San Jose council approves police contract, public‑safety ID ordinance and downtown land purchase; backs Gateway Tower housing plan

San Jose City Council took a series of formal actions on Sept. 30 that include ratifying a police contract, adopting a public‑safety identification ordinance, authorizing a downtown land purchase and advancing a major workforce housing project.

The votes were taken across several separate agenda items. The council approved each item by the margins recorded in the meeting; where stated, staff and the mayor noted unanimous support.

San Jose Police Officers Association memorandum of agreement (Item 3.3) City staff presented a negotiated successor memorandum of agreement with the San Jose Police Officers Association covering July 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2028. The agreement — which the POA membership ratified — includes wage increases, a longevity pay structure, changes to compensatory time accrual, a Tier‑2 retirement evaluation process and changes to arbitration and grievance resolution. City Manager Jennifer McGuire and the administration described the deal as a way to stabilize the sworn workforce and support recruitment and retention. The council approved the agreement; staff recorded the motion as passing unanimously. Councilmember Peter Ortiz, who moved the approval, framed the pay and retention elements as “not a perk” but “a strategy” to keep officers who reflect and serve San Jose neighborhoods.

Ordinance prohibiting concealment of law‑enforcement identity (Item 3.5) Following an extended public comment period that included immigrant‑rights advocates and neighborhood groups, the council adopted a locally drafted ordinance to prohibit law‑enforcement officers from concealing their identity when acting in San Jose. Proponents said the rule is intended to protect residents from impersonation and to preserve public trust; public commenters described recent incidents involving federal agents and urged local action. Councilmember Ortiz argued the ordinance was about “dignity, fairness, and public trust.” The ordinance passed unanimously (the clerk recorded the motion as “passes unanimously with Mayor Mahan absent” for that vote).

Acquisition of property at 447 S. Almaden Boulevard (Item 8.1) Council authorized purchase of a 3.5‑acre parcel currently used as parking adjacent to the Convention Center. City real‑estate staff described the property as an entitled parcel with long‑term strategic value: acquiring it would link the city’s holdings east and west of the Guadalupe and form a contiguous holding of roughly 32 acres, offering flexibility for a future convention‑center expansion or sports/entertainment district planning. The agreed purchase price is $13,500,000. Finance staff said the acquisition will be financed by taxable commercial‑paper notes (lease revenue CP) amortized over seven years, with repayment from Convention Center and parking facility funds. The financing authority and the council both approved the item.

Gateway Tower workforce housing (Item 8.2) The council accepted staff recommendations to move forward with the Gateway Tower project, a downtown workforce housing tower that will include a mix of income levels (including units supported by project‑based vouchers). Staff presented a capital stack combining private senior debt, investor equity and public subsidies from the county, the housing authority and the city. The project received council support and the council also approved a motion to direct staff to work with the developer on a tenant‑preference policy reserving up to 10% of LIHTC‑funded units for local artists, a request the council framed as part of preserving the SoFA District’s creative ecosystem. Developer Chris Veil said Gateway Tower “will bring much needed workforce housing to downtown’s workforce.”

General Plan amendment early‑consideration votes (Items 10.2 and 10.3) Two privately initiated General Plan amendment requests were given early consideration so they can proceed into the formal review process. The council voted to allow a privately initiated amendment for a 0.99‑acre site at Emery Street and the Alameda to continue processing; the applicant proposes townhomes and asked for the hearing. For the McKendree Street site (two parcels totaling 0.46 acre), staff had recommended deferring the parcel for the four‑year General Plan review; the Planning Commission instead recommended continued processing and the council voted to proceed with the applicant’s request. Both votes allow the applicants to move into rezoning and permit review rather than requiring the council to withhold processing pending a broader plan update.

What council asked staff to do next For several of the items — especially the Gateway Tower and the Almaden purchase — councilmembers asked staff to return with ordinance language, implementation details and budget updates as required. For the convention‑center parcel, finance staff will finalize the commercial‑paper issuance documents and related appropriation ordinances. For the Gateway project, staff will continue interagency coordination with the county and housing authority as construction financing is finalized.

Ending: The council completed the acts with recorded approvals and directed staff to implement the adopted financing, procurement and project‑delivery steps.