Begin I want to remind the committee members and members of the public to please follow our code of conduct at meetings.

This includes only commenting on the specific agenda item and addressing the entire body.

Public speakers will not engage in conversations with the chair, council members, or staff.

All members of the committee.

This meeting of the neighborhood services and education committee will now come to order.

Can the clerk please call the roll?

Complos.

Absent Gandalas.

Here.

Casey?

Here.

Vice Chair Duan absent and Chair Ortiz.

Present.

You have a quorum.

Awesome.

Thank you so much.

We did that.

There's no items for review of the work plan, no consent agenda.

So that brings us to D reports to the committee.

The first item is Children and Youth Services Master Plan Status Report, and that is by Andrea Flora Shelton.

I'm the assistant director of the Department of Parks Recreation Neighborhood Services, and we are happy to give bring you the regular report on the Children and Youth Master Plan.

Just for awareness, the council did adopt the Children and Youth Services Master Plan two years ago, and we are at a stage where we're at the towards the end of the first year of implementation with our two grantees.

Those grantees are we have Somos Mayfair and Grail in the Mayfair Poco Way neighborhoods, and we have Catholic charities in the Seven Trees Santee neighborhoods.

Those contracts go through December of 2026.

And so we also have direction to come back with lessons learned, sort of results of where the pilot status is in the fall to this committee.

So we're looking forward to bringing back to you sort of the lessons learned because, well, this is a transformational effort that really is encompassed on seven large policy priority areas.

That this has quite been a it's been a very challenging year in terms of the safety net.

We're we are very committed to keeping our doors open, um, maintaining services for children and youth that we have, and we're again working through the budget process, um, and you will learn more about that.

But through the no wrong door um approach, making sure that people feel welcome, people and our staffs, whether that's CBO staff or whether that's city staff or whether that's county staff, we have to go through a learning about what are those services that we can connect people to, refer people to, um, do they feel safe?

Do they feel welcome?

And that has been something that we've been uh one of the lessons learned this past year is everything that's going on is creating a challenge.

Um so again, we look forward to bringing in the fall uh more details about where we stand in those two pilot sites, what are the services that we are connecting people to?

Um, and hopefully we have results.

We have really good results for you, but uh we we promise to bring you um that back in the fall.

Um I do also want to um we do meet with the county regularly, and I think there's been some really good information um in the child care front.

So uh they have a grant to expand uh child care.

Um specifically um they had 500 applicants and they were able to award 53 um grantees.

Half of the so that's a countywide child care expansion grant, half of those are in the city of San Jose.

So we're um happy that they are these are they're pushing out sort of the last of their ARPA dollars, um and so those grants um are coming forward, and the county will be um giving a larger uh presentation to their committee um next week.

But we wanted to um sunshine that for you so that you knew that again county child care expansion dollars are coming to the city of San Jose.

Um so with that again, we work with um we're working with C CEPE collective, Somos Um Grail in the Mainfair Poco Way neighborhood, they're doing a lot of work.

Um and I know um Councilmember Ortiz and I just heard about a lot of the inspiring work they're doing uh with their youth.

Um so youth, so when it comes to the children and youth master plan pillars, um they are obviously very uh steeped in the early learning and child care through Grail, um the uh uh learning and empowerment pillar, that is something that Somos through Jovenis Activos is doing a lot of work on.

Um they're also working on workforce pathways with their with their young people.

Um and so they have a lot of partnerships and they're convening with their partners at both the school level and um at the economic mobility level.

Um in Santee and Seven Trees area, we are grateful for our partnership with Catholic charities there, and they have longstanding um partnerships and commitings that they're doing.

So we'll be bringing forward more in sort of as we think about year two, starting in July one and beyond, about what those um what those opportunities are if you and your staff want to engage and understanding what's happening at the work group level, but right now that's really anchored in the community, and it's also um city staff is still working like directly with the grantees.

So more to come in terms of um sort of formalizing how the priority areas are being convened.

So with that, I'll take any questions.

Wonderful.

Thank you so much for the report.

Do we have any uh public comment?

No public comment.

All right, thank you, Clerk.

Do we have any comments from my oh council member Condellas?

Uh thank you, Chair.

Uh Andrea, thank you for the report.

Uh, you know, I I obvious uh full full full uh fully believe in uh investing in our youth and and and the the youth programming that plays uh such a critical role in um creating that safe supportive environment for for uh for our people for our young people where they can stay active uh build relationships and and and you know uh connect with positive role models.

That's that's part of you know that's part of the you know the mission that we that that we seek to provide in order to enhance um you know uh from the way I see it public safety in our in our city.

Um, you know, uh I I fully I fully believe in this and curious curious is as to the thinking with regards to the next the next uh fiscal year and you know the the amount of money that we put into I guess phase one of kicking off the children and youth services master plan and and the implementation phase remind remind me how much we uh we had allocated from the from our first from our ARPA funds for this launch phase.

How much money did we have for that?

So for the the pilot sites we granted uh 400,000 to to both sites, okay, and that was roughly about an 18-month period.

So that contract that I was talking about runs through December.

Yes.

Um got it.

And so I I guess part of the the lessons learned report that I'm that I uh that you mentioned in fall.

I'm hoping that we can obviously see um like how many youth or families were served as part of that report, um and and hopefully get some some data to see if we can scale this program in identified or and or pilot neighborhoods and or partner um you know with with you know philanthropy out there that's willing to to fund a a data data data foundational uh program that that that produces positive outcomes.

And so hopefully that could happen and and and you know it's incumbent on on us to be able to find the money to make sure that we're not just depending on what if dollars or potential dollars, but dollars that we have uh the the power of the purse with, if you will, uh in our city.

program in identified or and or pilot neighborhoods and or partner um you know with with you know philanthropy out there that's willing to to fund um a a data data data foundational uh program that that that produces positive outcomes and so hopefully that could happen and and and you know it's incumbent on on us to be able to find the money to make sure that we're not just depending on what if dollars or potential dollars but dollars that we have uh the the power of the purse with if you will uh in our city and so so I I I look forward to to talking about that and and and advocating for that and given I guess this question is for the administration given uh the the the funding runs through December of 2026 any potential funding that's allocated in the budget could potentially just be for the second quarter of next year Angel or how would that how would that work you know because we've directed as part of the the March budget message to fund uh I guess up to a million dollars or or I think it was half a million uh but I'm curious to hear your thoughts on that.

Yeah council members so the direction that we have right now is kind of twofold one is uh uh under the the the mayor's march budget message there's uh there's an L a proposed allocation of five hundred thousand dollars subject to the development and completion of an MBA okay um and then there was also additional direction for us to take a deeper dive look into the use of opioid funds to see if there's anything there that we could potentially redirect um and so that's the that's the formal direction that we have right now okay uh and so uh that's really kind of the two priority areas that we're focusing on right now okay thank you Angel I appreciate the reminder and Andrea thank you for your your your verbal report today and if I could just to the first part of your comments um so for the fall report we just do want to be mindful that part of the no wrong door there's a lot of existing services and programs that we're connecting people to right so you know if I think about um if someone came to the library and they needed to have a child care right so there's sort of existing services that we're gonna try to capture and then like I said it's been sort of a startup year and I failed to mention in my um in my brief at the beginning is that for example we have Grail right Grail um was awarded the Capitol Park Neighborhood Center um through our NCPP RFQ right we're aligning that so they are while they have some services right um there right now they're actually not going to be in full implementation until the new this coming school year so in terms of the type of results that we're gonna have they're all going to be sort of to date um I I just don't want folks to think we're gonna have like maybe a full full year of service because we have been in startup mode we're looking at sort of processes and approaches and it's been a lot of regular service delivery that we do and seeing if we can do it better right and do it more um with warmer handoffs for families and under the sort of the comments I made earlier is you know do people feel welcome do they feel safe right are we making sure that they trust government right all of those are kind of some of the the soft results that we're also going to be sharing.

As much as I I want to have lots of hard data for you I just want to be my butt of lessons learned.

Yes.

So you know I I would hope that yes we we have the um you know the the background as to like you know the not the full year scope of why one of our providers wasn't able to do or delivered this or delivered this or delivered other I I I just I I I hope it's a it's as something that we can actually root and say okay yes feelings and you know X percentage of people felt safe great but I think something that we can actually go and and chase after funding from other folks is is what I'm looking for that's rooted in yes lessons learned is great but it's rooted in fact is would is helpful for us and especially as we're advocating with each other um to to you know make make investments in this program that that you know we firmly believe in thank you thank you council member condelismember campos thank you chair and thank you Andrea for uh bringing us this update today um I also really appreciate getting regular reports on how we're implementing the children youth master plan it really brings this document to life so I am just so appreciative of that and have a couple of questions I want to ask today um my understanding is that um we are going to be reconvening some of the groups that um helped create the document in the in the first place and that grantees are currently driving convenings at pilot sites while the city is still working on internal alignment um and and as we're working towards establishing our formal work groups so given that the children and youth services master plan is the city's plan what is our timeline as the city um for the concrete structure and taking a more active leadership role especially as it relates to formalizing that cross system coordination the decision making and uh the accountability with our nonprofit partners yeah thank you for that and we've been um really thinking a lot about that because we do want to continue to strengthen our role to advance um this and I think we're doing some of our best thinking right now and the uh

So given that the children and youth services master plan is the city's plan, what is our timeline as the city for the concrete structure and taking a more active leadership role, especially as it relates to formalizing that cross-system coordination, the decision making and uh the accountability with our nonprofit partners.

Yeah, thank you for that.

And we've been um really thinking a lot about that because we do want to continue to strengthen our role to advance um this, and I think we're doing some of our best thinking right now, and the uh management budget addendum that we have coming back to you, I think will uh be able to carve out sort of uh a clearer pathway about what next year looks like in terms of the support, sort of the the priority how the priority area implementation plans will roll out.

Um so if you wouldn't mind waiting for the manager's budget addendum for more details, um I think that would be best.

Okay, absolutely.

I'm gonna ask a couple of more questions, and if um if there's more information to come in that MBA, please let me know.

But um the the next question is just given that we have these two sites functioning as pilot sites right now.

Um we know that uh the goal is for the children youth master plan to be implemented throughout the city, and so with these pilot sites working as demonstrated as a demonstration model that uh could be showcased and replicated in other districts and city.

How uh is it ensuring now that our CBO partners have the sustained funding, coordinated infrastructure, and clear governance needed to succeed?

Um yeah, so we are um as I mentioned earlier, we are in you know a grant relationship with them through December of uh 2026.

We're looking to see um how we can continue that and um that sort of governance structure, sort of moving forward the priority areas in a you know, a very specific way, I think is forthcoming.

Um we have been sort of looking at this past year as kind of a startup year.

We're kind of storming a little bit and um trying to balance that this transformational work really needs to be anchored in the community with you know city-county support.

And so we're looking at how that relationship and how that partnership really sustains itself, and what is that structure that is gonna make the most sense for long-term sustainability as well as um scalability across the city?

Absolutely that that part is really uh important to hone in on.

I um see tremendous um success so far in what I've heard about the pilot sites, and also recognize that um there is already trust in some of these uh anchor institutions in these communities that might not exist in other districts.

My my district, for example, in Southside, we have a lot of residents who go to District 5 for these kinds of services.

So it is uh really um key that we're thinking about that coordination approach and um and and really like what it takes to be successful.

So I only have two more questions.

Um my third question is what specific elements will be in place to document and elevate this as a scalable model rather than an ad hoc pilot that is driven primarily by grantees.

So we are excited to be working with some external partners on understanding what a strong evaluation framework looks like as well as sort of our internal data system.

So again, we've kind of our um our internal data systems are kind of at the infancy stage, um, and as well as we're hoping again when we return in the fall that we will have uh have landed on sort of what are those not just the outputs but the outcomes that we're striving for, and how can we measure progress towards them?

So I think the next six months will we'll have a lot of work in in solidifying that.

Yeah, thank you.

And that relates to the the previous message that I was sharing about my district, right?

We there's a lot of infrastructure that might be needed in some places, and so um thinking as as a whole city, uh what all of those components might be that help bring more success into the entire city.

And so my last question and your responses have been really helpful, so thank you, Andrea, um, for responding.

I also might have missed in in your introduction about the MBA that is being coordinated between PRNS and library staff.

So is there any way that you can clarify the scope here or what the council should expect to see in that MBA?

Um so as Angel was mentioning, right?

We have direction for the $500,000 to come forward on how we would recommend a spending plan for the $500,000.

So at this time we're trying to sort of prioritize what that looks like, and as well as understanding are there other funding sources, you know, other people's money that we can use to move the needle on some of these things.

So I again I think we're we're doing a lot of good work and I we're gonna have something to recommend to you that tries to get at multiple priorities and multiple um strategies because I I think there's with the multiple priority areas that we have, we have to understand where's there some low-hanging fruit to really advance some of these um initiatives.

So we're trying to figure that out.

I think you'll you'll see more in the next month or two.

Amazing.

I know that our children youth master plan is truly a transformational visionary document, and it is um not easy to accomplish that vision, but I know that we have so many people here who are invested, and especially in our community who are just as invested as folks at City Hall are.

So thank you again for um for this update.

Uh no.

And I will uh move to accept the report.

Second, I just wanted to uh thank you, um Andrea for the very informative presentation um to uh the the um NSC committee um as as mentioned I share my my colleagues uh perspective on wanting to continue to support the children uh youth and services master plan, whether that's allocating city services and resources or identifying philanthropic uh um partners uh to breathe more life into um these these uh services.

I know you you did um touch on in during your your talking points, uh you kind of cautioned us about some potential impacts in the next year or two that we may be seeing.

Is there any sort of like tea leaves that could give us an understanding of just how this may impact us and how the you know the services may have to, I guess evolve during these hard times?

Yeah, I mean I this is all public information because the county committees um have uh they they met yesterday, public safety and justice in particular, and you know, as we know, we are very proud of being the safest big city um in America, and we believe, and you'll be hearing about the youth empowerment alliance, right?

And our decades of uh investing in our young people at both uh primary prevention and at an intervention level.

Um, and then of course our partners in PD and others, you know, do their part on the back end.

Um but again, I if if what this is what we're told by the county, if it's not a mandated, if it's not mandated, it most likely will be cut, and we're seeing that in the proposals.

This is proposed.

The county hasn't adopted their budget.

I want to caution that.

But let's just take, for example, our friends at the community prosecution unit, right?

Yeah.

Decade of partnership there that is on the chopping block, right?

Um wow.

Neighborhood services unit and probation department, you know, those are things that are very well known to us in the city of San Jose and have improved the lives of people in San Jose.

So I I don't want to I'm I'm probably naming too many programs already, but I just want us to be mindful that again, these are part of our collective impact strategy, and um we have to understand that you know the city can't compensate for all of those things, right?

And so, how do we again focus in terms of what are those things that have at the at the primary prevention level as well as the intervention level?

Well, thank you for sorry, go ahead, Angel.

Yeah, council member.

Uh I think it's a real important question, and and I'd like to add to what Andrea um said real well already.

You know, um, as part of the Youth Employment Alliance, we have uh in interagency subcommittee that consists of a lot of the key players in this work, right?

The public defender's office, the DA's office, probation, uh, school superintendents, uh you you name it.

Any any anybody that that invests in the area of youth, especially around youth intervention.

Um it was a pretty sobering meeting because uh we we basically did a round robin around the room to just get a glimpse of what the forecast is looking like in terms of budget reductions, proposed budget reductions, and just back at the envelope math going around the the room there, um back of the envelope math, put it at a little under a hundred million dollars in terms of the safety net.

And when you take a look at the type of projects that are being proposed or slated to be uh either eliminated or reduced significantly, uh they're basically speaking about our safety net, right?

Yeah, uh the safety net that typically cat you know captures and and as you've as you've heard, you know, police say for so many years, you can't arrest your way out of you know these situations, right?

So uh our safety net is gonna be uh in some serious jeopardy, right?

Now I'm you know, we of course are hoping that when everything is said and done through the budget process, because uh as of this point, you know, these are proposed budgets, right?

Budget reductions that this is not a done deal yet, but in a worst-case situation, uh I think that uh that's gonna really compromise our safety net, right?

Now, having said that, one of the reasons for convening that meeting wasn't so much just to admire the problem, it was around how can we get in front of it.

So, you know, come July 1 when we know exactly what is the final tally of reductions, given everybody's budget constraints.

How are we then as as partners in this arena gonna work together and kind of prioritize amongst ourselves on on how to mitigate some of these situations?

Because we know as we saw, as we saw in 2008 and 2010, when we experienced similar reductions, uh our incarceration rate shot right up.

Yeah, our crime rate shot rate right up, and that was when we lost our safest big title.

Remember, we we held that title for almost 10 years straight.

And we just recently got it back, right?

And so again, uh we we raised this not to not to just cry wolf, but to just say, hey, look, let's let's go into this with eyes wide open in terms of you know what is our landscape in our city going to look like and what do we need to do to mitigate and offset uh and get creative about how we handle this, right?

Now that's that's actually a good segue into the children youth master plan piece because you know these are all great questions that we've been getting, and the chat, you know, there's a challenge and an opportunity piece to this, right?

And the reality is that we know that with the budget constraints, we we're not in a position to throw a lot of money at this, right?

I mean, just you know, when you do when you just kind of look at the overall forecast.

So we're gonna have to get really creative, even at the expense of there, there may be some things that we slow down in the children youth master plan in order to just, you know, if if all we can afford is XYZ with you know a certain amount of money, then that's what we're gonna be able to do.

And so we we just want to kind of caution because you know we're we're driving this with a lot of vision and optimism, but we also have to be realistic around the the true cost.

And I I I understand that um Angel, you know, my my goal is to make sure that this um master plan is uh effectively used for the rest of you know the existence of our city, not just a short sprint, but for the the marathon, and so yeah, I I think if if we have to look at some sort of minimum viable product to have something that we can maintain and maybe put some of those other services, not not shutter them, but you know, put them on like life support during these hard times.

I think that's um you know what we what we have to do.

But what I don't want is like for that the master plan to just go up on the shelf and not be used.

I want to make sure that you know we we put it in a situation that once when we get the resources we could breathe life back into it, because I I truly believe that you know my district is pretty much just the test case.

I want to see it and Metal Fair.

I want to you know see it in a round table or hot Hoffman via Monte, and you know, but if we don't get past this budget crisis, that's not even gonna be in my district either.

And so, you know, I'm gonna be leaning in.

And I know my colleagues are very passionate about that, and so I'm sure they're gonna be leaning in.

There was one positive thing that you said though, Andrea was uh I think you said um the grant in regards to child care um slots.

I'm sure uh council member compos is probably plugged into that.

Um, how can we use this?

The those type of support uh I guess build up the capacity of the the master plan or what what is our plan for that?

Are we already thinking about it?

Uh the child care expansion grants from the county.

Um they so they build up an infrastructure through the Valley Health Foundation, and so they're looking to see with with that sort of backbone support, um, if there's more ways to help um continue.

And they're really focused on uh family-based child care where they might have eight kiddos and they can expand to 16, right?

So it creates again sort of small business support and viability for folks that are really struggling to find infant toddler slots right now.

Um so again, that becomes you know, a budget priority or budget conversation as to whether you know we want to um sort of join that effort.

Um right.

So again, it's a it's a policy question.

Okay, that's something I think that you know me and my colleagues would like to follow up with you guys off off the uh you know, off outside of the meeting on.

Um thank you.

And uh let's let's go to vote.

All right.

Now a topic very close to my heart.

The San Jose Youth Empowerment Alliance, bringing everyone's strengths together.

Safe Summer Initiative Grant and Youth Intervention Services Programs Annual Report.

And this will be presented by Olympia Williams, Aurelia Bailey, and Petra Rigero.

Oh, andrea Flores Shelton.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Chair Ortiz and members of the committee.

I am Olympia Williams, Deputy Director of the Community Services Division in PRNS.

Today I'm joined by Andrea Flores Shelton, Assistant Director, Aurelia Bailey, Division Manager of our Youth Intervention Services, and Petra Di Giero, who is our program manager for our best in SSIG programs.

Thank you for the opportunity to present the annual report on the San Jose Youth Empowerment Alliance, bringing everyone's strengths together, or best program, SSIG, and Youth Intervention Services Programs.

As the deputy director of the community services division, I am pleased to share the progress we've made in advancing a coordinated data-driven approach to youth violence prevention and intervention.

Through the San Jose Youth Empowerment Alliance, we are implementing a collective impact model that brings together city departments, the county, schools, community-based organizations, and public safety partners to serve youth and families with the greatest need.

This work is grounded in prevention, intervention, diversion, and healing, ensuring a comprehensive and coordinated continuum of care.

This past year, our programs served more than 13,000 youth and families and delivered over 460,000 hours of services across the city.

More importantly, we are seeing meaningful outcomes.

Youth connection to caring adults has increased.

Three out of four of our priority schools saw reductions in chronic absenteism.

And the most serious school-based incidents declined by 11%, demonstrating earlier intervention and stronger coordination.

Additionally, juvenile arrests in San Jose decreased by 5%, even as we continue to monitor concerning trends among younger youth.

These results reflect the strategic shift towards early intervention, stronger partnerships, and more targeted investments in priority neighborhoods.

At the same time, we are strengthening our infrastructure, enhancing data systems, aligning with the children and youth services master plan, and advancing a no-wrong door approach to better connect youth and families to services.

While progress is evident, we recognize that this work requires continued focus, adaptability, and collaboration to respond to evolving trends and ensure long-term impact.

With that, I'd like to turn it over to Petra Rigero and Aurelia Bailey, who will walk you through the remainder of the report.

Thanks, Olympia.

Good afternoon, Chair and Committee members.

My name is Petra Garrow.

I'm the program manager for the grant making for community impact team, which has the privilege of partnering with the many community-based agencies who implement services through the best in SSIG grant programs.

Brings together strategy, services, and funding through three key roles convener, direct service provider, and funder.

As the convener, we align partners at the policy team and technical team as Olympia mentioned, like county departments, schools, San Jose Police Department, nonprofits, and other city departments through a coordinated approach.

As a direct service provider, youth intervention services supports high-risk youth through mentorship, crisis intervention, and family support.

And as a funder, we invest in community-based partners through BEST and SSIG grant programs.

So together, this creates a coordinated continuum of care, ensuring our approach is strategic, targeted, and aligned to meet the needs of the youth and families.

Next slide.

So this visual shows the full investment of PRNS for youth services within SJA and how everything works together as one coordinated system.

So in the purple are our youth intervention services, which our city staff direct support for our highest risk youth, including school-based intervention, workforce development, and specialized services.

In the orange are our grant programs, Best and Safe Summer Initiative, which fund community-based organizations to expand our reach into neighborhoods and schools.

And in the light purple are those partner delivery programs providing a range of supports from prevention to intensive intervention.

As it strengthens the alignment with the city's overall youth violence reduction strategy, and it reinforces that trauma responsive services are a core part of our approach.

So together this ensures that youth can access the right support at the right time.

So we've talked about how SJA is structured and how PRS services are delivered.

This illustrates what we are driving toward as a collective body with our partners within SJ.

So this table outlines our strategic work plan objectives, which are also aligned with children and youth services master plan.

Across the top are our four pillars prevention, intervention, diversion and re-entry, and healing, which together represent a full continuum of support.

Under each, we've defined clear goals and objectives from reducing chronic absenteeism to strengthening trust and safety to increasing access to jobs and community resources.

Our work is outcome driven and aligned, allowing us to track progress and adjust in real time based on what youth and communities need most.

So for the prevention pillar, we've focused on reducing chronic absenteeism in priority schools.

And this table compares baseline data from 2023 to 2024 to the 24-25 year performance.

We're seeing positive progress in three of the four schools with reductions of five to seven percentage points.

This reflects the impact of targeted on campus supports like daily engagement, mentorship, and family support through youth intervention services.

One school did see an increase, which reinforces the need for ongoing monitoring and tailored strategies in coordination with school administrators.

Overall, these early results show that focused interventions are making a measurable difference and will continue refining our approach to sustained progress.

So for the intervention pillar, in addition to prevention in schools, we're also focused on how we respond to youth violence in real time.

This slide highlights progress through our safe school campus initiative.

We're seeing a shift away from the most severe incidents with level one responses decreasing from 41% to 30%.

At the same time, increases in level two and three responses show that situations are being identified and addressed earlier before they escalate.

We're also strengthening coordination with San Jose Police Department to better track broader trends, and this approach is helping de escalate incidents earlier and improve safety outcomes while continuing to build stronger data systems to guide this work.

Now I'll turn it over to Aurelia.

All right.

Thank you, Petra.

Good afternoon, Council members and members of the public.

My name is Aurelia Bailey, and I'm the division manager for the San Jose Youth Empowerment Alliance.

Today I will highlight key advancements, outcomes, and where we are headed as an alliance.

For the version and reentry, we establish a baseline of 2,431 participants last year.

To ensure long-term success, we've aligned this work with the Children and Youth Services Master Plan, shifting our focus from simple participation to tracking long-term employment outcomes.

Key highlights that's included in your memo, San Jose Works, which saw a 5% increase in completions, and our clean slate tattoo removal, which expanded from 604 to 804 clients.

By clearing away obstacles and teaching job skills, we are clearly helping youth build a stable future.

The healing pillar redefines safety to include everyday conditions like infrastructure and housing.

Our goal is to move beyond making resources available and ensure they are truly accessible to our community.

To ensure this, we've hired a senior analyst to serve as our program evaluator and data manager, tracking our impacts specifically in priority areas like Valley Palms and Plata Arroyo.

A central part of this effort is the launch this January, this past January in Mayfair Pocaway and Santee Seventries.

This model ensures that no matter where resident enters our system, they are connected to the services they need.

Our progress this past year proves that targeted investment works.

We've seen a 3% increase in youth adult connections, with 92% of best participants now reporting they have a trusted adult to turn to.

School engagement is also rising.

Three out of four priority schools saw a 5% drop in chronic absenteeism.

Safety and workforce metrics are equally encouraging.

Critical school safety incidents fell by 11%, and San Jose Works, like I've mentioned in my previous slide, grew by 5%.

Our progress is a direct results of strong collaboration, most significantly citywide juvenile arrest have declined by 5% since 2024.

This is a milestone made possible through our unified partnership with SJPD and the Alliance.

By working together, we're creating a safer community and a more supportive environment for our youth.

This past year, the San Jose Youth Empowerment Alliance made a significant impact by serving over 13,000 participants and delivering over 460,000 hours of dedicated service.

A major highlight was the expansion of our youth intervention services, which grew to support 3,572 high-risk youth through a specialized hospital-based program and case management.

At the same time, we've increased the reach of our best in summer and our safe summer initiative grants by as much as 12%, ensuring a complete range of support from street outreach to job reading readiness training to help our youth build a more stable and successful future.

Beyond the numbers, our services are providing stability for high-risk youth.

90% of school administrators credit the Safe School Campus Initiative for keeping their campuses safe.

Most importantly, youth themselves fell the impacts as 92% participants of BEST and our Safe Summer Initiative programs report feeling safe and supported.

These results prove that we are building trust and security for our youth need to thrive.

So looking ahead for fiscal year 2025-2026, SJS transforming into a more data-driven and evidence-informed program design.

By expanding internal evaluation capacity, we can now provide the real-time analysis needed to refine program performance and funding decision.

With the 2026-2029 best service provider list finalized and our new no wrong door framework in place, we are better equipped to target resources precisely where they are needed most to ensure coordinated citywide impact.

The re-established SJA interagency working group is aligning with city and county strategies.

We are also strengthening our direct services by bringing the trauma to triumph program in-house and launching us a summer leadership academy.

Finally, I know it's not on this, um it's not on here, but I do want to just um let you all know that on April 18th through 25th.

Um, we we hope for you all to join us for our youth violence prevention week.

While prevention violent while violence prevention is a year-round commitment, this week serves as a special celebration for our city's collective investment in preventing violence and empowering youth.

We will be at Hoffman Via Monte.

Look for us at the Youth Empowerment Zone during Viva CAI.

We will have a peace walk at the Cadillac in Winchester neighborhood, and we will also have a lunch lunch activation at Overfelt High School.

These are just a few of some of our events during that week.

So we do hope to see you there.

Okay.

Lastly, I'd like to thank our grantees, partners, and PRNS leadership team, Deputy City Manager Angel Rios, and our staff for their support.

We also have several of our participants here today as part of their spring break learning about civic engagement and democracy.

I'll hand it back to Olympia.

With that said, that's the end of our report, and we're available for questions.

Awesome.

Thank you so much for your presentation.

Do you have any comments from the public?

Yes, we have 12 speaker cards.

Can the first group of speakers please line up on the steps in front of the podium?

You will each have two minutes to speak.

The timer is displayed on the screen above.

We have Josue, Perla, Lynn, Rain, and Ashley.

Thank you.

Hello, good afternoon.

My name is Josué Peña, and I'm a participant from the youth intervention program.

I attended Sono High School, and with the help of my mentor uh Chris Hernandez, I was able to graduate early as 16 years old.

And obtain a job after high school.

If you would if you would have to ask me if I was to graduate and find a stable job at 14, I would have told you it was impossible.

But thanks to the support I received, and I'm standing here sharing my achievements with you because of the program of youth interventions.

Please continue funding youth programs to help other kids like me.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Hi everyone, good afternoon.

My name is Perla, and I am a participant in the female intervention program, also SJ Works.

I attend Oak Grove High School and I work with Sadi.

I have been with the program for almost half a year.

This program has actually made a great impact in my life because this program has helped me realize my own potential.

Before I didn't think I was capable of achieving my own goals, but now I have the confidence and skill to perceive them.

I have also gotten a job with SJ Works, and thanks to my mentor Sadi and Giovanni from SJ Works.

I invest I invested my money into starting my own business as a lash artist.

Please continue prioritizing and founding for any other youth program.

Thank you for our time.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Hi, good afternoon, City Council members.

Um I'm from Silver Creek High School, and my mentor is Sadi Flores.

I just wanted to tell you the achievements I've made throughout the year being at this program with the youth female intervention.

Um my grades have definitely improved.

Um I've gone to sports and I've also got a job at SJ Works that really helped me with things I wanted to get.

And I still want you guys to uh prioritize funding this program because this has really helped me improve with things.

And yeah, thank you.

Thank you, next speaker.

Good afternoon, counselor members.

My name is Rain, and I was a participant in San Jose Works.

I attend Antro Hill High School and work with Giovanna Verdeen.

During my time in the program, I learned how to show up on time, communicate with others, and take my work seriously.

These skills that helped me in school and my future jobs, and thank you to the support to the staff, especially Giovanna.

I felt encouraged and guided every step of the way.

She helped me stay confident, ask questions, and push myself to do better.

Because of this program, I now feel more prepared for my future and motivated to keep working hard towards my goals.

Please continue prioritizing funding for this youth programs like San Jose Works because opportunities like this truly help young people like me grow and succeed.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

The next group of speakers to make their way down.

Ray, Lissette, Urania, and Alyssa Marie.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Council members.

My name is Ashley Tamayo, and I was a participant in the youth intervention program.

I attend Luis Valdez High School and worked with my mentor, Sadi.

I have been with the program for a year and I have.

This program has made an impact on my life by helping me improve my relationship with my mother.

They gave me a support system I really needed.

My grades have improved.

My school attendance has increased, and I am participating in positive activities like basketball and cheer, staying and staying away from negative environments.

I have also found a job with San Jose Works thanks to my mentor Sadi.

I also attend Girls Group.

I also attended Girls Group through the female intervention team.

That is where they helped me understand how to set healthy boundaries with significant others.

They provided resources to stay safe while being in relationship with uh partners.

All the staff was always very respectful and loving, and I appreciate everything they do for our community.

And I hold this special place in my heart for them all.

Please continue prioritizing funding for youth programs.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Good afternoon, Council members.

My name is Alissa Marie, and I'm a participant in the Clean Slate program.

I have been with the program since May of 2025 and have worked alongside youth outreach specialist Vanessa Lopez and youth outreach worker Phoebe Hippoltown.

This program has made such a positive impact on my life, providing me with opportunity to start back at a clean slate from poor decisions I have made some time ago.

Unfortunately, we are always under the judgment of others, and I personally have felt like I have been looked at a certain way because of my tattoos.

When we are young, we sometimes don't think about how certain things will affect us later on.

You never know what you want until you have it and either want more or better for yourself.

In my case, I wanted better and I'm doing better for myself.

I am a behavior technician working at an elementary school in the Fremont district.

I encounter lots of county workers, district employees, parents, and of course, children whom I wanted to present a more professional appearance and version of myself.

And thanks to Clean Slate for helping me to do so.

Please continue prioritizing funding for youth programs as they are vital in bettering our community in the long run.

Thank you for your time and all that you do to support the community's youth.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Um good afternoon, Council members.

My name is Lise Castanela, and I've been part of the Clean Slate Tattoo Removal for the past seven years, and it truly gave me a second chance in life.

There was a time where I made poor choices that didn't reflect who I really was.

I carry tattoos that reminded me of that past, and I feel like they would follow me forever and limit my future.

But this program changed them.

As those tattoos were removed, I started gaining my confidence back and started believing in myself.

I'm a mother, and that means everything to me.

I don't want my children to repeat my mistakes.

I graduated from San Francisco State University.

Today, sorry, this this really means a lot to me today.

I just want to thank this program because I know people would have looked at me differently.

Um I just want to say to continue funding this program.

Um sorry, that's it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next group of speakers to make their way down.

Danica, Antonio, and Connie.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Danica Cote, and I'm an active participant in the Clean Slate program.

I'm a student at San Jose City College in their alcohol and drug counseling program.

I've been with Clean Slate since last year, and this program has greatly impacted my mental health as well as my opportunities for professional growth.

How people perceive you affects every area of your life, and having certain tattoos can limit your potential when many people look at me and see my tattoos, they automatically assume me to be unprofessional or untrustworthy, which in turn lowers my confidence.

Being in this program has helped me maintain a 4.0 GPA, a spot on the president's list, and an invitation to Pisata Kappa, an international honor society.

Without Clean Slate, I never would have had the ability to remove my tattoos and work with their amazing staff one on one, for which I'm so grateful.

They have been a huge factor in my educational success and sobriety from fentanyl.

Please consider prioritizing funding for them and other youth programs.

Thank you, next speaker.

I have um wrote down on my phone, so I apologize.

Hello, my name is Irania.

I am 21 years old, and I have a two-year-old daughter named Penelope.

I am currently studying at West Valley College and majoring in child development.

I work as a student teacher, and I also participate in many resources programs and support groups.

I am actively involved in my Christian church.

I am survivor of domestic violence and single mall.

The Clean Slate program has supported me both emotionally and physically.

The program is supporting removal of my tattoos that will reflect the way I am treated and my job opportunities.

The program is giving young adults the opportunity to repent and start over, create a new beginning in their lives where they are able to remove a tattoo that may be challenging for them and damaging their mental health and cause barriers to their future success.

Well, Clean Slate program offers focuses on supporting young minors, adults focusing, motivating, encouraging them to be productively active in their goals, create future generational beginnings for themselves and their children.

The opportunity to pursue in this program is allowing feelings of hope to arise, create and create real application to life change in these young lives.

A change that starts with seeking support.

Having a program like this motivates, influences, and encourages young adults, minors, families, and communities not to not be discouraged or identified by what they have done in their past, but by what they will begin to do from today moving forward by these programs, support and God's will in their life.

Supporting programs like these save life.

Thank you, next speaker.

Good afternoon.

My name's uh Antonio Sotello.

I'm 23 years old, and um I'm with Clean Slate, uh tattoo removal program.

And um I recently got released.

I've been I was locked up from 16 all the way to 23, and this program is helping me remove my tattoos and is giving me the second chance that I want and did I need.

And um, pretty much it.

I didn't really came here.

But thank you guys.

Thank you, next speaker.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is uh Connie Bustillo.

I'm a clean slate participant, and I'm also a uh youth intervention uh gang prevention former employee for the late night gym program.

Um I want to say clean slate has made a positive positive impact in multiple areas of my life, as well as the life of my former case management client, Shay.

Clean Slate helped me leave behind parts of myself that I outgrew and embrace my new growth and wisdom.

It helped me refine my personal and professional brand.

I feel more confident in the workplace and with accomplishing my future goals of becoming a county employee in the child welfare department and future foster parent within the next few years.

Sorry.

Um I am a former foster youth who it emancipated at the age of 18.

And sorry.

Um programs like Clean Slate have immense have been immensely helpful to someone like me.

Um I believe in the power of using community resources to improve uh one's life and help others do the same.

As a case manager for a bode where I have worked for uh going on six years.

I referred my uh client Shay to the Clean Slate program.

As he is a survivor of gang violence.

Uh, he suffered a gang-related attack that put him in a coma for six months and left him permanently disabled.

Uh, he has mobility issues and some speech-related issues.

Uh, Shay made the choice to leave that life behind him some years ago, but was still at risk of gang-related physical violence due to his gang-related tattoos.

Um, it's important to Shay to stay out of trouble and that his kids not follow his footsteps.

Uh, Shay has two sons and a daughter.

Today he can confidently tell his kids he has changed.

Um, that's your time.

Two minutes.

Yeah.

Um we can't consider the story.

Thank you.

I've called all the names.

If you did not hear your name, please make your way down.

Next speaker.

Good afternoon.

My name is Ray.

I'm a current uh staff here at the youth intervention services.

I appreciate you guys for allowing us all to speak today.

Um, I'm not only representing the safe schools and clean plate programs as a staff, but I'm also an alumni to both programs.

Um, just as these youth behind me grew up in not so great circumstances, and I found myself in things that I shouldn't have even known as a youth.

Beginning in elementary school, I was introduced to the gang lifestyle and found a sense of belonging in it.

It wasn't until my later years in high school uh that I was introduced to the city of San Jose's mentors.

Back then it was not called safe schools.

The program was very different, yet still impactful.

They showed me where my life was currently by introducing their background and familiarizing how their path, how both of our paths align.

Then they showed me the two paths I could choose.

One of the past began a life of imprisonment, injustice, and possibly death, or a life of prosperity and having a future things that I never thought I could achieve.

And the way the program gave me the vision I needed to see my future.

It helped me show that there were things beyond my neighborhood that I can do.

Now that I'm a little older and a lot wiser, and with my experience behind me, I'm able to portray the message that was once given to me to my youth.

It's now my turn to propel their futures forward.

Before doing this, though, there were a few barriers I had to get past.

One of them being my tattoos.

I was so stressed thinking about the choices I made and how it was too late until one day a friend of mine was going in on me about how messed up my tattoos were and introduced me to a new outlet.

Once again, I found myself in the doors of the City of San Jose's youth intervention team.

I met with a woman named Sochi who made me feel super comfortable and reminded me that these tattoos are not a reflection of me anymore.

The feeling I had when seeing my bare skin again, I can only be described as free.

I know it sounds cliche, but this program really did give me the clean start that I desperately needed.

I thank you once more for hearing me out.

It's been an honor to be able to stand up here and speak not only on my experience, but also to the young people.

Thank you.

Back to the committee.

Awesome.

Thank you so much.

No, I just want to thank all of our participant speakers for taking the time to be here to provide public comment.

You've made this meeting very special to me, and I think very special to all of our colleagues that are up here on the dais, but especially to me because I was a former participant of Clean Slate and Work to Future, and back then it wasn't called Safe Schools, but the Safe Schools program.

You know, I I joined a gang at the age of 12, was active in gangs till 24.

Um I've made some definitely some tough mistakes, but the city had a huge part of my ability and able to turn my life uh uh around.

Um and I know that I heard someone speak in regards to um, you know, just individuals passing judgment on people with tattoos.

You know, I have tattoos all over my body, my back of my head, my legs, my neck, my formerly my hands.

Um, but you know, through the Clun Slate program, now I I don't have the ones on my hands anymore.

And uh, you know, I'll just advise you to never let anybody try to put you in a box because you know, you you could be the next council member here and making the rules for the city of San Jose, and just it was is very touching and beautiful to hear all of your stories because when I hear you, I see myself when I went through the program.

And so I just really want to thank you all for making the time.

And really, you are, in my opinion, the heroes here uh in the city of San Jose.

Uh I I want to just start also by recognizing you know the clear uh intentional focus um on my district, East San Jose, for the great work that's being done in this organization.

It's important, these communities have faced a long-standing lack of investment.

And it's good to see resources directed in ways that reflect that that reality.

And I know that from personal experience that, like I just mentioned right now, that these programs have real impact.

They help young people stay connected, stay on track, and see a different pathway forward.

And I've seen firsthand how access to mentorship, and it's great hearing everyone mention who their mentors are.

Really happy about that.

Uh, a sense of community and up and how opportunity can change the trajectory of someone's life.

And that's really what this work is is all about.

That's why I ran for office um before I was a council member.

I was on the school board, and my main focus was youth intervention and youth advocacy.

And so looking at this report, I'm glad to see the strong outcomes here.

And I think you know, it would be foolish of us not to realize that the reason why we are uh uh one of the the the safest, largest city in the United States is because we've been working hard on this.

And it's thanks to the Youth Empowerment Alliance, you know, the Clean Slate program, our library programs, our community center services that have brought us here.

You know, and we're we are seeing uh increased connection to carrying adults in our areas, reduction in chronic absenteeism across our priority schools and few of the most serious school incidents.

I was really happy to see that in the data, uh, especially uh decline in juvenile arrests.

We're also seeing more young people engaging in workforce programs, and importantly, completing them.

You know, that's not just about starting, you have to follow through.

That follow-through is critical, and it speaks to the strength of these programs and their ability to reintegrate young people who might otherwise have been uh incarcerated or unfortunately have been targeted by the criminal justice system in the in their neighborhoods.

And we know that these results don't just happen by accident, you know, they're the product of these intentional investments, strong partnerships between city and schools, city and county, and of course, our community-based organizations, whether it's City Peace Project, New Hope for Youth, um, so many to name, but I know that um there's so many best participants uh funding app um receivers that that provide support to our our most in-need um youth.

At the same time, the broader trends we're seeing, both nationally and locally, are still concerning, right?

We're doing good, but it's still concerning.

We're doing good, but it's still concerning, uh especially what we've seen uh as a uh increase in violence on the west side uh uh of our city, whether that's Cadillac, uh you know, Santana Roe or Monterey, you know, and and we're seeing these trends where younger people are becoming more involved in violence and more young people are entering the system for the first time.

And we know that disruptions like school closures, which my district is experiencing, I think a lot of our districts have experienced, only are adding to that instability.

So while we've made progress, the need is still very real, and in some ways is growing.

That's why continued investment in programs like BEST and these intervention services is so critical, even and especially in difficult budget years.

You know, I know that uh this Brown Act, well, actually, everyone on this diet is part of the same budget Brown Act.

Um, we uh attempted to expand uh the best funding um during the most recent budget debate.

Unfortunately, we weren't successful, uh, but I think that's why it's so important to hear voices of individuals who are who are hearing and and who are benefiting from these programs.

If if those council members who aren't in this room heard from you, I guarantee you we would have been successful.

These these are the kind of investments that save us money in the long run by reducing involvement in the justice system, by improving educational outcomes, and by creating more stable pathways in the in the work in the workplace.

And the reality is this is a moment to lean in.

We should be finding ways to do more so we can build on build on the progress we're seeing and reach the young people who still aren't connected to these resources.

And so I just want to really elevate staff.

Thank you so much.

Uh, I know Petra was uh leading the uh clean slate program when I went through uh that that system, and I'm glad to see she's still um exercising her leadership here at the city of San Jose.

You know, this is the kind of coordinated intentional approach I think we need to keep building on.

Um, and so I just do using the privilege of the chair, I do have some questions before my colleagues are you guys, but this is an important topic to me.

Um I know that in the previous conversation, Andrea had mentioned you know concerns about reduction of funds due to budget shortfalls, whether it's city, county.

I know that a lot of these programs receive support from um various different funding outlets.

What is what is potential budget shortfalls look like for these programs and what are we what plans do we have to to offset that?

We are uh working through with the budget office, finalizing uh what the proposed budget looks like, but we have been um very intentional with them about very limited, very limited to minimal um cuts that would impact uh intervention as well as our um nonprofit grant programs.

So I believe, you know, with the cut that PRNS got, we had to, you know, there's sort of uh across the board um impact, but we have been very intentional again with the budget office and CMO that um intervention youth, children and youth services would be very, very minimal, and we're hoping it it's not um felt or seen.

Okay.

Well, good.

I'm glad, and I know that as you know the budget moves forward, um, myself and my colleagues are a resource and happy to brainstorm how to make sure we're limiting um any sort of impacts because you know, uh uh as I think Angel mentioned, the city is making large investments in law enforcement, but in that same conversation, law enforcement respond to crime.

They don't necessarily prevent it.

It's these these are the programs that are reaching out to our kids, going into our neighborhoods, whether it's Mayfair, Capitol Park in my district, or you know, seven trees in district seven, and actually having relationships with these youth.

And that's how you truly you know stop a bullet, you know, by building relationships and providing alternatives.

And you know, I do want to acknowledge we're not at the level where it was in the 90s or the 2000s.

You know, I and my we we had some issues at James Lick the last couple years.

Um there was a stabbing, but really when I was in high school, I I went to independence high school, there was like stabbings every other week, and people were jumping in who didn't even go to independence high school with bars and bats, and so I'm glad we're not there.

But how we how we stay on this pathway is by maintaining our our trajectory and and investing in that because what I would hate to have is you know, we make a uh a decision like having to make cuts and then we lose this progress on being the safest largest city because I know that in reality it's many of these programs that make that um a reality.

Okay, thank you.

I believe uh, and thank you so much for your work and thank you for everyone.

I will go to Councilmember Campos.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you for starting us off with um a really important conversation and a conversation that as you said is really meaningful to so many of us in the room, both on the dais and um in the public.

So um just to staff, I want to start off and thank you all as a uh former educator.

I understand that the partnership between our city and those who serve our youth is so critical and so appreciated, and sometimes um it it goes without hearing a thank you.

So I just want you all to hear a thank you because when I'm meeting with my principals, this work matters, right?

Uh at Oak Grove School District, Davis Intermediary, um, our principal called out Safe Schools Campus as one of those programs that she would hate to see our city cut or eliminate funding to this work matters to our neighborhood leaders, right?

The best and the safe summer grants are lifelines in our communities, and it's what brings some of our neighborhood associations together.

And so um I really just want to acknowledge the tremendous um success that this program has created in our community, and I also want to acknowledge and uplift the healing component, which is sometimes uh not at the front and center of the work, and it is still so important in the Silicon Valley.

We all know the hustle culture that we have to live in.

Um folks are struggling to pay their bills, they are trying to keep a roof over their heads and and food on the table, and sometimes we overlook the importance of mental health.

And sometimes our children and our youth have to grow up too fast.

And I'm inspired by the strength.

The resilience and the hope that you all share today with your stories.

I just want to share with you all that I am now in my early 30s, and one thing I've learned is that the most important relationship you can have is the relationship you have with yourself.

And as a child who also felt that I had to grow up too fast.

I'm I'm proud of the investments that you're all making in maybe healing your inner child, becoming that adult that you know you can be, because that's that's what we need in our community.

We need our children and our youth to be strong.

You are our future.

I truly believe that our our wealth in our city is our people, and the best investment we can make is in our children and our youth.

So you have um uh a strong advocate in me.

Um, and I I just really really appreciate you all coming to amplify the importance of this investment in our city, and with that I'll I'll move this report.

Thank you.

All right, thank you so much.

Uh then council member Candellas.

Uh no, uh thank you for the report.

I appreciate staff's comments, but you know, I I just wanted to address all the young people who are here and everybody who came out to speak.

Um, you know, I um I'm a proud product of East San Jose, and you know, I would never have came came out in a public setting at your age um to speak on on behalf of any issue.

Um so I I it means a lot seeing you all here, and I know it's hard.

It's tough, but uh, but it's appreciated from um uh where's two-year-old Benelopee.

She's she I know she wanted to hop on the mic.

Um, and and also Berla, who Angel and I were commenting, you're gonna make big money on the lashes, we know.

Um, you know, so so keep keep that hustle.

And and I know I know it's tough, and um it's it's difficult to balance all the all the pressures, not just from um you know um uh the the negative the negative uh forces around us, but um but for just getting by everything's so expensive, like gas is what seven bucks a gallon now.

Um so so it's hard, uh but um this this program and this is to staff and the administration for for folks is this is the the public safety investments that we make and the the the fruits that we that that we sow uh in the future in the near future and so um you know as we talk about a 56 million dollar deficit as we talk about identifying cuts and I know in the previous presentation we were talking about the county's budget, but our budget is just as difficult.

And I I would highly urge if the administration is looking at redirecting, cutting, looking at this program, look elsewhere.

Um and I I I can say that, and yes, this is our budget brown out group that we've we've we try and we will advocate for more funds for for programs centered around youth, uh, but it's a public safety investment, and it's an investment in keeping our community safe and keeping that title that uh folks love to tell of the safe is big city.

And so if if we're we're serious about it, we will we will fund it.

And and so um thank you again to the young people.

I had some questions about some other stuff, but uh I'll I'll just leave it at that.

Um and um and um I and I will throw another thing out there before I wrap up is you know we do have pockets in our in our city that are high need.

We talk about um the the pilot sites for for the youth children youth services programming, but you know, in my district, we look at Brigadoon, Meadow Fair, Welch Park, um, and even other parts of our city, we do have uh pockets, and you know, there's people that may not live in quote unquote the east side, but there's still areas that are still high need.

Um you look at Cadillac Winchester in District One, that's West San Jose, but it's still a high needs area.

And so um let's let's think about how we um strategize around identifying and/or um uh helping those youth that are at risk in those areas that are not quote unquote priority, um, and those neighborhoods that are not priority and how we how we tackle and identify those.

Yes, there's no wrong door, we have a children and use services master plan that it encapsulates this this strategy.

But I I just wanted to uh throw that out there for staff that I am thinking about that, and it it is something that that I am mindful of it as as you are as well.

This is something that you all have talked about before and angel.

I know we've talked about this.

Yeah, yeah, council, um, you know, what one thing I'd like to underscore here, because I think something that just kind of just observing, kind of like listening to the report by staff and then listening to the public comment, kind of just uh kind of re kind of triggered something in me, and and that is that uh and Andre, you used a term you said beyond the numbers.

And I know we we're in a very data-driven environment, right?

Where we like to quantify everything, qualify everything, and and it and and I'm I'm a I'm a big numbers guy too, so I I support it.

But I think it's also important to also understand what we don't count in numbers.

And what you see beyond the numbers is is this whole process of of um you know of personal healing, um, personal transformation and overcoming, which doesn't, you know, translate into a statistic, but you heard it today, right?

And is a lot of folks are kind of in that process, and you can't put a dollar value on that, right?

And and and what makes it, you know, I I I gotta tell you, you know, maybe this is a little therapeutic for me or whatever, but what makes it very difficult to have these conversations uh in in these settings is that what you see in motion right here is harm reduction and access to opportunity kind of happening at the same time and harm reduction, you you can't quantify harm reduction, like you can't say, well, you know, this crime would have happened had they you know not taken this decision, right?

And so that makes it very difficult.

But the one thing that we are shifting towards as a staff as an administration as a city via the children youth master plan, via programs such as this, is really looking at how do we minimize harm and how do we increase access to opportunity because we know that the the data is very clear that if you increase access to opportunity, that's the best antidote to poverty, right?

The more opportunity you have, it's so common sensual, right?

That you know the math is so simple on that one.

And so, you know, I I guess I'm just sharing that because you know, as we have these conversations going forward, you know, we're not gonna always be able to quantify every single thing, but I think what you heard today is the power of that investment uh, you know, in an unquantifiable manner.

So I feel better.

Sorry, can I just add?

Yeah, I do want to, and that's a good point you made um, Councilmember Candelas about priority neighborhoods.

So as Aurelia mentioned, we just finalized our eligible provider list for the next triennial period for 26 through 29.

Um and so we have 52 eligible providers for our tier two services, which is those that serve kind of the higher risk youth, and then we have five eligible providers for that highest-risk youth, which is tier three.

Um so in within that process, we have another iteration of priority neighborhoods, actually priority locations.

So we're looking at neighborhoods and priority schools.

And so the process to identify those neighborhoods is data-driven.

We are looking at crime data, graffiti data, but we're also collecting qualitative information.

So those groups that are out there in the communities doing the work, we're getting input from them.

And so we have about 26 total neighborhoods that have been identified across the city.

Um, and we do have them, and I can share those, the new list with you.

Um, and we'll be working with our nonprofit agencies to determine who will who will serve those areas.

Um and then for priority schools, we looked at chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, and we will working with school districts and schools to identify the need and get their input and and the highest priority for those school districts.

So just to add that great, thank you.

Thank you so much.

And I I just want to, you know, elevate and and piggyback off your your comments, uh, Councilmember Candelas.

I think given that I I represent kind of like East Side proper, my district does, you know, see a lot of these resources, but you know, just as important as Capitol Park or Polkaway is you know, Meadow Fair, or you know, you know, Seven Trees or you know, uh Hoffman Via Monte, of course, you know what I mean.

And so we need to make sure that um we're we're able to provide you know some sort of minimum viable product or or you know package services to all these neighborhoods because we focus on one area, and then while we're focused over here, then some stuff ends up happening over there, and so but I I know that our city we have the right people working on this.

Uh Councilmember DeWan.

Thank you, Chair.

You know, as a father of three children, I understand the problematic and and all the needs.

And I tell you this, I I heard some of your speakers, and your courage is amazing.

It's inspiring as an empowering not only to me, but my colleagues and and other youth out there.

And so I believe this.

We we shouldn't, you know, no child should be left behind, even though we have pilot programs and and and seven tree in my areas, but it's never enough because there's always some young kid that needs that little bit of extra service or the reach out to pull them out of that darkness to become a leader in our community.

I don't think we invest enough because you guys are in your 20s.

Think of 30, 40, 50 years from now.

How can we change that vision that we have that no child is left hungry, no child is without education, no child being bully in our you know, a world as it is, and obviously our our federal government did not show us that.

It's a bad example for all of us, as not a way that we should have our community, and you know, back to the the basic needs, right?

When parents are working two, three jobs, it is extremely hard to be there with their child because they're putting the food on the table, they're putting a roof over their head, and I think that back to the basics.

When when a child have all the needs are met, meaning from from having love, having not being hungry, having the support, only then you can concentrate on growing.

And I asked that, you know, we we as community leaders continue to you know, especially in our brown act, we would all agree on the same thing.

It's about our new, is about our future, and then how do we fight for that funding?

How do we inspire and empower just like these young people have have the courage to speak today?

And and I just say want to say thank you to our staff that does incredible work.

Thank you to the the young people that that inspired me today and your courage.

Thank you again.

Thank you so much, Vice Chair.

Uh coming back to Councilmember Campos.

Thank you, Chair.

I didn't think I any I had any questions, but I do have just one.

Um, just given that we are in our uh March uh or in our budget Brown Act group and um in the mayor's march budget message, there was I believe direction um to preserve funding for these programs.

So I'm curious if staff can clarify the status of implementing that direction.

Yeah, so again, through conversations with the budget office and the CMO, um, we think the proposed budget will again get to some preservation of anything that might have been proposed originally.

Um, but we also I think that direction is also embedded in the um use of the 500,000 for kind of all things children and youth master plan and youth empowerment alliance.

So we're taking that into consideration.

So um again, you would see something back in our MBA if we needed to make something whole, but again, I'm I'm feeling pretty optimistic that we're in a good place without thinking much more.

Appreciate that.

Thank you so much.

I believe we have a motion, so let's move forward with the vote.

All right, unanimous.

Thank you so much, and thank you for the presentation.

Okay, moving on to another exciting topic: code enforcement annual report.

And this is by Rachel Roberts.

I'm gonna have to use the restroom real quick.

Good afternoon.

Uh should I wait over the chair?

Okay.

So good afternoon, Chair and Committee members.

I'm Rachel Roberts, Deputy Director for Planning Building and Code Enforcement.

And I'm joined today by Alex Powell, our department chief of staff, and I'll be presenting the code enforcement annual report.

Yeah, me the work over the past year and a half was shaped by a clear challenge, growing demand for service and expanded responsibilities while working with constrained resources and systems that hadn't kept pace.

This had led to higher caseloads, slower response times, and an added strain on our ability to consistently deliver the level of service our community expects.

But it also created a clear opportunity and responsibility for us to evolve.

Our vision 2030 is to become a trusted, fully resourced and data-driven division, one that delivers prompt, consistent and effective enforcement through modern tools, efficient processes, and strong partnerships.

At its core, this vision is about strengthening community confidence and ensuring we are responsive to the needs of our residents.

To move in that direction, our focus has been on building a more strategic and sustainable foundation, approving our processes and how we prioritize our work, investing in systems and tools, and strengthening our operational capacity so we can deliver better over outcomes over the long term.

So over the past 18 months, we've made meaningful progress in advancing this approach.

This annual report will provide an update on that progress, highlighting our fiscal year 2425 accomplishments, the transformation progress over the last 18 months, the status of our key initiatives, and a look ahead as we move into the next fiscal year.

As we reflect on fiscal year 2425, it was a pivotal year as we built the foundation for improvement.

We first held the city council study session in January, where we owned our challenges and established the initial improvement framework to streamline, prioritize, and invest.

This was followed by an operational assessment completed in May that identified three key areas or themes for transformation, which developed into a two-year code transformation work plan.

While advancing the transformation efforts, we also continued to deliver our core services to the community and advance ongoing work, including city council directed initiatives.

Even with the transformation efforts underway, core service delivery remained our priority.

The slide here shows our performance, responding to complaints, managing caseloads, and addressing violations across the city with the continued demand and the team's commitment to maintaining service delivery.

Across all programs, we opened 70 or excuse me, 7,800 new cases and closed 7,300 cases.

We issued 727 citations and completed 43 hours of community outreach and engagement.

We inspected over 1,700 multiple housing buildings and over 8,200 multiple housing units, resolving 8,389 violations.

We opened over 3300 journal code cases and resolved just over 3200 cases, with the 61% of those cases closed within our standard processing timelines.

We exceeded our priority and routine initial inspection response targets for our second year in a row, reaching 79% for priority and 70% for our routine initial response target.

We conducted over a thousand required special program inspections, and we continue to provide support services for fireworks, illegal dumping, mobile vendors, and we incorporated tree mitigation enforcement, which was just implemented this past fiscal year.

In parallel, we advanced improvement efforts focused on prioritizing enforcement on problem properties, streamlining the enforcement processes, and expanding enforcement tools, reflecting our shift towards a more proactive and strategic approach and helping us to focus resources where they have the greatest impact.

We continued our focus on blighted and chronically vacant properties, implementing the operationalizing downtown strategy and our interdepartmental working group.

We increased the use of administrative and legal enforcement tools such as receiverships and public nuisance lawsuits.

We prioritized high impact cases for the appeals hearing board and legal escalation, and we implemented the Appeals Hearing Board Horizon Report and a bi-weekly tracking tool to ensure that cases remained ready for the board and stayed on track.

As a result of these efforts, we saw a 258% increase in appealed appeals hearing board cases in fiscal year 24-25, bringing the total for the year to 43.

We also advanced efforts to manage cases and overall workload more efficiently.

We developed two new case management tools, the pipeline report and the last action report, which for the first time gave us clear visibility into our workload at both the program and inspector level.

These tools showed us where each case is in the enforcement process and allowed us to identify the most recent action taken.

We also conducted a GIS-based workload rebalancing effort, which reduced general code inspector caseload variation from a wide range of 200 to 450 cases per inspector to a more consistent two to 250 cases per inspector, creating a more balanced and manageable distribution of work.

We incorporated special programs cross-training to improve efficiency and build capacity to meet operational needs.

And lastly, while we were not able to meet our fiscal year target of reducing the year-over-year open general code caseload volume by 3%, we slowed the general code caseload growth to only 1% compared to recent year growth of 5 and 6%.

Following the operational assessment in May 2025, we focused on refining the scope of our transformation work plan and defining a clear implementation strategy.

The plan is built around three core themes and recommendations from the assessment, with a two-year implementation horizon beginning in July of 2025.

The scope was expanded to include a fourth theme, organizational readiness and leadership, to support change management and strengthen communication with staff and key stakeholders.

We intentionally incorporated ongoing and council directed initiatives to ensure alignment and coordinated execution.

To manage this work, we adopted a scrum-based approach with clearer quarterly objectives and key results.

Given the volume of work already underway and our capacity constraints, it was critical that the scrum-based approach not only organized the work but helped us to prioritize, align, and track progress.

We designed our objectives and key results to optimize our resources, maximize outcomes across division priorities, and align with our service delivery goals while continuing to incorporate those council directed initiatives.

We also established clear measures of progress for our quarterly goals at 100% complete, greater than 60% complete, and less than 60% complete.

As of Q3, we're seeing steady progress.

45% of our key roles, key results have been completed.

Another 26% are well underway at more than 60% complete, and another 29% in earlier stages with less than 60% complete.

Consistent with the scrum-based approach, key results were not modified once established for the quarter.

As priorities evolved, some key results became misaligned with available resources and operational needs, resulting in lower levels of completion.

Focusing in on our work plan accomplishment over the past three quarters, we have highlighted some of the key improvements that we have made thus far.

Starting with theme one or objective one, develop and opnize optimize the workforce.

We have made important strides towards stabilizing staffing, strengthening training, and improving our organizational structure, which all factor into the quality and timeliness of our services.

We advanced staffing and recruitment for critical roles with the planned onboarding of a transformation manager in April, a community engagement supervisor onboarding in May, the division manager recruitment concluding and onboarding in June, and the onboarded of retiree hire already on staff to help support Codecs.

We started work on a classification assessment, including a job classification survey for all staff, and we implemented an annual training plan in July of this year that provides new and refresher trainings to staff in areas such as case management best practices and inspection protocols.

Moving on to the second theme, operational and program performance.

This theme focused on improving how we deliver services on the day-to-day basis.

With the recommendations to set a strategic vision for the division, we developed a five-year strategic plan incorporating the operational assessment recommendations as well as key initiatives, and as part of that developed a working strategic vision, the vision 2030 I shared earlier, to guide operations until a new strategic vision developed in partnership with the community and key stakeholders is established.

We developed the Chronic Offender Resolution and Enforcement Pilot Program, which aims to address chronic violators and problem properties and reduce repeat violations, expediting enforcement, preventing legacy cases and nuisance properties, and improving overall responsiveness while ensuring fairness and due process.

With this pilot just launched in March of 2026, following the development of program materials, policies and procedures, we are beginning to process cases and evaluate for criteria.

While originally only focused to originally plan to only focus on new cases, we have expanded the program to include current cases that meet the defined criteria.

Our plan is to evaluate the pilot program in September of this year to analyze its effectiveness, make improvements, identify any resource needs, and determine potential scalability to other programs such as multiple housing.

As part of the recommendation to update policies to support strategic enforcement, we updated our escalating enforcement policy to provide clearer procedures and a more structured step-by-step framework to ensure consistent and timely enforcement.

The policy establishes defined timelines, a formal escalation process, expanded criteria for the city attorney referrals, and greater inspector discretion supported by tools designed to improve consistency and decision making.

The policy was rolled out to staff in September of 2025, and we have already seen measurable progress in moving cases through the enforcement process.

As shown in the diagram provided here, when comparing the Q2 data from the fiscal year 24-25 to the current Q2 of this year, we see that cases are moving out of the investigation and warning phases and into enforcement phases such as citation, appeals hearing board, compliance or compliance order, or even compliance in greater numbers.

While demand remains high, we are beginning to see improvements as operational changes take hold, suggesting we're moving in the right direction.

Staff also implemented the age case treeage project earlier this fiscal year, with the goal of systematically reviewing cases with no recorded activity for two years or more and advancing cases toward resolution through either reactivation, escalation to enforcement or case closure.

While we initially identified 1216 cases for review, as of January 2026, we have reduced the number of inactive cases to 893.

In December, we also implemented Fresh Desk, which is a help desk application that consolidated three of our main inboxes into a single shared workspace, allowing our staff to manage and prioritize and respond and resolve service requests and inquiries more efficiently.

This has allowed us to track incoming service requests, reducing staff time and improving responsiveness.

Reports over the first 90 days of implementation showed good progress, with all service requests addressed within 14 working hours or less.

Excuse me, resource constraints, technical challenges, and greater than anticipated complexity.

Limited staffing, the challenge of balancing project work with day-to-day responsibilities, limited support capacity from partner departments, the age and the condition of the division's legacy system, the overall project scope and complexity that were initially underestimated, and our involving business needs, including the new requirements from our transformation work, have added to the level of effort required.

Currently, we are in the process of a contract amendment to update project scope, revised timeline, and aligned deliverables to address some of these factors, and also complete a mail merge project for the existing system to preserve its functionality until go live.

There has also been work underway in the area of theme three to increase our customer service and communication.

A key goal of this objective is to strengthen partnerships with other city departments and divisions that we frequently coordinate with, but may not have limited regular formal opportunities for direct communication and information sharing.

This year, we focused on two critical partnerships, finance and the city attorney's office.

In December, we implemented shared monthly reporting of outstanding code enforcement invoices to improve our transparency and support collection efforts.

In January, we launched biweekly finance and code coordination series meetings, focusing on two initial objectives to strengthen and improve collection rates and improve invoicing processes, coordination, and systems integration.

In partnership with the city attorney's office, we're in the process of creating an interdepartmental tracking tool to document cases referred to the city attorney for litigation and other legal support.

And we've also expanded our code city attorney biweekly meetings to include two newly assigned attorneys, one litigator and a transactional attorney.

Our final theme focuses on organizational readiness and leadership to ensure we have the structure, alignment, and leadership capacity to sustain improvements over the long term.

While there is still more work to do in this area, we have already made good steps forward.

We implemented our executive sponsor oversight of our work plan implementation.

We published two key informational memorandums.

We're keeping staff informed through division and monthly staff team meetings, and we developed a code enforcement transformation story of progress framework to identify more opportunities to communicate transformation progress and milestones to staff and throughout the organization.

In addition to our course service delivery and work climate implementation, we've also advanced city council initiatives, which you are very familiar with.

Staff was directed to increase our maximum administrative penalties and complete a time a fine study of our administrative citation fines.

In August of 2025, we brought forward an ordinance amendment, increasing per maximum administrative penalties from 2,500 to $20,000 per violation, and a total maximum administrative penalty of up to $500,000.

In February, we completed part one of the fine study with guidehouse consulting, and we'll be moving into part two, where staff will continue benchmarking and analysis and develop proposed fine amendments to bring to city council for consideration next fiscal year.

As you know, we also completed the abandoned shopping cart pilot program in November of 2025, where we gained insights on a proactive model, pain points and challenges of our current processes and hotspot areas, and also made improvements to cart-related operations.

We advance work on the tobacco retail license temporary moratorium work plan.

While staffing vacancies have delayed progress in this area, we continue to make progress as best we can for this important work.

In April of this month, April of this year, we'll in the process of onboarding our retiree rehire, and we are in the process of issuing our cease and desist letters to the 80 known unpermitted businesses to begin enforcement.

In May, we'll be working to finalize our interagency procedures and workflow and present to those agencies for review.

Now in quarter four of this fiscal year, our focus will be to continue to complete our key results in support of our objectives and advanced remaining priorities and continue to stabilize operations.

As we prepare for next fiscal year, we will conduct a comprehensive review of outstanding key results, the status of our council directed initiatives and emerging division priorities to inform our fiscal year 26-27 work plan objective and key results.

We will continue to refine and communicate the transformation progress to staff, key stakeholders, city council, and the community, and plan to provide another status update next fiscal year through the code enforcement annual report.

Looking ahead, staff is committed to continue progress on the code enforcement transformation work plan to strengthen our service delivery, to improve customer satisfaction and community confidence, to advance key priorities in a deliberate and sustainable manner, to improve our capacity to coordinate and execute priority initiatives as key positions are filled and stabilized, and build on the foundation for a more efficient, responsive and sustainable enforcement program.

So in conclusion, I'd like to thank our code transformation scrum team for their unwavering commitment in advancing this work.

This includes Alex Powell, Raymond Ho, Amber Zank, Maria Diaz Perez, Rick Arnez, Laura Sanders, and Acebio Svedia.

I also would like to thank assistant to the city manager Peter Hamilton and our executive sponsors, Chris Burton and Angel Rios for their continued support.

And with that, I am happy to answer any questions.

Thank you so much, Rachel, for the presentation.

Do we have any uh public comments?

No public comment.

Okay.

Uh now I see my colleague, Councilmember Casey has his hand up.

Thank you, Chair Ortiz.

Um, thank you for the report.

Uh there's clearly a lot of thoughtful work underway to improve operations and use data more effectively.

Um, but one area I'd like to better understand is how much staff time is going towards manual processes.

Um the memo notes, things like reports taking weeks to produce by a supervisor, staff needing to manually review cases to determine status and significant efforts on data cleanup.

Um it seems like a lot of time and staff capacity going to manual items as opposed to actual enforcement.

Um, in addition to the technology like codecs, is there a plan or a timeline to reduce manual efforts?

Thank you for the question.

Uh so that is is in direct relation to our ability to bring codex online.

Um our current system is very much legacy system uh operating system from the 90s.

Um, and so as a result of that, we have you know some pretty significant limitations that um we're kind of forced to do it manually um until we have something better in place.

So um there is a uh plan and effort underway to to do our best to bring codecs online as you know as quickly as possible.

So codex would prevent, for example, the supervisors taking weeks to do a report and all that.

Absolutely.

Um that it would provide it's going to provide us um quite a significant number of improvements in terms of data and reporting capabilities, but also providing dashboards at the inspector level, the supervisor level, the the manager level.

We don't have any of that insight right now using our current system, and and the work we've done to create reports to gain though that insight has yes, it's very cumbersome, but it out we'd like to think that it the um cost is definitely uh or excuse me, the benefit has outweighed the cost in that regard because it's helped us to develop some of those initiatives that I just reported on today because we have a better understanding of our work and and how we're moving cases through the process.

So help me understand the technology a little bit, the codecs and all that.

How much of that is going to incorporate maybe new technologies like AI, or is it just some platform that is used around the country?

Is it some outdated software?

Like how cutting edge is that?

Is that something we're gonna I don't know, adopt and it's gonna be antiquated by the time it sounds like there's a lag time between now and when we fully adopt it.

Is it gonna be something that's still gonna be, I guess, cutting edge or even worthwhile?

Yeah, so thank you.

Um, so one one thing in particular um why we selected this vendor is um they're they're customizing it in some ways to to meet our processes.

Um they also um had a very clear plan going forward, and we're also contracted with them for over several years to continue to make improvements as needed.

Um so I think in that regard, that's that's a good thing that provides us some confidence.

Um, it's I'm not sure about an AI component, but but um we're definitely have been um, as I noted in our presentation, some of the delay has been because as we're we're going through so much transformation right now that they've been a very willing partner to kind of accommodate some of the the things that we are looking to implement post-requirement gathering, and so that's been a really positive thing as well as far as our work with that vendor.

And if I could just add a tiny bit more, though, as we assess the the new system, we know that the transformation from a legacy system that's 20 years old to a new one's gonna be a big transition for staff.

But whatever the system turns out being, we know that it's not the final iteration.

It might not be cutting edge at that moment, but we want it to be a framework that we actually build on to add new technologies as it goes.

And currently that's that's the way that we've structured it with the vendor that hey, this is just the beginning, and that we keep building on it.

So for now, probably AI probably a little bit less as we started the procurement back in 2023.

It wasn't as much of a core part of the requirements.

Um, but that we've made it clear to them that hey, we we need to build on this over time.

Thank you.

All right, thank you so much, council member casey, really appreciate those comments.

Um I do have some if no one of my colleagues uh have any uh any um comments to propose.

First, I just want to thank staff for bringing this report forward.

Uh it's obvious there's a lot of work happening on the ground level.

I recognize that this is a very challenging division with growing responsibilities.

Uh and I think I personally have been uh uh increasing those responsibilities, so thank you for for that work.

Um but I I also want to be candid about what you know I'm reading from the report.

We're seeing a system that's still under significant uh strain at the end of the fiscal year.

There were over 4,300 active cases, while the stated goal is closer to 2,800.

And that gap is fairly cons uh significant, and it directly impacts residents who are waiting for action in their in their neighborhoods and all in all of our neighborhoods.

At the same time, only 61% of cases are being resolved within the city's own timeline standards below the 65% target.

That means that many residents are still experiencing delays when they report issues that affect their quality of life.

We're also seeing longstanding inefficiencies in the system.

Staff still have to manually review cases, and reporting tools can take up to two weeks to generate, which raises real concerns about how effectively we're managing ongoing workload and prioritizing cases.

And while I understand the shift towards stronger enforcement tools, including significant increased fines, I do think we need to pause and ask whether we're scaling up penalties faster than we're fixing the underlying system.

Because if we're not delivering timely consistent service, then increasing enforcement pressure risks creating frustration and inequities in how this system is experienced by our neighbors.

So I appreciate the transformation efforts underway, but this report makes it clear that we still have to work to do, we still have work to do to ensure code enforcement is not only effective, but also fair, responsive, and accountable.

With that, I have a few questions.

I I mentioned the um the gap in regards to the active cases and and our goal.

Um 4,300 active cases, and the goal is 2,800.

What's the realistic timeline uh that we have in order to close a gap like that?

That's a really good question.

Um, I think the age case triage project is one step in that to that end, or in in support of that effort.

Um the 1,200 cases we originally identified is part of the 4,000 cases, and so we've pulled those out of um and are doing a review one by one to you know, as I was mentioned, either restart you know, enforcement on it, close it if that's what's appropriate, or or move to some other um level of enforcement.

And so um we think that has helped the inspectors focus on uh their other parts of their their caseload um while we kind of remove those out.

So that's one piece.

Um, but you know, it is it is um it is hard to say.

I know uh the op assessment identified that if we were to try and close all of our existing active cases within one year, we would need uh you know over 20 additional inspectors to do that.

Um so it is a significant amount of work.

Um, and we are continuing to try and find other ways to tackle it.

Um that'll continue to be part of this work.

Okay.

Oh, yeah, go on a were you gonna say something, Angel?

Oh, okay, okay.

Sorry, I thought I heard you turn your mic on.

Um, and then I I saw that you know the timelines in regards to closure, 61%, um, which is below the 65% target.

What does that delay look like in real terms for our our residents who are you know looking for updates on their code enforcement items?

Well, so this standard is actually measuring um for each case type.

So when cases are created, they're categorized as as according to um violation type that's been reported.

So they're either gonna be categorized as a blight case, a building case, a zoning case, and so on.

And so each of those cases, based on the type that they're categorized as has a certain amount of days these cases are supposed to be closed within as as a target.

And so we're only meeting that target 61% of the time right now.

So what that means for our residents is that they are having to wait longer to see resolution.

Any idea like how much longer?

Um it does vary.

We have some outliers.

Um, but I would say, for example, with Blight, um, I think our average uh case duration is around 65 days, and our goal is 45 days, and so it can be several weeks, or it could be you know more than that.

Okay.

And then for the cases, because I know that you know, sometimes in reporting, you know, the city may say that a case is resolved, but a constituent or a resident may think differently.

And so do we do we have an understanding of like how many of these resolved cases are actually resolved or stay resolved, or are people just opening up another case on them?

Are we looking at that?

Yes, so that is kind of the nature of code enforcement, uh, you know, um, in that some cases it it is a one-time thing.

We get a case, we we go out and and we resolve it, and we don't have another case for 20 years.

But there are other properties where we see repeat cases, often with the same violations.

And so our chronic offender resolution enforcement program is designed to get at that particular type of circumstance or property, um, with the criteria, you know, as I had outlined in our um in our memo.

Um, you know, and we're we're using that pilot to determine like do we even have the criteria correct, right?

We're gonna be using it as we're doing our case evaluation and and as we're identifying properties to move through this process.

Does that criteria need to be um narrowed or does it need to be expanded?

But that is the goal to try and get at those those repeat offenders.

Um, as far as case resolution, if we're closing a case, um, it's being closed um like the majority of the time it's being closed because we resolved the violation.

Um, but there are instances where it might be a duplicate case or the complaining party called back and said, you know, oh it's it's it the it's fine, we don't need you to continue with the case.

But the majority they're only being closed when we rectify the violation, and a supervisor is reviewing every case to ensure that we've done that before its closure.

And sorry, no a few more questions.

In regards to I I commented on the fines.

We've increased the fines, which is important.

Um, but do we have the capacity to actually like levy these fines and obtained the funds based off of you know staff's ability to go through the cases?

Have what has our I guess experience been like so far in the department with these new level of fines?

Uh yeah, so they went into effect in October, and so any case that is brought to the appeals hearing board that um is was issued the compliance order after October will be subject to the new fines.

Um and we have already seen a pretty significant increase in um the amount of fines we're collecting um through the finance department, but there is always that you know percentage of folks who do not pay, and we have processes in place to address that through um you know, finance goes through their processes, and then if they're not successful, then attorneys can do collection cases.

Um so we have already there's several cases we've already applied those fines to.

Great, good well, I mean, in theory, you know, um, I guess as a layman, somebody who doesn't work in code enforcement, um, I would assume we're we're finding more.

Would does that mean that eventually we will have more money to hire more quote enforcement officers?

Have we looked at that prospect?

Well, that is a um policy decision.

Um any funds unless they're uh cost deemed cost recovery, such as our fees, um, those funds that we're taking in as a result of uh administrative fines or administrative remedies, it goes into the general fund.

Oh, interesting.

Yes, I see.

I thought it was going back into code enforcement.

Okay, well, that may be something we want to talk about if we're trying to you know increase our effectiveness of the of the department.

Appreciate the glad I asked that question.

And then obviously something that's been a uh hot button item for many of the council members on this diet is the the smoke shops, the tobacco retail, the moratorium work plan.

Um but I also see that a lot of the staff vacancies have kind of essentially delayed the progress on the on the work plan um goals.

Are we are we still confident that we're gonna be able to deliver some of those goals by the the dates or the targets we've set up?

Um I do believe so.

I you know, there are some dependencies there um of onboarding a retiree hire to help with the staffing, um, ensuring that you know one of the next steps is getting our partners on board for um a collaborative kind of enforcement approach, and so there are some you know dependencies we don't have a ton of control over, but as far as the things that we um our division is responsible for advancing, yes, we're we're you know, we we think it's a really obviously all of our work's important.

Um this is very important um that we continue to move this forward, and so staff knows that this is a priority for us.

Okay, thank thank you so much.

Um, did we have a motion?

No move to accept the staff report.

All right, we have a motion and a second.

Seeing no further questions, let's vote.

All right, thank you so much.

Last but not least, a local favorite library facilities and customer experience plan status report.

That's going to be by Jill Bourne and Margaret Sullivan.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you, Chair Ortiz and members of the committee.

I'm Jill Bourne, City Librarian, and as you said, I'm joined with Margaret Sullivan, who has been joining us in this work.

As the committee is well aware, the San Jose Public Library System is comprised of the unique Dr.

Martin Luther King Junior Library, 23 permanent branch libraries, and the Mount Pleasant Bridge Branch Library.

Library branches serve many functions for our system and our city as neighborhood anchors and a network of spaces that make the city's knowledge resources, public technology, educational programs, and community connections accessible to all.

Each day, our libraries welcome more than 10,000 visitors.

They loan more than 23,000 items and answer 1,000 actual reference questions, not just like where's the bathroom, and host a variety of groups and organizations holding meetings, offering programs, and conducting outreach.

The library currently has 635,000 library card holders, and a library card is not required to visit and use library facilities.

We are keenly aware of the importance of these community assets.

Throughout the past year, with the support of the San Jose Public Library Foundation, we engaged Margaret Sullivan Studios to help shape a plan that is informed by both analysis and community.

We brought forth an inclusive design process that incorporated progressive library planning with the best practices of community economic development to position the library as a citywide growth partner.

The resulting plan captures the programmatic or service elements of the library's future, identifies facilities improvement priorities and opportunities for future library capital, and considers potential funding and development strategies.

The community and data-driven approach for the development of the plan heavily emphasized community involvement, including nearly 3,000 survey responses, 180 community partners, the San Jose Library and Education Commission, the San Jose Youth Commission, additional focus groups, and interviews with civic and community leaders.

A key summary finding was that our libraries are trusted and heavily used, yet our facilities are undersized relative to demand and best practices.

What we learned is that not only are community members invested in seeing the role of the city as classroom deepen for lifelong learning opportunities.

They are eager to see the library take on expansive roles as the center of social, cultural, and civic life.

This is great news for you all as city leaders.

Continues to be accessible for individuals of all abilities, and enhances the diverse neighborhoods that make San Jose so special.

Critical building systems typically have an expected useful life of between 20 and 30 years before extensive renovations and replacements required to maintain self and welcome safe and welcoming facilities.

Currently, 11 of our 24 locations are more than 20 years old.

Six are between 18 and 20 years old, and seven libraries are between seven and seventeen years old.

High usage, of course, contributes to wear and tear, requiring ongoing investments to maintain aging infrastructure and everything from automated doors to elevators to flooring and furniture.

Now to get into some of the interesting data to determine the library's facilities performance and growth potential, the plan drew from industry benchmarking research while recognizing the fact that effective service to surrounding communities is impacted by the correlation of dedicated branch library space to the size of the population in that area.

This chart shows the comparison of library spaces per capita to their individual surrounding service populations.

The dark blue shows the current square feet per capita by branch library.

The midway dotted line serves as a visual reference showing the benchmark of 0.5 square feet per capita.

The upper dotted line shows the best practice of 0.7 square feet per capita, and the green bars show the difference between our current state and the national best practice benchmark, which is theoretically the potential growth goal.

The city's general plan currently articulates a goal of 0.59 square feet per capita for libraries, and 20 branch libraries are currently not meeting that goal.

Only one branch exceeds the 0.75 square feet per capita threshold.

And then another lens by which we analyze the need for library spaces and services is the library's equity index, which integrates social, economic, and mobility characteristics surrounding neighborhoods in the prior prioritization of library spaces and services.

This high level view shows the neighborhood disparity analysis with branches overlaid by their per square footage per capita status that was shown in the last slide and is in the attached executive brief.

The colors are yellow is lower than 0.5 square foot per capita, and purple is less than 0.75 square foot per capita.

This plan will be dynamic and responsive to align with sustainable citywide development strategies.

Specifically, we put on our real estate developer hat and we did an analysis of population shifts, the library parcel opportunities and zoning, and the city's general plan and area specific plans.

This enabled us to identify opportunities to expand branch square footage and add library branches in targeted areas where population is expected to grow, and to also foresee where library services may be co-located in new developments.

The plan's multiple scenarios will provide flexibility for future fiscal conditions and opportunities for responsible and well-informed real-time decision making.

And this view shows the plan's aspirational vision for potential long-term growth and renewal with a corresponding investment framework to allow maximum flexibility and room for creative opportunities.

There are three scenarios proposed that reflect investments, which will have the greatest impact, prioritizing targeted improvements in existing facilities, and strategic expansion opportunities across the system.

The three categories are renewing sustaining, which is realigning interior spaces and existing buildings, growing on site, which is obviously expansions and additions, and then co-locate and build new, which is really an exciting approach that allows us to think about how libraries should could be in new development across the city, especially considering where people are living and making sure that there are library services available to our residents.

This map is one of many in the plan, the showing an ultimate growth possibility in which we utilize these strategies according to population need and development opportunities.

As Jill stated earlier, this is another format in which you can see how the plan identifies the initial option of renew and sustain to invest in the existing facilities, and then also the aspirational growth plan of the option of either growing on site or co-locating and building new for optimal realization of the objectives of the plan.

The phase two similarly is the second tranche, again, based on facility age and the community needs.

The phase three are identified as relatively young facilities in terms of either newer builds or even more recent renovations.

And then the fourth phase are buildings where there are more recent investments as well as the opportunity for these aspirational growth locations.

The full facilities and customer experience plan outlines the status of each current library facility and creative options for growth and renewal that will continue to meet the needs of our residents.

Adoption of the plan provides a framework to guide future renovations, system-wide growth strategies, and associated funding considerations.

And with that, we thank you for your time.

We welcome your feedback and any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Really appreciate the presentation.

I also want to thank the library department for the briefing of my myself and my office received.

So exciting to learn about the future of our library and our library public spaces and looking forward to this great work.

Passing it off to Councilmember Condolis.

Thank you, Chair.

No, thank you, Jill, for your presentation.

Margaret too, sorry.

This is exciting.

I mean it's it's it's nice to have these these um these kind of reports where we can look at you know the big picture, uh knowing um, you know, how how useful are um I get two minutes for public comment?

Okay.

No one, sorry.

We will uh uh chair, if you if you want to have public comment.

I'm an amateur, sorry about that.

My apologies.

I thought they were just smiling up there to smile, and then I realized oh sorry about that, Councilmember Condelis.

It's okay.

All right, please, please public comment.

Don Copin, make your way down, you will have two minutes to speak.

Thank you.

And every reading, thank you.

Good afternoon, council.

Uh Don Copen, the CEO of the Center's A Public Library Foundation.

I am so happy to be here today speaking on um in support of this amazing plan.

Being able to work with Margaret Sullivan Studios over the last you know nearly a year has been incredible.

And seeing the community come out, be engaged, be excited, means that this plan really is that community informed as well as bringing all the best practices to you.

So we on the library foundation, as a primary funder of this report, encourage your adoption and approval of it and moving it to full council.

And it shows such an aspiration and such a great plan and opportunity for what we can do to grow the library family or the library even further and even better for years and years and decades to come.

So very shortly, we recommend that you adopt and move this forward.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Back to the committee.

Councilmember Candelas.

As I was saying, no, uh no, uh, thank you, uh, Chair.

Um no, is it's good to have you know these these kind of strategic plans, um, especially when when it comes to um you know, our libraries, which we know are very, very popular.

Um, and uh you know, and and so you know, I I look at the the entire cost of what we're what what we're talking about, and it's substantial.

And um, you know, if we are in the next decade facing the the average lifespan of some of some of our uh libraries, I think it's it's prudent that we act now so we can uh plan for how we're gonna be able to pay for some of these aspirational uh plans to make sure that the libraries, which we all uh love and our residents love, um, are are kept uh as as as beautiful as they are.

And so um, I guess I have a question with regards to so we adopt this report, uh it comes to council.

I think it's it's cross-referenced to come to council in May.

Um, and and then and then what happens with regards to, I mean, engagement with the library foundation, figuring out you know uh polling, is that is that in the next year?

I just I'm I'm I'm I'm all ears with regards to next steps.

Thank you.

That's a great question.

I mean, one of the so one of the reasons that that the plan is broken down by all these phases with all the different options, is so that upon adoption, we can start working with council with our neighborhoods and um you know understanding with our city manager's office to understand what are the potential funding strategies, what are the potential options out there, both um potential public uh funding, but also where are those like I was mentioning the co-located opportunities for development, for instance.

Um, you know, we we libraries are this incredible, they're really a flexible model to bring positive and um energetic activation to spaces, which is typically a can be a problem in cities, right?

And so maybe there are ways what we wanted to look at is all the ways where the costs of construction could be mitigated so that we could focus on the cost of operation, right?

And so this gives us a really flexible approach to start considering that.

Do we focus on funding for just phase one?

Because that's the most immediate need for the next 10 years.

Do we focus on some of the renewals, the co-locations?

We we can approach it based on the opportunities.

But to your question, we certainly could also um over the next year, you know, look at public opinion research about whether or not um funding for specifically for library capital is is of interest.

I think the one um added concern we had this year was just that you can build new libraries, and if you can't staff them, you you know it's difficult to operate them.

Um but we, as you know, with Village Square branch library, we are always looking for innovative ways to operate um and keep buildings open as well with minimal staff.

So it's a long, it's a long answer, but the answer is yes.

I think upon adoption of the plan, we can begin a more systematized direct approach to solving that problem of funding.

No, for sure.

No, thank you.

No, I and I appreciate that response, and I I guess it's uh it's uh uh it's an all all encompassing next steps, right?

It's uh it's uh how do we work with uh the city manager's office with the administration?

Um and also look at you know the this the economic circumstances of you know elections, right?

Turnout elections, uh the macroeconomic climate, um, all these different things.

And you know, as long as we get that evergreen library from phase two to phase one, you know, uh I'm kidding.

Um I but but this is this is this is great, and I appreciate the flexibility on that.

So um with that, I'll I'll move uh acceptance of the staff recommendation on the side.

Thank you.

Great.

Thank you, uh, Councilmember Candels for your comments.

You know, I I share your interest in moving uh this topic forward.

You know, um a lot of these uh libraries were made quite some time ago.

Um and they are still you know great jewels of the of our neighborhoods, but they they need to be polished and turned into shining jewels, like they were um, you know, years uh years ago.

You know, I think I was I was uh there at the opening of the uh Alum Rock Roberto Cruz Library, which was some time ago, and I was just at there, I think it was last year, their um anniversary.

You know, you could tell that you know some of the infrastructure needs a little love, you know what I mean?

And I think that you know, if we see this as an opportunity as a way to improve our ability to serve our residents, right?

Um it should uh uh it should be something that this council is willing, willing to do.

And I know that I'm I'm I'm interested in it, and I look forward to the ongoing conversations.

Seeing no other uh questions, we have a motion, so let's let's uh vote.

Okay, believe unanimous.

All right, that moves us into open forum.

Members of the public are invited to speak on any items that do not appear on today's agenda.

I don't see anybody here, right?

No public comment.

Okay.

Adjournment.