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Santa Clara County Government Digest



California’s Largest New Reservoir Project in 50 Years Gains Momentum

03/17/2024

Last weekend, President Biden signed a package of bills that included $205 million in construction funding for Sites Reservoir, a proposed $4.5 billion project planned for the rolling ranchlands  west of the town of Maxwell, about 70 miles north of Sacramento.

Board of Supervisors Approves Expanded Sanborn Park

03/17/2024

Sanborn expansion
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of a plot of land in unincorporated Saratoga that would expand Sanborn County Park.
The acquisition of the 103-acre property off Congress Springs Road will allow for the creation of a new publicly accessible trail that will lead to a historic area of the park, according to a March 11 press release from Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian's office.
“This is an exciting opportunity to expand a beloved park,” Simitian said. “Not only will we be preserving open space, but folks will have a new opportunity to access a piece of our county’s history as well as enjoy the outdoors.”
The action also comes after the board of supervisors voted in late January to restrict parking on Black Road near the entrance to the John Nicholas Trailhead at Sanborn County Park to improve traffic congestion.
Sanborn County Park, which is open to the public for camping, hiking and picnicking, is located just north of Skyline Boulevard.
Local Coca-Cola scholar
Saratoga High School senior Zeyneb Kaya was named a national 2024 Coca-Cola scholar, according to a press release from the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District.
Kaya will receive a $20,000 scholarship and an invitation to attend the Coca-Cola Scholars Weekend in Atlanta this April. Selected from over 100,000 other applicants, Kaya will join the cohort of 150 Coca-Cola scholars across the country this year who have been recognized and awarded thousands of dollars in scholarship money. Senior Brad Ma was also selected as a finalist for the competition this year.
Kaya was previously named a 2024 Regeneron Science Talent Scholar for an algorithm she designed that sought to improve language processing models for artificial intelligence that could aid in the preservation of endangered languages.

California Unlikely to Meet Landmark Goals for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

03/15/2024

California will miss its goals unless it can increase emission reductions threefold, according to a new study.

Border Patrol Is Dropping Off Hundreds of Migrants at San Diego Trolley Station

02/27/2024

“Street releases” have resumed after the nonprofit that operated a migrant welcome center announced its “finite resources have been stretched to the limit.”

With State Approval, Rancho Palos Verdes to Fast-Track Landslide Mitigation

02/26/2024

State officials determined that Rancho Palos Verdes can utilize an already-established state of emergency to expedite landslide stabilization efforts as the crisis escalates.

Upcoming San Jose Budget Avoids Shortfall—for Now

02/22/2024

Contrary to prior predictions, San Jose will not see a budget shortfall this upcoming fiscal year. The city is in better financial shape than expected for the 2024-25 budget.

California’s Polluted Communities Could Miss Out on Billions Under Flawed System

02/22/2024

The state’s environmental tool skews which communities are designated as disadvantaged, researchers say. Some immigrant neighborhoods could be left out, while other groups are overrepresented.

City of Milpitas and ProTech Employee Group Reach New Agreement

02/20/2024

After months of negotiations, the city and the Milpitas Professional and Technical Group—made up of office and recreation services assistants, enforcement officers, and accounting techs—have forged a new agreement.

Saratoga Library to Become Official Passport Facility This Fall

02/18/2024

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to make the Saratoga Library an official passport facility, part of a broader effort to offer passport services at the Milpitas, Cupertino and Los Altos libraries.

Los Gatos Council Sets Priorities: Financial Prudence, Safety, Traffic

02/15/2024

The Los Gatos Town Council set its priorities for the next two years—including prudent financial management, safety, quality of life and traffic and transportation—at a special council meeting on Feb. 13.

Santa Clara Voters to Weigh Electing Police Chief

02/14/2024

Voters in Santa Clara will decide in March if they want to continue electing their police chief and city clerk or change the process.

Conservation Groups Initiate Legal Action Against Feds for Failing to Protect Wolves

02/07/2024

Ten conservation groups filed an intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its failure to list western wolves under the Endangered Species Act.

How a City Is Organized Can Create Less-Biased Citizens

02/07/2024

A study in the latest issue of Nature Communications helps explain why there is more unconscious, or implicit, racial bias in some cities than others.

Councilwoman’s Request for a $3,000 Trip Is Rejected

01/28/2024

The Los Altos City Council has denied Councilmember Lynette Lee Eng’s request to go on a $3,000 city-funded trip to a conference in Washington, D.C.

California Gave Fast Food Workers a Seat at the Table. What Comes Next?

01/28/2024

A first-in-the-nation council will set work rules in the state’s fast food industry, but can labor and business agree?

L.A. Is Being ‘Stripped for Parts.’ Here’s What the City Council Wants to Do About It

01/26/2024

Among growing concern over copper wire thefts, L.A. City Councilmembers Kevin de LeĂłn and Traci Park proposed a task force anchored by the LAPD.

A Guide to License Plates

01/23/2024

The numbers and letters on your car can reveal more than you think.

Will $20 Minimum Wage Crush Fast Food in California?

01/22/2024

Fast food lives in a consumer sweet spot: demand, convenience and relative affordability. And this pay hike—equal to minimum wage increases during the past five years—will create grand economic unknowns.

How California Budget Rules Can Prevent Saving for a Rainy Day—and Why Newsom Wants to Change That

01/21/2024

The swing from a $100 billion surplus to a deficit somewhere between $38 and $68 billion in just two years illustrates the volatility of California’s tax system.

California Court Ruling Could Threaten Key Source of Funding for Disputed Delta Water Tunnel Project

01/19/2024

A California judge says a nearly 65-year-old law does not give the state permission to borrow the billions of dollars it would need to build a large water project.

Newsom Blocks Proposed Ban on Youth Tackle Football

01/17/2024

Proposed California legislation that would ban tackle football for kids under 12 had gained momentum until Gov. Gavin Newsom made it clear he’d veto the bill.

Program to Clear Encampments Shows Signs of Success, But Housing Remains Elusive

01/16/2024

A multi-year, $750 million California program aimed at doing away with homeless encampments has had mixed results. Local leaders say ongoing funding is needed.

Fourth Graders Might Lose Free Access to California State Parks

01/12/2024

California’s projected budget deficit of close to $38 billion likely means some cuts are coming. Among them, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed ending the California State Park Adventure Pass, which offers free access to some state parks for fourth graders.

LAPD Chief Announces Departure at End of February

01/12/2024

Michel Moore, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, announced he will resign. The departure of Moore, who has been in the job since 2018, will spur the appointment of an interim chief and a nationwide search for his replacement, according to Mayor Karen Bass.

Newsom Pitches Spending $22M to Fight Fruit Flies

01/10/2024

California farmers face challenges posed by multiple types of fruit flies. Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed spending just over $22 million to combat the spread of these flies.

Cal State Faculty Reject 'Final' Pay Offer, Set Strike For Jan. 22

01/09/2024

After months of negotiations, university officials offer a 5% pay raise. The union is seeking 12 percent and plans to strike at the end of January.

Gaza Ceasefire Resolution Advances in San Francisco

01/08/2024

A committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 2-1 to advance a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The vote came following a tense public hearing.

State Trying to Use Generative AI to Reduce Traffic

01/08/2024

Caltrans has set a Jan. 25 deadline for tech companies to show how generative artificial intelligence might reduce traffic congestion in the state. This follows an executive order that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September related to this type of AI.

Newsom Sets March 19 Special Election to Fill McCarthy’s Seat

01/08/2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for a March 19 primary to elect a replacement for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who resigned from Congress in December. If a candidate doesn’t win outright, a runoff will be held on May 21.

Kinder, Gentler Prison Guards Key to Newsom San Quentin Reform Plan

01/05/2024

California correctional officers train like ‘they are going to war’ to work in state prisons. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to transform San Quentin could require a kinder approach.

Sacramento Councilman Under Federal Indictment Resigns from Office

01/04/2024

Sean Loloee, a first-term Sacramento councilmember, has resigned from office—a move that came weeks after he was federally indicted on charges related to his business Viva Supermarkets.

Repairing Sidewalks Can Cost Property Owners Big in California

01/04/2024

California state law dictates that property owners are responsible for repairing damaged sidewalks. In Sacramento, this has left some owners facing bills of thousands of dollars or tax assessments from the city.

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