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
• Safe Summer Practice
• Mosquito Fogging

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

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Message from Councilmember Pete Constant

Thank you to everyone who came to our Prescription Drop-Off Event on June 20th at the Cypress Senior Center.  It was a huge success.  Nearly 220 pounds of medications were turned in along with112 mercury thermometers and two large mercury blood pressure devices.  I want to personally thank Pharmacist Catherine Mai, of the Saratoga Pharmacy and San José Police Officer Bob Collins, for donating their services for this event.  The demand was so high that we will host another prescription drop-off event this October.  Watch for the announcement in our newsletter and on our Web site in the coming months.

Neighborhoods Commission Candidate Openings

The newly forming Neighborhoods Commission needs District 1 residents to step up to the plate and become part of this very important program.  I highly encourage residents from District 1 to apply and become part of the 30 person, 2-year pilot advisory commission to the City Council. Members of this commission will work on city-wide issues and it is imperative that District 1 has an equal voice on the commission. To apply to be a Neighborhoods Commissioner simply click here. The deadline to register with the City Clerk is 5 p.m. July 25, 2008. 

Neighborhoods Commission Caucus

The District 1 Neighborhoods Commission Caucus will be held Saturday, August 9, 2008 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. at the West San José Branch Library in the community room.  The caucus will be held to vote for 3 District 1 Neighborhoods Commissioners and 2 alternates.  All neighborhood associations registered with the Neighborhood Development Center will be invited to vote at the caucus.  If your neighborhood association has not registered yet, the deadline for registering to participate in the caucus has been extended to 5 p.m. July 25, 2008.  To register, call the Neighborhood Development Center at 408-723-4144.

I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to Heather Sutton for all of her efforts on the ad hoc working group which worked to formulate the process for the commission caucus.  If you have any questions regarding the Neighborhoods Commission please contact Heather Sutton at heather.sutton@yahoo.com. 

Free Teen Healthcare

The Lucille Packard Teen Health Van started the first of their four summer visits to Starbird Teen Center Thursday, June 19th. This program offers free health care to homeless and/or uninsured teens between the ages of 12- 24. Lucille Packard contacted my office and made me an offer I couldn't refuse - free health care for residents who really need it. I was thrilled to be able to help them bring this valuable service to our community. We are fortunate to have Starbird Youth Center as one of only two stops that the Teen Health Van makes in San José. Click here for a flyer with a listing of services offered by the Teen Van.

Dr. Seth Ammerman, Director of the Teen Health Van Program and a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University Medical Center, gave me a personal tour of the van. It is a fully equipped medical facility on wheels and capable of offering comprehensive medical care. During its first visit at Starbird Teen Center, teens flocked to the staff nutritionist, Melinda. She gave them great advice on how to make their diets healthier, like substituting fruits and vegetables for sugary snacks and sodas.  Melinda's cold mango samples were a hit with the teens!

Safe Summer Practices

Now that school is out for the summer there are more kids outside playing and motorists need to be aware that children’s movements are often unpredictable. By observing the 25 mile an hour speed zones in residential neighborhoods, you can shorten your breaking time and your ability to react to unexpected obstacles. If your child rides a bicycle, protect them by insisting they wear their helmets. Proper fitting of the helmet includes covering the front part of their forehead and fastening the chin straps to avoid the helmet falling off if they suffer a collision. For an informational page on how to fit a bicycle helmet click here.  For the full article on safe driving, click here.

As long as you are putting on the helmets for protection, you might include mosquito repellent this summer.  Even with the dry spring weather a mosquito infected with West Nile virus was found recently in the Campbell area. Avoid leaving standing water in your yard where mosquitos can lay eggs and if you see untreated swimming pools report them to Vector Control by calling 408-918-4770.  For the full article on local mosquito fogging click here.

Government Issues

Many of you have written to me regarding issues that have come before the City Council and I applaud your interest and active participation in our government process. The feedback you give me helps me to represent your interests in city policy making and I welcome that exchange. I do take your feedback with me to our weekly council meetings especially during the last few months as we have made difficult decisions regarding the budget. 

We have come to the end of our Annual Budget Process last week with the adoption of Mayor Reed's Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2008/2009. Although we have made our decisions on this coming year's budget I will continue to work through the summer as the Chairperson for the 3-Year General Fund Structural Deficit Elimination Plan Stakeholder Group evaluating ways to help the city rise out of its mounting debt and lay a track toward fiscal health.

Your Neighbor,

PETE IN THE NEWS

July 13, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Internal Affairs
"It was pretty crappy for them to do that," he grumbled. "I was outraged. It is ludicrous to contrive something like that to make me look bad." Besides, all the contract negotiations have been held in closed session, so how Ricketts or anyone else at the union would know Constant's position on the matter is a bit unclear.

July 11, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose's Easterbrook group set to hold first community meeting
District 1 Councilman Pete Constant is scheduled to speak, and representatives from the San Jose Police Department will give an update on the district.

July 9, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Battle over noise, expansion brews between San Jose mall, neighbors
Working with City Councilman Pete Constant's office, residents hope they can get all parties to agree on addressing the complaints before moving forward with the build-out.

June 25, 2008
The Metro, Snippy Cups
He brought a range of props that would have made Carrot Top proud—water bottles, tin cans and sippy cups—in an attempt to show that even after banning bottled water, the city has to deal with soda and other liquids in cans and glass bottles. "I don't see how we are getting to the recycling problem," Constant said. He also argued that it poses a potential health threat to ask employees to rely on reusable cups and tap water.

June 22, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Pizarro: Funny Politics
No surprise, then, that Constant will be the guest host June 30 at this year's skit show, which mocks South Bay politics and political figures.

June 18, 2008
The Metro, Internal Affairs
Councilmember Constant said that the city wouldn't have to add these new officers if the council, including Campos, had not voted to eliminate roughly 30 police positions back in 2004 "It's inappropriate grandstanding by one councilmember. It's not fair to the mayor and it's not fair to the rest of the council," he said.

June 18, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Budget deal to add 25 cops
"We can save money without impacting services," said Councilman Pete Constant, a retired cop and current pension fund trustee. "This is by all accounts a great idea."

June 16, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose mayor, councilwoman verbally tussle over hiring more cops
Constant put it more bluntly. "We have to balance the budget without playing political games and grandstanding," said Constant, in a jab at Campos, who has raised her profile in recent months by sharply criticizing the mayor.

June 11, 2008
The Metro, Certified Crazy
Constant summed up the surprise result like this: "Look how much the Vietnamese love me, and I'm not Vietnamese." Indeed, Constant became something of a hero in the Viet community when he supported the popular Little Saigon name for the business district. "I think people are looking for more conservatism in the fiscal areas," says Constant. "You can't deny we are in a financial crunch."

June 6, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, S.J. mayor wants to hire 25 new cops despite deficit, but police union not satisfied
"I think it's a step in the right direction," said Councilman Pete Constant, a retired policeman. "In a perfect world, we'd all like to do more. It's such a delicate balancing act to provide all the services throughout the city."