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San Jose City Council
May 11, 2026

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Subject: REAL Coalition Solidarity Letter Calling to Protect Affordability, Equity, and Community Stability in the FY 26-27 Budget

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Dear Mayor Mahan, Vice Mayor Foley, Councilmembers, and City Staff, Please see the attached REAL Coalition Solidarity Letter calling to protect affordability, equity, and community stability in the FY26-27 budget, signed by 65 community-based nonprofit organizations and community leaders.

We look forward to your discussion on this topic.

Best,
Gianella Ordoñez | Policy + Advocacy Associate
Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits
| svcn.org| LinkedIn | Instagram
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Registration is open for SVCN's inaugural Nonprofit Convergence conference!

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April 22, 2026
San José City Council
San José City Hall
200 E. Santa Clara St.

San José, CA 95113
Sent via electronic mail

Protect Affordability, Equity, and Community Stability in the FY 2026–27 San José Budget
Dear Mayor Mahan, Vice Mayor Foley, and Members of the San José City Council:

We, the undersigned 65 organizations and community leaders, write in solidarity to urge the City of San José to protect and strengthen the programs and services that help residents remain housed, safe, and economically stable during the FY 2026–27 budget process.

Affordability Context
We recognize that this is a difficult budget year. We also recognize that budget decisions are not neutral. In a city facing deep affordability challenges, cuts to prevention, stabilization, and community-based services will fall hardest on those already carrying the greatest burdens, particularly Black residents, Latino residents, immigrant communities, older adults and people with disabilities, low-income families, and residents in historically underinvested neighborhoods.

As the City navigates a challenging fiscal year, our broad coalition has worked to advance key priorities. The City Council’s vote on the March Budget Message marked important progress, such as moving forward Working Families Housing, an innovative approach to financing new homes. At the same time, we urge the Council to consider and act on additional community priorities in the coming months.

Solidarity Letter re: Protecting Affordability in FY27 San José Budget, April 22, 2026

Page 2 ends

San José residents continue to make one thing clear: affordability is the defining challenge facing our city. At a time when families are struggling with housing costs, childcare costs, economic insecurity, and fear of displacement, the City must do more – not less – to protect the community supports that prevent crises and preserve stability.

Coalition Priorities
We therefore urge the City Council to prioritize the following investments and protections in the FY 2026–27 budget:

1. Fund an eviction representation pilot linked to displacement risk.

The City should fund a modest pilot that provides legal representation to tenants facing displacement. There are several strong approaches the City could take in designing this pilot. One option is to prioritize tenants in buildings with serious code enforcement issues or other indicators of high housing instability. Another option is to target the pilot geographically, focusing on census tracts with elevated eviction rates, high concentrations of renter households, and demonstrated displacement risk, consistent with recent analysis of eviction patterns in San José.

A geographically targeted approach would also advance the City’s racial equity goals. Available data shows that eviction filings are disproportionately concentrated in neighborhoods with higher shares of Black and Latino residents, meaning that targeted legal support would help address longstanding disparities in housing stability and reduce disproportionate harm to communities most impacted by displacement.

Another option is to provide legal services packaged with rent assistance to assist those in arrears on rent; this model was tested by the Law Foundation, the City of San José, and Santa Clara County, and found successful during the federal “sequester” cuts in 2013.

Moreover, fully staffing Code Enforcement and improving cost-recovery strategies in the code enforcement context could supplement other one-time revenue sources to fund a pilot.

Solidarity Letter re: Protecting Affordability in FY27 San José Budget, April 22, 2026

Page 3 ends

2. Preserve youth empowerment, violence prevention, and intervention services—including nonprofit programs such as BEST.

Community-based youth and violence prevention programs are essential public safety infrastructure. San José should preserve and strengthen these programs, not reduce them, especially in neighborhoods where young people and families rely on trusted nonprofit providers for stability, mentorship, and support.

Although intervention services are critically important, it is also important that early prevention services are also supported.

3. Sustain $1 million for immigrant protection services and ensure the Mayor fulfills his pledge to raise an additional $500,000 from philanthropy.

Know-Your-Rights education, legal services, and Rapid Response Network support are essential to the safety and stability of immigrant families at this moment.

These services should be fully funded and expanded through the promised philanthropic match.

4. Fully fund the Child and Youth Services Master Plan demonstration sites through FY27 by maintaining the $1 million funding for the Santee and Mayfair/Poco Way pilot projects. If San José is serious about advancing child and youth well-being, it must ensure that the demonstration sites move forward with full funding. These sites represent an important opportunity to invest in upstream family support and neighborhood stability. Both sites are on their way to create a cradle to career support system for children, youth, and their families; defunding the projects will destabilize current nonprofit investments, disrupt community engagement with youth and families, and jeopardize potential national partnerships.

5. Continue to supplement community-based TRUST services as the County faces another shortfall.

Community-based crisis response works. TRUST connects residents experiencing behavioral health crises to appropriate care without relying solely on police or emergency room response. TRUST was developed in response to community demands – particularly from the Black community and youth leaders in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement – as part of a Solidarity Letter re: Protecting Affordability in FY27 San José Budget, April 22, 2026

Page 4 ends

community-driven effort to reimagine public safety in San José. The City previously provided a modest contribution to support this model in partnership with the County; we urge the City to continue and strengthen that commitment, particularly as County resources tighten. Rolling back or underfunding TRUST would undermine the City’s commitments to that community-led process and erode the goal of building safer, more equitable responses to crises.

6. Do not cut older adult services again this year.

Older adult nutrition, legal assistance, wellness, and isolation-prevention services are critical to helping older adults remain healthy, housed, and connected. Cutting these services again would deepen instability for older adults, particularly those with disabilities who are uniquely vulnerable to displacement and hardship.

Critical Considerations
Broadly, we urge the Council to make budget choices that reflect the values of equity, prevention, and community stability. San José should not balance its budget on the backs of immigrant families, young people, older adults, tenants at risk of displacement, or residents experiencing crisis. The City must protect the programs that keep people housed, connected, and safe.

Consistent with these values, we strongly oppose proposals to charge fees to unhoused residents living in interim shelters. Requiring extremely low-income residents to pay for shelter is inconsistent with the goal of stabilization and risks making it harder for people to save money, regain footing, and transition into permanent housing.

We appreciate that the Mayor’s March Budget Message appeared to continue the Measure E set-aside for homelessness prevention assistance that helps households at risk of eviction or homelessness remain housed. That prevention funding is important and should be protected.

The City should explore additional revenue strategies and the strategic use of one-time funds and reserves to avoid reductions in services that serve the most vulnerable residents of our community that would be caused by avoidable and Solidarity Letter re: Protecting Affordability in FY27 San José Budget, April 22, 2026

Page 5 ends

harmful layoffs and cuts to nonprofit services. The City can and should position itself to best serve the entire community by prioritizing stability and protecting essential services.

Broad Community Alignment
Over the past several months, a broad set of community organizations and coalitions have put forward thoughtful, community-informed proposals related to the City’s budget and affordability priorities. These include, but are not limited to, the REAL Coalition’s STAY in San José framework, proposals from the organizations of the Sí Se Puede Collective, the Immigrant Protection and Empowerment Network (IPEN), Working Partnerships USA and the broader Labor community, SIREN, SV@Home and the housing advocacy community, the Save Our Seniors “SOS” Coalition, and Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ San José). While these efforts reflect different areas of focus, they consistently point in the same direction: San José must prioritize affordability, prevent displacement, and invest in community stability.

Thank you for your leadership and your consideration. We look forward to continuing to work together toward a San José where all residents can stay, belong, and thrive.

Sincerely,
Sarita Kohli
AACI

Deryk Clark
Advent Group Ministries

Milan Balinton
African American Community Service
Agency

Almaz Negash
African Diaspora Network
Sheri Burns
Aging Services Collaborative of Santa
Clara County

Jeremy Barousse
Amigos de Guadalupe Center for
Justice and Empowerment

Richard Konda
Asian Law Alliance

Solidarity Letter re: Protecting Affordability in FY27 San José Budget, April 22, 2026

Page 6 ends

Mary Cheryl B. Gloner
Asian Women Empowered

Elisa Koff-Ginsborg
Behavioral Health Community
Association (BHCA)

Josh Selo
Bill Wilson Center

Jahmal Williams
Black Leadership Kitchen Cabinet

Alex Shoor
Catalyze SV

Don Taylor
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara
County

Lauren Salciccia
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley

Gini Bossenbroek
Connection is Key

Lori Ramos Chavez
ConXion to Community

André Chapman
Fostering Promise

Nicole Arriaga
Fresh Lifelines for Youth

Loren Gissible
Gardner Health Services

Veronica Goei
Grail Family Services

Chuck Cantrell
Havensafe

Wesley Saver
HealthRIGHT 360

Gail Anne Osmer
Hands 4Helping

Ron Gonzales
Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley

Aila Malik
Hope Services

Teresa Gomez
Indian Health Center of Santa Clara
Valley

Susan Frazer
Jewish Family Services of Silicon
Valley

Rose Mukhar
Justice at Last

Joy Murrieta
Kids in Common

Solidarity Letter re: Protecting Affordability in FY27 San José Budget, April 22, 2026

Page 7 ends

Eunice Chun
Korean American Community
Services

Gabby Chavez-Lopez
Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley

Darcie Green
Latinas Contra Cancer

Brittany Alvarez
Latino Education Advancement
Foundation (LEAF)

Cynthia Chagolla
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley

Angelica Cortez
LEAD Filipino

Anjee-Helstrup-Alvarez
MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y
Cultura Latino Americana

Usha Srinivasan
Mosaic America

Colsaria Henderson
Next Door Solutions to Domestic
Violence

Eva Terrazas
Pacific Clinics

Dontae Lartigue
Razing the Bar

Poncho Guevara
Sacred Heart Community Service

Mary Helen Doherty
Sacred Heart Housing Action
Committee

Dorsey Moore
San Jose Conservation Corps

Wisa Uemura
San Jose Taiko

Louis Powell
Santa Maria Urban Ministry

Leslie Bacho
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

Kimberly Woo
Services, Immigrant Rights and
Education Network (SIREN)

Kyra Kazantzis
Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits

Sheri Burns
Silicon Valley Independent Living
Center

Michael Dao
SJSU Human Rights Institute

Sandy Perry
South Bay Community Land Trust
Solidarity Letter re: Protecting Affordability in FY27 San José Budget, April 22, 2026

Page 8 ends

Vicky Martin
South County Community Services

Regina Celestin Williams
SV@Home

Carlos Rosario
The Santa Clara County Black
Lawyers Association

Vicki Harrison
Santa Clara County Showing Up for
Racial Justice

Yvonne Maxwell
Ujima Adult and Family Services

Shawn Gerth
Veggielution

Philip Nguyen
Vietnamese American Roundtable

Cassandra Magana
West Valley Community Services

Jen Masuda
Yu-Ai Kai Japantown Community
Senior Center

Adriana Caldera Boroffice
YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley

About the REAL Coalition
The Race Equity Action Leadership (REAL) Coalition is an alliance of more than 50 nonprofit organizational members, along with many additional nonprofit partners, community advocates, and grassroots leaders. REAL is committed to dismantling white supremacy culture and systemic racism, using our positional power to advance movement goals, and facilitating the voice of community in government decision-making. We are also committed to learning, advocacy, and organizing while building power in authentic community solidarity.

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The total amount of taxpayer dollars allocated toward the welfare of children and youth in Santa Clara County is $1.33 billion for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. This represents a 2.8% increase from the previous year, even as the county navigates significant federal funding cuts.

While child care is a major component of this "Children’s Budget," it is primarily distributed through several distinct channels rather than a single "free child care" line item.

1. CalWORKs Child Care (The Primary Subsidy)
The largest portion of child care funding for low-income residents comes through the CalWORKs program.

Total Funding: The county receives over $63 million specifically for CalWORKs Purpose: This provides cash assistance and child care services for approximately 6,100 families to support employment and self-sufficiency goals.

Taxpayer Source: This is a mix of federal and state funds, though the county provides a "net cost" contribution from local property taxes and general funds to maintain these services.

2. The $1.33 Billion "Children's Budget"
The broader $1.33 billion allocation covers a wide spectrum of "safety net" programs. For the 2025–26 fiscal year, the funding is broken down by source:

Total County Spending: $1.33 Billion
Net County Cost (Local Taxpayer Dollars): $298.9 million (a 14.1% increase in local spending compared to the prior year to backfill federal cuts).

State & Federal Contribution: Approximately $1.026 billion.

3. Recent Local Infrastructure Grants
Beyond direct subsidies, the County Board of Supervisors has authorized specific local taxpayer spending to expand the child care market:

Childcare Expansion Grants: In early 2025, the county held press conferences regarding infrastructure grants designed to add physical spaces in local centers (e.g., adding 20 spaces and 5 teachers in Willow Glen).

The Federal "Freeze" Impact: County officials, including Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, have noted that California is currently facing a $5 billion freeze in federal Child Care and Development Funds. Santa Clara County is currently attempting to shift local revenue to ensure these programs do not collapse.

Ruth A Callahan

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R Callahan

May 4, 2026
To: Mayor Matt Mahan
Members of the San José City Council
Jill Bourne, City Librarian
Re: California Room Public Access Closure — Library Department Budget Item 4, FY 2026-2027 Dear Mayor Mahan, Council Members, and City Librarian Bourne, I am writing to urge you in the strongest possible terms to reject the proposed closure of the California Room at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. As a regular and recent patron of the California Room, I can tell you from firsthand experience that what is being proposed to eliminate is irreplaceable. The proposal’s suggestion that materials will remain available by appointment fundamentally misunderstands what makes the California Room, or any such research room, valuable.

The California Room is not simply a storage facility for historical documents. It is a research environment, staffed by professionals who possess specialized knowledge of San José and Santa Clara Valley history as well as of the materials within the room. During my most recent visit, the staff helped me access maps I did not even know existed that turned out to be critical for my project. As anyone who has worked in an archive or research room knows, one discovery leads naturally to the next. That organic, expert-guided process of discovery cannot be replicated by an appointment system in which a person tries to guess what they want and a staff member unfamiliar with the collection retrieves requested items to a separate room.

The proposed budget action acknowledges that in 2025 alone, there were 5,442 visits to the California Room. That is not the usage pattern of an obscure resource. Many people use the California Room:
property owners, historians, authors, students, genealogists, researchers, and more. These needs will not disappear because the room is closed, they will go unmet.

I understand that the California Room staff have already offered constructive alternatives: reduced staffing, reduced hours, or appointment-based access while keeping the room open with knowledgeable personnel on-site. Please take those proposals seriously. A reduced California Room, staffed by people who know the collection and can guide researchers through it, is of more value than a room where materials sit in storage to be picked up by staff who don’t understand their contents.

I recently went to the county library in Cupertino and discovered they had gotten rid of their historical material, including some items that were irreplaceable. I was shocked and at the time, thought how glad I was that we in San José understood the importance of our city’s very complex history. And now here we are, with something similar happening. While I understand that libraries have many competing interests, it seems to me that a valuable and unique resource like the California Room is something we sh ould treasure and do our best to keep. Please keep the California Room open, staffed, and accessible to the people of San José.

Krista Van Laan

I was deeply concerned to learn that the proposed 2026–2027 library budget includes closure of the California Room at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. This unique City resource is truly one-of-a-kind and should be among the last services considered for reduction or elimination.

I urge you to reject this proposed closure and instead support options that preserve access to the California Room, including reduced hours or an appointment-based model. Equally important is retaining the current staff, whose specialized knowledge of the collection is indispensable to historians, students, authors, genealogists, and community members who rely on these materials.

On average, nearly 20 people each day use the California Room for research. These visits reflect more than routine reference requests—they represent meaningful engagement with San José’s history. The staff do far more than retrieve materials; they guide users through the collection, helping them discover relevan
t resources and make connections that would otherwise be missed. The ability to browse, compare, and follow lines of inquiry across multiple sources is essential to this experience and cannot be replicated through a standard reference desk model.

This resource also plays an important role in educating the next generation. I recently inquired about bringing my grandnephew for an introductory visit when he studies California history in the fourth grade. Experiences like this help young people understand how to conduct research and connect with their community’s past. Losing access to the California Room would mean losing these formative opportunities for students across our city.

While the proposal suggests that selected materials would remain accessible through the reference desk, this approach raises serious concerns. Without the expertise of current California Room staff, how will users navigate complex or specialized requests? Whether researching historical maps, local events, or niche topics in San José’s history, the depth and efficiency of support will inevitably be diminished.

This change risks undermining the v
ery purpose of maintaining the collection.

The California Room is not interchangeable with neighborhood library branches. It is a specialized, irreplaceable resource that preserves and makes accessible the history of our region. Once diminished, its value cannot easily be restored.

If cost savings are necessary, I respectfully ask you to consider alternatives such as:

Reduced hours of operation
Access by appointment
Retention and reassignment of current California Room staff, even temporarily, to ensure continuity of expertise and a strong foundation for reopening Preserving the California Room is an investment in our community’s history, education, and identity. I urge you to act to keep this vital resource accessible to the public.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kay Gutknecht
local hist
ory author

I also ask that the City Clerk include this message in the public comment record for the Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session.

The proposal (Parks Maintenance Redistricting, Citywide Sports Programming, and Lease Management) in the FY27 Proposed Budget would transition Arcadia from what the City itself describes as a "full onsite operations model with dedicated reservation and programming, concessions, and maintenance staff" to a facility where reservations are managed through the Citywide Sports Program field reservation system and maintenance is incorporated into a park maintenance district.

Arcadia serves a wide and diverse community, including youth baseball, senior softball, adult recreational leagues, and competitive fastpitch programs. The proposed changes could affect all of these groups in meaningful ways.

Facility upkeep and on-site presence - Today, Arcadia has staff on site who are accountable for the condition of the fields, the playground, the bathrooms, and the surrounding landscaped areas. Under the proposed model, maintenance would be handled by a park maintenance district responsible for multiple parks across the city. While those teams do important work, a shared district model means Arcadia would be one of many facilities competing for attention rather than having a dedicated team whose primary focus is this facility. Users should expect that response times to issues, including field conditions, restroom maintenance, and equipment problems, may be slower than they are today.

City-managed leagues - The on-site coordination and programming staff who currently run Arcadia's city-managed leagues would be eliminated under this proposal. That includes the adult slow pitch softball league, which currently costs $900 per team for a season of 10 guaranteed games. Without a city-run option, teams would need to turn to private leagues, where comparable programs currently charge approximately $1,100 per team for 6 guaranteed games. That is a significant difference in both cost and value, and there is no guarantee a private league would have access to Arcadia's fields under the new reservation model. It is also worth considering that the private league filling this void may not be a reliable long-term alternative. The local adult slow pitch league has changed hands three times in the past decade, a sign that operating a sustainable program in this market is harder than it looks.

Players who lose access to the city league may find themselves with an option that is not only more expensive and shorter in duration, but potentially uncertain from season to season.

Reservations and scheduling - Moving to the Citywide Sports Program reservation system means scheduling would be managed centrally, alongside all other parks and fields across San Jose. Users who currently benefit from on-site coordination and direct communication with facility staff may find the process less responsive. Centralized systems, while efficient at scale, can increase the risk of scheduling conflicts and make it harder to resolve issues quickly when they arise.

Field time allocation - With on-site programming staff no longer overseeing Arcadia's calendar, there may be less active management of how field time is distributed across user groups. Today, that oversight helps balance access between youth, senior, recreational, and competitive programs. Without it, field time could shift based on demand and revenue rather than community balance, and groups with less organizational capacity may find it harder to secure consistent access.

Concessions - The proposal notes that current concessions are part of the "full onsite operations model" being eliminated. It is not clear whether concession services would continue under the new model, be offered less frequently, or be discontinued. Users and families who rely on that amenity, particularly during full-day tournaments and youth events, should be aware this is uncertain.

Arcadia is one of the finest publicly operated sports facilities in San Jose. These concerns are not about the staff who would take on responsibilities under the new model. They are about what is structurally possible when a dedicated facility team is replaced by a shared, citywide system.

I respectfully ask the Council, City Manager, and Commission to carefully consider these impacts before this change is approved.

Thank you for your time and public service.

A Concerned Arcadia Supporter
Sent from my iPhone
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

describes as a "full onsite operations model with dedicated reservation and programming, concessions, and maintenance staff" to a facility where reservations are managed through the Citywide Sports Program field reservation system and maintenance is incorporated into a park maintenance district.

Arcadia serves a wide and diverse community, including youth baseball, senior softball, adult recreational leagues, and competitive fastpitch programs. The proposed changes could affect all of these groups in meaningful ways.

Facility upkeep and on-site presence - Today, Arcadia has staff on site who are accountable for the condition of the fields, the playground, the bathrooms, and the surrounding landscaped areas. Under the proposed model, maintenance would be handled by a park maintenance district responsible for multiple parks across the city. While those teams do important work, a shared district model means Arcadia would be one of many facilities competing for attention rather than having a dedicated team whose primary focus is this facility. Users should expect that response times to issues, including field conditions, restroom maintenance, and equipment problems, may be slower than they are today.

City-managed leagues - The on-site coordination and programming staff who currently run Arcadia's city-managed leagues would be eliminated under this proposal. That includes the adult slow pitch softball league, which currently costs $900 per team for a season of 10 guaranteed games. Without a city-run option, teams would need to turn to private leagues, where comparable programs currently charge approximately $1,100 per team for 6 guaranteed games. That is a significant difference in both cost and value, and there is no guarantee a private league would have access to Arcadia's fields under the new reservation model. It is also worth considering that the private league filling this void may not be a reliable long-term alternative. The local adult slow pitch league has changed hands three times in the past decade, a sign that operating a sustainable program in this market is harder than it looks.

Players who lose access to the city league may find themselves with an option that is not only more expensive and shorter in duration, but potentially uncertain from season to season.

Reservations and scheduling - Moving to the Citywide Sports Program reservation system means scheduling would be managed centrally, alongside all other parks and fields across San Jose. Users who currently benefit from on-site coordination and direct communication with facility staff may find the process less responsive. Centralized systems, while efficient at scale, can increase the risk of scheduling conflicts and make it harder to resolve issues quickly when they arise.

Field time allocation - With on-site programming staff no longer overseeing Arcadia's calendar, there may be less active management of how field time is distributed across user groups. Today, that oversight helps balance access between youth, senior, recreational, and competitive programs.

Without it, field time could shift based on demand and revenue rather than community balance, and groups with less organizational capacity may find it harder to secure consistent access.

Concessions - The proposal notes that current concessions are part of the "full onsite operations model" being eliminated. It is not clear whether concession services would continue under the new model, be offered less frequently, or be discontinued. Users and families who rely on that amenity, particularly during full-day tournaments and youth events, should be aware this is uncertain.

Arcadia is one of the finest publicly operated sports facilities in San Jose. These concerns are not about the staff who would take on responsibilities under the new model. They are about what is structurally possible when a dedicated facility team is replaced by a shared, citywide system.

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Arcadia Ballpark works. The fields are well-maintained, the leagues are affordable and in demand, and the on-site team delivers a level of service that is rare in a city park system. The proposed changes would dismantle that model to achieve savings that amount to a fraction of a percent of the overall parks budget. We ask the Mayor and City Council to reject this proposal and preserve Arcadia's current operating model in its entirety — its staff, its leagues, its concessions, and its on-site management.

What exists today took years to build and will not be easily rebuilt once it is gone.

Thank you for your time and public service.

A Concerned Arcadia Supporter
Daniel Powell

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Date Thu 5/7/2026 3:57 PM
To Agendadesk <
Office of the City Clerk | City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara St., Tower 14th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113
Main: 408-535-1260
Fax: 408-292-6207
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From: Cristina Gonzalez <
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:55 PM
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Subject: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session

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Dear Mayor Mahan, City Manager Maguire, and Members of the City Council, I am writing as a user of Arcadia Ballpark to share concerns about the proposed FY2026-27 budget changes that would significantly alter how the facility operates. I am also copying the Parks and Recreation Commission liaison and would appreciate it if this message could be shared with commission members and included in any relevant public correspondence ahead of the budget cycle.

I also ask that the City Clerk include this message in the public comment record for the Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session.

The proposal (Parks Maintenance Redistricting, Citywide Sports Programming, and Lease Management) in the FY27 Proposed Budget would transition Arcadia from what the City itself

describes as a "full onsite operations model with dedicated reservation and programming, concessions, and maintenance staff" to a facility where reservations are managed through the Citywide Sports Program field reservation system and maintenance is incorporated into a park maintenance district.

Arcadia serves a wide and diverse community, including youth baseball, senior softball, adult recreational leagues, and competitive fastpitch programs. The proposed changes could affect all of these groups in meaningful ways.

Facility upkeep and on-site presence - Today, Arcadia has staff on site who are accountable for the condition of the fields, the playground, the bathrooms, and the surrounding landscaped areas. Under the proposed model, maintenance would be handled by a park maintenance district responsible for multiple parks across the city. While those teams do important work, a shared district model means Arcadia would be one of many facilities competing for attention rather than having a dedicated team whose primary focus is this facility. Users should expect that response times to issues, including field conditions, restroom maintenance, and equipment problems, may be slower than they are today.

City-managed leagues - The on-site coordination and programming staff who currently run Arcadia's city-managed leagues would be eliminated under this proposal. That includes the adult slow pitch softball league, which currently costs $900 per team for a season of 10 guaranteed games. Without a city-run option, teams would need to turn to private leagues, where comparable programs currently charge approximately $1,100 per team for 6 guaranteed games. That is a significant difference in both cost and value, and there is no guarantee a private league would have access to Arcadia's fields under the new reservation model. It is also worth considering that the private league filling this void may not be a reliable long-term alternative. The local adult slow pitch league has changed hands three times in the past decade, a sign that operating a sustainable program in this market is harder than it looks.

Players who lose access to the city league may find themselves with an option that is not only more expensive and shorter in duration, but potentially uncertain from season to season.

Reservations and scheduling - Moving to the Citywide Sports Program reservation system means scheduling would be managed centrally, alongside all other parks and fields across San Jose. Users who currently benefit from on-site coordination and direct communication with facility staff may find the process less responsive. Centralized systems, while efficient at scale, can increase the risk of scheduling conflicts and make it harder to resolve issues quickly when they arise.

Field time allocation - With on-site programming staff no longer overseeing Arcadia's calendar, there may be less active management of how field time is distributed across user groups.

Today, that oversight helps balance access between youth, senior, recreational, and competitive programs. Without it, field time could shift based on demand and revenue rather than community balance, and groups with less organizational capacity may find it harder to secure consistent access.

Concessions - The proposal notes that current concessions are part of the "full onsite operations model" being eliminated. It is not clear whether concession services would continue under the new model, be offered less frequently, or be discontinued. Users and families who rely on that amenity, particularly during full-day tournaments and youth events, should be aware this is uncertain.

Arcadia is one of the finest publicly operated sports facilities in San Jose. These concerns are not about the staff who would take on responsibilities under the new model. They are about This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. what is structurally possible when a dedicated facility team is replaced by a shared, citywide system.

Arcadia Ballpark works. The fields are well-maintained, the leagues are affordable and in demand, and the on-site team delivers a level of service that is rare in a city park system. The proposed changes would dismantle that model to achieve savings that amount to a fraction of a percent of the overall parks budget. We ask the Mayor and City Council to reject this proposal and preserve Arcadia's current operating model in its entirety — its staff, its leagues, its concessions, and its on-site management. What exists today took years to build and will not be easily rebuilt once it is gone.

Thank you for your time and public service.

A Concerned Arcadia Supporter
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Fw: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session From City Clerk <
Date Thu 5/7/2026 3:57 PM
To Agendadesk <
Office of the City Clerk | City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara St., Tower 14th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113
Main: 408-535-1260
Fax: 408-292-6207
How is our service? Your feedback is appreciated!
From: Roman Magana <
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:56 PM
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Fw: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session From City Clerk <
Date Thu 5/7/2026 3:58 PM
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Office of the City Clerk | City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara St., Tower 14th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113
Main: 408-535-1260
Fax: 408-292-6207
How is our service? Your feedback is appreciated!
From: Mari-Roman Magana <
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:56 PM
To: Webmaster Manager < The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan
< City Clerk < District1 < District2
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Subject: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session

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Fw: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session From City Clerk <
Date Thu 5/7/2026 3:58 PM
To Agendadesk <
Office of the City Clerk | City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara St., Tower 14th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113
Main: 408-535-1260
Fax: 408-292-6207
How is our service? Your feedback is appreciated!
From: Roman Magana <
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:56 PM
To: Webmaster Manager < The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan
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Subject: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session

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Fw: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session From City Clerk <
Date Thu 5/7/2026 3:58 PM
To Agendadesk <
Office of the City Clerk | City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara St., Tower 14th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113
Main: 408-535-1260
Fax: 408-292-6207
How is our service? Your feedback is appreciated!
From: RoMari <
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:56 PM
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Fw: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session From City Clerk <
Date Thu 5/7/2026 3:59 PM
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Fax: 408-292-6207
How is our service? Your feedback is appreciated!
From: Roman Magana <
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:56 PM
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Fw: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session From City Clerk <
Date Thu 5/7/2026 4:00 PM
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Main: 408-535-1260
Fax: 408-292-6207
How is our service? Your feedback is appreciated!
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Subject: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session

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Fw: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session From City Clerk <
Date Thu 5/7/2026 4:00 PM
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San Jose, CA 95113
Main: 408-535-1260
Fax: 408-292-6207
How is our service? Your feedback is appreciated!
From: Mari Magana <
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:57 PM
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Fw: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session From City Clerk <
Date Thu 5/7/2026 4:01 PM
To Agendadesk <
Office of the City Clerk | City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara St., Tower 14th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113
Main: 408-535-1260
Fax: 408-292-6207
How is our service? Your feedback is appreciated!
From: Maricela Magana <
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:57 PM
To: Webmaster Manager < The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan
< City Clerk < District1 < District2
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< District9 < District 10 <
Cc: PRCLiaison <
Subject: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Dear Mayor Mahan, City Manager Maguire, and Members of the City Council, I am writing as a user of Arcadia Ballpark to share concerns about the proposed FY2026-27 budget changes that would significantly alter how the facility operates. I am also copying the Parks and Recreation Commission liaison and would appreciate it if this message could be shared with commission members and included in any relevant public correspondence ahead of the budget cycle.

I also ask that the City Clerk include this message in the public comment record for the Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session.

The proposal (Parks Maintenance Redistricting, Citywide Sports Programming, and Lease Management) in the FY27 Proposed Budget would transition Arcadia from what the City itself

describes as a "full onsite operations model with dedicated reservation and programming, concessions, and maintenance staff" to a facility where reservations are managed through the Citywide Sports Program field reservation system and maintenance is incorporated into a park maintenance district.

Arcadia serves a wide and diverse community, including youth baseball, senior softball, adult recreational leagues, and competitive fastpitch programs. The proposed changes could affect all of these groups in meaningful ways.

Facility upkeep and on-site presence - Today, Arcadia has staff on site who are accountable for the condition of the fields, the playground, the bathrooms, and the surrounding landscaped areas. Under the proposed model, maintenance would be handled by a park maintenance district responsible for multiple parks across the city. While those teams do important work, a shared district model means Arcadia would be one of many facilities competing for attention rather than having a dedicated team whose primary focus is this facility. Users should expect that response times to issues, including field conditions, restroom maintenance, and equipment problems, may be slower than they are today.

City-managed leagues - The on-site coordination and programming staff who currently run Arcadia's city-managed leagues would be eliminated under this proposal. That includes the adult slow pitch softball league, which currently costs $900 per team for a season of 10 guaranteed games. Without a city-run option, teams would need to turn to private leagues, where comparable programs currently charge approximately $1,100 per team for 6 guaranteed games. That is a significant difference in both cost and value, and there is no guarantee a private league would have access to Arcadia's fields under the new reservation model. It is also worth considering that the private league filling this void may not be a reliable long-term alternative. The local adult slow pitch league has changed hands three times in the past decade, a sign that operating a sustainable program in this market is harder than it looks.

Players who lose access to the city league may find themselves with an option that is not only more expensive and shorter in duration, but potentially uncertain from season to season.

Reservations and scheduling - Moving to the Citywide Sports Program reservation system means scheduling would be managed centrally, alongside all other parks and fields across San Jose. Users who currently benefit from on-site coordination and direct communication with facility staff may find the process less responsive. Centralized systems, while efficient at scale, can increase the risk of scheduling conflicts and make it harder to resolve issues quickly when they arise.

Field time allocation - With on-site programming staff no longer overseeing Arcadia's calendar, there may be less active management of how field time is distributed across user groups. Today, that oversight helps balance access between youth, senior, recreational, and competitive programs.

Without it, field time could shift based on demand and revenue rather than community balance, and groups with less organizational capacity may find it harder to secure consistent access.

Concessions - The proposal notes that current concessions are part of the "full onsite operations model" being eliminated. It is not clear whether concession services would continue under the new model, be offered less frequently, or be discontinued. Users and families who rely on that amenity, particularly during full-day tournaments and youth events, should be aware this is uncertain.

Arcadia is one of the finest publicly operated sports facilities in San Jose. These concerns are not about the staff who would take on responsibilities under the new model. They are about what is structurally possible when a dedicated facility team is replaced by a shared, citywide system.

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Arcadia Ballpark works. The fields are well-maintained, the leagues are affordable and in demand, and the on-site team delivers a level of service that is rare in a city park system. The proposed changes would dismantle that model to achieve savings that amount to a fraction of a percent of the overall parks budget. We ask the Mayor and City Council to reject this proposal and preserve Arcadia's current operating model in its entirety — its staff, its leagues, its concessions, and its on-site management.

What exists today took years to build and will not be easily rebuilt once it is gone.

Thank you for your time and public service.

A Concerned Arcadia Supporter
Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer

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Fw: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session From City Clerk <
Date Thu 5/7/2026 4:01 PM
To Agendadesk <
Office of the City Clerk | City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara St., Tower 14th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113
Main: 408-535-1260
Fax: 408-292-6207
How is our service? Your feedback is appreciated!
From: Erica Arenas <
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 3:03 PM
To: Webmaster Manager < The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan
< City Clerk < District1 < District2
< District3 < District4 < District5
< District 6 < District7 < District8
< District9 < District 10 <
Cc: PRCLiaison <
Subject: May 11th: Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session

You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Dear Mayor Mahan, City Manager Maguire, and Members of the City Council, I am writing as a user of Arcadia Ballpark to share concerns about the proposed FY2026-27 budget changes that would significantly alter how the facility operates. I am also copying the Parks and Recreation Commission liaison and would appreciate it if this message could be shared with commission members and included in any relevant public correspondence ahead of the budget cycle.

I also ask that the City Clerk include this message in the public comment record for the Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session.

The proposal (Parks Maintenance Redistricting, Citywide Sports Programming, and Lease Management) in the FY27 Proposed Budget would transition Arcadia from what the City itself

describes as a "full onsite operations model with dedicated reservation and programming, concessions, and maintenance staff" to a facility where reservations are managed through the Citywide Sports Program field reservation system and maintenance is incorporated into a park maintenance district.

Arcadia serves a wide and diverse community, including youth baseball, senior softball, adult recreational leagues, and competitive fastpitch programs. The proposed changes could affect all of these groups in meaningful ways.

Facility upkeep and on-site presence - Today, Arcadia has staff on site who are accountable for the condition of the fields, the playground, the bathrooms, and the surrounding landscaped areas. Under the proposed model, maintenance would be handled by a park maintenance district responsible for multiple parks across the city. While those teams do important work, a shared district model means Arcadia would be one of many facilities competing for attention rather than having a dedicated team whose primary focus is this facility. Users should expect that response times to issues, including field conditions, restroom maintenance, and equipment problems, may be slower than they are today.

City-managed leagues - The on-site coordination and programming staff who currently run Arcadia's city-managed leagues would be eliminated under this proposal. That includes the adult slow pitch softball league, which currently costs $900 per team for a season of 10 guaranteed games. Without a city-run option, teams would need to turn to private leagues, where comparable programs currently charge approximately $1,100 per team for 6 guaranteed games. That is a significant difference in both cost and value, and there is no guarantee a private league would have access to Arcadia's fields under the new reservation model. It is also worth considering that the private league filling this void may not be a reliable long-term alternative. The local adult slow pitch league has changed hands three times in the past decade, a sign that operating a sustainable program in this market is harder than it looks.

Players who lose access to the city league may find themselves with an option that is not only more expensive and shorter in duration, but potentially uncertain from season to season.

Reservations and scheduling - Moving to the Citywide Sports Program reservation system means scheduling would be managed centrally, alongside all other parks and fields across San Jose. Users who currently benefit from on-site coordination and direct communication with facility staff may find the process less responsive. Centralized systems, while efficient at scale, can increase the risk of scheduling conflicts and make it harder to resolve issues quickly when they arise.

Field time allocation - With on-site programming staff no longer overseeing Arcadia's calendar, there may be less active management of how field time is distributed across user groups. Today, that oversight helps balance access between youth, senior, recreational, and competitive programs.

Without it, field time could shift based on demand and revenue rather than community balance, and groups with less organizational capacity may find it harder to secure consistent access.

Concessions - The proposal notes that current concessions are part of the "full onsite operations model" being eliminated. It is not clear whether concession services would continue under the new model, be offered less frequently, or be discontinued. Users and families who rely on that amenity, particularly during full-day tournaments and youth events, should be aware this is uncertain.

Arcadia is one of the finest publicly operated sports facilities in San Jose. These concerns are not about the staff who would take on responsibilities under the new model. They are about what is structurally possible when a dedicated facility team is replaced by a shared, citywide system.

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Arcadia Ballpark works. The fields are well-maintained, the leagues are affordable and in demand, and the on-site team delivers a level of service that is rare in a city park system. The proposed changes would dismantle that model to achieve savings that amount to a fraction of a percent of the overall parks budget. We ask the Mayor and City Council to reject this proposal and preserve Arcadia's current operating model in its entirety — its staff, its leagues, its concessions, and its on-site management.

What exists today took years to build and will not be easily rebuilt once it is gone.

Thank you for your time and public service.

A Concerned Arcadia Supporter,
Erica Arenas

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Fw: May 11 Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session From City Clerk <
Date Thu 5/7/2026 4:02 PM
To Agendadesk <
Office of the City Clerk | City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara St., Tower 14th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113
Main: 408-535-1260
Fax: 408-292-6207
How is our service? Your feedback is appreciated!
From: Kathleen Nguyen <
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 3:28 PM
To: Webmaster Manager < The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan
< City Clerk < District1 < District2
< District3 < District4 < District5
< District 6 < District7 < District8
< District9 < District 10 <
Cc: PRCLiaison <
Subject: May 11 Agenda Item - Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session

You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Dear Mayor Mahan, City Manager Maguire, and Members of the City Council, I'm writing to urge you to reject the proposed FY2026-27 budget changes regarding Parks Maintenance Redistricting, Citywide Sports Programming, and Lease Management impacting Arcadia Ballpark.

Please include this message in the public record for the Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session and that it be shared with the Parks and Recreation Commission.

The proposed transition from a full onsite operations model to a centralized, shared-district system threatens the quality and accessibility of one of San Jose’s finest facilities.

I was heartened when Arcadia Ballpark was introduced to our community. I enjoyed going for walks around this space as a nearby resident, and was later encouraged to join the adult softball league team to meet and make new friends.

As a lifelong community member, my concerns include:

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. - Maintenance: Moving to a shared maintenance district will likely decrease responsiveness and field quality compared to the current dedicated onsite team.
- City-Managed Leagues: Eliminating onsite programming would end the affordable adult softball league ($900/10 games), forcing players into private alternatives that are significantly more expensive ($1,100/6 games) and historically less stable.
- Scheduling and Allocation: Centralized reservations reduce the responsiveness of onsite coordination and risk prioritizing revenue over the balanced field access currently enjoyed by youth, senior, and recreational groups. - Concessions: The proposal leaves the future of onsite concessions—a vital amenity for families and tournaments— uncertain.

Arcadia’s current model is effective and delivers rare service value for a fraction of the parks budget. I ask that you preserve its existing staff, leagues, and management structure.

Thanks,
Kathleen

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Thank you for your great work in leading our City, you make me a proud citizen of San Jose!
Anne Hansen, Realtor

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I urge you to maintain funding for the California Room in the 2026–27 budget. With its dedicated librarians, print resources, and walk-in access, the California Room serves not only writers like me, but students, educators, researchers, and community members. Closing or reducing access to this public resource that has existed for over a century, just to save just 0.6% of the overall City Library budget (read that again--a fraction of one percent), would be a devastating and short-sighted decision, especially as San Jose prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2027. I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage, civic memory, and ongoing education.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Kile
District 9
--
Elizabeth Kile

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Sincerely,
Sarah Groman-Gutierrez
District 2

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Monica Richards
San Jose Council District 3
Monica Richards

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

San Jose CA 95121
District 8

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. digitize, conduct research, and study historical maps of the City. Please ensure that this archive receives funding.

Sincerely,
Nathan Bailey, District 10.

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Sincerely,
Ed Von Runnen - D10
cc: City Manager Maguire
City Librarian Bourne

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2027. I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Sincerely,
Jessica Mark, San Francisco

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. and historical records explored by thousands of students, educators, researchers, and community members every year.

As an architectural historian, I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access for historians, both local and those of us outside of San Jose, who appreciate this important resource.

Sincerely,
Katherine Petrin, Historian
San Francisco, CA

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. would be a devastating and short-sighted decision, especially as San José prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2027. I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Sincerely,
Bridget Maley, Architectural Historian
--
bridget maley

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

San Jose 95125

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

A City and County that says that it values its history, its people and the distinct character of its identity does not eliminate access to the records that PROVE its individuality, specific character and reason for pride of place. This world of research does not live in the digital realm, it is found in places like the California Room.

Sincerely,
Connor I. Turnbull
--
Connor Ishiguro Turnbull

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

California's pride is in its ability to face its history--good and bad--and turn those truths into social good for its residents. I see no reason why our great city should begin to shutter this pride and step, alongside our languishing federal government, deeper into the darkness, all for the false comfort of a half-percent more balanced budget.

Our voices are history's breath; the moment we stop speaking it, repeating it, protecting it, is the moment she begins to choke and fade.

Please, rethink this decision. The California Room is more than worth its funding.

Thank you,
Tiffany Torma, Council District 3

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Alison Collins
District 3

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

East Foothills
May the night sky find us all warm, fed, sheltered and loved...

preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

I personally did a lot of research there on my own house located in historic Naglee Park and learned a lot about the neighborhood and found the resources fascinating and useful.

Sincerely,
Bob Kenyon
D3 resident
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2027. I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Sincerely,
Mark Venegas
District 2

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Sincerely,
Lee M. Panich

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Sincerely,
Bernie Z
Long time San Jose resident and graduate of SJSU

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

As a historian who has written about California topics, I believe that this is an invaluable resource.

Sincerely,
Andy Shanken
Andy Shanken
The Everyday Life of Memorials (Zone Books, 2022)

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Sincerely,
Vicky Gardner
San Jose, District 6

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

This California Room is vital to the continued appreciation of our wonderful city and the Valley of the Hearts Delight.

Respectfully,
Jo Hogin
President

organizations and businesses. Our students have had internships, completed service projects, and fully integrated ourselves into our surroundings. I am continually grateful to the San Jose community, including the Mayor, District 3 Council Member Anthony Tordillos, District 6 Council Member Michael Mulcahy, and many others on the Council, for the warm welcome you have provided us.

One of our strongest partners has been the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library and, in particular, the California Room. I remember the first time I walked into that space with members of the school’s leadership team. We were there to explore some of the maps and historical directories easily accessible in the California Room - to learn more about the school’s two historical buildings - the Armory Building and the Moir Building - that we have renovated and brought back to life as the main buildings for our Upper School program. I remember the joy that it brought me to learn that the Moir Building had been the home to a vulcanized tire company and a drycleaners in the early 1900s, and that later in the 1960s it had been the site of the United Farm Workers. The library staff eagerly connected with us and showed us around, guiding us toward materials and collections that we would never have known about without their assistance. Our time in the California Room helped me to gain a deeper sense of place, to better understand the history of the buildings we inhabit and to see how our story connected to the larger history of San Jose.

Later, I taught a class on the First Amendment to a group of 10th graders. We reached out to the California Room to ask for their support in creating a lesson on the Victory Salute Statue and to see if they could offer some primary source materials tied to that important piece of SJSU and American history. They responded with an enthusiastic yes, and a few weeks later the students and my colleagues were treated to a 90-minute presentation replete with an extraordinary range of primary source materials, a first-hand opportunity to learn about this truly transformative moment in our nation’s history and to develop a deeper appreciation for the role that individuals and communities play in changing the world. We not only gained a powerful lesson in how our understanding of history evolves over time and is powerfully shaped by the broader climate and context, but saw firsthand the important role that libraries and historians play in ensuring our history is preserved and available for future generations to review and analyze.

Other colleagues of mine have also had the opportunity to engage with the California Room and to open up unique, hands-on learning experiences for our students, including one teacher who has been actively using the room and its talented staff to introduce our students to archival research. In just three years in downtown San Jose, it has become one of our favorite resources for our students, and a powerful example of why it makes sense for our school to be located in the heart of San Jose. The California Room makes the idea of the “city as classroom” come alive.

We are, of course, just one of the many schools, organizations, and individuals who see the California Room as a vital San Jose resource. Sal Pizarro wrote a compelling argument in a recent issue of the Mercury News making a compelling case for why it is important to keep this local resource and treasure accessible to the community. I particularly appreciated his final line, “But the problem with closing a resource like the California Room is that it becomes that much harder to reopen it in the future. If it’s closed, people are less likely to use what services are still available. And if people aren’t using those, This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. future budget crunchers may wonder if it’s necessary. Or, worse, they may forget about it entirely. And then the California Room really does become like that warehouse in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” What a loss to the young people of our City it would be to lose access to this rare resource, and what a loss to the community it would be to not prioritize this vital community treasure.

I appreciate the Council’s consideration, and hope that the City is able to find other ways to manage the budget that do not impact the California Room.

With appreciation,
Mark Silver
Head of School
Hillbrook School
BE KIND. BE CURIOUS. TAKE RISKS. BE YOUR BEST.

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Resident, District 6

Established in 1906 as the local history section of San Jose’s first public library, the California Room today has grown to become an irreplaceable collection of books, photographs, maps, newspaper archives, city directories, building permits, personal papers, and historic ephemera illuminating more than 250 years of San José, Santa Clara Valley, and California history. Given its 5,400 annual in-person visits and countless additional online inquiries, the California Room is an incredibly important public resource supporting the efforts of students, educators, authors, historians, genealogists, property owners, developers, land-use consultants, and engaged citizens to explore, uncover, and share the rich and diverse histories of our shared home. In short, for 120-years, the California Room has been a credible source of information at a time in our nation when judging what is true depends on access to accurate information.

As San José prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2027, the loss of its preeminent public history repository would represent a profound civic failure. The proposed closure asserts that it would save $388,000 in expenses without any consideration of the possible negative economic impact of forfeiting an asset of incalculable value. The economic impact of 5,400 annual in-person visits has not been taken into account and should be. To be sure, every expense dollar counts when you have a budget deficit, but the proposed reduction in California Room expenses of $388,000 represents well less than 1% (0.006) of the library's total budget and well less than 1/1,000th (0.00007) of the City's total budget! And, while the saving would result in a relatively inconsequential reduction of the deficit, the closure of access to the California Room will set in motion a long term change that will be difficult for the Library Department to reverse.

For the benefit of the people of San Jose, I urge you to maintain funding for the California Room at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in the 2026–27 budget.

Please preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Thank you for your serious consideration,
Mike Sodergren (Resident of D10)
President

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Its the first stop for people with historical questions they want answered.

In my years as a student, my fellow students and I were able to use the room to begin research into such fascinating topics as the region's low-riding car culture, Cold War industrial base, and early political history. It is a critical repository for out-of-print, limited-run, local history books, studies, and biographies, which are useful to the academic users of the King Library. To close the room means not only restricting the access of the casual researcher to this information, but the academic users as well.

I draw your attention to this fact to point out that the California Room is actively filling a crucial niche that satisfies a critical information need in our community. To end its service would be to eliminate a source of information for academic, as well as casual inquiry.

Yours,
John C. Kostka

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. sighted decision, especially as San José prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2027. I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Why is so much now two extremes? What happened to mediated solutions such as keeping it open, but less hours, if necessary.

Sincerely,
Connie
Mountain View, CA

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Sincerely,
Michela, François and Chiara
Concerned Santa Clara County Residents

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

José?
Additionally, regardless of intention, the decision to close the Cal Room aids strong and powerful forces in our nation today who seek to flatten history narratives; strip perspectives and nuance; and hinder ongoing interpretation.

Most sincerely, I do not think this what either of you intend/want/support, especially given your education which I know was based on shared Humanistic ideals. My hope is but to appeal to those ideals and ask you to protect this program in the spirit of them.

In closing, I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Sincerely,
Michele Bertolone
Willow Glen Resident, District 6
“Survival is insufficient. ” (Emily St. John Mandel)

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Sincerely,
Dr. David P. Lopez
Proud resident of District 3
Sent from my iPhone

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. --
Helen Lutke

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Without this room and its resources we will not be able to repair the past harms, and have an accurate understanding of our City's history.

For more than a century, the California Room and its dedicated librarians have preserved the history of San José and Santa Clara Valley through an irreplaceable collection of books, photographs, maps, archives, and historical records explored by thousands of students, educators, researchers, and community members every year. Closing this invaluable public resource to save just o.6% of the overall City Library budget would be a devastating and short- sighted decision, especially as San José prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2027. I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Sincerely,
Brent Pearse
District 9 Resident, 43 years

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Since my first visit, I have been proud of the room. It is delightful to have a place that provides critical resource materials across the broad range of immediate civil needs and interests. The room is a vital resource for information recovery essential for modern civics and enterprise. Research ranging from individual histories to important mapping of social development and infrastructure have all relied heavily on the collections and staff of the California Room. Closing the room sends a negative signal at what is arguably the worst possible time as far as social divisions and complaints rather than pride in our shared heritage and enterprise.

Dialog with trained archivists immersed in the collections is an essential ingredient for inspirational historical recovery and interpretation. Eliminating staff and relying on computers is not the same. Staff and physical access are essential. Closing the room, an important, valued, and cherished resource, to save 0.06% of the overall city library budget, seems unwarranted and indefensible. Currently, San Jose is preparing for its 250th Anniversary.

The California Room should and hopefully will be a center piece for the celebration.

I ask that you consider the staff and the physical collection as critical ingredients for necessary research and information recovery across broad interests regarding the place and space we call home. Please protect the California Room. It is a valuable asset and resource for all.

All my best to you and yours,

Michael F. Cox

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Especially now, with all of the ill conceived federal cuts, I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Sincerely,
--
Sally Zarnowitz, Architect, LEED AP
PAC*SJ VP Advocacy

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

I urge you to maintain funding for the California Room at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in the 2026–27 budget. For more than a century, the California Room and its dedicated librarians have preserved the history of San José and Santa Clara Valley through an irreplaceable collection of books, photographs, maps, archives, and historical records explored by thousands of students, educators, researchers, and community members every year.

Closing this invaluable public resource to save just o.6% of the overall City Library budget would be a devastating and short-sighted decision, especially as San José prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2027. I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Sincerely,
Anna Lara, District 7

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. of these groups in meaningful ways. Facility upkeep and on-site presence - Today, Arcadia has staff on site who are accountable for the condition of the fields, the playground, the bathrooms, and the surrounding landscaped areas. Under the proposed model, maintenance would be handled by a park maintenance district responsible for multiple parks across the city. While those teams do important work, a shared district model means Arcadia would be one of many facilities competing for attention rather than having a dedicated team whose primary focus is this facility. Users should expect that response times to issues, including field conditions, restroom maintenance, and equipment problems, may be slower than they are today. City- managed leagues - The on-site coordination and programming staff who currently run Arcadia's city- managed leagues would be eliminated under this proposal. That includes the adult slow pitch softball league, which currently costs $900 per team for a season of 10 guaranteed games. Without a city-run option, teams would need to turn to private leagues, where comparable programs currently charge approximately $1,100 per team for 6 guaranteed games. That is a significant difference in both cost and value, and there is no guarantee a private league would have access to Arcadia's fields under the new reservation model. It is also worth considering that the private league filling this void may not be a reliable long-term alternative. The local adult slow pitch league has changed hands three times in the past decade, a sign that operating a sustainable program in this market is harder than it looks. Players who lose access to the city league may find themselves with an option that is not only more expensive and shorter in duration, but potentially uncertain from season to season. Reservations and scheduling - Moving to the Citywide Sports Program reservation system means scheduling would be managed centrally, alongside all other parks and fields across San Jose. Users who currently benefit from on-site coordination and direct communication with facility staff may find the process less responsive. Centralized systems, while efficient at scale, can increase the risk of scheduling conflicts and make it harder to resolve issues quickly when they arise. Field time allocation - With on-site programming staff no longer overseeing Arcadia's calendar, there may be less active management of how field time is distributed across user groups. Today, that oversight helps balance access between youth, senior, recreational, and competitive programs. Without it, field time could shift based on demand and revenue rather than community balance, and groups with less organizational capacity may find it harder to secure consistent access. Concessions - The proposal notes that current concessions are part of the "full onsite operations model" being eliminated. It is not clear whether concession services would continue under the new model, be offered less frequently, or be discontinued. Users and families who rely on that amenity, particularly during full-day tournaments and youth events, should be aware this is uncertain.

Arcadia is one of the finest publicly operated sports facilities in San Jose. These concerns are not about the staff who would take on responsibilities under the new model. They are about what is structurally possible when a dedicated facility team is replaced by a shared, citywide system. Arcadia Ballpark works. The fields are well-maintained, the leagues are affordable and in demand, and the on-site team delivers a level of service that is rare in a city park system. The proposed changes would dismantle that model to achieve savings that amount to a fraction of a percent of the overall parks budget. We ask the Mayor and City Council to reject this proposal and preserve Arcadia's current operating model in its entirety — its staff, its leagues, its concessions, and its on-site management. What exists today took years to build and will not be easily rebuilt once it is gone. Thank you for your time and public service. A Concerned Arcadia Supporter

describes as a "full onsite operations model with dedicated reservation and programming, concessions, and maintenance staff" to a facility where reservations are managed through the Citywide Sports Program field reservation system and maintenance is incorporated into a park maintenance district.

Arcadia serves a wide and diverse community, including youth baseball, senior softball, adult recreational leagues, and competitive fastpitch programs. The proposed changes could affect all of these groups in meaningful ways.

Facility upkeep and on-site presence - Today, Arcadia has staff on site who are accountable for the condition of the fields, the playground, the bathrooms, and the surrounding landscaped areas. Under the proposed model, maintenance would be handled by a park maintenance district responsible for multiple parks across the city. While those teams do important work, a shared district model means Arcadia would be one of many facilities competing for attention rather than having a dedicated team whose primary focus is this facility. Users should expect that response times to issues, including field conditions, restroom maintenance, and equipment problems, may be slower than they are today.

City-managed leagues - The on-site coordination and programming staff who currently run Arcadia's city-managed leagues would be eliminated under this proposal. That includes the adult slow pitch softball league, which currently costs $900 per team for a season of 10 guaranteed games. Without a city-run option, teams would need to turn to private leagues, where comparable programs currently charge approximately $1,100 per team for 6 guaranteed games. That is a significant difference in both cost and value, and there is no guarantee a private league would have access to Arcadia's fields under the new reservation model. It is also worth considering that the private league filling this void may not be a reliable long-term alternative. The local adult slow pitch league has changed hands three times in the past decade, a sign that operating a sustainable program in this market is harder than it looks.

Players who lose access to the city league may find themselves with an option that is not only more expensive and shorter in duration, but potentially uncertain from season to season.

Reservations and scheduling - Moving to the Citywide Sports Program reservation system means scheduling would be managed centrally, alongside all other parks and fields across San Jose. Users who currently benefit from on-site coordination and direct communication with facility staff may find the process less responsive. Centralized systems, while efficient at scale, can increase the risk of scheduling conflicts and make it harder to resolve issues quickly when they arise.

Field time allocation - With on-site programming staff no longer overseeing Arcadia's calendar, there may be less active management of how field time is distributed across user groups. Today, that oversight helps balance access between youth, senior, recreational, and competitive programs.

Without it, field time could shift based on demand and revenue rather than community balance, and groups with less organizational capacity may find it harder to secure consistent access.

Concessions - The proposal notes that current concessions are part of the "full onsite operations model" being eliminated. It is not clear whether concession services would continue under the new model, be offered less frequently, or be discontinued. Users and families who rely on that amenity, particularly during full-day tournaments and youth events, should be aware this is uncertain.

Arcadia is one of the finest publicly operated sports facilities in San Jose. These concerns are not about the staff who would take on responsibilities under the new model. They are about what is structurally possible when a dedicated facility team is replaced by a shared, citywide system.

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Arcadia Ballpark works. The fields are well-maintained, the leagues are affordable and in demand, and the on-site team delivers a level of service that is rare in a city park system. The proposed changes would dismantle that model to achieve savings that amount to a fraction of a percent of the overall parks budget. We ask the Mayor and City Council to reject this proposal and preserve Arcadia's current operating model in its entirety — its staff, its leagues, its concessions, and its on-site management.

What exists today took years to build and will not be easily rebuilt once it is gone.

On a personal note: I've been playing softball in the Bay Area for a few years now, in several leagues across multiple cities. Arcadia Ballpark is by far the best facility I've played at, and is more than worth the budget dollars to keep it that way.

Thank you for your time and public service,
Zach Zagorski (a concerned San Jose resident & softball player)

describes as a "full onsite operations model with dedicated reservation and programming, concessions, and maintenance staff" to a facility where reservations are managed through the Citywide Sports Program field reservation system and maintenance is incorporated into a park maintenance district.

Arcadia serves a wide and diverse community, including youth baseball, senior softball, adult recreational leagues, and competitive fastpitch programs. The proposed changes could affect all of these groups in meaningful ways.

Facility upkeep and on-site presence - Today, Arcadia has staff on site who are accountable for the condition of the fields, the playground, the bathrooms, and the surrounding landscaped areas. Under the proposed model, maintenance would be handled by a park maintenance district responsible for multiple parks across the city. While those teams do important work, a shared district model means Arcadia would be one of many facilities competing for attention rather than having a dedicated team whose primary focus is this facility. Users should expect that response times to issues, including field conditions, restroom maintenance, and equipment problems, may be slower than they are today.

City-managed leagues - The on-site coordination and programming staff who currently run Arcadia's city-managed leagues would be eliminated under this proposal. That includes the adult slow pitch softball league, which currently costs $900 per team for a season of 10 guaranteed games. Without a city-run option, teams would need to turn to private leagues, where comparable programs currently charge approximately $1,100 per team for 6 guaranteed games. That is a significant difference in both cost and value, and there is no guarantee a private league would have access to Arcadia's fields under the new reservation model. It is also worth considering that the private league filling this void may not be a reliable long-term alternative. The local adult slow pitch league has changed hands three times in the past decade, a sign that operating a sustainable program in this market is harder than it looks.

Players who lose access to the city league may find themselves with an option that is not only more expensive and shorter in duration, but potentially uncertain from season to season.

Reservations and scheduling - Moving to the Citywide Sports Program reservation system means scheduling would be managed centrally, alongside all other parks and fields across San Jose. Users who currently benefit from on-site coordination and direct communication with facility staff may find the process less responsive. Centralized systems, while efficient at scale, can increase the risk of scheduling conflicts and make it harder to resolve issues quickly when they arise.

Field time allocation - With on-site programming staff no longer overseeing Arcadia's calendar, there may be less active management of how field time is distributed across user groups. Today, that oversight helps balance access between youth, senior, recreational, and competitive programs.

Without it, field time could shift based on demand and revenue rather than community balance, and groups with less organizational capacity may find it harder to secure consistent access.

Concessions - The proposal notes that current concessions are part of the "full onsite operations model" being eliminated. It is not clear whether concession services would continue under the new model, be offered less frequently, or be discontinued. Users and families who rely on that amenity, particularly during full-day tournaments and youth events, should be aware this is uncertain.

Arcadia is one of the finest publicly operated sports facilities in San Jose. These concerns are not about the staff who would take on responsibilities under the new model. They are about what is structurally possible when a dedicated facility team is replaced by a shared, citywide system.

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Arcadia Ballpark works. The fields are well-maintained, the leagues are affordable and in demand, and the on-site team delivers a level of service that is rare in a city park system. The proposed changes would dismantle that model to achieve savings that amount to a fraction of a percent of the overall parks budget. We ask the Mayor and City Council to reject this proposal and preserve Arcadia's current operating model in its entirety — its staff, its leagues, its concessions, and its on-site management.

What exists today took years to build and will not be easily rebuilt once it is gone.

Thank you for your time and public service.

A Concerned Arcadia Supporter

members and included in any relevant public correspondence ahead of the budget cycle.

I also ask that the City Clerk include this message in the public comment record for the Neighborhood Services Budget Study Session.

The proposal (Parks Maintenance Redistricting, Citywide Sports Programming, and Lease Management) in the FY27 Proposed Budget would transition Arcadia from what the City itself describes as a "full onsite operations model with dedicated reservation and programming, concessions, and maintenance staff" to a facility where reservations are managed through the Citywide Sports Program field reservation system and maintenance is incorporated into a park maintenance district.

Arcadia serves a wide and diverse community, including youth baseball, senior softball, adult recreational leagues, and competitive fastpitch programs. The proposed changes could affect all of these groups in meaningful ways.

Facility upkeep and on-site presence - Today, Arcadia has staff on site who are accountable for the condition of the fields, the playground, the bathrooms, and the surrounding landscaped areas. Under the proposed model, maintenance would be handled by a park maintenance district responsible for multiple parks across the city. While those teams do important work, a shared district model means Arcadia would be one of many facilities competing for attention rather than having a dedicated team whose primary focus is this facility. Users should expect that response times to issues, including field conditions, restroom maintenance, and equipment problems, may be slower than they are today.

City-managed leagues - The on-site coordination and programming staff who currently run Arcadia's city-managed leagues would be eliminated under this proposal. That includes the adult slow pitch softball league, which currently costs $900 per team for a season of 10 guaranteed games. Without a city-run option, teams would need to turn to private leagues, where comparable programs currently charge approximately $1,100 per team for 6 guaranteed games. That is a significant difference in both cost and value, and there is no guarantee a private league would have access to Arcadia's fields under the new reservation model. It is also worth considering that the private league filling this void may not be a reliable long-term alternative. The local adult slow pitch league has changed hands three times in the past decade, a sign that operating a sustainable program in this market is harder than it looks.

Players who lose access to the city league may find themselves with an option that is not only more expensive and shorter in duration, but potentially uncertain from season to season.

Reservations and scheduling - Moving to the Citywide Sports Program reservation system means scheduling would be managed centrally, alongside all other parks and fields across San Jose. Users who currently benefit from on-site coordination and direct communication with facility staff may find the process less responsive. Centralized systems, while efficient at scale, can increase the risk of scheduling conflicts and make it harder to resolve issues quickly when they arise.

Field time allocation - With on-site programming staff no longer overseeing Arcadia's calendar, there may be less active management of how field time is distributed across user groups. Today, that oversight helps balance access between youth, senior, recreational, and competitive programs. Without it, field time could shift based on demand and revenue rather than community balance, and groups with less organizational capacity may find it harder to secure consistent access.

Concessions - The proposal notes that current concessions are part of the "full onsite operations model" being eliminated. It is not clear whether concession services would continue under the new model, be offered less frequently, or be discontinued. Users and families who rely on that amenity, particularly during full-day tournaments and youth events, should be aware this is uncertain.

Arcadia is one of the finest publicly operated sports facilities in San Jose. These concerns are not about the staff who would take on responsibilities under the new model. They are about what is structurally possible when a dedicated facility team is replaced by a shared, citywide system.

Arcadia Ballpark works. The fields are well-maintained, the leagues are affordable and in demand, and the on-site team delivers a level of service that is rare in a city park system. The proposed changes would dismantle that model to achieve savings that amount to a fraction of a percent of the overall parks budget. We ask the Mayor and City Council to reject this proposal and preserve Arcadia's current operating model in its entirety — its staff, its leagues, its concessions, and its on-site management. What exists today took years to build and will not be easily rebuilt once it is gone.

Thank you for your time and public service.

A Concerned Arcadia Supporter
Sarita Ojha
Sent from my iPhone
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

For those of us with older homes and an interest in San Jose history, the California Room is a precious resource - please find a way to keep it open!
Sincerely,
Julie Hardin

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2027. I ask you to protect the California Room, preserve public access to our shared history, and demonstrate that San José values its cultural heritage and civic memory.

Thank you for your consideration and attention,
Meg Eppel Gudgeirsson, PhD (she/her)
Asst. Teaching Professor, Department of History
Director, Silicon Valley Studies Initiative
Digital Humanities Initiative Faculty Associate Coordinator Pre-Law Advisor
To schedule an appointment, please use this link.
“Historians don’t just study history. We construct it. We puzzle pieces into meanings. Aided by our instincts and experiences, as well as by our research, we make sense of other times, other nations, other peoples. In that sense, the writing of history is always personal.” - Joanne Freeman

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. ~Larry Ames,
longtime community and preservation advocate -- and proud owner of a century-old home.

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