “Big Band Bash” in Almaden - The Almaden
Community Center and Almaden Senior Association hosted the Big Band Bash on Saturday,
April 9. The event was sold out with 140 older adults in attendance. Bateman catered the event
and had an amazing dinner selection for the guests. Sons of Jubal, a 20-piece band, entertained
the crowd while many participants danced. For more information, please contact Suzanne Wolf,
PRNS Deputy Director, at 408-535-3576.
San José Public Library Volunteer Wins Prestigious Jefferson Award – Stuti Vishwabhan is
the Lead Volunteer of “Teach Seniors Technology” program at the Almaden Branch Library.
Her dedication and commitment to teach and engage with her community has earned her a
regional Jefferson Award. She will be featured in a special report by the CBS local news affiliate,
KPIX, which has been media partner with the Jefferson Awards Foundation since 2005.
Vishwabhan was nominated by Librarian Mike Sarhad and was notified of her award by KPIX
news producer Stephanie John (kpix.com/hero). KPIX also will be doing a photo shoot and oncamera interviews with Vishwabhan, Almaden Branch librarians and other volunteers on
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April 22, 2016
Subject: City Manager’s Weekly Report
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Saturday, April 23. The Jefferson Awards Foundation celebrates and thanks individuals for
outstanding public service (jeffersonawards.org/). For volunteer opportunities, visit:
sjpl.org/volunteer, or contact Nancy Macias, SJPL Public Information Representative, at 408808-2092.
Local San José Teen Brings Robotics Programs to San José Public Library – Labanya
Mukhopadhyay is a sophomore at Evergreen Valley High School and a teensReach volunteer
with SJPL. She created a robotics program called “HelloBots” for all children and also designed
a special program for girls called “HelloBots for Her” for young girls to build and explore LEGO
robots. She designed her program specifically for underprivileged children and decided to share
her skills with the East San José community by working with local San José branch libraries.
Labanya says she received great encouragement and support from Amelia Van der Heide, a
former Librarian at the Evergreen Branch. In addition, Labanya credits SJPL for encouraging her
immensely with support with laptops for her workshops. Since HelloBots launched in the
summer of 2015, more than 120 students have taken advantage of this free robotics program.
For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/sjplhellobots or contact Nancy Macias, SJPL Public
Information Representative, at 408-808-2092.
San José Information Memos Distributed April 15 through April 21:

League of California Cities Legislative Action Day Preview Webinar
https://www.piersystem.com/external/content/document/1914/2811334/1/04-20-16-CMO.pdf

Data Analytics Efforts
https://www.piersystem.com/external/content/document/1914/2812522/1/04-21-16-CMO.pdf
Upcoming Meetings and Events:
It’s Happening! Spring in Plaza de Cesar Chavez - Beginning this week, San José’s newest and
hottest dining spot is Plaza de Cesar Chavez. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays,
from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., you can enjoy your lunch in San José’s historic downtown park.
Grab a bite to eat from a local food truck, relax in a shady spot and enjoy the lush green grass, sit
in one of the chairs or grab a table for an outdoor break or start a game of ping pong, corn hole or
jenga as the park transforms into an interactive experience for all ages. On Fridays and
Saturdays, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., you can even enjoy dinner. Park activation and
improvements are funded in part by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Department of
Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services. Please note: Due to existing events scheduled at
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, lunch and dinner dates change frequently. Please visit
www.sanjoseca.gov/prns for a complete and updated weekly lunch and dinner schedule. For
more information, please contact Ed Solis at 408-793-5580 or ed.solis@sanjojseca.gov.
FroYo Run - Saturday, April 23, 8:00 a.m. – 12 noon, Arena Green, the Alameda, Stockton St.
Keeble Ave, Santa Clara St. Runners, race to the end for some free yogurt! The FroYo Run is a
5k & 10k run which journeys through downtown San Jose streets with music and smiles along
the way. At the finish line, runners will be greeted with free yogurt, live results on race time, free
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2016
Subject: City Manager’s Weekly Report
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race photos and finish videos. Contests will also be featured at the event. For more information
or register for the race, please visit: http://thefroyorun.com/san-jose/.
SoFA Street Fair - Sunday, April 24, 2:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., South First Street (between San
Carlos and William). The SoFa Street Fair is a family friendly event that brings the best local,
regional and national live music acts to the middle of South First St. for one day. This year, three
outdoor and eleven indoor performance venues will be featured at the event. For more
information, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/sofastreetfair/.
sjDANCEco 14th Annual Dance Festival – Sunday, April 24, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Park
Valencia, Santana Row. For the sixth time, the sjDANCEco Festival will be hosted outside at
Park Valencia in Santana Row. sjDANCEco invites people of all ages to attend and participate in
the festival as they showcase the wealth and diversity of South Bay Artists. Free Admission. For
more information, please visit: sjDANCEco.
Celebrating Partnerships: CommUniverCity’s 11-year Anniversary Celebration - Wednesday,
April 27, 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Roosevelt Community Center, 901 E. Santa Clara St. Since
2005, CommUniverCity has implemented over 400 community-engaged student learning
projects in underserved communities in central San José ranging from urban village planning,
personal development circles for at-risk youth, urban agriculture, and after school tutoring to
adult financial literacy classes. Learn about CommUniverCity's programs to build great
neighborhoods through our interactive party showcase. Our signature projects are led by San
José State University students, faculty, and community partners. We will honor key participants
this year that have shown great pride and determination to help CommUniverCity revitalize the
community. To register for the free event, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebratingpartnerships-communivercitys-11-year-anniversary-celebration-tickets-22376205834.
MACLA Family Art Day – Saturday, April 30, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Parque de Pobladores.
MACLA's Family Art Day welcomes families and youth of all ages to Parque de los Pobladores
for an afternoon of engaging visual art activities, an outdoor stage with performances, dance
classes for youth, free gallery tours, food, entertainment, and more. Free Admission. For more
information, please visit: http://maclaarte.org/programs/community-arts/.
SJZ Boom Box Spring/Summer Concert Series – Thursday, April 30, 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.,
Repertory Plaza. Modeled after Harlem’s Jazzmobile initiative, the SJZ Boom Box delivers an
all-in-one live music experience. The project furthers their mission to bring music education and
world-class performance to the community, extending SJZ’s reach not just around San Jose but
throughout the greater Bay Area. For more information, please visit: http://sanjosejazz.org/sjzboom-box/.
Space Battle San Jose 2016 – Saturday, April 30, 8:00 p.m. -11:00 p.m., St. James Park. Join in
on a massive space battle at St. James Park. Choose a side, good or evil, and use a space weapon
to fight in the ultimate nocturnal sundown. The Space battle is a fan-run charitable event to
benefit Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area. For more information or register for the event please
visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1042728942436026/.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2016
Subject: City Manager’s Weekly Report
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Free Tour of the Wastewater Facility – The Environmental Services Department is launching
public tours of the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility in celebration of 60 years
of nonstop facility operations. The RWF has been treating Silicon Valley’s wastewater and
protecting public health and the Bay environment since 1956. The first tour is on April 30.
Participants will learn about the vital role the RWF plays in protecting public health,
safeguarding the Bay and wildlife, and supporting the local economy. In addition, participants
will view some of the improvements in progress associated with the RWF Capital Improvement
Program, a $1.4 billion effort over 10 years to rebuild and modernize the facility in one of the
largest public works efforts in South Bay history. For more information, contact Environmental
Services Public Information Manager Jennie Loft at 408-535-8554. Register for a tour.
Senior Symposium 2016 - Friday, May 6 will be the first Senior Symposium in San José at the
Mexican Heritage Plaza from 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The event is free and will include lunch.
Participants will engage in various educational workshops and be engaged in discussion
regarding how to make Santa Clara County and the City of San José Age-Friendly. The featured
guest speaker will be Dr. Laura L. Carstensen from the Stanford University Center on Longevity.
The event is co-sponsored by the City of San José – PRNS, Kaiser Permanente, and the County
of Santa Clara. Registration is required at www.seniorsymposium2016.eventbrite.com. For more
information, please contact Suzanne Wolf, PRNS Deputy Director, at 408-535-3576.
Gira de Libro Library Tour by Bicylce – Registration is now open for the San José Public
Library’s (SJPL) third annual bicycle tour, Gira de Libro Tour by Bicycle. The community is
invited to safely ride with SJPL and enjoy the City of San José’s libraries and bikeways. The tour
is a guided community and staff bicycle ride that will visit five of San Jose’s 24-branch libraries
on Saturday, May 14. Cyclists will meet at the Tully Community Branch Library at 9:00 a.m.
and will conclude the tour at the Pearl Avenue Branch Library covering a distance of 20.5 miles.
Lunch will be provided at the Santa Teresa Branch Library; in addition, each library stop will
include snacks, library tours, and activities. For more information, visit:
http://bit.ly/sjplgiradelibro or contact Nancy Macias, SJPL Public Information Representative at
408-808-2092.
Building Permits & Home Safety Open House - Wednesday, May 25, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.,
San José City Hall Rotunda, 200 E. Santa Clara St. Hosted by the City of San José Building
Division, come to our Open House and learn about permits and inspections for single-family
remodeling, additions, and new home design. Help protect your loved ones and your remodeling
investment by getting permits and inspections for your projects. Bring your project ideas or plans
and speak with our expert plan review staff and building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing
inspectors. For more details, visit www.sanjoseca.gov/building.
San José Housing Department Holding Additional Public Informational Meetings on
Affordable Housing Impact Fee & Inclusionary Housing - The Housing Department began a
public outreach process last August to include developers and other stakeholders. A series of
informational meetings has already been held regarding the implementation of the Affordable
Housing Impact Fee as well as an overview of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance. The Housing
Department now has scheduled an additional series of eight meetings through June to provide
up-to-date information on the AHIF Program (with specific information on how developers
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Subject: City Manager’s Weekly Report
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might apply for the “pipeline exemption” for projects already in process), and Inclusionary
Housing Ordinance. Space is limited, so please RSVP by contacting Karen Goodman at 408975-4416 or by email at karen.goodman@sanjoseca.gov. The final meeting will be on Monday,
June 13, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., at San José City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara Street, Wing Room 118.
“Spring into Fun” with PRNS – The Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood
Services encourages all residents to “Spring into fun!” by registering for a leisure class offered at
community centers and parks located throughout San José. Whether you’re interested in starting
a new hobby, refining an interest, or setting out on an adventure the whole family will enjoy,
PRNS has hundreds of opportunities to choose from. You can also get a jumpstart on setting
your summer plans by registering for exciting, enriching and inclusive summer camps. Stop by
your local community center to pick up a copy of the Spring Community Center Brochure or
view them online at Spring Community Center Brochures. Don’t wait. Visit a community center
today or register online at www.sjregistration.com. For more information, please contact the
PRNS Customer Service Help Line at 408-793-5565.
PRNS Accepting 2016 Citywide Scholarships Applications - The Department of Parks,
Recreation and Neighborhood Services is currently accepting 2016 Citywide Scholarship
applications for the upcoming season. PRNS offers hundreds of classes and programs, like
dance, music, health and fitness, gymnastics, theater and many more. Scholarship applications
and submission directions can be picked up at any PRNS community center or can be found
online at www.sanjoseca.gov/prns. The scholarship applications are available in English, Spanish
and Vietnamese. For more information, please contact the PRNS Customer Service Helpline at
408-793-5565.
Norberto L. Dueñas
City Manager
Recent Council Actions:
Liquidated Damages for Late Payroll Records Policy for Housing Contracts
(April 19, 2016 City Council Item 3.3) Staff memorandum available at following link:
http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2132&meta_id=567684
Modifications to the Apartment Rent Ordinance
(April 19, 2016 City Council Item 4.1) Staff memorandum available at following link:
http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2132&meta_id=567688
Coleman Soccer Field Complex Project
(April 19, 2016 City Council Item 5.1) Staff memorandum available at following link:
http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2132&meta_id=567574