D1 L.G. BUSINESS MEETING 11.18.23 at Calabazas Park Community Room

Steve Ling opened the meeting at 9:15 am. Current officers were introduced. Steve Ling, Chair, Gary Cunningham, Vice-Chair, and Jerry Giles, Secretary. Betty Kabanek, Treasurer, and Doris Livezey, Member-at-Large, were absent.

Steve: Board officers introduced themselves and described their duties in each position. Chair spends 4 hours per month on meetings, and another 4 hours per month on other duties. Jerry: Secretary takes meeting notes, writes them up, and uploads them to the website. Checks D1 L.G. email and communicates those messages. Spends time on housing priority. Spends 100 hours per year or so. Treasurer’s job is to reconcile the bank, pay the bills, prepare the beautify grants and file it with UNSCC, and take in receipts. Spends 80 hours per year. Gary: Vice-Chair backs up Chair. Supports meetings, lines up speakers, and attends other neighborhood meetings throughout the district. Is Vice-Chair of citywide Leadership Group. Spends about 200 hours per year.

Steve: No treasurer’s report. Ask for approval of last meeting’s minutes. Minutes motion moved, 2nd, and unanimously approved.

Gary: The City’s All District Neighborhood Commission is in a state of flux. It does oversight of Measure B tax measure. Gets $40 to $50 million per year. Oversight has not been done for 4 years. He serves on the Measure T Bond Oversight Committee. Spending is behind schedule. If the City does not meet spending requirements within the time frame mandated by IRS rules, the bonds’ tax exempt status may be jeopardized.

Bob Levy: Advisor Committee on Stevens Creek Transportation Corridor. Investigating the future of transportation along Stevens Creek Blvd. Stevens Creek Blvd has a lot of community sites.

Steve: D1 priorities. Crime, Housing, Development, Community Representation, Utility, Recycling, Emergency Preparation. Gary: East side SJ community meetings are well attended. Westside districts need to organize.

Steve: Board Nominations. Current board is eligible for another two-year term. Bob L. nominated Steve another term as Chair. Amy C.: She’s willing to serve in the “at-Large” position. Ashta Singh: Interested in treasurer’s position. Gary Smith: Please clarify term limits. Steve: Person can serve 2-2yr consecutive terms, and serve in the same position after a 2yr absence. Carlin Black: Wants to be part of the Development priority. Amy C.: Wants Chris Giangrecco and Daphna Woolfe to be involved in Development. Gary Smith: Nominates current board for another 2 yr. term.

Steve: Neighborhood Roundtable:

Latanya Hilton, President of Archbishop Mitty H.S. Will Perez, Dean of Students at Archbishop Mitty H.S., also is responsible for security at Mitty. Supports students who want to be involved in community projects. Latanya: Students like to do beautification projects. Mitty Admin. wants to be good partners to community organizations. Suzanne Riegel of Moreland West N.A. started the N.A. & has been a resident since 1966. Dave Sargent: Lives near Bucknoll School. Traffic is terrible there. There is about 60 feet of sidewalk and curb missing on Westwood. It needs to be installed. It is the city’s responsibility. Elizabeth Guimarin: With San Tomas Park NA. She will work with Dave Sargent on his issue with SJ DOT. Held a neighborhood watch meeting. Has new non-profit, Silicon Valley Korean Development Organization. Has a homeless person in the park. He’s aggressive and uses drugs. People are afraid to use the park and restrooms. Many neighbors have reported these problems. No one will come from the city because it doesn’t present an immediate problem. Ashta S.: Encourages neighbors to complain and get aggressive-homeless relocated. Minh Nguyen: City is working on bicycle issues. J.R. Fruen: Recommends residents use the 311 app on your phone. Marc Pawliger: Drivers are getting used to 2 lanes instead of 3 on Saratoga Ave. Reiterated history of the Costco development on Prospect Ave. and neighbors concerns about the project. Costco is an unplanned Urban Village project. It is not transportation or light friendly. We hope the Costco DEIR comes out in early 2024. Amy Cody: Access to the offsite from Graves is a concern. Marc P.: There are many unknowns related to transportation issues along Saratoga Ave., the El Paseo site, and the Costco project. J.R. Fruen: City is conducting a review of all the projects. Marc P.: Costco needs to demonstrate that it is going to be a good neighbor. Gary Smith: English Estates NA President, SJ has designated E.E. NA for special support. Concerned about thousands of cars impacting the Lawrence Expressway/Prospect Road area due to Costco. Bob Levy: Our NA has not been active. Ashta S.: Eden Had 450 people at summer picnic. Had a good dumpster day event. Able to get 450 people out by reaching out to neighbors via email and door-to-door meeting. Steve L.: President of Strawberry Park N.A. It has been quiet, but we have done driveway parties. Having a place to meet and getting a bank account have been a big challenge. Gary C.: President of Strawberry Square Homeowners Association. Have seen a lessening of crime, but also some flooding along Moorpark. Have bad traffic backup at the Saratoga Ave. Moorpark intersection. Homeless issue is still big. Steve L.: Drivers have been courteous along Moorpark to Mitty. Barbara Moore: Westside NA has been inactive. Amy C.: Moreland West NA. Hosted a meeting with Marc Berman. Trying to get bike lanes on San Tomas Aquino Road. Had a fall gathering with 70 participants. Holding an annual meeting in late November. Would like council office to hold a shredding event. Amy was recognized in Mayor Mahan’s state of the city event. Jerry G.: Lynhaven not active. People reticent to participate. Small crime still an issue. We would like people to get involved with officers’ positions. Mitty area shooting didn’t get addressed by the D1 Council Office. People are frustrated with homeless and petty crime.

Captain Torres: Police did respond to Mitty issue in a timely manner as perpetrators had left the scene. It was priority 2 response. Priority 2 takes 28 minutes. Police responded within 28 minutes. Steve L.: Asked Capt. Torres about crime reduction, police response time, and crime trends in D1. Captain Torres: Is responsible for the Western Region (101 to 280 to De Anza Blvd.). Western Region has the highest rate of crime. Curtner/Monterrey has high crime rate. D1 has one of the lowest rates. S.J. has 1,050 police officers. Getting officers is a nation-wide problem. Winchester/Cadillac is one of the crime hot spots in D1 due to gangs. Gang activity even reaches the elementary school level. Westgate Mall is the next worse crime spot. Dept. is 100 officers short. After gangs, robberies etc. are the next worse problem in D1. Number three is traffic. He has created a walking beat at Westgate Mall. Wants to keep walking beat at that mall. Next year the chief has requested an additional 8 officers. Response time: 1 person under attack (8 min is the response time). Priority 2: burglar has just left. Perpetrator is gone (28 min response time). Priority 3: Very loud house party (No response time given). Priority 4: Loud house party (No response time given). Elizabeth Guimarin.: Person who lives in the park who is verbally aggressive to people in the park. Captain Torres: This is a 2 or 3 priority. He needs time/date of aggression to assess the problem. Dept. is looking to redistrict police districts. Speaker from Country Lane: What is the coordination between Sheriff and SJ police? Captain Torres: It is all based on whether the problem is within city or county boundaries.

D1 Council Office Staff Reports:
J.R. Fruen: Please subscribe to newsletter. Email him to subscribe. Alex: Tree planting at Starbird on 12/2. Sara Phu: Planning a community outreach meeting in January regarding redistricting policing areas in S.J.

Meeting Adjourned at 11:00 am by Steve Ling.