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Santa Clara City Council Preview: $600 Million Bond Measure and Grand Jury Report to be Discussed – With One Major Finding Omitted

By Robert Haugh 

Tuesday’s Santa Clara City Council meeting has a couple major  items on the agenda: the City’s unfavorable $600 million bond measure for the November ballot and a public discussion of the Grand Jury report, “Irreconcilable Differences.”

Interestingly, the City staff report on the Grand Jury report leaves out Finding 5. 

What was Finding 5? 

Finding 5: Councilmembers Becker and Park have engaged in unethical behavior on the dais by insulting, humiliating, and intimidating constituents and volunteers. Councilmembers Becker and Hardy explicitly encourage this behavior by laughing, snickering, or eye-rolling. Councilmembers Becker, Park, Hardy, Jain, and Chahal implicitly encourage these behaviors by failing to call out inappropriate conduct.

That’s an interesting Finding to omit.

Here are the key agenda items:

  • Ceremony for the Friendship City Renewal Between the City of Santa Clara and Icheon City
  • Recognition of the recipients of the Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures Scholarship program at Mission College
  • Recognition of the Santa Clara Women’s League Donation of $12,000 to support the Senior Center Health & Wellness Case Management program and the “Be Strong, Live Long 2024” Health & Wellness Fair
  • Discussion, consideration, and direction to Staff regarding actions to be taken in response to the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report “Irreconcilable Differences: Santa Clara City Council”
  • A. Discussion and potential actions related to proposed November 2024 Ballot Measure authorizing the Issuance of General Obligation Bond Debt to Fund Public Infrastructure; B. Discussion and Council Direction on a proposed Charter Amendment regarding Public Works Procurement [Charter Section 1310] to update the City’s Public Works Bidding and Contracting Authority, Allow for Design-Build Projects and implement other technical changes
  • Action: (1) Authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute a 20 MW Power Purchase Agreement with Bloom Energy to supply power to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and a separate offtake agreement with AWS; and (2) Authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute up to an additional 80 MW of Power Purchase Agreements with qualified vendors for in-City generation solutions and all needed agreements with customers.
  • Authorize the City Manager to execute a Purchase and Sale agreement with Feather River Land Trust for the Loyalton property. 

7 comments

  1. Burt,

    Councilpersons Watanabe, Park, Suds, and Tony have terms expiring December 2024. As we b*t*h and moan about the affairs of Santa Clara in this forum, nothing will change if the 49er Five are not displaced. I tried to seek how to apply for candidacy for city council on the City of Santa Clara website and could not find anything. Leads me to believe those empowered show no transparency how a Santa Claran who might challenge any dominance of corrupt politics. It’s okay. Leaving Santa Clara like many others is looking like a smart path to prosperity, like many retired Santa Clara City employees I know. I surmise that is the plan.

    Reply

    • Dear Community,

      I am of the Understanding that in order to RUN OF CITY OFFICE, One must contact the City Clerk Office.

      That is how I started my short at City Council here in San Jose.

      Though I did lose, I only spent $7,000.00 of my own money.

      Councilmember CARRASCOS used over $50,000.00 to beat me, there was Dollars from Kevin Deleon and Sacramento involved, plus the lies from the Mercury news.

      My point is this,even if you run a honest campaign, if you are squeaky clean, the Media that does not support you, will attack you and you family with lies.

      I have all the facts.

      They have lies.

      This is my opinion.

      I am always open for discussion.

      In Community Spirit,
      Danny Garza Ironworkrdanny@yahoo.com

      Reply

  2. Here is a happy thought!
    You wake up November 6th and The Residents of Santa Clara who voted on November 5th did a truly great thing. They voted into office people who really want to represent the residents of our City.
    Why are so many of us so confident wen will get our City back. Just look at the results of the last election when both Measure A and Measure B were CRUSHED!!!
    So what do we do before this next November elections?
    1. Meet your Neighbors
    2. Ask if they are a registered voter.
    3. If not registered yet, point them in the right direction. Help them get registered. Remember Oct 21st is a key date. All this has to be done a min 15 days before the November 5th election .
    4. Volunteer to walk Districts to help educate the masses of people.
    5. Then vote early and continue to help other vote right up to Nov 5th.
    6. Understand 100% the 49ers will say / do whatever they need to say / do to hold onto the control of our City.
    7. When you see Mayor Gillmor and our Lone Santa Clara City Council Member Watanabe, shake their hands and tell them thank you.
    We should be naming streets and buildings after them…..
    Until then…
    Expect the worse the 49ers have to offer. They have literally Millions at stake here.

    Burt Field

    Reply

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