Transportation and Environment Committee Meeting - August 10, 2026

The Transportation and Environment Committee (T&E) of the San José City Council met on August 10, 2026, at 1:30 PM. The meeting covered consent calendar approval, reports on the Airport Commission's annual work plan and the Energy and Water Building Performance Ordinance, and an open forum for public comment. Votes were taken on all items, with attendance varying during the meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Climate Advisory Commission Fiscal Year 2025-26 Annual Report and FY 2026-27 Work Plan (CC 26-0831): The committee accepted the annual report and approved the work plan via a single motion. The vote was 3-0 (Chair Cohen, Vice Chair Foley? Not specified, but roll call showed Tordillos, Cohen present; absent: Campos, Ortiz). No public comment was received on this item.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Airport Commission Annual Report and Work Plan: Deo Kunkun, representing Unite Here Local 19 (550 food and beverage and retail workers at the airport), expressed concern that airport workers are paid $7.56 less per hour than city living wage workers, despite providing similar services. She noted that neighboring cities (Oakland, San Francisco) have equal living wage for city and airport workers, and urged the committee to address this disparity to retain experienced workers.
• Energy and Water Building Performance Ordinance Status Report: Jordan Maldow spoke in support of the program, especially the public dashboard. He encouraged implementing performance standards over time, requiring faster remediation for buildings trending in the wrong direction, and restricting ratio billing (water submetering) to preserve conservation incentives.
• Open Forum: Two speakers addressed the committee:
  • Kunzel Shah (District 4 resident with OCD and depression) requested microtransit service for North San Jose and Northeast San Jose, citing a lack of accessible transportation options for people with disabilities who cannot drive.
  • A second speaker (Jordan Maldow) promoted Transit Month and Week Without Driving, and spoke about the planned closure of Ewert Road (northern airport edge), which currently has a bike lane. He submitted an open letter signed by over 100 residents asking to keep the bike lane open for commuting and flood-season detours.

Discussion Items

• Airport Commission Annual Report and Work Plan (CC 26-0841): Staff presented the FY 2025-26 accomplishments and FY 2026-27 work plan, which includes quarterly meetings, capital projects, marketing, air service updates, rates and charges, and special topics (e.g., DBE goals, concessions, noise updates). Councilmember Tordillos asked whether the airport living wage issue could be addressed by the airport commission. Staff clarified that the airport living wage ordinance is set by the city council, and the airport living wage ($20.52 with benefits, $21.70 without) is already higher than the city minimum wage. The committee accepted the report and approved the work plan. Vote: 3-0 (same roll call).
• Energy and Water Building Performance Ordinance Status Report (CC 26-0852): Staff provided a detailed status update on the ordinance (passed 2018), which applies to ~1,800 properties (city-owned ≥15,000 sq ft; commercial/multifamily ≥20,000 sq ft). Key data: 87% average benchmarking compliance rate (2023-2025), 12% reduction in median energy use intensity, 9% reduction in water use intensity, 35% reduction in median GHG emissions per building since 2019. Planned improvements include surveying building owners, updating the ordinance for more flexibility, creating case studies, and connecting properties to incentives. Future considerations include a building performance standard policy, virtual audits, and AI use. Councilmember Ortiz asked about audit costs (median: $5,750 energy, $3,500 water, $10,500 combined) and noted the importance of keeping costs low to avoid deterring development. Councilmember Cohen questioned whether properties could avoid taking action by repeating audits every five years; staff noted that a future performance standard could require actual improvements. Councilmember Campos asked about data centers; Deputy City Manager Manuel Pineda confirmed that recommendations for including data centers in the audit process will come to council in December 2026. The committee accepted the report. Vote: 5-0 (all five members present by this point, though initial roll call had only three members present).

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Approved Climate Advisory Commission work plan (3-0).
• Airport Commission: Accepted annual report and approved work plan (3-0).
• Energy and Water Building Performance Ordinance: Accepted status report (5-0). Staff to return with data center recommendations in December 2026.
• Open Forum: No committee action taken; public comments were received for consideration.

Note on Attendance: Roll call at the start showed Councilmembers Tordillos and Cohen present, with Campos and Ortiz absent. However, later votes included all five members, indicating additional members arrived during the meeting.