[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6543056,"mediaKeyId","3782229-ce7b8fe255918528b83012af9ff3d00d","parentId",3782229,"title","Council approves levies for Franklin Square and Convention Center maintenance districts","audioSeconds",840,"startMs",12720000,"endMs",13560000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3782229-ce7b8fe255918528b83012af9ff3d00d&start=12720&end=13560","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3782229-ce7b8fe255918528b83012af9ff3d00d/thumbnail_12720000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6543056/Santa-Clara/Santa-Clara-County/California/Council-approves-levies-for-Franklin-Square-and-Convention-Center-maintenance-districts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6543056-879d74dc9ab04b8274c84e28c3395699/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201208&Signature=FROE6Y2~5QRRe3I2o4r~~sfr7DkYwDJB6VpmCYsc4RBNzdpLwdrZ6NeW5AMAGSiW-rjRKUkMsbSFkOpxkdhkaB5WL29NDx6iedggT8iiSAk~mwDKK24rpWNE9aE5bWE1nqPbSodvkMGKlbM2ktRWFmL-uHI5rE-uLJDgW92D0DBASnYVn1U2EQ1Ge8j9FJ48eqjzE0AF0~W4JghkAnGpF0~lIcJDv8W-iFJwu0X3W3fGalgirycyN1~fBqS2tM3jmyhdFdXn~3SDfhIpUDgdwPngyYO7h-xPUjovjmnaMoGxI7H0gwZLv54HpM6r0X34uvM54CGcDKXxGM6NoWjXyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-12T09:59:04.93Z","article","The Santa Clara City Council voted to confirm annual assessments for two maintenance districts that fund common‑area upkeep at Franklin Square and the Convention Center complex.

Franklin Square (Parking Maintenance District No. 122): Public Works Director Craig Moback told council that the district uses a single flat base amount that property owners have historically contributed for capital repairs; the assessment mechanism is $14,200 annually offset by any interest in the property account. For FY2025–26 staff calculated the total assessment requirement at about $10,600 and advised that the city currently budgets roughly $140,000 annually for the day‑to‑day maintenance (landscaping, lighting, periodic repairs). The district’s capital account balance stood at approximately $187,056 and staff said no capital repairs were scheduled for the coming fiscal year. After the public hearing, council adopted the levy; Mayor Gilmore recused from the vote and the council approved the levy with a 6‑member vote in favor and one recusal.

Convention Center Complex (Maintenance District No. 183): Moback explained that the district covers shared grounds maintenance across the convention center, Hyatt hotel and Tech Mart. For FY2025–26 the combined assessment requirement is about $1,990,000. Staff reported the allocation among the three participants as: city share approximately $940,000; Tech Mart about $643,500; Hyatt about $409,500. Council confirmed that the three parcel owners had cast the necessary votes in favor of the assessment and adopted the resolution authorizing the levy.

Why it matters: the levies pay for common‑area maintenance such as parking‑lot cleaning and striping, fountain and landscaping upkeep, sidewalk and asphalt repairs, and event‑related parking controls. For the Franklin district the council retained the long‑standing flat assessment structure (the flat $14,200 figure has not been escalated since 2002). For the Convention Center staff and council noted that the city’s general fund historically covers the city share of these costs but staff is pursuing a paid‑parking vendor procurement and revenue model intended to reduce or eliminate the ongoing general‑fund subsidy.

Council action: both assessments were adopted after public hearings. Franklin Square assessment passed with six votes and one recusal; the Convention Center assessment passed unanimously with the required parcel‑owner votes recorded.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Council and Authorities Concurrent and Stadium Authority Meeting - June 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The City Council on June 10 adopted annual assessments for Franklin Square (PMD 122) and the Convention Center complex (PMD 183) to fund common‑area maintenance; the Convention Center district’s assessment will be shared between the city, Tech Mart and the Hyatt hotel.","taxTitle","Santa Clara , Santa Clara County, California","taxId",2859,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6543061,"City reports 14% vacancy rate under AB 2561; unions warn staffing shortfalls threaten services ahead of major events",4860,5400000,10260000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3782229-ce7b8fe255918528b83012af9ff3d00d&start=5400&end=10260","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3782229-ce7b8fe255918528b83012af9ff3d00d/thumbnail_5400000.jpg","/articles/6543061/Santa-Clara/Santa-Clara-County/California/City-reports-14-vacancy-rate-under-AB-2561-unions-warn-staffing-shortfalls-threaten-services-ahead-of-major-events","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6543061-b8d25cffec4e3c73a05f7661f9c203e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201208&Signature=CkPYY5vTiF3DbGpNCNsA0KtyWvX8R4T98OBevmCcPXULB85CMmNuTjTAP7s3-RaQpdV8NWwUv8CsToFu2ga3o2PXzQEnEJB-f8OaPnEwCWzlY8hssAEaHU3EOMsCiD7Ho13Qt9pYXc2JcMZR77QAhdoUqEyWgYJizyv0U62wtXsI98Mb9MroL8NbgOHC2x6beU1r9WmfqEN4Dg7VXK05mYg16KB5KvwXcdjUE03ADkLiwLr9j0Nq-3wNvtIzh8sw0xcwP3iyvv7hNk6L-C2WgTD3ucs-3hiQcDXXov8KGMFfcuqeOokS8mG~jHtunFZ0MTV~3cbYwQrx4LpIEZsIuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the council’s request and to comply with Assembly Bill 2561, staff presented an annual report on staffing vacancies, recruitment challenges and retention strategies. Ashley Lancaster, deputy director of Human Resources, told the council the city’s overall full‑time vacancy rate stood at about 14.16% at the time of the report, and department‑level and bargaining‑unit details show substantial variation.

Lancaster said the report identified two bargaining units exceeding the 20% vacancy threshold required for additional reporting under AB 2561: the City’s engineers (about 15 vacant positions, near a 30% vacancy rate after the council added engineering positions during the year) and the public‑safety non‑sworn group (about 14 vacancies, 20% vacancy rate). She told the council typical civic recruiting timelines vary from three to six months, and backgrounding for some public‑safety positions can add three to four months; classified civil‑service rules and the requirement for eligible lists constrain flexibility.

Union representatives used the AB 2561 presentation to press the council on staffing risks. Jeevan Balath, speaking for Unit 4 engineers, said the utility and engineering workload has grown sharply with an expanding capital program and data‑center electrification, and noted SVP’s capital program approaching the mid‑hundreds of millions of dollars creates a demand for engineers the market struggles to meet. He urged the city to treat targeted pay adjustments and sustained recruitment investments as cost‑effective compared with heavy contract engineering and overtime.

Leslie Loreto, a senior public‑safety dispatcher (Unit 10), described shortages in dispatch and records: the department had 11 of 15 records specialists and 12 of 21 dispatchers at the time, she said (soon to fall to 10), and the typical time‑to‑independent performance is nine to 12 months for new hires. Loreto said the region’s labor market and Santa Clara’s benefit structure (dispatchers pay into Social Security) make lateral hires difficult and that the department’s staffing needed to be competitive to avoid longer response times and eroded service levels.

Police representative Jeremy Schmidt (Unit 2) told council the department faced a roughly 10% sworn shortfall and that it usually takes more than 11 months to train a new officer before independent patrol duty; he said a recent lateral recruitment yielded five applicants compared with earlier cycles that produced 30–40 candidates. Schmidt said the department depends on lateral transfers for near‑term staffing and that the city must maintain competitive packages to retain officers through major events such as the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup.

Human Resources described several mitigation actions: 194 as‑needed hires this fiscal year, 142 new hires/rehires/promotions (including 62 promotions), a partnership internship program with Mission College (13 interns), expanded advertising, and an upcoming NEOGOV Attract purchase to improve outreach to candidates who have applied to other public agencies. Lancaster added human resources is exploring civil‑service rule revisions to speed hiring steps but said any changes require meet‑and‑confer with bargaining units and civil‑service commission review.

Council action: after the presentations and union remarks, council moved to “note and file” the AB 2561 report. The motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: the city will host major events in 2026 and staff and unions signaled that gaps—particularly in dispatch, engineering and sworn police staffing—carry operational risk. Councilmembers asked staff for follow‑up on recruitment timelines, compensation benchmarking and the proposed fiscal sustainability study’s potential to identify long‑term funding for staffing.

","Under Assembly Bill 2561 the city presented a required annual report on vacancies, recruitment and retention. Human Resources said the overall vacancy rate is 14.16%, with some bargaining units above the 20% threshold; union representatives from utility engineers, dispatch and police described operational strain and risks for services and events.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6543065,"Santa Clara council adopts two‑year budget, restores reserves and funds bond implementation staffing",5490,7200000,12690000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3782229-ce7b8fe255918528b83012af9ff3d00d&start=7200&end=12690","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3782229-ce7b8fe255918528b83012af9ff3d00d/thumbnail_7200000.jpg","/articles/6543065/Santa-Clara/Santa-Clara-County/California/Santa-Clara-council-adopts-twoyear-budget-restores-reserves-and-funds-bond-implementation-staffing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6543065-39120f3d6a9c347d315d411d8d65a3f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201208&Signature=CVcyJJnRtZSv7oJ0IdOyLU3eZ521w-5MdNnXFgt4uJSFhx6Le55vtjBIM~GJuTPyr65jogq~ebkLHEPsEnR5fVdzwLXCPKTMHxawYf5Nd9dTB5LUDbVawQW1TIwXHVc9wllX6EMSMxUjTJMNxHL~s6XU3FppzzWFGukCyaC~Lv17QWMg5AwB2eddi7DwIjsgQfWVyDmaPgE96GI2vFqLo-Lou-qD8dypeuc3RXjxdfnwQA3rA5rpRTz4I~wO-k0Q5OsVmdUzogyKd40h4zr1nHKUtvnCDBUUfDRXLMu5dYJdeoH4Jm0QOmQGbxrtegBJlNtkxii1FzJY-BJJi5n8fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday adopted a two‑year operating budget for fiscal years 2025–26 and 2026–27 and established the city’s constitutional appropriations limit for the coming year. Staff described the package as a mix of targeted operating investments, enhancements to capital programming and steps to shore up reserves.

The proposed FY25–26 budget presented by Finance Director Ken Lee and City Manager Jovan Grogan totals just under $2.0 billion; that top‑line includes ongoing operating funds plus roughly $400 million in capital dollars carried forward. The council added several changes requested during two prior study sessions: full restoration of library materials funding ($145,000 per year for a two‑year total of $290,000 annually), additional funding for capital projects and an explicit direction to examine the capital‑reserve policy as part of a planned fiscal sustainability effort.

Highlights and staffing: the budget funds 21 additional positions (plus 18.25 FTEs previously added earlier in the fiscal year). Council approved restoration of 12 SAFER grant firefighter positions previously frozen, added three police positions (two officers and a sergeant) to address projected vacancies, and funded several development‑service and utilities positions to address backlog and inspection needs. The budget includes $2 million allocated to bond implementation staffing tied to the voter‑approved infrastructure bond, and ongoing contributions to capital maintenance and reserves.

Reserves and fiscal sustainability: the council approved restoring the general fund budget stabilization reserve to 25%—a target the staff said the city had not reached since the pandemic. The city also adopted policy direction to fund a fiscal sustainability plan, to be delivered by consultants, which will analyze long‑term structural fiscal issues, evaluate service levels and produce an implementation blueprint for funding priorities.

Public events and reimbursements: staff told council that the budget assumes major event costs (police, fire, public works) will be covered through overtime, as‑needed staff, interagency reimbursements and negotiated host‑committee contributions. The budget also assumes performance rent from the stadium authority consistent with the authority’s separate budget.

Appropriations limit: as required by the California Constitution, the council set the city’s appropriation limit for 2025 at $697,292,626; staff’s calculation showed the proposed budget stayed below that ceiling.

Council action: after discussion and supplemental Q&A, the council approved the two‑year budget and separately passed the appropriations‑limit resolution. Staff said the budget includes a mix of one‑time and ongoing funds, commits to revised project tracking and will return with further policy options on capital funding and long‑term fiscal sustainability.

","The City Council approved a two‑year operating budget for FY2025–26 and FY2026–27 and set the 2025 appropriation limit. The budget restores a 25% budget stabilization reserve, funds 21 new ongoing positions and includes implementation staffing for the $400 million bond; council also approved the constitutional appropriations limit.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6543071,"Santa Clara council adopts 2025 water, sewer and recycled-water rate increases citing rising wholesale costs",3050,0,3050000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3782229-ce7b8fe255918528b83012af9ff3d00d&start=0&end=3050","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3782229-ce7b8fe255918528b83012af9ff3d00d/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6543071/Santa-Clara/Santa-Clara-County/California/Santa-Clara-council-adopts-2025-water-sewer-and-recycled-water-rate-increases-citing-rising-wholesale-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6543071-13e5e88343bca5ba7e6cdbc21948f8c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201208&Signature=EzqaeVpteYPPgQ~1WnF7lRzDGj7oiUZwj2hdL2sEgp2WEKu4ZzJyURk~iYxGvHhHllXH1Kj~Tp~Vohs30HKoUIPcVZsB4YEYMFt21bGOuMhszHi-jY2R7MQUQ5~k5sCMF-rrA7CrOg7sswrWMGTCA6uOJUnq67tm6zlWxcygUquSEmyYNmxS-b5tGnGlsFhxTat7RDC3LBjnwEq8bpBJySV1aqxBDom-Pw3Y6OeglYUOakYREydxgyugRp-c6QV95aXS1cUPM1gVKPl0QUK0u3nyQfrXlWd92DMuzGUX5H0bWoOiE3VEuIbQIn9FOKkJUW-KrbS44euhZGXiQVTZiA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday approved amended rates for municipal water, sewer and recycled-water service that take effect July 1, 2025, following a public hearing that included a technical presentation from the city’s Water & Sewer Utilities staff and a report from the deputy city clerk on formal written protests.

The council’s action comes after an in-depth staff presentation led by Gary Welling, director of Water & Sewer Utilities, who told the council that “pass-through” charges from wholesale suppliers account for most of this year’s proposed increases. Welling said Valley Water’s multi‑year increases and the major capital and operating work at the South Bay regional wastewater facility (RWF) are the principal drivers.

Welling said the utility is proposing a roughly 11.2% increase for water service in fiscal year 2025–26; sewer increases of about 9.9% for single‑family residential service and 7.8% for multifamily; recycled water would rise near 7.3%. Staff showed the average monthly bill impacts: a single‑family residential combined water‑sewer bill was estimated to rise about $17.07 per month and multifamily about $15.72 per month.

The staff presentation included system facts: roughly 27,000 water and sewer connections, about 335 miles of water mains, 288 miles of sewer mains, 20 active groundwater wells and seven water storage tanks. The city is a 20% owner of the regional wastewater facility joint‑operation and the RWF’s planned sludge dewatering facility and other RWF projects are increasing sewer costs. Welling said the city’s recycled water program supplies roughly 20% of summer demand and remains a lower‑cost option than potable water.

Deputy City Clerk reported that the city received 13 written protests to the proposed water increase and 14 written protests to the proposed sewer increase; the clerk said those protest counts did not reach the majority threshold required under Proposition 218, allowing the council to proceed to a decision.

After questions from council members about Valley Water’s projected multi‑year rate increases, the cost of operating and maintaining wells and pump stations, the city’s capital improvement program for water and sewer, and affordability programs, Councilmember Karen Hardy moved to adopt the staff recommendation. The motion passed and the council approved the amended rate schedules to be effective July 1, 2025 (vote tally: outcome recorded in the public minutes; the transcript does not supply a detailed roll‑call tally). Staff said the utility will continue to advertise customer assistance programs and reported 293 customers were enrolled in the city’s low‑income water and sewer assistance program and other assistance options are available through regional partners.

Why it matters: staff framed the increases as primarily driven by outside wholesale cost pressures and large, multi‑year capital projects at regional facilities. Council members emphasized the importance of affordability measures and asked staff to continue to work with wholesale suppliers and regional partners on cost containment and to expand outreach to residents about bill‑assistance programs.

What’s next: the new rates become effective July 1, 2025; staff will continue to monitor wholesale cost projections from Valley Water and the RWF, pursue rate‑mitigation strategies, and report back if additional policy actions are recommended.

","After a public hearing, the Santa Clara City Council approved amended water, sewer and recycled-water rates effective July 1, 2025. City staff said wholesale costs—particularly from Valley Water and the regional wastewater facility—are driving the increases; written protests fell short of a majority under Proposition 218.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves levies for Franklin Square and Convention Center maintenance districts

City reports 14% vacancy rate under AB 2561; unions warn staffing shortfalls threaten services ahead of major events

Santa Clara council adopts two‑year budget, restores reserves and funds bond implementation staffing

Santa Clara council adopts 2025 water, sewer and recycled-water rate increases citing rising wholesale costs