OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

San Jose City Council Meeting - February 3, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, February 3, 2026
BodySan Jose, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, February 3, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:12:51
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

We don't know.

0:15

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:17

We're going to get started.

0:19

Thank you all for being here.

0:20

Let's start with the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:22

If you all could please rise.

0:30

This is my first rodeo, okay?

0:32

Tony, will you take the roll, please?

0:34

Sorry.

0:37

Kamei?

0:38

Here.

0:38

Campos?

0:39

Tordios?

0:40

Here.

0:40

Cohen?

0:41

Here.

0:41

Ortiz?

0:42

Present.

0:43

Mulcahy?

0:43

Here.

0:44

Duan?

0:44

Here.

0:45

Candelas?

0:45

Here.

0:46

Casey?

0:46

Here.

0:47

Foley?

0:47

Here.

0:48

Mahan, you have a quorum.

0:52

For the record, I knew that.

0:56

Please join me.

0:57

I pledge allegiance to the flag.

1:00

of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under

1:06

God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

1:13

It's been an exciting day, and it's going to be an exciting week with the Super Bowl,

1:17

but let's get started with the commendations. So if Councilmember Candelis could, and Councilmember

1:23

Ortiz could meet me at the podium, we will recognize and proclaim February 4th as National

1:29

Girls and Women's Sports Day.

1:33

What?

1:37

Are you doing the invocation? Who's doing the invocation?

1:43

Okay.

1:44

I'm really not used to starting the meeting like this. Obviously.

1:48

Next time I'll be perfect, so we say.

1:51

Today's invocation will be provided by Richard Conda,

1:55

Executive Director of the Asian Law Alliance,

1:58

and Councilmember Campos will tell us more. Thank you, Vice Mayor.

2:04

Fred Korematsu once said, if you have the feeling that something is wrong, don't be afraid to speak

2:10

up. When fear eclipsed freedom, Fred Korematsu chose to resist, insisting that constitutional

2:17

rights must endure even in times of crisis. His life reminds us that courage is extraordinary

2:24

and that loyalty to our democracy and our constitution sometimes demands resistance.

2:31

We will learn more about Fred Korematsu from Richard Konda,

2:37

and may we carry these lessons forward with vigilance, courage, and an enduring commitment to justice.

2:45

It's now my honor to welcome the Executive Director of the Asian Law Alliance, Richard Konda.

2:50

Thank you, Councilmember Campos, for honoring Fred Korematsu.

2:57

As you know, in 2010, the state of California passed the Fred Korematsu bill,

3:03

making January 30th the first day in the United States named after an Asian American.

3:10

Beginning in 2016, local organizations, including the Japanese American Museum of San Jose,

3:16

Fred T. Korematsu Institute, the Asian Law Alliance, and other groups have organized

3:21

the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.

3:25

The 2026 event was held on Saturday, January 24th, with the theme of Solidarity in Silicon

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Miscellaneous███████████████████████████████31%
Economic Development████████████████████20%
Procedural███████████████15%
Public Safety█████████████13%
Parks and Recreation██████████10%
Community Engagement█████5%
Homelessness████4%
Municipal Finance██2%
Summary of Proceedings

San Jose City Council Meeting - February 3, 2026

The San Jose City Council met on February 3, 2026, to consider a range of items including commendations, ceremonial recognitions, amendments to gaming regulations, and the creation of two new Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). All votes were unanimous. The meeting also included public comments on unrelated matters.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent calendar was approved unanimously with no items pulled or public comment.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mary Ng (Opportunities for Change) spoke during the Story Road BID discussion, but her comments were unrelated to the agenda item; she requested awareness for her transitional housing program and urged inclusion of high-density housing in the corridor.
  • Paul (President, Story Business Association) urged approval of the Story Road BID, emphasizing the need for stable funding to support small businesses and the Vietnamese community.
  • Mimi Hernandez, Helen Masamori, Osvaldo Moreno, and Cynthia Velasquez spoke in support of the Alum Rock Santa Clara Street BID, highlighting the corridor's cultural significance and the need for safety, cleanliness, and marketing investments.
  • Jim Gray (resident) complained about RV parking on Akron Way blocking emergency lanes and ineffective 311 response.
  • Ted Scarlett described a constructive eviction and landlord harassment after a drunk driving accident, requesting emergency housing.
  • Raymond Goins (individual capacity) condemned a January 21, 2026 police shooting in downtown San Jose, calling for accountability and citing past incidents.

Discussion Items

  • Commendations & Ceremonial Items:
    • Invocation by Richard Konda (Asian Law Alliance) honoring Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution (January 30). Konda and Jordan Tachibana (Korematsu Institute) spoke about Korematsu's legacy and urged opposition to mass deportations and ICE actions.
    • Proclamation of February 4 as National Girls and Women in Sports Day, presented to Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BOSSI) and Love the Game softball team. Speakers included Councilmember Candelas and Dana Weintraub (BOSSI).
    • Recognition of Alan Gumby Marquez for his service as interim CEO of the San Jose Downtown Association, presented by Councilmember Torraios with remarks from Adolfo Gomez (Downtown Association Board Chair).
    • Recognition of Officer Michael Jaycox for proactive policing that led to the arrest of a heavily armed suspect in a vandalism case, presented by Councilmember Casey.
  • Adjournment in Memory of Roma Dawson: Councilmember Kamei and Kathy Sutherland (on behalf of Cindy Chavez) honored Roma Dawson, a former League of Women Voters leader and Housing Commission member, who passed away December 6, 2025.
  • Item 4.1 – Amendment to Title 16 Gaming Control: Police Chief Paul Joseph and Gaming Administrator Kirill Yermanov presented amendments to streamline regulations: extend crime reporting time limits, expand betting layout from 10 to 20 squares per player, repeal continuous presence limitation, remove 4-tournament limit, and allow complimentary food/drinks. Motion by Councilmember Duan passed unanimously.
  • Item 5.1 – Actions Related to 10180 San Jose City New Taxiway Victor Phase 3A: Motion by Councilmember Mulcahy passed unanimously.
  • Item 8.1 – Story Road Business Improvement District (BID): Presentation by Jen Baker, Vic Farley, and Min Tran (Office of Economic Development). The proposed BID covers 434 businesses in Little Saigon, with a tiered assessment (base $350, 18 large retailers pay proportionally) projected to generate $129,185 annually for safety, beautification, marketing, and administration. Motion by Councilmember Duan passed unanimously.
  • Item 8.2 – Alum Rock Santa Clara Street Business Improvement District: Public hearing held; no written protests received. Speakers supported the BID. Motion by Councilmember Ortiz passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Deferral: Item 8.3 was deferred to February 24, 2026 (motion by Councilmember Mulcahy, passed unanimously).
  • Votes: All items (consent calendar, gaming amendment, taxiway, Story Road BID, Alum Rock BID) were approved unanimously.
  • Next Steps: The Story Road BID assessments will begin July 2026 pending final ordinance readings. The Alum Rock BID will proceed to a final vote later in February.

Meeting Transcript

We don't know. Good afternoon, everyone. We're going to get started. Thank you all for being here. Let's start with the Pledge of Allegiance. If you all could please rise. This is my first rodeo, okay? Tony, will you take the roll, please? Sorry. Kamei? Here. Campos? Tordios? Here. Cohen? Here. Ortiz? Present. Mulcahy? Here. Duan? Here. Candelas? Here. Casey? Here. Foley? Here. Mahan, you have a quorum. For the record, I knew that. Please join me. I pledge allegiance to the flag. of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. It's been an exciting day, and it's going to be an exciting week with the Super Bowl, but let's get started with the commendations. So if Councilmember Candelis could, and Councilmember Ortiz could meet me at the podium, we will recognize and proclaim February 4th as National Girls and Women's Sports Day. What? Are you doing the invocation? Who's doing the invocation? Okay. I'm really not used to starting the meeting like this. Obviously. Next time I'll be perfect, so we say. Today's invocation will be provided by Richard Conda, Executive Director of the Asian Law Alliance, and Councilmember Campos will tell us more. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Fred Korematsu once said, if you have the feeling that something is wrong, don't be afraid to speak up. When fear eclipsed freedom, Fred Korematsu chose to resist, insisting that constitutional rights must endure even in times of crisis. His life reminds us that courage is extraordinary and that loyalty to our democracy and our constitution sometimes demands resistance.

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