[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-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",[32,74,86,97],{"_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",6514113,"mediaKeyId","5064378-fc5e86889c2f867b42bed333e63d472a","parentId",5064378,"title","Santa Clara council votes to place Measure I debt levy on 2025–26 tax roll","audioSeconds",1508,"startMs",6145000,"endMs",7653000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5064378-fc5e86889c2f867b42bed333e63d472a&start=6145&end=7653","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5064378-fc5e86889c2f867b42bed333e63d472a/thumbnail_6145000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6514113/Santa-Clara/Santa-Clara-County/California/Santa-Clara-council-votes-to-place-Measure-I-debt-levy-on-202526-tax-roll","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6514113-0885acc7c3098530f875628755e113d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442873&Signature=APYcm1Dw-aBIMyDMd5OQxpEoIjHr58CkO9rAJpQEtBS7tNp2tZvSUK30b5aamfwTSSQWgJJitmmH1s5s9nY1ZHe95APss-Y6u6JYusQD0hP9ELpZdjYLvXRK3ZCNyBZI55V8QVVq6ocIIiLt9LeuKE6bNc7cijrth1Vk1uNNWHT4nw7GKzqxxn6xPcujFpLgz4UoB3q-LpbMDb~WfWff1poBt9RAAxDAwVAxlKpyq5i3fOLB5eQVeixpH8KxFm~QSeufbxzVMs0o91tyY0TfFbIfxHRvn61CwB8BXuyRzrwnY6eK2CoVht-ghEta-8SLXM0zdygTLebqaQnLQVy0ow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-25T07:20:58Z","article","The Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt a resolution directing the county to place an ad valorem property tax levy on the 2025–26 tax roll to fund debt service on Measure I, the $400 million general obligation bond approved by voters in November 2024.

Council action came after a presentation from Finance Director Ken Lee and city staff explaining the timing and sizing of an initial issuance and the tax-rate mechanics. Lee said the council must place the levy now to allow the county to bill for collections that begin in November 2025 and February 2026 so the city can make its first debt payment in August 2026.

Measure I, approved by 69.41% of voters in November 2024, funds a range of capital projects including streets and transportation, public safety facilities, parks and community facilities, storm drainage and historic buildings. City staff said the council plans an initial bond tranche sized up to $150 million; the total $400 million program is expected to be issued across multiple tranches as projects are ready.

Lee and financial adviser Jaime Trejo of PFM said the levy before council tonight sets a maximum tax rate of $28.70 per $100,000 of assessed value for fiscal year 2025–26. The city and its financial adviser told the council that this is a front-loaded structure intended to lower overall interest costs and that the voter-disclosed average tax rate over the life of the bonds remains about $19 per $100,000 of assessed value. Staff estimated that accelerating the levy this year could save roughly $3.75 million in interest costs compared with waiting a year.

Staff offered examples to illustrate potential impacts: a typical homeowner’s 2025–26 payment for Measure I was estimated by staff at roughly $200, while the 20 largest commercial property owners were shown in outreach materials as facing much larger, sample bills (staff cited an illustrative $254,000 for a large commercial parcel under the current assessed valuation). Lee emphasized that the county’s final assessed values, released in September, will determine the precise levy rate for each parcel.

Council members asked about when residents would see a definitive bill, how the levy interacts with subsequent tranches, and how the city will track the advertised $19 average. Lee and Trejo said the definitive debt service schedule will be set at bond pricing and the council will receive annual technical resolutions to place the levy on the tax roll. The city manager and finance staff committed to reporting back to council and the public each year with updated levy estimates and comparisons to the advertised average.

The council approved the resolution on a unanimous vote. Staff said the next fiscal steps include filing the levy request with Santa Clara County in July 2025, bringing a debt-management policy update in September, and returning with a bond-issuance resolution in December.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Meeting of the City Council & Authorities Concurrent & SC Stadium Authority - June 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt a resolution directing the county to place an ad valorem property tax levy on the 2025–26 tax roll to begin paying debt service on the voter-approved Measure I general-obligation bonds.","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},6514103,"Council approves major Silicon Valley Power upgrades, contract award and initiates eminent domain for two easements",2616,12063000,14679000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5064378-fc5e86889c2f867b42bed333e63d472a&start=12063&end=14679","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5064378-fc5e86889c2f867b42bed333e63d472a/thumbnail_12063000.jpg","/articles/6514103/Santa-Clara/Santa-Clara-County/California/Council-approves-major-Silicon-Valley-Power-upgrades-contract-award-and-initiates-eminent-domain-for-two-easements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6514103-571ac64dafca9ab3d5d4884d8410cbeb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442873&Signature=QyakvE6iAXRWynL8LcIwHARurbhdrjLPJ3FDBh6vo3D-mhvK4nVX3TW8vxO6PSuymLjYeW~0Z7dpZTsw4GxvO2Hf83K2ro3xAQrWFMromV0HTmrRCpNhxP2ClcutOZrfAnhtsCuPVy-oO1Wd9kG1H4-egLap~osjNbi~-YcxkHPyeJJGs5JS1UDsef93YrBe6BnlbTHtomdOi3dmJkT6SXw8KxwE0LmVpglMJBWyrTarKWhCnbkdlihT51KTnsCdjQ7~d86hXtIdfvxpKSziQWe4Mjbqax~CecIdwa7p5JUb13l4QNrrRDdkn~E0pnR17FyRfZwYDpRz97AhXqnkZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Santa Clara City Council took multiple related actions Tuesday on large electric system projects managed by Silicon Valley Power (SVP): it awarded a construction contract for two receiving-station rebuilds and adopted resolutions of necessity that authorize staff to commence eminent-domain proceedings for easements needed by the 115 kV transmission-line project.

Award of construction contract: SVP staff recommended awarding a single public-works contract covering the Keifer Receiving Station (KRS) and Scott Receiving Station (SRS) rebuilds to DMZ Builders. Acting SVP director Nico Prokos and electric division manager Ally Jackman explained that the projects replace end-of-life 60 kV and 115 kV switchyards, increase substation capacity and relocate transmission-line connections to support a target system capacity of about 1,300 megawatts.

Two bidders responded to the February solicitation. The apparent low bidder, Neutron LLC, initially submitted a bid that appeared to be missing a digit and later withdrew its bid after identifying an error. The second bidder, DMZ Builders, submitted a responsive bid of $117,688,674, which Jackman said was about 3 percent below the engineer’s estimate. Staff recommended awarding the contract to DMZ and requested a construction contingency limit up to 15% ($17,653,301) for a total not-to-exceed project construction amount of $135,341,975. SVP also requested a $15 million FY 2025–26 budget amendment to cover program and construction-management costs; staff said the electric utility would use a combination of other revenue and load-development fee proceeds and ultimately finance large equipment and construction with future bond proceeds.

Councilmember Chahal recused himself from the contract vote because he said he owned property within the project jurisdiction. The council later approved the DMZ Builders contract on a 6–0 vote.

Easements and resolutions of necessity: SVP staff also presented the route and environmental background for a roughly 2.24-mile overhead 115 kV line from the northern receiving station to Keifer Receiving Station. The project requires easements along multiple parcels in the southern segment of the route. SVP said it had negotiated with property owners but reached an impasse on two parcels and therefore requested council adoption of resolutions of necessity under California eminent-domain processes.

For 3800 Bassett Street, staff said they had negotiated for several months, provided an appraisal and made an offer. SVP described recent communications including a late potential settlement offer staff said it was still evaluating but asked council to proceed in case voluntary agreement could not be reached. The council adopted the resolution of necessity for 3800 Bassett Street after the public hearing by a recorded vote of 6–1.

For 891 Laurelwood Road, staff reported similar negotiations and a rejected offer; the council also adopted the resolution of necessity for that parcel after public hearing, again by a 6–1 vote.

Actions taken: council authorized award of the KRS/SRS contract to DMZ Builders in the amount of $117,688,674 with a construction contingency of up to 15 percent; approved the $15 million FY 2025–26 budget amendment for project costs; and adopted two resolutions of necessity to acquire easements at 3800 Bassett Street and 891 Laurelwood Road. Councilmembers said staff would continue to negotiate voluntary purchases while the city preserves the option to commence eminent-domain litigation if necessary.

Votes on the two eminent-domain resolutions required a five-vote threshold and passed with six votes in favor and one opposed in each case; the construction contract was approved 6–0 with Councilmember Chahal recused.","The council awarded a $117.7 million contract to DMZ Builders for the Keifer and Scott receiving-station rebuilds and approved resolutions of necessity to obtain two easements required for a new 115 kV transmission line.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":78,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6514108,"Council hears revised El Camino Real specific plan; staff to return after public draft and EIR scoping",4323,7740000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5064378-fc5e86889c2f867b42bed333e63d472a&start=7740&end=12063","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5064378-fc5e86889c2f867b42bed333e63d472a/thumbnail_7740000.jpg","/articles/6514108/Santa-Clara/Santa-Clara-County/California/Council-hears-revised-El-Camino-Real-specific-plan-staff-to-return-after-public-draft-and-EIR-scoping","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6514108-76169cb92613c9e3e8847425228b1d83/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442873&Signature=G~tG-6Hv2NQPwnycy~4FG0NNVlMMu6zfbd57BQdposeYsDqpxrd9d~207sqlsmVgyunSR63akI85uled8eY7vavQatrFB8QZA7WUA6BMI5T7IH2jWbhBj7gjhIG7YXX75Isp3vkib-gomTV7g3v1Sc9kbpdYwJ9N8BKlskF6dNUwrTxQqjezozqNc~AwuZJuFN1IEp7wkM1YNcZn9BEuiGJFhcCFrPEPnPuMgp6yjyidwqYJSDJ3xj2RrTmXhvudxmu8Wvd5znCfDaTwVVIuxu7zDqKr8ZMp5jieX68FPcO~GlXHsrsaVC0cMhfd4G20DEcxAEjvIXNeiVaaVkdaKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff and consultant Ramey and Associates presented revisions to the El Camino Real Specific Plan in a study session Tuesday night, outlining a smaller-growth alternative, new neighborhood transition rules and design standards intended to reduce shading and privacy impacts on adjacent single-family homes.

Staff said the revised plan reduces the corridor’s development potential from an earlier draft that envisioned about 6,200 residential units down to a maximum of 4,400 units, while adding a new “corridor residential low” designation for townhomes at 12–25 dwelling units per acre and 2–3 stories. The draft keeps higher-density nodes for activity centers, retains a robust streetscape and transit-oriented vision, and proposes a roadway reconfiguration that would add protected bike lanes, bus boarding islands and wider sidewalks in the 120-foot El Camino right-of-way.

Consultant Alessandra London outlined the plan’s new land-use map and the development and design standards intended to reduce impacts where the corridor abuts single-family neighborhoods. Notable changes include a 30-degree daylight plane on the northern side of the corridor, deeper setbacks and upper-story stepbacks in sensitive locations, and minimum landscape screening standards (a 5-foot planter strip and tree plantings at specified intervals).

Staff described a phased approach: initiate public-draft release and EIR scoping later this summer or early fall, present a proposed final plan in fall 2025, and implement standards that streamline review for projects that conform to the adopted specific plan. The presentation also described public outreach since late 2024, meetings of a citizen advisory committee and two open houses; attendees raised concerns about loss of retail, the changes to parking on-street, and ensuring active ground-floor uses at priority nodes.

Council members asked detailed questions about parking requirements, whether density bonuses under state law would change the plan’s effective capacity, how the 30-degree daylight plane is measured for parcels at differing grades, and ways to encourage retail at key intersections. Staff said the plan aligns parking standards with the city’s recently adopted zoning code; it allows shared parking strategies and unbundled residential parking; and that density bonuses under state law (for transit proximity or affordability) would still apply and could increase effective capacity.

After discussion, the council voted unanimously to note and file the study session and directed staff to continue community outreach, prepare the public draft and proceed with environmental review. Staff said they would return with a public draft, EIR scoping materials and additional refinements to the daylight-plane and parking rules for council review.","City staff presented a revised El Camino Real specific plan that reduces maximum residential capacity to 4,400 units and adds a lower-density 'corridor residential low' designation. Council provided feedback and voted unanimously to note and file the study session and directed staff to proceed to draft and EIR steps.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6514098,"Meeting at a glance: Santa Clara council approves Measure I levy, major SVP contract and eminent-domain findings; other actions",24,7679000,7703000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5064378-fc5e86889c2f867b42bed333e63d472a&start=7679&end=7703","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5064378-fc5e86889c2f867b42bed333e63d472a/thumbnail_7679000.jpg","/articles/6514098/Santa-Clara/Santa-Clara-County/California/Meeting-at-a-glance-Santa-Clara-council-approves-Measure-I-levy-major-SVP-contract-and-eminent-domain-findings-other-actions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6514098-c41339d3910f9c5257cf0c07834c4761/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442873&Signature=SQrSn4FdSz2CL-MQlDfO1C73BEgyx1jUfXlEoN-AH6ZFZ-L-~PnpBYLVmD3tkuARAQSlmkciznldW4jHKUAMY4y1FGUqyS5HV0yivZh4K48yDMt8LQBxBpSn74EsPpAcHpst5cHtjzGZ9-14UqlgjLbtHFkZELryaNf2lx3Srlaqzmnzy2jjEM1SFDnBrMFjElEYms9oPOzj3LfBSoGIKSoBjGh1LqNTP3q~KVF6II6jYyMCuhoO6i3k-9SzJARpzDgUiMukkeBOqNJOWLnCmBqH6ShT7Y1Lf-JL01xvpV21vMAdQWZ5qRlvauCU2JC~IyLLrxCPROC2~JsJz-xhWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Santa Clara City Council and Stadium Authority Board took multiple formal actions Tuesday. Key votes and short summaries are below.

Votes at a glance

- Adopted resolution authorizing an ad valorem property tax levy for fiscal year 2025–26 to support Measure I general-obligation bonds; maximum rate set at $28.70 per $100,000 of assessed value. Vote: unanimous (7–0).

- Awarded the Keifer and Scott Receiving Station rebuilds contract to DMZ Builders in the base amount $117,688,674, with contingency authority up to 15% (total not-to-exceed $135,341,975); approved related FY 2025–26 budget amendment of $15,000,000. Vote: 6–0 (Councilmember Chahal recused).

- Adopted resolutions of necessity to acquire easements for the 115 kV transmission project at 3800 Bassett Street and 891 Laurelwood Road. Both resolutions passed by 6–1 votes; staff will continue voluntary negotiations while preserving the eminent-domain option.

- Noted and filed a study session on the revised El Camino Real specific plan and directed staff to proceed to a public draft and environmental review. Vote: unanimous (7–0).

- Approved acceptance of a $20,000 donation from the Santa Clara Women’s League to the Santa Clara Senior Center (consent calendar). Vote: unanimous.

- Approved location and design of a permanent rainbow crosswalk at Monroe and Franklin, ladder-style perpendicular rainbow stripes (thermoplastic), with the Cultural Commission’s alternate location noted. Vote: 6 in favor, 1 abstention.

- Adopted new council policy 0 5 5 (Council Meeting Procedures and Protocols) on a six-month pilot; motion includes a council directive that meetings should end by midnight unless the council votes to extend. Vote: 6–1.

Other items

- The council observed a moment of silence and recognized the service of reserve officer John “Jack” Mastelock and several civic proclamations and donations.

Looking ahead

Staff said Measure I issuance scheduling and final levy amounts will be refined after county assessed valuations are released in September. SVP staff will proceed with contract execution and continued property negotiations; staff said voluntary sale remains the preference where possible.","Summary of formal votes and notable decisions from the June 17 joint meeting of the Santa Clara City Council and Stadium Authority Board.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Santa Clara council votes to place Measure I debt levy on 2025–26 tax roll

Council approves major Silicon Valley Power upgrades, contract award and initiates eminent domain for two easements

Council hears revised El Camino Real specific plan; staff to return after public draft and EIR scoping

Meeting at a glance: Santa Clara council approves Measure I levy, major SVP contract and eminent-domain findings; other actions