Hello Neighbor,

As a co-chair of the City of San José's Family/Domestic Violence Advisory Board, I am happy to report that the 12th Annual End to Domestic Violence Walk, held on October 2nd, was a great success. Hundreds of women and men came to San José City Hall to participate in a resource fair and walk in support of the anti-violence effort. Robin Givens, ex-wife of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, touched and inspired the crowd with her message of hope, perseverance and triumph. Robin also joined us on our 1.3 mile walk through downtown San José.

Domestic violence doesn't just affect the person on the receiving end of a shove, punch or kick, nor is it just physical. Abuse can also be emotional and psychological and it is this type of trauma that often leaves deeper scars that take far longer to heal for those who are constant targets of hateful, threatening, malicious and demeaning words. Responding to domestic violence calls was never easy when I worked as a San José police officer. I would see firsthand the effects of violence on the victims and the toll it took on their family, children, friends, neighbors, coworkers and other acquaintances - sometimes with very tragic consequences. Even after 14 years in law enforcement, I can honestly say that you never "get used to" seeing the damaging effects of domestic violence.

This was my first year co-chairing the Walk and it was a powerful, moving and enlightening experience. The message that we are sending is that we want to END domestic violence in the City of San José and surrounding communities - not reduce it, but end it. Domestic violence is unacceptable and it must stop!

Fall has finally arrived. Much of the communication that my office receives, whether it be phone calls or e-mail, has to do with code enforcement issues. Complaints and questions include garbage, recycling and yard waste not being disposed of properly, being brought out to the curb too early or not being collected at all. Since the fall season seems to be a time that generates a lot of additional yard trimmings, I thought that it would be a good time for a refresher course on the City's guidelines for handling yard waste. Click here to read the article. I hope that you will find this information helpful and that it will remind us all about how to be good neighbors.

I am always looking for new and creative ways to better serve you, the residents of District 1. I try to make myself as accessible as practical and encourage open, honest and frequent communication. I think it is important and vital that you know about issues affecting your neighborhoods and the rest of the city. I am on Facebook and LinkedIn and you can get up-to-date information on my Web site (www.sjdistrict1.com). In a time of shrinking budgets, increased service cuts and skyrocketing deferred infrastructure maintenance costs, we are forced to do a lot more with so much less. Living in the heart of the Silicon Valley - the technological hub of the country -- it only makes sense that we take advantage of our strengths and harness the power of technology to do just that.

I recently announced that I will be piloting a new tool, called CitySourced, which will further improve how you will be able to communicate with my office. CitySourced is a new mobile application that will allow users to report neighborhood problems from the convenience of your own smartphones. District 1 will be one of the very first communities in the country to use this tool. To read more about how you can access the power of City Hall from the palm of your hand, click here. I am really excited about the potential of this program to empower us all to improve our neighborhoods more efficiently and effectively.

District 1 was the first in the City to hold district-sponsored prescription drop-off events. We have held four such events to date and they have all been very popular and successful, collecting over 500 pounds of expired, unused or unwanted medications. Now, instead of waiting for a drop-off event, you can dispose of unused and expired medications whenever it's convenient at Moorpark Pharmacy (2400 Moorpark Ave.) This service is also offered at various locations throughout the Santa Clara County. For more information and to see a complete list of all locations go to: www.hhw.org. The more medications that we properly dispose of and do not flush down the toilet, the more we keep away from our children and pets and out of our waterways.

Living in the Bay Area, we have experienced our fair share of natural disasters - namely fires and earthquakes. We have been warned about the "big one" for quite some time and major earthquakes in Indonesia and central California having been making headlines in recent days. If you haven't prepared or even thought about a disaster plan for yourself or your family, now is the perfect time. The City of San José's Office of Emergency Services offers a class called "San José Prepared!" which is a free two-hour home and family disaster preparedness training. Two sessions are being offered in District 1 at the West San José Community Center. Residents can sign up for an upcoming class on November 17, 2009 or May 11, 2010, both are from 6 - 8 p.m. Click here for more information and to view the class flier. I encourage you take advantage of this important and potentially life-saving opportunity. Why wait until the next disaster strikes? By then, it will be too late.

Congratulations to Anderson and Murdock-Portal Elementary Schools on their academic achievements! California's annual API (Academic Performance Index) scores were recently released, and Leroy Anderson Elementary made the most significant gain out of all the schools in the Santa Clara County, raising their score from 674 to 810 - an increase of 136 points from the previous year! Jumping up three spots from their 2008 4th place ranking, Murdock-Portal Elementary earned the distinction of being the top elementary school in the state! The school achieved a score of 998, just two points shy of a perfect score of 1000. You can read more about Anderson's API growth here and see Murdock-Portal's ranking in relation to all the other top schools in the state here. Congratulations again to the students, families, faculty and administration at these schools on their wonderful accomplishment and all of the hard work and effort that went into raising the bar so high.

With our prolonged economic struggles, many organizations, both no non-profit and for profit, are relying more and more on fundraising to combat the effects of dwindling revenue and resources, and this is also true of our schools. District 1 schools will be hosting fundraising events throughout the school year, and I encourage us all to try to support these efforts, because in the end, it is our children who will benefit. You can find out about these school events by checking the calendar section of our monthly newsletter.

Before we know it, our little ghosts and goblins will be scouring our neighborhoods in search of sweets and treats. I hope you all have a safe, fun and happy Halloween!

Your Neighbor,

P.S. This month, my community office hours in the district will be from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., on Wednesday, October 7th, at the West Valley Branch Library and 10:00 - 11:30 a.m., Thursday, October 22nd, at the Cypress Senior Center. Feel free to come by and chat.

PETE IN THE NEWS

October 2, 2009
California Chronicle, City's Annual Walk to End Domestic Violence Reminds Us: It Can Happen To Anyone
The program will begin at 11:00 a.m. (registration starts at 10:30 a.m.) in the West Plaza area in front of San José City Hall. The program will include a victim´s tribute and remarks by a survivor of domestic violence. Vice Mayor Judy Chirco, Councilmember Nora Campos, and Councilmember Pete Constant, City Manager Debra Figone, and District Attorney Dolores Carr will participate in the program.

September 22, 2009
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose council votes to ban most plastic and paper bags beginning in 2011
The city's legal department also will need to determine whether the city can require retailers to charge a fee for bags and how the fee would be shared by retailers and the city. That bothered City Councilman Pete Constant, who cast the lone vote against the recommendation.

September 22, 2009
PublicCEO.com, Councilman Introduces Smart Phone Application
"Everyone has a pothole, broken tree limb or abandoned car that they want the City to do something about," said City Councilmember Pete Constant, who is helping pilot the new application. "This application will make it possible for people to use the smart phone they already have with them to provide all of the information we need to address the problem right away, without having to lookup a phone number or send an email at a later time."

September 20, 2009
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose generous with home loans to top city officials
The City Council on Tuesday will consider a requirement that it approve all future home loans to senior staff. Currently, the council approves only loans made to top officials it directly appoints; the rest are approved by the city manager or redevelopment director. "My goal is to pause - let's not give any more money away," said Councilman Pete Constant. "I don't think it's fair to the taxpayers."

September 15, 2009
PC World, IPhones Take on Potholes With City Reporting Tool
San Jose signed up last week and the system should be running there in about two weeks, according to Pete Constant, a member of the San Jose City Council who participated in CitySourced's demonstration. Initially at least, the offices of councilmembers will act as the front end for the system at the city, with staffers looking over reports and alerting the correct department to address the issue, Constant said. The data eventually may go directly to the agencies.

September 14, 2009
IT Business Edge, How Should Business Records, Personal Devices Mix?
The city of Saratoga, Fla., has implemented a similar policy. But Councilman Constant isn't convinced it's realistic. "Text messages are a way of life for people," he told the Mercury News.

September 14, 2009
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose council to decide on extended moratorium for new bail bonds shops
"I'm glad he is amending the proposal - he's addressing an area that was a significant shortfall in the policy," Constant said. But, he added, "I don't believe a moratorium is the right approach. It really isn't getting to the heart of the issue we have now, which is how our zoning code is classified for bail bonds" operators. Constant, a former police officer, also noted that the North First Street area where many bond shops operate is close to the district attorney's office, the main jail and the public defender's office. "It's an area where you would expect to have those types of businesses."

September 9, 2009
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose officials face practical hurdles in disclosing public texts and e-mails on personal devices
Councilman Pete Constant, a prolific text massager and Facebooker, noted for example that after checking with AT&T, he found there is no way for him to export text messages from his personal iPhone to his official city e-mail system, where anyone could retrieve them under a public records request. "We have to be careful how we look at the limits of technology as well as the expansion of technology," said Constant, who represents West San Jose.... "Text messages are a way of life for a lot of people," Constant said. "I know I rely on them."

September 6, 2009
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose council members consider more review of routine spending
"When I did the research and refocused on why we did what we did, it was clear the number one reason was to reduce time and administrative cost," Constant said. "When I think about how much time and effort we put into getting things to the council for action, we'd end up costing more money than we'd save." He added, "I couldn't find anything where anybody felt there was a mistake made, where we could have done something cheaper."

September 4, 2009
San Jose Mercury News, Action Line: Parking at curb can cost you
"Can a car park at the corner, blocking the access from the curb? The California Vehicle Code says that you may not park in front of or upon that portion of a curb that has been cut down, lowered or constructed to provide wheelchair accessibility to the sidewalk." I wanted to remind you that parking at any corner is unlawful under CVC 12500(a): Prohibited Stopping, Standing, or Parking.

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:

• Pete's Message
• The Power of City Hall in the
  Palm of Your Hand
• Leave No Leaves Behind

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:

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