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FW: Subject: September 1, 2026 City Council - Public Comment - Consent Calendar Items 2.8 through 2.13
From City Clerk <[email protected]>
Date Mon 8/31/ 2026 7:18 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: brian darby
Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2026 3:58 PM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Subject: September 1, 2026 City Council - Public Comment - Consent Calendar Items 2.8 through 2.13 [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel Dear Mayor Mahan and Members of the San Jose City Council:
Please include this correspondence in the public record for the September 1, 2026 City Council meeting.
My comments below concern Consent Calendar Items 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, and 2.13.
Agenda Item 2.8 - Concrete Removal, Replacement, and Repair Services I support the proposed purchase orders for concrete removal, replacement, and repair services.
Maintaining sidewalks, pathways, curbs, and other public infrastructure is a basic but important City responsibility, particularly for accessibility and pedestrian safety.
The proposed contracts cover multiple City departments and provide a mechanism for addressing deteriorated infrastructure as needs are identified . I also appreciate that the procurement was competitively bid and that the recommended contractors were identified as responsive and responsible bidders.
Given the potential size and duration of these contracts, I encourage the City to continue tracking expenditures, completed repairs, accessibility improvements, and contractor performance so the Council and public can see the results produced by this investment.
Agenda Item 2.9 - Graphic Novel Making Contest Awards Celebration I support allowing free use of City Hall facilities for the San Jose Public Library's 2026 Graphic Novel Making Contest Awards Celebration .
This is an established program that promotes literacy, writing, illustration, creativity, and community participation. In 2025, the program received 275 contest entries, offered 29 skill-building programs, and attracted nearly 600 people to the awards celebration.
Using City Hall for an accessible public educational event is an appropriate civic use of the facility. The Saturday scheduling should also make participation easier for students, families, and working residents.
I encourage the Council to approve the item.
Agenda Item 2.10 – Youth Service Corps / Resilience Corps Phase 5 I support continued funding for Phase 5 of the Youth Service Corps/Resilience Corps program and the appropriation of the state grant funding.
The program combines paid work experience with tangible public service. Phase 4 participants have provided more than 110,000 public-service hours, while the City reports that 90% completed the program and 83% obtained employment and/or enrolled in higher education after completing their service.
Those are encouraging outcomes. As Phase 5 proceeds, I encourage the City to continue reporting not only participation numbers but longer-term employment, education, and career outcomes. That will help demonstrate whether this public investment is creating lasting opportunities for young people facing employment barriers.
Agenda Item 2.11 – Council Policy 6-14 and Child Care
I support the City's effort to modernize its child-care policies and reduce unnecessary barriers to creating child-care facilities in San José.
The staff proposal appropriately updates Council Policy 6-14 to comply with Assembly Bill 752 and current local requirements. I also believe the memorandum from Mayor Mahan and Councilmembers Campos, Casey, Cohen, and Tordillos raises an important broader issue: whether an older and highly prescriptive Council policy remains necessary when state licensing, zoning, and other regulations already address many of these concerns.
Of particular concern is the current Special Use Permit process, which the memorandum reports costs $20,639 and takes an estimated seven months. Reducing unnecessary regulatory costs could make it easier for providers to create additional child-care capacity.
At the same time, appropriate safeguards involving traffic circulation, pickup and drop-off, neighborhood compatibility, and larger facilities should remain. The proposal to retain discretionary review for larger centers provides a reasonable subject for further study.
I support moving this modernization effort forward while maintaining reasonable protections for children, families, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Agenda Item 2.12 – Convention Center HVAC Control Upgrades I support proceeding with the Convention Center HVAC Control Upgrades Project.
The existing building-management system has reached the end of its useful life and is no longer supported by its manufacturer. Replacing it should improve reliability, energy efficiency, monitoring, maintenance, and the City's ability to keep the Convention Center operating effectively during major events.
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
I recognize that this project was delayed during the pandemic and that construction must now be coordinated around an active Convention Center schedule. Given the contract amount and proposed 15% contingency, I encourage careful monitoring of costs, schedule changes, and use of contingency funds. Modernizing aging infrastructure is important, but maintaining transparent cost controls throughout construction is equally important.
Agenda Item 2.13 – VEBA Advisory Committee Appointment
I support the appointment of Edward Carboni, as nominated by the Police Officers' Association, to serve as its active-employee representative on the VEBA Advisory Committee for the partial term ending May 31, 2028.
Although this is a routine appointment, the committee has significant fiduciary and administrative responsibilities. The City's VEBA plans have approximately 6,707 participants and approximately $114.6 million in assets, and the committee is responsible for administering the plans and evaluating investment options.
Maintaining a complete committee with appropriate employee representation is therefore important. I encourage continued emphasis on transparency, prudent investment oversight, and protection of the long-term interests of participating employees and retirees.
Thank you to the Mayor, Councilmembers, City staff, and City Clerk's Office for your work and for providing the public an opportunity to comment on these matters.
Sincerely,
Brian Darby