San Jose City Council Meeting and Joint Housing Authority Meeting - April 15, 2025

The San Jose City Council convened at 1:30 PM on April 15, 2025, in Council Chambers, with Mayor Matt Mahan presiding and all 11 council members present. The meeting included ceremonial recognitions, approval of a consent calendar, a joint meeting with the San Jose Housing Authority to support the federal Fiscal Year 2026 Moving to Work Annual Plan, a report from the City Manager introducing a new Deputy City Manager, and approval of the Columbus Park Revitalization Plan. Key discussions centered on housing authority strategies, federal funding uncertainty, encampment abatement at Columbus Park, and synthetic turf versus natural grass.

Ceremonial Items

• Presentation of a commendation to the City of Okayama, Japan, recognizing its 68-year Sister City relationship with San José (Vice Mayor Foley). The Okayama City Council Chairman Taguchi San accepted and reaffirmed ties, noting a student exchange program and the upcoming 70th anniversary in 2027.
• Presentation of a proclamation declaring April 2025 as Arts, Culture & Creativity Month (Councilmember Campos). Peter Allen, co-founder of San Jose Arts Advocates, highlighted the sector's $292 million annual economic impact and called for increased local funding, noting that arts funding comes from the Transient Occupancy Tax.
• Presentation of commendations to the 2025 Climate Smart Champion Award recipients in six categories: youth, energy, mobility, water conservation, equity, and champion of the year (Councilmember Cohen).

Consent Calendar

• The council approved the consent calendar with no items removed or separate discussion, including routine items such as contract amendments, purchase orders, grant agreements, and board appointments. The motion passed unanimously.

Joint City Council and Housing Authority Meeting: Support for the Federal Fiscal Year 2026 Moving to Work Annual Plan

• Staff Presentation: Eric Sullivan (Director of Housing) and Preston Prince (Executive Director, Santa Clara County Housing Authority) outlined the annual Moving to Work (MTW) plan, which includes four activities: a shallow subsidy program to reduce rent burdens, a direct rental assistance pilot (guaranteed basic income model) for about 10 families, expanding activities for new construction and preservation, and clarifying referral language to include the City of San José. A goal was set to explore using tenant-based vouchers for alternative housing types like interim housing. Angie Garcia Wynn (Deputy Executive Director) detailed the exploration process, including assessing existing interim housing units for HUD compliance and analyzing federal funding challenges, noting that a 1% cut in Housing Choice Voucher funding equals a $5 million loss affecting about 200 households.
• Public Comment: None.
• Council Discussion: Councilmembers expressed support for the plan while voicing concerns about federal funding uncertainty, the balance between permanent and interim housing, and potential impacts on traditional voucher holders. Mayor Mahan emphasized the need for innovation and collaboration. Councilmember Salas proposed a friendly amendment to add language about expanding partnership for at least one additional interim housing site and reporting back in six months; after discussion, the language was softened to “consider” exploring additional sites and reporting in six months. The motion, as amended, passed 10-1, with Councilmember Ortiz voting in opposition.
• Key Outcomes: The council adopted the resolution certifying the MTW plan as consistent with the City’s Consolidated Plan and authorized the Executive Director to submit the plan to HUD. Council directed staff to report back in six months on progress exploring tenant-based voucher use and opportunities to expand interim housing sites.

Report of the City Manager

• City Manager Jennifer Maguire introduced Manuel Pineda as the new Deputy City Manager, effective April 14, 2025. Pineda, a San José resident and former city employee, has 28 years of experience including leadership roles in Sunnyvale and Santa Clara. The council welcomed him with applause.

Report on Bids and Award of Construction Contract for Yard Piping Improvements Phase 3 at the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility

• The council approved the award of a $19,490,000 construction contract to Michels Trenchless, Inc., with a 10% contingency of $1,949,000. The motion passed unanimously.

Columbus Park Revitalization Plan

• Staff Presentation: John Cisrelli (Director of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services) and Raymond Constantino presented the revitalization plan for Columbus Park, a long-standing but underutilized park currently closed due to an encampment. The $19.5 million project, funded by Measure P, Park Trust Fund, and other sources, includes two adult soccer fields, a half basketball court, 14 horseshoe pits, four pickleball courts, a futsal court, a play area, a tree-lined promenade, a new parking lot, and restrooms. The construction schedule: design completion by winter 2025, bid award by spring 2026, and project completion by summer/fall 2027. Staff requested adoption of a Mitigated Negative Declaration (CEQA) and approval of the plan.
• Public Comment: Four speakers addressed the council:
  • Linda Hutchins Knowles (Mothers Out Front Silicon Valley) urged avoiding synthetic turf and poured-in-place rubber due to health and environmental concerns, advocating for natural grass with organic management.
  • A speaker (self-identified as representing unhoused residents) criticized the lack of a plan for the approximately 200 people living at Columbus Park, questioned the city’s water shutoffs, and called for housing solutions.
  • Another speaker echoed concerns about relocating the unhoused population without actionable relocation plans.
  • A fourth speaker decried the city’s treatment of unhoused individuals, alleging denial of water and noting that 19 people died from hypothermia last year.
• Council Discussion:
  • Mayor Mahan acknowledged the difficulty of balancing park restoration with homelessness, noting the city is adding 1,400 shelter beds this year (mostly individual rooms) and emphasized enforcement of code of conduct. He clarified that the encampment abatement will occur months before construction.
  • Councilmember Mulcahy (District 6) moved approval, highlighting the park’s history and community input. He confirmed the construction timeline.
  • Councilmember Campos questioned data on people coming from outside San José; staff replied that most are local, but some come from other areas. She asked about the encampment abatement strategy; staff said abatement is planned for summer 2025 with outreach, but no specific relocation plan was presented.
  • Councilmember Kamei asked about public-private partnerships for soccer fields and expressed concerns about synthetic turf. She requested an information memo on turf types.
  • Vice Mayor Foley questioned the lack of bicycle parking, the number of horseshoe pits (14), and synthetic turf vs. natural grass. Staff explained that artificial turf allows year-round use, generates revenue, and that newer models use no crumb rubber infill (e.g., cork or fully recyclable materials). The park design is based on artificial turf.
  • Councilmember Duan expressed concern about moving over 200 unhoused residents without a plan, urging the city to have shelter options.
  • Councilmember Ortiz asked about the abatement footprint; staff indicated it will be phased and includes the Guadalupe River corridor. He noted that without a plan, people will simply move to other neighborhoods.
  • Councilmember Cohen raised concerns about the ripple effects of abatements (e.g., RVs moving to Alviso from Santa Clara). He also questioned synthetic turf and heard from the North Valley US Soccer League wanting turf fields. Staff detailed newer, more environmentally friendly turf technologies (e.g., no crumb fill, fully recyclable).
  • Councilmember Salas mentioned reports of “van lording” (renting out RVs for encampments) and supported the mayor’s position on enforcement.
• Key Outcomes: The council unanimously approved the Columbus Park Revitalization Plan and adopted the Mitigated Negative Declaration. The encampment abatement will proceed in summer 2025, with construction starting in June 2026. Staff will share the County of Santa Clara’s recent report on synthetic turf with councilmembers.