Public Voting Record for City Council Candidates Responses
For the past 12 months, I have asked the District 6 City Council candidates how they would vote on items that come before the City Council.
By way of background, when candidates run for office, they customarily fill out yes/no questionnaires from different interest groups, and answer questions posed by these same groups during closed door interviews. Unfortunately, these processes are private, and the general public typically does not benefit at all, if ever, from knowing either the questions or the candidate responses. Of course the special interest groups do know the answers, since they control the process, and sometimes even go on to control the candidate through their powerful influence.
In forming their decisions, the candidates had access to the same city staff reports and supporting documentation (commission reports, letters from the public, memos from City Council and Mayor) plus years of archive videos from City Council and Planning Commission meetings. Candidates were allowed to reclassify their “vote” after the fact, by midnight that evening, if the city council discussion or public comment caused them to change their viewpoint. Responses are listed in order of receipt each week for the remaining candidates.
Both remaining candidates continue to be contacted each week. If you happen to meet a participating candidate, please thank them for lending transparency to the process.
November 1, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Accept Department of Justice grant for the work necessary to prosecute internet child predators:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (10-0) Yes, one member absent
Approve new two acre park in North San Jose paid for by park fees from high density market rate housing:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Approve ordinance prohibiting bike riding on sidewalks in the Lincoln Ave business district. (exception for pre teen children):
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
October 19, 2016 City Council Rules Committee Meeting:
Direct City Attorney to Examine Proposal to Clean Freeway Property of Litter.
(Includes freeway entrances and exits not being cleaned by state agency CalTrans):
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (5-0) Yes
October 18, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Approve Homeless Outreach Services at Main Library- $75,000:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Approve work plan for new Office of Immigration Affairs- $250,000:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (9-1) Yes, one member absent
October 4, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Extend Downtown Hi-Rise Office Building Incentive:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (10-0) Yes, one member absent
September 27, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Approve Caltrain Electrification Agreement (Electrification of Caltrain to be competed December 2020):
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
September 20, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Approve Del Monte Park Master Plan & EIR
(New lighted soccer fields to open September 2017 at the corner of Auzerais & Sunol):
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (10-0) Yes, one member absent
Approve zoning for new Santana Row project
(Grocery store, retail, and office):
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (8-2) Yes, one member absent
September 13, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Adopt a resolution consenting to the establishment of the Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone
(Urban Farming/Community Gardens):
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
August 30, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Add extra city council evening meeting per month with earlier evening start time:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
August 23, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Creekside Protection Ordinance:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
August 16, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Final Purchase of Property for completion of future 10 acre Del Monte Park:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Award Contract for Bramhall Park Restroom-Concession-Storage Project:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
August 9, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Business Tax Modernization Ballot Measure:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Pension Modification Ballot Measure:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (10-1) Yes
May 24, 2016 City Council Meeting
Agreement with Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency to Manage Burrowing Owl Habitat:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Action related to Google Fiber Network:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
May 17, 2016 City Council Meeting
Approve mixed use development (West Santa Clara & Delmas Ave) with up to one million sq ft office/commercial and 325 residential units:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
May 10, 2016 City Council Meeting
Create ordinance to reduce conversions of rental apartments to for sale condominiums:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (7-4) Yes
Start process to increase housing department staff for enforcement of rent control:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (10-1) Yes
May 3, 2016 City Council Meeting
Approve $1.24 million bid for sanitary sewer Improvement at Lincoln Ave & Savaker St:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Approve $3.83 million contract for street sealing including Lincoln Ave from San Carlos to Curtner:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Approve spending plan for $1.58 million federal police grant:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (8-0) Yes, 3 members absent
April 26, 2016 City Council Meeting
Prioritize Surplus Land for Low Income Housing:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (7-1) Yes, 3 members absent
Surplus Property Sale (21,000 sq. ft) corner of Bascom & San Carlos $150,000:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (8-0) Yes, 3 members absent
Purchase Property ($1.1 million .38 acre) for low income housing:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (8-0) Yes, 3 members absent
April 19, 2016 City Council Meeting
Approve airport fee reduction for new air service to Shanghai by Air China:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Approve New Rent Control Restrictions:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (6-5) Yes
April 12, 2016 City Council Meeting
Approve Neighborhoods Commission Caucus Process:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (9-0) Yes with two members absent
Approve update to Fireworks Enforcement Ordinance increasing fines and allowing additional city employees to issue citations:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
April 5, 2016 City Council Meeting
Approve and establish an Open Data Policy:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
March 29, 2016 City Council Meeting
Hire 14 fire personnel with federal grant to operate one fire engine year round (ongoing cost $2.8 million):
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Implementation of an inclusionary housing ordinance:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (10-1) Yes
Award contract for $350,000 for mobile hygiene services for homeless persons:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
March 22, 2016 City Council Meeting
Approve four story, 261 room hotel off of 237 in North San Jose:
Devora Davis—-Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (8-0) Yes, with three members absent
March 15, 2016 City Council Meeting
Should the City of San Jose continue discussions to create a potential a soccer complex ( seven fields) in the Guadalupe River Park? Paid for by park bond funds, the Earthquakes and commercial real estate developer Hunter Storm:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
March 8, 2016 City Council Meeting
Should the City of San Jose place on the June ballot a 1/4 cent sales tax measure that can only be allocated to police and road paving?:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (8-3) No
Should the City of San Jose place on the June ballot a 1/4 cent, unrestricted, general sales tax that could be allocated at the full discretion of the city council?:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (9-2) Yes
March 1, 2016 City Council Meeting
Approve RFP for a Community Choice Energy Plan that will provide SJ residents an alternative to PG&E that is price competitive and comes from renewables sources such as solar and wind:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (9-1) Yes with one member absent
February 23, 2016 City Council Meeting
Continue dialogue with mobile home park property owners to stay open on a voluntary basis.
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (7-4) Yes
Approve Liquor License at full service grocery store on San Carlos & Bird Ave:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Approve 6 story mixed use building on Winchester 641 housing units @ 8,000 sq ft commercial:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (10-0) Yes with one member absent
February 9, 2016 City Council Meeting
Approve transportation priorities regarding potential VTA Nov 2016 county ballot measure.
(Local road paving, BART to Downtown SJ w/ connection to Caltrain, upgrade freeway interchanges including 280/Winchester, 101/Zanker, 880/Charcot, close gap in pedestrian, bicycle and trail networks)
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (10-1) Yes
February 2, 2016 City Council Meeting
Authorize a study for a potential Gross Receipts Tax on Business:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (9-2) Yes
Prioritize a $200,000 feasibility study for a new Vietnamese Community Center:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (10-1) Yes
January 26, 2015 City Council Meeting
Approve Apple Computer campus in North San Jose:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Approve 4 story mini storage/commercial building on Winchester Blvd:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Approve Temporary Large Banner Signs/Supergraphics in Downtown:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
January 12, 2015 City Council Meeting
Approve 4 Year Agreement with San Jose Sports Authority $448,000:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Approve Ordinance to Outdoor Food Vending on Public & Private Property:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
December 15, 2015 City Council Meeting:
Purchase the Plaza Hotel for Homeless Housing Downtown:
Devora Davis—-Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
Study Creating New Fee on New Commercial Development to Fund Low Income Housing:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (7-4) No
Airport Incentive Program (reduction of airport fees) for New Air Flights:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
City Council voted (11-0) Yes
December 8, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Expansion of Del Monte Park (paid by fees from high density market rate housing):
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (11-0) Yes.
Allow places of worship to shelter up to 15 homeless individuals immediately without conditional use process:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (11-0) Yes.
Allow existing convenience store (Minnesota Ave & Lincoln Ave) to also sell liquor in addition to existing beer and wine sales:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (11-0) No
December 1, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Explore augmenting SJPD with Sheriff & CHP:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (11-0) Yes.
Support President Obama’s Undocumented Immigrant Amnesty Court Case:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (9-2) Yes.
Conversion of Motel for Homeless Housing on The Alameda:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (9-0) Yes, with two members absent.
November 17, 2015 City Council Meeting:
Begin community process on other park uses for Los Lagos Golf Course:
Devora Davis—-Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (10-1) Yes.
Reduce regulation on taxi cabs:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted unanimously (11-0) Yes
Approve six story, 600 unit housing development in Japantown on 4.5 acres:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted unanimously (11-0) Yes
November 10, 2015 City Council Meeting:
Rehabilitation of 16 rooms for homeless veterans located in the Newhall Neighborhood:
Devora Davis—-Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted unanimously (11-0) Yes.
Divert park fee monies (derived from new residential developments) from capital uses to maintenance and activation of Saint James Park:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (9-2) Yes
Allow Uber and Lyft to pick up passengers at the airport:
Devora Davis—No
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted unanimously (11-0) Yes
October 27, 2015 City Council Meeting:
Creation of an Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone Ordinance:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (11-0) Yes to continue this agenda item so the language does not conflict with the County ordinance language.
Adopt an Odor Strategy for the Wastewater Treatment Plant:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (8-0) Yes, with three members absent
Adopt an Illegal Dumping ordinance and schedule of fines:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (7-0) Yes, with four members absent
October 20, 2015 City Council Meeting:
Foreign policy item regarding human rights in the country of Vietnam:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (9-1) Yes, with one member absent.
Approve construction of an assembly building for existing employees at eBay on Hamilton Ave.:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (10-0) Yes, with one member absent
Approve addition of a car wash and convenience store (no alcohol) at an existing gas station on Meridian & Fruitdale:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted (10-0) Yes, with one member absent
October 6, 2015 City Council Meeting:
Issue a bond to rehabilitate an existing low income housing facility in the Canoas Gardens neighborhood:
Devora Davis—-Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted unanimously (11-0), Yes
Enter into a development agreement on a city owned parcel Downtown for a 270 foot mixed use building to be built by a private developer. (A final agreement would come back for council approval):
Devora Davis—-Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted unanimously (11-0), Yes
September 29, 2015 City Council Meeting:
The final adoption of an ordinance that would establish a temporary moratorium on the conversion or closure of mobile home parks:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted unanimously (10-0) Yes, with one member absent.
Extend a below market lease for the Camera 3 Theaters Downtown:
Devora Davis—Yes
Other Candidate—Did Not Respond
The City Council voted unanimously (11-0) Yes.
Approve a new 510,000 sq ft office building at Santana Row:
Devora Davis—-Yes
Other Candidate — Did Not Respond
The City Council voted in favor of this item (10-0) Yes, with one member absent.
