[Page 1]
MINUTES OF THE
JOINT MEETING OF THE RULES AND OPEN GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE AND
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
SAN JOSÉ, CALIFORNIA WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2026
The Committee meeting was held in the Council Chambers and convened at 2:00 p.m.
Present: Councilmembers - Cohen, Kamei, Foley, Doan, Candelas.
Absent: Councilmembers - None.
Staff: Lee Wilcox, Assistant City Manager, City Manager’s Office; Kevin Fisher, Assistant City Attorney, City Attorney’s Office; Joy Rodriguez, Assistant City Clerk, City Clerk’s Office; Gina Espejo, Executive Analyst II, City Manager’s Office; and Daniel Aguilar, Deputy City Clerk, City Clerk’s Office.
A. City Council (City Clerk)
1. Review May 5, 2026 Final Agenda
a) Add New Items to Final Agenda
b) Assign "Time Certain" to Agenda Items (if needed)
c) Review of Notice of Waiver Requirements for Agenda Items or Documents (if needed) Public Comment: Brian Darby offered public comment.
Action: Upon motion by Vice Mayor Pam Foley, seconded by Councilmember Bien Doan, and carried unanimously, the Committee approved the final agenda for the City Council meeting on May 5, 2026. (5-0-0)
2. Review May 12, 2026 Draft Agenda
a) Add New Items to Draft Agenda
b) Assign "Time Certain" to Agenda Items (if needed)
c) Review of Notice of Waiver Requirements for Agenda Items or Documents (if needed) Public Comment: None provided.
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Bien Doan, seconded by Councilmember Rosemary Kamei, and carried unanimously, the Committee approved the draft agenda for the City Council meeting on May 12, 2026. (5-0-0)
[Page 2]
B. Consent Calendar
Public Comment: Brian Darby offered public comment.
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Domingo Candelas, seconded by Vice Mayor Pam Foley, and carried unanimously, the Consent Calendar was approved as a whole, with the following actions taken as indicated. (5-0-0)
1. The Public Record for April 16, 2026 - April 23, 2026. (City Clerk)
Receive and file the Public Record for April 16, 2026 - April 23, 2026.
Action: The Public Record for April 16, 2026 - April 23, 2026 was received and filed. (5-0-0)
2. Retroactive Approval of Lighting for Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters Sponsored by Council District 7 as a City Council Sponsored Special Event to Expend City Funds and Accept Donations of Materials and Services for the Event. (Doan)
1. Retroactively approve the Tower and Rotunda lighting for Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters scheduled on May 2-3, 2026 as a City Council sponsored Special Event and approve the expenditure of funds.
2. Approve and accept donations from various individuals, businesses or community groups to support the event.
3. Place the item on the May 5, 2026 City Council Agenda for action.
3. Action: The Tower and Rotunda lighting for Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters, sponsored by Council District 7, was retroactively approved for placement on the May 5, 2026 City Council Agenda for action. (5-0-0)
4. Retroactive Approval and Approval of TogetherSJ Neighborhood Engagement Program Sponsored by the Office of Mayor Matt Mahan as a City Council Sponsored Special Event to Expend City Funds and Accept Donations of Materials and Services for the Event. (Mayor)
1. Retroactively approve and approve the TogetherSJ Neighborhood Engagement Program as a City Council sponsored Special Event and approve the expenditure of funds.
2. Approve and accept donations from various individuals, businesses or community groups to support the event.
3. Place the item on the May 5, 2026 City Council Agenda for action.
Action: The TogetherSJ Neighborhood Engagement Program, sponsored by the Office of Mayor Matt Mahan, was retroactively approved for placement on the May 5, 2026 City Council Agenda for action. (5-0-0)
C. Rules Committee Reviews, Recommendations and Approvals
1. Waiver of Revolving Door Restrictions. (City Attorney)
1. Consider the request by Diana Alanis, former Council Community Relations Director for Councilmember Bien Doan, for a Waiver of the Revolving Door Restrictions based on Ms. Alanis’ April 2, 2026 Waiver Request Letter, and
[Page 3]
a. Grant the waiver request upon making findings, including those set forth in this memorandum, that such waiver is in the City’s best interest and consistent with the purpose of San José Municipal Code Chapter 12.10; or
b. Deny the waiver request if unable to make findings, including those set forth in this memorandum, that such waiver is in the City’s best interest and consistent with the purpose of San José Municipal Code Chapter 12.10; and
2. Forward the request and recommendation to the City Council for consideration on the May 5, 2026 City Council agenda.
Neelam Naidu, Senior Deputy Attorney, City Attorney’s Office, introduced the item and detailed the available options for the Committee to consider.
Diana Alanis, the requester of the waiver, provided comment.
Public Comment: None provided.
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Bien Doan, seconded by Councilmember Domingo Candelas, and carried unanimously, the request for a Waiver of the Revolving Door Restrictions for Diana Alanis was forwarded to the City Council for consideration on the May 5, 2026 City Council agenda. (5-0-0)
2. Ministerial Approval for Assembly Bill 130 Qualifying Projects. (Tordillos, Campos, Cohen, and Kamei)
Direct the City Manager to return to City Council by September 2026 with an ordinance to expand ministerial approval processes citywide to housing development project applications that meet the eligibility criteria for a statutory exemption to the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Assembly Bill 130 (2025). [Deferred from 4/22/26 - Item C.3 (ROGC 26-179)]
Councilmember Anthony Tordillos introduced the item, bringing forward the recommendation as Outlined in the April 22, 2026 joint memorandum co-authored by Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, Councilmember Pamela Campos, Councilmember David Cohen, and Councilmember Rosemary Kamei.
Public Comment: None provided.
Lee Wilcox, Assistant City Manager, City Manager’s Office, announced that the City Manager’s Office would be returning with a Workload Analysis in two weeks.
Action: Upon motion Vice Mayor Pam Foley, seconded by Councilmember Rosemary Kamei, and carried unanimously, direction was given for the item to return to the Rules and Open Government Committee in two weeks with a Workload Analysis, regarding the Ministerial Approval for Assembly Bill 130 Qualifying Projects. (5-0-0)
3. Alternative Financing for Affordable Housing. (Mahan, Campos, Tordillos, Cohen, and Ortiz)
Direct the City Manager to:
1. Return to City Council by August 2026 with policy recommendations for Alternative Financing for Affordable Housing Production based on the March 11, 2026, Information Memorandum from the Housing Department, including additional analysis of:
a. The range and mix of affordability levels that the public-private partnerships contemplated in the [Page 4]
memo may support, including the feasibility of reaching Very Low-Income affordability levels (30% - 50% AMI), as referenced in the memorandum from Councilmember Ortiz dated January 27, 2026; b. The “trade-offs” between total number of units and depth of affordability for the existing City approach to affordable housing production with each of the policy options in the information memo; and
c. How these policies may benefit or impact the existing pipeline of affordable and market rate housing projects in San José.
2. Include as part of the report an analysis of lease-revenue financing, including but not limited to issuance of certificates of participation, for funding affordable housing. [Referred from 4/15/26 - Item C.1 (ROGC 26-156)
Public Comment: Brian Darby offered public comment.
Lee Wilcox, Assistant City Manager, City Manager’s Office, announced that the staff recommendation was green lit for approval, as detailed in the Workload Analysis.
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Domingo Candelas, seconded by Councilmember Rosemary Kamei, and carried unanimously, direction was given for the item to return to City Council by August 2026 with policy recommendations for alternative financing for affordable housing. (5-0-0)
D. Open Forum
1. Brian Darby offered potential opportunities for identifying modular housing in California and the techniques for obtaining this information.
E. Adjournment
Chair David Cohen adjourned the Committee meeting at 2:25 p.m.
Minutes Recorded, Prepared, and Respectfully Submitted by,
DRAFT
______________________________________
Daniel Aguilar
Deputy City Clerk, City of San José
Approved at Council on:
Number of actions: 6
Attest by:
______________________________________
Toni J. Taber, MMC
City Clerk, City of San José