Outlook
FW: Public comment for item 2.24 to be heard by City Council today FromCity Clerk <[email protected]>
Date Tue 11/18/2025 7:14 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Sole, Jeanne <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 5:23 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Public comment for item 2.24 to be heard by City Council today
I am Jeanne Sole, candidate for the Federated Retirement Board. I applied because I care deeply about San Jose, and, as an employee, have a personal interest in a sound retirement system.
My objectives are:
Identifying and putting into place solutions to the low funding ratio so that employees and retirees have more certainty as to their retirement benefits; Communicating in a timely manner, accurately and clearly so that employees and policy makers can make responsible decisions and plan; and
Balancing the needs of future and current employees and retirees so that employees can retire with dignity and the City can continue to attract a competent, committed work force.
Experience:
I have over thirty-five years of experience in the electric industry and markets, which are among the most complex and volatile in the world.
Over half my experience is at the local government level.
Most recently, at San Jose Clean Energy, with the support of the City and the Department of Energy team, I built and managed a portfolio of electricity contracts currently worth more than $3 billion.
I was in at the beginning and had buy power to meet the demand of San Jose citizens and businesses from a blank slate to full service within months (which is highly unusual).
We have continued to provide reasonable power to the citizens and businesses of San Jose in the face of repeated and significant challenges such as a PG&E bankruptcy, a sudden and dramatic reduction in load due to the pandemic, supply chain shortages that made contracting with new projects extremely competitive, a run up on prices due to gas supply constraints resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, etc.
Throughout my career I have worked constructively with colleagues to address challenging problems, and keeping the focus on what really matters.
I am used to supervising consultants, including professionals with specialized skills, and I am used to judging performance based on reasonable metrics.
I am also unafraid to ask difficult questions. I am used to making difficult decisions, while maintaining good relations through explaining the context, being transparent, and giving people as much advance notice as possible.
11/18/25, 8:27 AM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 1/2 A few words about process, I am aware that there was an election and that out of 219 votes I got no more than 26. If I thought the process was adequate, I would accept that outcome. I understand that Brian Chi is a competent reasonable candidate.
However, I do not think the process is adequate. I mean no disrespect to the City Clerk who is just carrying out the process as designed; but regardless of who is seated on the Board, the process should be substantially improved.
To my knowledge there was, and typically is, no general announcement to the employees that a position on the retirement board was vacant. I learned of the opportunity only because I have a colleague on the board.
Although I filled out an application that was unreasonably extensive, none of that information went to the voters or to you. In fact, the ballot that went out did not even state my position. (Due to a technical glitch, my statement did not reach the clerk’s office until the Monday after the Friday when it was due, so that was not made available either.) To my knowledge no notice is given to the employees that a vote is underway though the normal modern City communication channels such as a email from the City Clerk or City Manager, and/or notice in payroll flyers.
Instead, to my knowledge, the only notice employees have of the election is snail mail, and the only mechanism to submit a vote is snail mail.
Unsurprisingly out of 5,905 ballots issued, only 219, or less than 4% were returned.
People care about their retirement. I expect that this level of participation results from the failure to make employees aware of this important opportunity.
Regardless of who is seated on the board, I urge that this problem be addressed.
Jeanne M. Solé
Principal Power Resources Specialist | Energy Department City of San José
200 East Santa Clara Street
San José, CA 95113
Office: 408.535.4867
[email protected]
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11/18/25, 8:27 AM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 2/2