1500 Warburton Avenue ● Santa Clara, CA 95050 ● Phone: 408-615-2200 ● Fax: 408-241-6771 ● www.SantaClaraCA.gov Mayor
Lisa M. Gillmor
Councilmembers
Kathy Watanabe, District 1
Raj Chahal, District 2
Karen Hardy, District 3
Kevin Park, District 4
Suds Jain, District 5
Anthony J. Becker, District 6
March 4, 2022
Governor Gavin Newsom
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: City Place Santa Clara, City of Santa Clara Public Works Case No. 2020-014
Dear Governor Newsom,
On behalf of the City of Santa Clara, it was an honor to stand together with you at the Santa Clara Station on January 13, 2022 to commemorate your administration’s continued support for local transportation infrastructure through the California Blueprint.
I am also writing to bring to your attention Public Works Case No. 2020-014. Starting in 2013, the City of Santa Clara has been involved in a public-private partnership with Related Santa Clara and as Mayor of Santa Clara, I would like to take this opportunity to provide some relevant facts about this transformational project.
Related Santa Clara was borne out of an innovative public-private partnership with the City of Santa Clara to redevelop an aging golf course/former landfill into the largest mixed -use development in California. Public-private partnerships like this are not unique but often provide the resources necessary for cities to initiate infill development. This project will generate thousands of new jobs while creating hundreds of critically needed residential units.
I am aware that the Union of Painters and Allied Trades has made a claim with the Department of Industrial Relations that the project should be considered a public works project subject to California Prevailing Wage. Previously as a councilmember and now as Mayor, I was heavily involved in the review and approvals for this project and I can assure you that Related Santa Clara did not receive discounts on the fair market value of the lease and nothing in the rent structure suggests this project is a public work that would be subject to California's Prevailing Wage Law.
While I fully support California’s Prevailing Wage Law, I am also concerned that the length of time the DIR is taking to conduct its investigation and render a decision on this project could delay this project and set a major precedent for public-private partnerships in California. As the former Mayor of San Francisco, you understand first-hand how vital partnerships with the private sector are in creating opportunities that otherwise would never come to fruition.
For that reason, I respectfully request your thoughtful consideration of this ma tter and look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Lisa M. Gillmor
Mayor
City of Santa Clara
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