Happy Silicon Valley Pride!

• Support for missing middle housing density studies
• Advocacy for local density bonus program to retain local control
• Promotion of traffic safety near schools
• Encouragement of community involvement in school property planning

• General Plan 4-Year Review housing policy updates
• Local density bonus program proposal
• San José Unified school consolidations and attendance boundary updates
• Electronic message board campaign for school zone safety

• 51st Silicon Valley Pride parade
• Council meeting on General Plan housing discussion
• Virtual information sessions for Asset Management Advisory Committee
• School Board approval of school consolidations in March 2026

Email from District 3 Learn about community events coming to your neighborhood in your District 3 newsletter. Dear neighbors, Unfortunately, I need to begin today’s letter on a somber note. Earlier this week, we received word that a Department of Transportation employee was killed in a traffic accident while repairing a street light. Our condolences go out to his family, friends, and colleagues. We urge everyone to slow down and keep your eyes on the road, especially when there’s road work in progress. Our thoughts are also with the officer who was injured Tuesday evening in the line of duty near Tamien Station. They are currently recuperating at Valley Medical Center. Please keep the officer and their loved ones in your thoughts as we hope for a swift recovery. Our City employees are public servants who work every day to make our streets and communities safer for everyone; they deserve not only our gratitude, but our support. In happier news, this weekend marks the 51st anniversary of Silicon Valley Pride! There’s still time to march with me and the D3 team in the parade this Sunday. If you’d like to join in the festivities, you can meet us from 9:30 to 10:30am at North Julian Street, east of Market Street, on Sunday. I also want to provide some staffing updates for the District 3 office. I’m happy to share that my Deputy Chief of Staff and communications director, Elizabeth, is going on maternity leave. I know she has worked with many of you on constituent issues and organizing office events, so please join me and the whole team in wishing her well with her growing family. She’ll be back early next year! In the meantime, we’re excited to welcome Jennifer, who will be joining the team during Elizabeth’s absence, as well as our new intern from San José State, Brooke. Please give them both a warm welcome as they help our office deliver the high standard of service that our District 3 neighbors deserve. See you at Pride this weekend! Yours in community, General Plan As I was preparing for last week’s Council meeting, I saw a headline that really put the stakes of the Council’s housing discussion into context: yet another study recently found that San José is the least affordable city in the world to purchase a home. That context is important, because the General Plan changes we discussed last week will be critical as we work to make San José a more affordable city for all our families and residents. During the meeting, the Council directed staff to study a range of possible densities for “missing middle” housing ranging, roughly, from duplexes to fourplexes. The Council also directed staff to explore legalizing small neighborhood retail uses like corner grocery stores, and to develop objective design standards to ensure we’re building in a way that meets the needs of our neighborhoods. The Council also moved forward with a proposal I spearheaded to develop a local density bonus program that would incentivize builders to work within the City’s height and design standards rather than using state law to waive local requirements. The goal is to match the density already permitted under state law while providing the City with greater local control to ensure new development meets the needs of our neighborhoods. I know this is a discussion that many in our community feel strongly about, but the fact is we don’t have the option of doing nothing. The state requires us to implement certain policies to ensure we’re meeting our housing goals, including policies to increase allowed densities throughout the city. Should we fail to implement those policies, we risk incurring a wide range of penalties including fines, loss of grant funding, and the complete loss of local control over residential zoning and permitting. It’s also important to note that under state laws like SB 9, developers can already build up to four units on all single-family lots throughout the city. The decisions the Council made last week will allow us to meet that state-mandated minimum while developing a missing middle program that works for our neighborhoods and communities. That being said, this process isn’t just about avoiding state penalties and retaining local control: it’s about supporting the residents who for years have been bearing the brunt of our housing affordability crisis. That includes the thousands of teachers, public servants, healthcare workers, and other working-class families that continue to be priced out of the city they have long called home. None of us want to live in a city where seniors are separated from their grandchildren, or where schools are forced to shutter because families can’t afford to raise children in our community. The General Plan 4-Year Review process gives us an opportunity to change that status quo and build a city where our families can live and thrive. I pledge to continue working to make that vision a reality for our residents. Slow down for students headed back to school! Back-to-school season is here! We know school drop-offs, especially at the beginning of the year, can be chaotic and filled with traffic. To remind everyone that students are back in school, DOT has set up electronic message boards close to school zones. These boards contain short messages, like “Students back in school” and “Slow down,” in English and Spanish. You can find these message boards at locations near schools throughout the month of August. We also suggest watching this short video on practicing traffic safety in a school zone: bit.ly/bts-safety-reel. To learn more about this electronic message board campaign, visit bit.ly/bts-campaign-26. Help Shape the Future Use of San José Unified Properties During the 2025–2026 school year, San José Unified ran the Schools of Tomorrow process to proactively address declining enrollment and plan for the future needs of our students. Based on recommendations from public committees of parents, teachers, and staff, the Board of Education approved school consolidations, updated attendance boundaries, and program relocations in March 2026 to expand student opportunities, facilitate staff collaboration, and enhance equity districtwide. The Board of Education has formed an Asset Management Advisory Committee to review facility-and-property-related data, gather community input during open public meetings, and recommend uses for the closed school campuses to the Board of Education. San José Unified is actively seeking local residents – including representatives of neighborhood associations, members of the business community, and community members with relevant expertise – to serve on the committee. If you would like to apply for the committee, please do the following by September 4, 2026 at 5:00 PM: review the application process and selection criteria available in English and Spanish; read the committee bylaws available in English and Spanish; register for and attend one of two virtual information sessions; and complete the application. September is Transit Month in the Bay Area, and VTA SmartCommute is making every transit trip a little more rewarding. Starting September 1, take transit — bus, light rail, shuttle, or train — and log your trips in the VTACommute app for a chance to win e-gift cards. Get ready now by downloading or signing in to the VTACommute app. Winners will be announced on October 1, 2026, so share your rides on social media using #VTATransitMonth and help inspire others to give transit a try. Apply to be a Creative Ambassador Up to three Creative Ambassadors will be selected for the 2027 term. Each Ambassador will receive a stipend of $12,000 to develop and implement an approved creative expression project within the Ambassador’s term. The role of the Creative Ambassador is to champion the power of creative expression and engage members of the public in finding their own creative voice. The Creative Ambassador’s efforts will seek to recognize, celebrate, and promote diverse creative experiences citywide. Ambassadors serve a one-year term from January 1st through December 31st, during which they produce a creative project that invites active participation from residents and celebrates the diversity of San Jose's cultural communities. Click here to learn more and apply! The new and improved Fire Station 8 opened yesterday in a ceremony featuring leaders and neighbors from across District 3. This larger and modernized station, funded by Measure T dollars, will empower those who sacrifice so much for our city to more effectively serve and protect our communities. It isn’t lost on me that Station 8 is opening the same week that a devastating fire destroyed a business in the SoFA district, and I’m grateful to the men and women of the San José Fire Department for preventing injuries and containing the blaze. The neighborhoods surrounding the station contain high rises and older buildings that pose increased fire risks, but it’s investments just like Fire Station 8 that will allow our first responders to adapt to crises and keep our residents safe. On Wednesday, I helped raise the flag in honor of Silicon Valley Pride with the Mayor, Vice Mayor, my fellow Councilmembers, Silicon Valley Pride, and the Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus. Despite the ongoing attacks by the federal government against the queer community, it brings me hope to see action at the local level to elevate and ally with LGBTQIA+ folks right here in San José. Events like these send a signal—all are welcome in the South Bay, and elected leaders must support and stand alongside the marginalized. I hope to see you at the parade this weekend to continue this week of celebration! Earlier this year, we celebrated the grand opening of 135 affordable homes at Tamien Station Apartments. Those who know me know that I’m passionate about housing and land use policies that make life in our city more sustainable and affordable for our families. That’s why I was delighted to be back last week with my colleague Councilmember Campos to celebrate a childcare center that will be a critical part of this burgeoning new neighborhood, helping ensure it will be a place where children can learn, grow, and thrive. Thank you to everyone who joined us to refresh the rainbow crosswalks in the Qmunity District last weekend! There are a lot of ways you could’ve spent your Saturday morning, but I’m so grateful that you took the time to take pride in our downtown and help make it a more vibrant, colorful, and welcoming place. A fresh coat of paint right before Silicon Valley Pride is just what the neighborhood needed. For generations, Portuguese immigrants have called San José’s Little Portugal neighborhood home. It was so wonderful to see a new generation find new ways to celebrate Portuguese-American culture with the Battle of the Bifanas! I enjoyed stopping by and celebrating with good food, good friends, and a little friendly competition. Congratulations to MLV NorCal on bringing professional women’s volleyball to San José and giving our community a new team to cheer for. A special congratulations and thank you to the San José Sports Authority, Team San José, and all of the partners who helped make this exciting moment possible. We can’t wait to see these incredible athletes take the court at Tech CU Arena and represent San José! Recently, I joined residents and representatives from Valley Water and the Department of Environmental Services to learn more about conditions in Coyote Creek and to observe large woody debris obstructing various sections of the waterway. It can be tricky to distinguish fallen trees that constitute wildlife habitats from those that qualify as blockages, and I’m grateful to Environmental Services staff for their informative briefings on this issue. This isn’t my first trip to Coyote Creek, and it certainly won’t be the last, as I hope to return to partner on cleanup efforts soon. I look forward to working with residents, Valley Water, and the State Water Resources Control Board to come up with solutions that keep our natural environment intact and our residents safe. Do you have an event you'd like to share with our D3 neighbors? Send the details to district3@sanjoseca.gov for consideration in our newsletter! District 3 | 200 E SANTA CLARA ST | SAN JOSE, CA 95113 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice