San Jose City Council Meeting - June 3, 2025: Rezoning, Rates, and General Plan Review
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San Jose City Council Meeting - June 3, 2025
The San Jose City Council convened on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at 1:30 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included ceremonial recognitions, a consent calendar with several pulled items, public hearings on utility rates and community facility district annexations, adoption of housing and planning documents, and a lengthy open forum focused on immigrant legal services funding.
Ceremonial Items
- Pride Month (June 2025): Vice Mayor Foley and Councilmember Cohen proclaimed June as Pride Month, recognizing 55 years since the Stonewall riots and 50 years of Silicon Valley Pride. Bianca Zamora (Chief Diversity Officer, Silicon Valley Pride) spoke on the ongoing need for LGBTQ+ protections.
- Children's Awareness Month (June 2025): Councilmember Campos proclaimed June as Children's Awareness Month. Liliana Camacho (Parent Voices organizer) highlighted child care affordability and provider pay issues.
- Jewish American Heritage Month (May 2025): Councilmembers Cohen and Mulcahy recognized Jewish American Heritage Month. Renat Shimshi (Bay Area Jewish Coalition) noted rising antisemitism and recent attacks.
Consent Calendar
- Items pulled for comment: 2.1 (minutes), 2.2A (SB 1333 rezoning), and 2.12 (Tully Road Eastridge BID). Councilmember Mulcahy provided detailed clarification on the rezoning, stating: the process is state-mandated; open space designation follows the city’s riparian corridor policy; single-family homes can rebuild, remodel, and build ADUs; and no trail extensions or property acquisitions are planned. After public objections from Glen Erie residents requesting written guarantees, the Mayor directed Planning Director Chris Burton to produce a formal letter summarizing these assurances. The consent calendar (including all remaining items) passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Consent Calendar (Item 2.2A): Seven speakers from Glen Erie Avenue and surrounding areas objected to the open space rezoning, citing concerns about property value loss, lack of clear written documentation, conflicting information from the city, and inadequate notice. Some requested grandfathering of existing rights. Marin Sederquist (Willow Glen Neighborhood Association) supported neighbors’ requests for written clarification.
- Item 6.1 (Sewer Rates): Dan Gordon (Gordon Biersch) reported a 40% rate increase despite unchanged wastewater discharge, contrasting with a 9% increase for non-metered residential customers. He requested calculations under Prop 218 and urged reconsideration. The city clerk reported 598 valid written protests (less than 1% of affected customers).
- Item 6.2 (Garbage Rates): Two speakers questioned the rate increase rationale. One noted missed pickups but sought understanding.
- Item 8.5 (General Plan Review): Robert Chapman Wood (SJSU professor) argued the proposed work plan will not enable housing production targets. Angel Laliano (Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits) supported comprehensive outreach and asked that if a task force is replaced, the city involve nonprofit engagement specialists.
- Open Forum: Multiple speakers urged increased city funding for immigrant legal services (from $500K to $1.5M). Testimonies described fear of deportation, an April 2nd arrest of a father, and a parent’s anxiety. Speakers suggested funding could come from savings from vacant SJPD positions. Other open forum topics: a subcontractor’s unpaid invoice, and a union representative opposing the return-to-work mandate due to safety and cost concerns.
Discussion Items
- Items 3.3 & 3.4 (Community Facilities District Annexations): Public hearings held for CFD No. 11 (Adeline-Mary Helen) Annexation Area No. 1 and CFD No. 8 (Communications Hill) Annexation Area No. 3. Both had 0 written protests and property owner ballots supporting the special tax (12 votes yes for CFD 11; 3 votes yes for CFD 8). Councilmember Duan noted benefits including park, open space, commercial services, and improved emergency access. Both annexations passed unanimously.
- Item 6.1 (Sewer Service and Use Charges): Staff explained that rate increases (1.76% for residential) fund wastewater treatment plant upgrades. For industrial users like Gordon Biersch, higher increases are due to higher biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids concentrations. Vice Mayor Foley requested a city auditor review of rate calculations. Councilmember Cohen added context that costs are proportionally allocated to those emitting pollutants. Motion passed 10-0 (one absent).
- Item 6.2 (Residential Garbage and Recycling Rates): Deputy Director Valerie Osman reported a 2% increase (down from a projected 5-6%) due to improved recycling contamination rates (from 57% in 2022 to 41% in 2024). The rate is cost-recovery and funded by contracts. Motion passed unanimously.
- Item 6.3 (Municipal Water Rates): The city clerk reported 249 written protests (less than 1% of customers). Motion passed 10-1 (Councilmember Candelas voting against).
- Item 8.2 (Community Participation Plan): Public hearing held; no public comment. Motion passed unanimously.
- Item 8.3 (2025-2030 Consolidated Plan and FY 2025-2026 Annual Action Plan): Public hearing held; no public comment. Motion passed unanimously.
- Item 8.4 (Gateway Tower Predevelopment Loan): Councilmember Salas praised the project as “a tremendous amount of housing near downtown.” Motion passed unanimously.
- Item 8.5 (Four-Year Review of Envision San José 2040 General Plan): Staff presented the scope of work, with a proposed 11-member Planning Commission task force and six study sessions. Vice Mayor Foley and others moved to adopt the scope with a directive for comprehensive outreach led by the Office of Racial and Social Equity. Councilmember Ortiz offered a friendly amendment to also engage labor partners (South Bay Labor Council, building trades), which was accepted. Discussion emphasized the need for two-way dialogue. Motion passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously (with written FAQ promised for Glen Erie residents on SB 1333 concerns).
- CFD Annexations (3.3 & 3.4): Approved unanimously.
- Sewer Rate Increase (6.1): Approved 10-0 (one absent). City auditor requested to review rate methodology.
- Garbage Rate Increase (6.2): Approved unanimously (up to 2% increase).
- Water Rate Increase (6.3): Approved 10-1 (Candelas opposed).
- Community Participation Plan (8.2): Approved unanimously.
- Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan (8.3): Approved unanimously.
- Gateway Tower Predevelopment Loan (8.4): Approved unanimously (up to $5M loan commitment).
- General Plan Four-Year Review Scope (8.5): Approved unanimously with directive for comprehensive outreach and inclusion of labor partners.
- Open Forum: No formal action taken; several speakers called for increased immigrant legal services funding in the upcoming budget.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good afternoon. Welcome everyone. I'd like to call to order this meeting of the San Jose City Council for the afternoon of June 3rd. Welcome. Tony, would you please call the roll? Kamei? Campos? Salas? Cohen. Here. Ortiz. Present. Mulcahi. Here. Duan. Kendellas. Here. Casey. Foley. Mayhem. Here. You have a quorum. Thank you. Now, if you're able, please stand and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge of allegiance. One nation. They were the team and justice for all. Thank you. Today's invocation provided by Rabbi Dana Magat of Temple Emmanuel, and Councilmember Mulcahi will tell us more. Thank you, Mayor. It is my honor to welcome and introduce Rabbi Dana Magat of Temple Emanuel, located in District 6. Founded in 1861, Temple Emanuel is the first Jewish congregation in the Santa Clara Valley and stands as one of the oldest reformed congregations on the West Coast with a very proud history spanning over 160 years. Rabbi Magat has served as the senior rabbi of Temple Emanuel since 1999, offering more than 25 years of spiritual leadership and community service. He is deeply committed to interfaith collaboration across Silicon Valley and currently serves as chair of the Interfaith Council on Economics and Justice for Santa Clara County. I'm always impressed and appreciative of his infectious energy and amazing diction, which you'll experience in a moment. In addition to leading a temple that welcomes everyone in our community, and he puts on a mean satyr. Please join me in welcoming Rabbi Dana Magat, who will now lead us in today's invocation. Thank you so much. Mayor City Council members is an honor to be here, and a special thank you to Councilmember Michael Mulkey for inviting me. Yesterday, Jews throughout the world celebrated the holy day of Shavuot. In fact, traditional Jews are still celebrating until this evening. It is one of what we call the Shalosh Regalin, the three pilgrimage festivals, along with the holidays of Sukkot and Passover. All three of these holy days are first mentioned in the Torah, the first part of the Hebrew Bible. Shavuot is a combination of the Theophany at Mount Sinai, that is the giving of the Ten Commandments, and a harvest festival, in this case, the harvest of wheat in the land of Israel. Traditionally, it is the time when the Jewish people received the Torah at the foot of Mount Sinai. But there's a wonderful concept in Judaism that all humanity, past, present, and future, receive the Torah on that day as well. Torah is a symbol of our tradition, yes. But so too, Torah is a symbol of learning and teaching. For ultimately, power does not come from money or who has the most toys or the most wealth. True power comes from knowledge, education, and the ability to learn from each other.
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