The San José City Council met on April 8, 2025, at 1:30 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting began with ceremonial proclamations, followed by consent calendar approvals, a city manager report, an appeals hearing board appointment, retirement plan reviews, a lawsuit settlement, clean energy agreements, a first-time homebuyer loan program modification, and early consideration of two innovative mixed-use projects under the new Innovative Project Pathway Program. The session concluded with Open Forum comments.
One Tony, would you please call the role? Campos. Cohen? Here. Ortiz. Present. Here. John. Candelas. Here. Casey. Here. Fully here. Mayhem. Here. You have a quorum. Thank you so much. Now, if you are able, please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. And Council Member Cohen will tell us more. All right. I'm so excited that we're in April, and I get to showcase some of the great talent in District Four. Uh, today we are uh pleased to I'm pleased that to um bring to you the jazz band from Piedmont Hills High School. Uh, the jazz band is under the direction of Miles Ellis. And this is a group of amazing um musicians who perform and and compete around the state. Thank you very much for that warm welcome. Our selection today is by Chip Current, and we'll be featuring Katie Boo on the flute and Tristan Hugh on the south phone. Wow, you guys are so talented. Thank you. That was amazing. All right, we're ready for a city council meeting. Here we go. Thank you, guys. Okay. We are on to our ceremonial items, and our first ceremonial item will be presented by Councillor Duan and myself. Please join me down at the podium, Council Member, and we will recognize and proclaim April as displaced Vietnamese American Heritage Month. Thank you for being here. As we recognize the displaced Vietnamese American Heritage Month, a time to honor the story, the resilience, the sacrifice, and hope that define so many in our community. I am incredibly proud where I come from, my roots, my culture, and the strength passes down through generation. And I'm also equally grateful for the opportunity this country that has given me to become an American. The opportunity to grow, the opportunity to serve, and now stand before you as a council member for the city of San Jose, a place that embraces my family and allow us to call it home. Vietnamese Americans have shaped the culture, the economic, the civic fabric of San Jose in so many ways. We are a business owner, artist, educator, public servant, engineer, doctor, lawyers, community leader, even as a council member. We are here not only because of our determination, but also because this city, the state, and this country embraces us to have a new life and a new beginning. This month, we remember the pain of being displacement. We remember the struggle of millions of people who have died on land, on sea, to seek for freedom. The freedom that so many of us forget and we take it for granted. I am so grateful to have that freedom. We also honor the struggle of our elders, and we lift up the voice of the next generation. We will continue to carry the story forward. San Jose proudly stand with the Vietnamese American community, our heritage and our strength and our perseverance.