TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Jennifer Schembri
SUBJECT: See Below DATE: September 9, 2026
Approved
Date:
9/9/2026
COUNCIL DISTRICT: Citywide
SUBJECT: Actions Related to Travel to San Diego, California for the October 2026 Treatment Diversion Study Mission
REASON FOR REPLACEMENT
This replacement memorandum adds one Councilmember to the delegation, for a total of four elected members.
RECOMMENDATION
(a) Approve the receipt of gifts received by City Officials in an official capacity as a representative of the City in accordance with San José Municipal Code Section
12.08.120.B.
(b) Approve travel to San Diego, California, from October 21 to October 22, 2026, and excuse the following Councilmembers from the meetings listed below due to authorized City business (San Diego County Treatment Diversion Study Mission):
(1) Mayor Mahan and Mayor’s Office staff Sarah Zárate, Tasha Dean, and Kailyn Kenney (Source of Funds: Mayor – Mayor/Council Travel Budget; Mayor’s Office staff – Mayor’s Office Budget; Meeting: None);
(2) Councilmember Tordillos (Source of Funds: Mayor/Council Travel Budget; Meeting: None);
(3) Councilmember Cohen (Source of Funds: Mayor/Council Travel Budget; Meeting: October 21, 2026, Rules Committee); and
(4) Councilmember Candelas (Source of Funds: Mayor/Council Travel Budget; Meeting: October 21, 2026, Rules Committee).
COUNCIL AGENDA: 9/15/26
FILE: 26-942
ITEM: 2.8
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
September 9, 2026
Subject: Actions Related to Travel to San Diego, California for the October 2026 Treatment Diversion Study Mission
SUMMARY AND OUTCOME
The Mayor's March Budget Message,
1 approved by the City Council on March 17, 2026,
directed the City Manager to organize a study mission to San Diego County with City, County, and judicial partners to examine San Diego County’s implementation of Proposition 36 and assess how alignment of enforcement, judicial, and behavioral health systems can inform improvements in Santa Clara County. The study mission will examine treatment pathways, placement capacity, interagency coordination, and systems for tracking treatment and recidivism outcomes. The City Manager’s Office is organizing and leading the study mission pursuant to the City Council’s direction. The proposed City Council delegation consists of the Mayor and Councilmembers Candelas, Cohen, and Tordillos, together with designated City staff, County of Santa Clara staff, and judicial partners. City Council approval is requested pursuant to City Council Policy No. 9-5 for the Official Delegation, the Mayor’s designation as Delegation Leader, related travel, and necessary excused absences. The Mayor and participating Councilmembers’ travel will be funded by the Mayor and City Council Travel appropriation in the General Fund, Mayor’s staff travel will be funded by existing resources in the Mayor’s Office Budget, and City Manager’s Office staff travel and other study mission-related expenses will be funded by existing City Manager’s Office appropriations.
BACKGROUND
The Mayor’s March Budget Message identified the need to improve coordination among criminal justice and behavioral health systems partners to address repeat offenders with untreated behavioral health and substance use conditions. The Budget Message noted that Proposition 36 restored judicial authority to mandate treatment for certain repeat offenders and directed the City Manager to organize a study mission to San Diego County to examine its implementation framework.
The City Council direction also calls for the City Manager to convene City and County leadership following the study mission to present findings, establish a system for tracking sentencing outcomes and re-offenses, and report to the Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee with recommendations to increase treatment utilization and reduce repeat contacts with law enforcement.
San Diego County has been identified as a jurisdiction of interest because of its implementation of Proposition 36 and coordination among law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and behavioral health providers towards positive treatment outcomes. The study mission will provide an opportunity for San José and Santa Clara
1 https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=15304311&GUID=48306C96-6326-4EB3-8AC4-88F31D54A8AE
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
September 9, 2026
Subject: Actions Related to Travel to San Diego, California for the October 2026 Treatment Diversion Study Mission
County representatives to meet with San Diego County officials and judicial and behavioral health partners to learn about implementation practices and identify approaches that may inform local efforts.
ANALYSIS
The proposed study mission is an Official Delegation Travel under City Council Policy No. 9-5 because it is a City-organized and City-led mission undertaken pursuant to direction adopted by the City Council. The Policy permits the City Council to approve up to five elected officials for Official Delegation Travel. The proposed delegation includes four elected officials: the Mayor and three Councilmembers. Delegation members were identified in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office.
Under City Council Policy No. 9-5, the Mayor or the Mayor’s designated Councilmember representative serves as the Delegation Leader, subject to City Council approval. The Mayor will serve as the Delegation Leader for this study mission.
The City Manager’s Office will coordinate the itinerary and meetings with San Diego County governmental, judicial, law enforcement, and behavioral health partners. The City Manager’s Office will fund the travel of participating City Manager’s Office staff and other mission-related expenses from existing appropriations. The Mayor and Councilmembers’ travel will be funded from the Mayor/Council Travel Budget, and is estimated to total $3,500. Travel for the Mayor’s Office staff will be funded from the Mayor’s Office Budget. County officials and staff participating in the study mission will fund travel in accordance with applicable County policies.
The study mission will advance the City Council’s adopted direction by providing an opportunity to examine San Diego County’s Proposition 36 implementation framework and identify practices that may inform improvements to local enforcement, judicial, treatment, and behavioral health pathways. Partners will seek to identify implementation practices, policy changes, and operational strategies that can be adapted in San José and Santa Clara County across the following learning objectives:
1. Governance and Cross-System Coordination. Examine governance and leadership, law enforcement practices, court and prosecutorial coordination, behavioral health systems, data and performance management, and funding and sustainability approaches. Identify leadership structures, interagency agreements, and accountability mechanisms that support coordinated implementation.
2. Law Enforcement and Referral Practices. Understand how agencies balance public safety objectives with treatment and recovery goals. Identify operational practices used by law enforcement agencies to identify eligible individuals and
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
September 9, 2026
Subject: Actions Related to Travel to San Diego, California for the October 2026 Treatment Diversion Study Mission
connect them to treatment services. Understand how enforcement strategies, charging decisions, treatment bed availability, and diversion opportunities influence treatment participation and compliance. Examine approaches to addressing repeat offenders and individuals with multiple law enforcement contacts.
3. Court and Prosecution Processes. Learn how courts, prosecutors, and defense counsel coordinate case management, treatment mandates, incentives, and accountability measures. Examine how legal processes are structured to encourage treatment engagement while maintaining public safety. Identify barriers and facilitators to successful participation in court-supervised treatment programs.
4. Behavioral Health and Treatment Systems. Assess how treatment providers, behavioral health agencies, and criminal justice partners coordinate intake, placement, service delivery, and case management. Identify practices that increase treatment referrals, treatment engagement, retention, and successful completion.
Racial Equity Impact Analysis
The study mission will examine systems for connecting individuals who repeatedly interact with the criminal justice system to treatment and supportive services. The study mission itself does not establish or modify City policy, eligibility requirements, enforcement practices, or funding allocations. As part of the mission learning objectives, staff will seek to understand potential impacts associated with changes to diversion pathways, court-ordered treatment, enforcement and referral practices, and access to behavioral health services in ways that disrupt existing cycles.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
Consistent with the City Council’s adopted Budget Message direction, following the study mission, staff will convene City and County leadership to present findings and discuss opportunities to improve coordination among enforcement, judicial, and behavioral health systems.
Staff and partners will report to the Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee during its February 18, 2027, meeting with findings and recommendations, including recommendations to increase treatment utilization and reduce repeat contacts with law enforcement, and opportunities to establish or improve systems for tracking sentencing outcomes, treatment participation, and re-offenses.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
September 9, 2026
Subject: Actions Related to Travel to San Diego, California for the October 2026 Treatment Diversion Study Mission
FISCAL IMPACTS
The travel expenses for the Mayor and participating Councilmembers will be funded by the Mayor and City Council Travel appropriation in the General Fund. The travel expenses for the Mayor’s staff will be funded by existing resources within the Mayor’s Office appropriation in the General Fund, and the travel expenses for the City Manager’s Office staff and other study mission-related expenses will be funded by existing resources within the City Manager’s Office appropriations in the General Fund.
COORDINATION
This memorandum was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, and the City Manager’s Budget Office.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
This memorandum will be posted on the City Council Agenda website for the September 15, 2026 City Council meeting.
The study mission is being organized in coordination with the County of Santa Clara and judicial partners identified in the City Council’s adopted direction.
BOARD, COMMISSION, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION AND INPUT
No board, commission, or committee recommendation or input is associated with this action.
CEQA
Not a Project, File No. PP17-010, City Organization and Administrative Activities resulting in no changes to the physical environment.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
September 9, 2026
Subject: Actions Related to Travel to San Diego, California for the October 2026 Treatment Diversion Study Mission
PUBLIC SUBSIDY REPORTING
This item does not include a public subsidy as defined in section 53083 or 53083.1 of the California Government Code or the City’s Open Government Resolution.
Jennifer Schembri
Deputy City Manager, City Manager’s
Office
For questions, please contact Erik Jensen, Deputy Director, City Manager’s Office of Administration, Policy, and Intergovernmental Relations, at [email protected].