San Jose City Council Meeting – April 21, 2026

The San Jose City Council met on April 21, 2026, for a regular meeting that began at approximately 1:30 PM. The agenda included ceremonial proclamations, consent calendar items, a pension update, a status report on data centers and the PGE partnership, a revision of the city’s living wage policy, approval of the Connect North San Jose Multimodal Transportation Improvement Plan, establishment of the East Village Business Improvement District, and a grant agreement for shelter-based Medicaid services. The meeting featured extensive public testimony on data centers (both for and against) and on the living wage adjustment, as well as an open forum regarding the Coyote Creek ("Jungle") encampment sweep.

Ceremonial Items

• Earth Day Proclamation (April 22): The council recognized Earth Day with Councilmember Cohen and Councilmember Kamei. Mani Bukala of Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action accepted the proclamation, highlighting the need for accelerated local climate action, especially given federal setbacks.
• National Youth Violence Prevention Week (April 20–24): Councilmember Candelas presented a proclamation to Cora Tomolinas, a longtime advocate, and noted the expansion of the Saturday Night Lights program to eight citywide sites.
• Autism Awareness Month: Councilmember Mulcahy recognized Martin Slingstad and Spire Autism for their work in autism acceptance and inclusion.

Consent Calendar

• Item 2.13 – Microtransit Pilot (Balante): Councilmember Candelas pulled this item to discuss the launch of an on-demand community-based microtransit service in East San Jose. Staff confirmed the service will begin by the end of 2026, following vendor selection and outreach. The pilot will fill transit gaps in areas with limited access.
• Item 2.18 – Farm Workers’ Day Resolution: Councilmember Kamei pulled this item, co-authored by Vice Mayor Foley and Councilmember Campos, to align San Jose with the state in recognizing March 31 as Farm Workers’ Day, centering the contributions of women and families. The consent calendar was approved unanimously after public comment with no cards.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Data Centers (Item 3.4): Nineteen speakers addressed the council. Many residents opposed data center development, citing concerns about water use (especially potable water), air pollution from backup generators, impacts on wildlife (e.g., burrowing owls and bald eagles), increased utility rates, and environmental justice. Speakers from UA Local 393 and the building trades expressed support, emphasizing good-paying construction jobs and the city’s need for revenue. Several speakers requested a moratorium and more community engagement before project approvals.
• Living Wage Revision (Item 3.5): Eleven speakers, including representatives from Working Partnerships, Unite Here Local 19, Teamsters, and the South Bay Labor Council, urged the council to adopt the one-time catch-up adjustment to compensate for the zero increase in FY2025–26. Airport workers noted the disparity between the city living wage ($26.73) and the airport living wage (about $6 less), calling for parity.
• Open Forum (after agenda items): Fifteen speakers discussed the ongoing sweep of the Coyote Creek (Jungle) encampment. Residents and advocates asked the council to pause abatements until all residents receive housing placements, citing lost belongings, missed sign-ups, and inadequate interim options (e.g., Tent City, not housing). Speakers called for the city to keep its promise to house everyone before clearing the site.

Discussion Items

• Item 3.1 – City Manager’s Report (Earthquake Preparedness): City Manager Jennifer Maguire reported on the earthquake preparedness campaign (30 Tips in 30 Days), which increased AlertSCC signups by over 3% in under-registered zip codes. Special recognition was given to Ray Reardon for receiving the California Emergency Services Association’s President’s Award.
• Item 3.3 – Pension Plan Actuarial Valuations (as of June 30, 2025): Director John Flynn and actuary Bill Hallmark presented the annual update. The combined pension funded ratio improved to 55.1% (up 3 percentage points), with assets of $8.76 billion and unfunded liability of $2.91 billion. The OPEB funded ratio rose to 55.2%. City contributions for UAL reached $336.4 million. Vice Mayor Foley noted the $300+ million annual payment as a constraint on the budget.
• Item 3.4 – Data Centers and PGE Partnership Status Report: Deputy City Manager Manuel Pineda and staff presented an informational update. Key points: (1) The city has an implementation agreement with PG&E signed July 2025, with quarterly scoring; (2) 12 projects are in the pipeline (2 energized, 10 to be energized by 2030); (3) Data centers under 100 MW do not require a power plant permit; (4) Up to 2,000 MW of new regional transmission capacity (LS Power projects) is planned between 2028–2034, but not committed to San Jose; (5) Proposed PG&E Rule 30 (pending CPUC) would require customers to pay upfront for types 1–3 grid upgrades; (6) Water use is less than 3% of total city usage, with recycled water prioritized; (7) Environmental review (CEQA) will be conducted per project. Council members expressed concerns about water use, rate impacts, community outreach, and environmental justice, but noted the economic benefits (e.g., $3–7 million annual revenue per 50–99 MW data center). No vote on projects was taken; the council accepted the status report (motion by Councilmember Cohen, seconded, passed unanimously).
• Item 3.5 – Living Wage Policy Revision (Council Policy 3.3): Director of Public Works Matt Lesh presented a revision to align the living wage calculation methodology with the airport’s CPI-U method, replacing the outdated vendor-based geographic factor. The change would take effect July 1, 2026, with the current rate of $26.73 unchanged initially. Councilmembers Candelas, Campos, Ortiz, and Casey submitted a memo to include a one-time catch-up adjustment to account for the zero-increase year. Staff confirmed the fiscal impact is minimal (largest contracts already pay above the living wage). The revision and catch-up were adopted unanimously.
• Item 5.1 – Connect North San Jose Multimodal Transportation Improvement Plan: The plan recommends 29 projects, including 8 “Big Moves” such as a North First Street transit priority corridor, Montague-First grade separation, Zanker Road bike/pedestrian improvements, and a Sharcot Avenue bicycle priority project with an 880 overcrossing. The plan was shaped by input from over 700 community members. Councilmember Cohen expressed support and noted the importance of the light-rail grade separation. Approved unanimously.
• Item 8.1 – East Village Business Improvement District: Approved unanimously to establish a BID for beautification and marketing.
• Item 8.2 – CalAIM Grant for Shelter Infrastructure: Eric Nickerson (Assistant City Manager) presented a $1.3 million state grant with matching city funds ($2.6 million total) to build administrative infrastructure for Medicaid (Medi-Cal) billing at three shelter sites: Soroni, Cherry, and Evans Lane. The pilot will run 12–18 months, with potential annual net revenue of $7–9 million if scaled system-wide. Approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar (including Items 2.13 and 2.18) approved unanimously.
• Item 3.3 (Pension update) approved unanimously.
• Item 3.4 (Data center status report) accepted unanimously (informational, no project approvals).
• Item 3.5 (Living wage revision and catch-up adjustment) adopted unanimously.
• Item 5.1 (North San Jose MTIP) approved unanimously.
• Item 8.1 (East Village BID) approved unanimously.
• Item 8.2 (CalAIM grant) approved unanimously.
• Open Forum: No formal action taken; residents’ concerns were heard. Council members indicated they would follow up with staff on the jungle encampment process.