Councilmember Pete Constant
District 1, City of San José
200 East Santa Clara Street,18th Floor
San José, CA 95113
Telephone: (408) 535-4901
Fax: (408) 292-6448
Pete.Constant@sanjoseca.gov
www.sjdistrict1.com

Inside this Issue:

• Message from Pete
• Update on Library Filter
• San José Prepared!
• School Recognition

Helpful Links for D1 Residents:

• Pete's Calendar
• Council Agenda
• Live and Archived Council Meetings
• District 1 Map
• Photos of District 1 Events
• District 1 Neighborhood Groups
• Pete and District 1 in the News
• Parks in District 1
• District 1 Staff
• Review permits in San José

Service Providers for D1 Residents:

Connecting to your government:

• Mayor and Council
• San José Charter
• San José Municipal Code
• San José Boards and Commissions
• Santa Clara County
• Registrar of Voters
• Guide to Government
• State of California
• U.S. Government

Important Phone Numbers:

Questions or Suggestions?
If you have any questions about the District 1 Community Newsletter or would like to suggest topics or announcements for future issues, then please contact Mary Anne Groen at MaryAnne.Groen@sanjoseca.gov or you can call her at (408) 535-4901

Message from Councilmember Pete Constant

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2008 and greetings to my neighbors in District 1. 2007 was a busy year and I have accomplished a great amount of progress in the D1 office. Although I don't have time to talk to all of you one-on-one I hope to keep you informed of the important work I am doing through my newsletter and you continue to be a willing partner in the effort to better our community. I have heard some wonderful stories of neighbors hosting holiday gatherings in their homes for the sake of building community on their streets and I am happy to say there are over a dozen new or revived Neighborhood Associations in West San José formed in the past year. Along with the revival and creation of associations District 1 has had some of the largest turnouts to public meetings in the city.

On October 30, 2007 a very successful and well-attended Traffic Calming Meeting was held in the Cypress Senior Center. With input from neighbors, city officials were able to compile a list of issues to address and a brainstorming session called for more tickets to be issued to speeding and reckless drivers, concentrated efforts on safety around schools, parks, and community centers and a suggestion to push traffic back to major roadways. For a complete review of the Traffic Calming notes go to http://www.sjdistrict1.com/newsletter/NewsletterArticles/2008-February-TrafficCalming.pdf. The meeting ended at 8:04 p.m. with a big shake up--a 5.4 earthquake! The temblor we felt at the end of the meeting was a reminder to all of us to stock or restock family emergency supplies with at least three days of food and water rations. Our best defense against natural disasters is to be prepared.

Earthquakes are not the only threat to disrupting our everyday rhythm. Winter storms have begun and flooding and falling trees are a possibility in your neighborhood. City staff has coordinated with both PG&E and the Santa Clara Valley Water District to respond to emergencies. The Department of Transportation cleaned a majority of the storm drains in anticipation of wet winter weather and will continue to monitor them for debris. Refer to the city web page for locations of sandbag pickup and weather information. To report sewer back-ups, broken tree limbs, clogged storm drains, and other non-life threatening emergencies call the 24-Hour Emergency Dispatch Center (408) 277-4373. For a complete suggested list of emergency supplies visit the Association of Bay Area Governments Web site at http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/eqmaps/fixit/plansupplies.html.

Preparing for the future of San José is foremost on my mind as I work with my colleagues on the Council to plan for the Fiscal year 2008-2009 Annual Operating Budget. I favor a common-sense approach to budgeting supporting core city services, and looking at ways to increase our tax revenue. I plan to help put a plug in the sales tax leakage that continues to drain San José of its potential resources by encouraging new business. Working with the neighbors and businesses along Winchester Boulevard on the development of a Winchester Neighborhood Business District I seek to delineate between areas of business and residential communities and create a supportive environment for business owners.

There are challenges ahead in 2008 but with your support and willingness to get involved with your local government and community associations, we can work together to make District 1 and San José a model community.

Your Neighbor,

PETE IN THE NEWS

January 30, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Peace sought in 'Saigon' dispute
Councilman Pete Constant - who voted against Saigon Business District out of concern the council was ignoring popular sentiment - was surprised by Cortese's sudden turn. "It's kind of late to start on these efforts," Constant said. "The listening should have started before the council's vote."

January 28, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose council calendars out of date
"I'm disappointed," said Councilman Pete Constant, who began posting his calendar online with weekly updates in March - months before the council made it a requirement. "It's disheartening to me to see council members not taking this as seriously as they should. I feel it's important that the public knows what we're doing."

January 11, 2008
West San Jose Resident, Constant backs new memorial for SJ's public safety officials
"I think it's important that there's a memorial that reminds the general public of the ultimate sacrifice by city employees to keep people safe," Constant said.

January 3, 2008
West San Jose Resident, 'Cheap Hauling' trucks face scrutiny from some neighbors
"I'm very concerned that the company is doing business without regard to the image and appearance of our community." Constant said.