D1 LEADERSHIP GROUP GENERAL BUSINESS MEETING MAY 16, 2026 AT THE CYPRESS COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER

Bob Levy opened the meeting at 9:06 a.m.
Tribute to Ron Diridon for long-term commitment to public service.

Meeting Attendees present: D1 Leadership Group Steering Committee Officers: Bob
Levy, Chair; Amy Cody, Vice-Chair; Gary Smith, Secretary; and Jerry Giles, Treasurer.
D1 Leadership Group Steering Committee Members-at Large present: Gary Cunningham.

D1 Leadership Group members present: Elizabeth Guimarin, Judy Levy, Steve Ling,
Barbara Morrey, Sarah Moffatt, Daphna Wolfe, Lloyd Bass, Barbara Emerson, Chris
Giangreco, Betty Kabanek, James Reeves, Greg Krisfalusy, Ma JJhe’s O, Wyman Png.
Elected Officials present: Councilmember Rosemary Kamei.
City Staff Present: Paul Pereira, Beautify San Jose – Division Manager; Koby Lopez, City of
San Jose District 1 Council office; Jerad Ferguson, (Speaker on Agenda item) San Jose
Planning Department; Captain Tran, (Speaker on Agenda item) San Jose Police
Department. D1 Leadership Group student representative present: Timothy Choy (Prospect High
School – Saratoga).

A meeting quorum was present (at least nine D1LG member organizations and at least
two D1 LG Steering Committee members).

Minutes approval from D1LG General Membership Meeting of March 21, 2026. A motion
by Gary Cunningham and seconded by Elizabeth Guimarin, including a bylaw change noted in meeting
minutes of March 21, 2026, both approved in one motion.

Treasurer’s Report given by Jerry Giles: $ 8,859 balance. Grant process will or may be
impacted by changing rules from City of San Jose for what qualifies for reimbursement of
grant funds received by D1 LG – such as neighborhood block parties on a private residence
in District 1, including a permission slip submitted to City of San Jose for each venue
(neighborhood) seeking reimbursement of expenses such as for a National Night Out or
neighborhood block party. BeautifySJ budget was cut in Cycle 8 (current BeautifySJ fiscal year)
and their budget will be cut again next year (Cycle 9); however, these budget cuts do not apply to BeautifySJ grants.

Speakers: Jerad Ferguson , San Jose Planning Department: General Plan 4-year plan,
8-yr housing plan 2023 to 2031. The General Plan review this time focuses on housing.
Urban Village Plan: three main strategies. Two Calif. state senate bills SB9 and SB1123.
Proposing 35 feet three-story height in single-family-home neighborhoods. Four-year process is overseen by San
Jose Planning Commission. Second of four meetings will be next week. Also, June 24
Planning Commission; Aug 18 SJ City Council re GP changes; returning to City Council in
Jan. 2027. Also, there’s an online engagement method. Current GP is thru 2040.

Timeline of Saratoga Avenue Urban Village; two workshops to date; paring with the four-year
review. Public Hall meeting on May 27, at 6 pm at Cypress Senior Center to focus on transportation issues of Saratoga Avenue Urban Village.

Jerry Giles commented on two or three very large residential developments and the
impacts they will likely have on a proposal on May 24 at SJ City Council. Amy Cody
commented. Also, a point brought up that SB79 may not impact transportation.

Speakers: Councilmember Rosemary Kamei gave a report. City Council focusing on
City’s budget. This year, budget focuses on a contingency plan on an election outcome.
City of San Jose must pass a budget in June. Still some funds available left over from D1
Decides that can be used e.g. to reimburse neighborhood activities/events in District 1.

Reports : Commissioners:
Senior Commission Jerry Giles, gave a report; there are 10 members on the Senior
Commission.
SJ Measure T – Gary Cunningham gave a report on Measure T which is a bond measure –
there’s an oversight committee which is appointed; 10 members for each of 10 city districts
plus five others all are appointed by City Council, All $650,000,000 amount of bonds,
authorized by San Jose Measure T have been issued. Traffic, public safety, parks are
among 22 areas that are under five categories. Roads are the biggest funding cost. Funds
have to be spent in three years. Of 10 public safety projects, three have been completed.

Emergency Preparation: Elizabeth Guimarin gave a report sjncert.org are trained volunteers sjncert@gmail.com. A radio team was formed earlier this year. Greg Krisfalusy (present at this D1LG meeting) is appointed by San Jose CERT as command post radio operator for District 1 with radio check-ins monthly for D1. Sarah Moffatt (present at this meeting) is hosting on June 20 a HAM radio licensing class.

Village Hub certaintogether.org demos are available for neighborhood associations. See
Elizabeth Guimarin to schedule a demo. Good to include a Village Hub demo with another event.

Guest Speakers: Captain Tran, San Jose Police Department, gave a report: why
redistricting of San Jose Police Department. Beats report to departments. Four districts in
each division. There are 16 districts. City is going from 16 districts to 12. Will need 12
sergeants to cover 12 districts. There will be seven officers in each district. No more beats.
Now all four divisions will be more equitable. Goal is to be more efficient. D1 is in District
Nora. Goal is to improve response time; new method will go into effect this November.
There are four to five officers in SJD1 Nora, that number will increase to seven officers in
District Nora. Each police division has four Community Policing Officers, who attend
community meetings, and their primary duty is to respond to calls for service. Community
Service Officers’ role is different than Community Policing Officers. CSOs go out to collect
reports. Flock cameras continue to be used in San Jose.

Paul Pereira, Division Manager, BeautifySJ gave a report. $300,000 grant requests from
$150,000 available in most recent BeautifySJ grant program Cycle 8. BeautifySJ Grants unit
is trying to make it easier to apply. There will be an environmental sub group for grant
applications from independent groups within neighborhood groups. Grants are
handled by a division within BeautifySJ. A panel of five people review grant applications.
Petra Regera handles the BeautifySJ grant program.

Neighborhood Association Roundtable: Jerry Giles gave a report that the Lynhaven N.A.
held a combined meeting with a breakfast and a village hub demonstration.
Meeting adjourned at 11:11 a.m.
Next D1LG Meeting:
August 15, 2026 D1LG Picnic
September 19, 2026 at San Jose West Valley Branch Library