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MINUTES OF THE
JOINT MEETING OF THE RULES AND OPEN GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE AND
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
SAN JOSÉ, CALIFORNIA WEDNESDAY, MARCH18, 2026
The Committee meeting was held in the Council Chambers and convened at 2:00 p.m.
Present: Councilmembers - Cohen, Kamei, Foley, Doan, Candelas.
Absent: Councilmembers - None.
Staff: Lee Wilcox, Assistant City Manager, City Manager’s Office; Kevin Fisher, Assistant City Attorney, City Attorney’s Office; Joy Rodriguez, Assistant City Clerk, City Clerk’s Office; Rachelle Blattman, Senior Executive Analyst, City Manager’s Office; and Daniel Aguilar, Deputy City Clerk, City Clerk’s Office.
A. City Council (City Clerk)
1. Review March 24, 2026 Final Agenda
a) Add New Items to Final Agenda
b) Assign "Time Certain" to Agenda Items (if needed)
c) Review of Notice of Waiver Requirements for Agenda Items or Documents (if needed) Public Comment: None provided.
Action: Upon motion by Vice Mayor Pam Foley, seconded by Councilmember Bien Doan, and carried unanimously, the Committee approved the final agenda for the City Council meeting on March 24, 2026, including the add sheet. (5-0-0)
2. Review March 31, 2026 Draft Agenda – Meeting Cancelled.
B. Consent Calendar
Public Comment: Brian Darby offered public comment.
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Rosemary Kamei, seconded by Councilmember Domingo Candelas, and carried unanimously, the Consent Calendar was approved as a whole, with the following actions taken as indicated. (5-0-0)
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1. The Public Record for March 5, 2026 - March 12, 2026. (City Clerk) Receive and file the Public Record for March 5, 2026 - March 12, 2026.
Action: The Public Record for March 5, 2026 – March 12, 2026, was received and filed. (5-0-0)
2. Deferred Maintenance and Infrastructure Backlog Study Session. (Public Works/City Manager)
Set a City Council Study Session entitled Deferred Maintenance and Infrastructure Backlog for Monday, April 13, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers and approve the Study Session agenda.
Action: A City Council Study Session entitled Deferred Maintenance and Infrastructure Backlog was set for Monday April 13, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers and the Study Session agenda was approved. (5-0-0)
3. From Ideation to Occupancy: A Guide to Building in San José, Permitting, Timelines, and Coordination Study Session. (Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement) Set a City Council Study Session entitled From Ideation to Occupancy: A Guide to Building in San José, Permitting, Timelines, and Coordination for Monday, April 20, 2026, from 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers and approve the Study Session agenda.
Action: A City Council Study Session entitled From Ideation to Occupancy: A Guide to Building in San José, Permitting, Timelines, and Coordination was set for Monday, April 20, 2026, from 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers and the Study Session agenda was approved. (5-0-0)
4. Approval of the Music in the Valley Festival Sponsored by Council District 9 as a City Council Sponsored Special Event to Expend City Funds and Accept Donations of Materials and Services for the Event. (Foley)
1. Approve the Music in the Valley Festival scheduled on May 2, 2026 as a City Council sponsored Special Event and approve the expenditure of funds.
2. Approve and accept donations from various individuals, businesses or community groups to support the event.
3. Place the item on the March 24, 2026 City Council Agenda for action.
Action: The Music in the Valley Festival sponsored by Council District 9 was approved for placement on the March 24, 2026 City Council agenda for action. (5-0-0)
5. Retroactive Approval of the Bay FC Tower and Rotunda Lighting Sponsored by Council District 2 as a City Council Sponsored Special Event to Expend City Funds and Accept Donations of Materials and Services for the Event. (Campos)
1. Retroactively approve the Bay FC Tower and Rotunda Lighting scheduled on March 9-14, 2026 as a City Council sponsored Special Event and approve the expenditure of funds.
2. Approve and accept donations from various individuals, businesses or community groups to support the event.
3. Place the item on the March 24, 2026 City Council Agenda for action.
Action: The Bay FC Tower and Rotunda lighting, sponsored by Council District 2, was retroactively approved for placement on the March 24, 2026 City Council agenda for action. (5-0-0) C. Rules Committee Reviews, Recommendations and Approvals
1. Al Fresco 2.0. (Ortiz, Tordillos, Kamei, Cohen, and Mulcahy)
1. Direct the City Manager’s Office to:
a. Explore permanently re-establishing the Al Fresco outdoor dining program in the City of San José, for supporting economic development and small businesses in designated growth areas, including Greater Downtown San José, Urban Villages, and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). i. Evaluate opportunities to modernize and expand the program beyond basic table-and-chair setups by establishing a clear, predictable permitting pathway for more complex outdoor dining configurations: such as patios, railings, pergolas, and semi-permanent structures, while maintaining a low-barrier, by-right process for simpler installations, and review best practices from peer cities, including San Francisco’s Shared Spaces Manual, to inform the development of clear design standards and streamlined administrative processes.
b. Designate Public Works staff to serve as a coordinator for Al Fresco and outdoor dining applications, responsible for facilitating interdepartmental review and ensuring timely coordination among Public Works, Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement, Fire, Transportation, and any other relevant departments, to reduce duplicative review, minimize delays, and provide applicants with an understandable and consistent permitting pathway.
Councilmember Rosemary Kamei introduced the item and brought forward the recommendation as outlined in the March 12, 2026 joint memorandum co-authored by Councilmember Ortiz, Councilmember Tordillos, Councilmember Kamei, Councilmember Cohen, and Councilmember Mulcahy.
Public Comment: None provided.
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Rosemary Kamei, seconded by Councilmember Bien Doan, and carried unanimously, the City Manager’s Office is directed to return to the April 1, 2026 Rules and Open Government Committee with a Workload Analysis. (5-0-0)
2. Request to Add a Resolution on Higher Education to the City Council Meeting Agenda of March 24, 2026. (Kamei and Cohen)
1. Consider a Draft Resolution of the City Council of the City of San José Declaring its Commitment to Opposing the Coercion of Colleges and Universities.
2. Add the Draft Resolution of the City Council of the City of San José to the City Council Agenda for its regular meeting of March 24, 2026.
3. Authorize the City Attorney’s Office to make such formatting and non-substantive changes and additions to the said Draft Resolution as it deems appropriate or necessary.
Councilmember Rosemary Kamei introduced the item, and brought forward the recommendation, as outlined in the March 12, 2026 joint memorandum co-authored by Councilmember Kamei and Councilmember Cohen.
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Public Comment: Ma’Kayla, KC Woods, Tom Adams, and Brian Darby offered public comment.
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Rosemary Kamei, seconded by Councilmember Domingo Candelas, and carried unanimously, the request to add a resolution on higher education to the City Council meeting agenda of March 24, 2026, was approved. (5-0-0) D. Open Forum
1. Brian Darby offered public comment regarding victims of abuse and accountability.
E. Adjournment
Chair David Cohen adjourned the Committee meeting at 2:19 p.m.
Minutes Recorded, Prepared, and Respectfully Submitted by, ______________________________________
Daniel Aguilar
Deputy City Clerk, City of San José
Approved at Council on:
Number of actions: 4
Attest by:
______________________________________
Toni J. Taber, MMC
City Clerk, City of San José
4/7/2026