San Jose City Council Meeting: December 9, 2025

The San Jose City Council convened on December 9, 2025, at approximately 9:45 AM for a regular meeting. The session began with an invocation by Father Justin Lay of Our Lady of Lavang Parish, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The council recognized three ceremonial proclamations: Holiday Children's Book Drive Week (December 8–14), the Trash Punks and Sabori's Well for their Project Pickup initiative in Kenya, and Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (December 12). The consent calendar was approved unanimously after two items were pulled for discussion. The regular agenda included acceptance of the annual financial reports, debt report, technology contracts, appointments, and a substantial discussion on the homelessness prevention system funding agreement with Santa Clara County. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• Item 2.9 (Business Improvement District fee collections): Councilmember Mulcahy queried Finance Director Maria Oberg on improving collection rates. Discussion noted that older BIDs (Japantown, Downtown) achieve ~90% collection, while newer BIDs are around 60%. Staff committed to outreach improvements and a new billing system.
• Item 2.10 (Park naming): Councilmember Campos championed naming Serenade and Center Pocket Park as "Tsugiyo T. Fujimoto Park" in honor of a former city employee. Public speakers included the nephew (Wes Kashiwagi) and former colleagues, highlighting Mr. Fujimoto's 30 years of service, military intelligence work during WWII, and horticultural legacy.
• All remaining consent items were approved without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Consent calendar: Wes Kashiwagi, Gary, and other former colleagues spoke in support of the Fujimoto park naming, sharing personal stories and gratitude. Brian spoke on the audits, commending the city for four consecutive clean audits.
• Open Forum: Two speakers. One described an unreported burglary ring in his neighborhood and urged police investigation. The second advocated for volunteer efforts to remove invasive largemouth bass from local rivers to restore native fish populations.

Discussion Items

• Items 3.3, 3.4, 9.1 (Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, Auditor's Report, Successor Agency Audit): Finance Director Maria Oberg, Deputy Director Victor Lowe, and external auditor Benjamin Lau presented. Key points: the city received an unqualified (clean) audit opinion for the fourth consecutive year with no findings. Net position increased by $85 million, restated down by $75 million due to GASB 101 implementation for compensated absences, resulting in a net $10 million increase. The Successor Agency (SARA) reported a net position deficit of $856 million, improving by $111 million. City Manager Jennifer Maguire praised the accounting team.
• Item 3.5 (Comprehensive Annual Debt Report): Presented by Maria Oberg and Chen Yu Sun. Outstanding debt portfolio as of June 30, 2025, was $3.4 billion (excluding conduit debt of $834 million). The city maintains high credit ratings: AA1 (Moody's), AA+ (S&P), AAA (Fitch).
• Items 3.6 and 3.7: Approved without discussion. 3.6 amended a master service agreement with Intergraph Corporation for the computer-aided dispatch system. 3.7 authorized tenant improvements at the 911 Call Center funded by Measure T.
• Item 3.8 (Appeals Hearing Board Appointments): Three vacancies with three applicants. Council interviewed two present candidates (Jenny Altwer and Martin Nguyen) and accepted a written statement from absent applicant Ronald. All three were appointed unanimously.
• Item 6.1 (Franchise Agreements): Approved unanimously (10-0, with Councilmember Ortiz absent).
• Item 8.1 (Homelessness Prevention System Funding): Extended discussion led by Councilmember Campos, Ortiz, and Dillion. The agreement with Santa Clara County's Office of Supportive Housing provides approximately $8,000 per household in direct assistance and $5,200 in case management. Over 90% of households served do not require further assistance within two years. The system served 1,800 households last fiscal year (69% in San Jose). Councilmembers questioned program efficiency, waitlists, and data tracking. A group memo requesting enhanced reporting and a follow-up briefing with county staff was included in the motion. The item passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• All votes were unanimous, including:
  • Approval of consent calendar (including items 2.9 and 2.10 after discussion).
  • Acceptance of annual financial reports (3.3, 3.4, 9.1).
  • Acceptance of the debt report (3.5).
  • Approval of 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 (appointments), 6.1, and 8.1.
• Council directed staff to coordinate with the county for more detailed reporting on the homelessness prevention program, including turnover, waitlist trends, and long-term outcomes.
• The meeting adjourned after open forum.