A dispute over the legality of granting the former City Manager pension benefits erupted into a maelstrom of criticism. Rajeev Batra spoke to the Santa Clara City Council Tuesday night, imploring them to award, what he characterized as, past-due benefits for his time as Interim City Manager. Batra stepped in after the departure of Julio … Read more
The Santa Clara City Council may need to sell a city-owner property to help fund increased costs for Silicon Valley Power. At a study session March 27, the Council heard from John Roukema, Director of Public Utilities, on options to ensure the City is able to serve increased energy demand while meeting state-mandated requirements on … Read more
After two hours of testimony from 10 Planning Commissioner candidates, the Santa Clara City Council will wait until later this month to decide on who will fill the vacancy. The interviews, held Tuesday night during a special meeting, became necessary after Commissioner Brandon Reinhardt resigned in February, citing the rising cost of rent as a … Read more
Two Santa Clara developments received extensions despite being behind schedule. The Santa Clara City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to extend contracts on a 306,000 square foot office development on Lawson Lane and the “agrihood” housing project on Winchester Boulevard. The “agrihood” project was scheduled to break ground at the start of 2017, but public … Read more
Concerns over the qualifications for a city clerk has caused the Santa Clara City Council to consider dividing those duties among several employees. City Clerk Rod Diridon Jr.’s resignation in February left the clerk position vacant. The Council appointed Jennifer Yamaguma—the Public Information Liaison for the city and a certified municipal clerk—to assume the clerk’s … Read more
The Mayor/Stadium Authority Chair lambasted 49ers management for its handling of a soccer game after a tide of criticism from neighbors that included claims that rowdy soccer fans urinated in and tossed empty liquor bottles in their yards and jumped on parked cars. At its Tuesday night meeting, members of the Santa Clara Stadium Authority … Read more
Raises for two Santa Clara department heads dominated most of the discussion at this week’s City Council meeting. At its regular Tuesday night meeting, the Council discussed whether to give Police Chief Mike Sellers a cost-of-living raise and another 4 percent raise for City Manager Deanna Santana. Santana’s raise, less than 6 months after her … Read more
Santa Clara’s City Clerk’s position will remain vacant until the November election. The City Council chose inaction Tuesday night, essentially saying it prefers to put the decision of who will be the next City Clerk in the hands of voters in the general election. The decision became necessary after Rod Diridon Jr.—who was only a … Read more
A consultant hired by the Santa Clara City Council said revamping the convention center so that it stops running at a deficit will take a $69 million investment. For the past decade, the Santa Clara Convention Center & Visitors’ Bureau has lost money, costing the City roughly $10 million over that time. During a study … Read more
The contractor hired to determine the feasibility of putting a new international swim center in Central Park has thrown cold water on the project in its current form, saying it is too costly. Richard Kerrigan, with the San Francisco-based Project Financial Advisory Limited (PFAL), told the Santa Clara City Council at a study session Tuesday … Read more