Welcome to District 4 - Serving Berryessa, North Valley, Alviso, North San Jose

Thank you for visiting the District 4 online office! I am honored to be serving the neighborhoods of Berryessa, Alviso, North San Jose, and North Valley on the City Council. This website serves to keep you informed on the work that I do to represent our neighborhoods and residents. Please visit frequently to read my blog, view my photo gallery, and check out the latest press releases.

I look forward to working with many If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to call us at (408) 535-4904 or send us an email at district4@sanjoseca.gov

Councilmember Kansen Chu, in collaboration with State Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico and Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese, invite District 4 residents to Mobilehome Town Hall Meeting.

The Mobilehome Town Hall meeting will feature a panel discussion with advocates from California Mobilehome Owners Resources and Action Association (CMRAA) and Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners League, Inc. (GSMOL) who will discuss current State legislation that will affect the Mobilehome Community, and a Public Comment, Question & Answer Session to answer questions that matter to you.

Topics to be discussed will include a wide array of issues, including Dispute Resolution, Homeowner and Tenant Rights, Rent Control, Condo Conversion, and Failure to Maintain.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Santa Clara County Voter Registration Building

Auditorium

1555 Berger Drive, Building 2

San Jose, CA 95112

10:00AM-12:00PM

The City of San José is participating in a new Countywide Emergency Notification System that will provide timely and lifesaving information to anyone who lives or works in Santa Clara County.

The AlertSCC system can send thousands of text and voice messages within minutes to home phones, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDA’s), laptops, desktop computers, and TTY/TDD devices for the hearing impaired using 411 and 911 databases.  The system cannot reach cell phones, PDA’s, computers, and devices for the hearing impaired, UNLESS those cell phone numbers and email addresses are registered with the system.
AlertSCC can reach you wherever you are almost immediately to provide information and instructions for a variety of emergency situations, including:

• Wildfires and subsequent evacuations
• Shelter, transportation, or supply information following a major disaster
• Other public safety incidents that immediately affect your neighborhood

Registering takes only a few minutes through a simple online process. Anyone who lives or works in Santa Clara County is encouraged to register their cell phone number and email address by going to http://www.alertscc.com/.  Click on “Participating Cities” on the left sidebar to register.  Select your city from the menu to register your contact information (up to three phone numbers, two email addresses, and one SMS text message number). Click here to register directly with the City of San Jose.

The personal phone number and email addresses you register with AlertSCC are confidential and secure and will only be used by authorized County or City personnel, and will not be shared with any private company. 

The County of Santa Clara purchased the system and is rolling it out to San José, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Milpitas, Gilroy, Campbell, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Los Altos Hill.

Registering for AlertSCC is one of the fastest, easiest, and most immediately productive things you can do to better prepare for an emergency.  I encourage anyone who lives or works in Santa Clara County to register with AlertSCC.  Your ability to receive fast, accurate information can help you survive in an emergency.

First and foremost, I would like to thank you all for your patience regarding the re-use of the Old Berryessa Library. 

I have met with the City staff regarding next steps and have agreed it was in the best interest to demolish the old Berryessa Library and expand the parking lot.  I understand that this vacant building has been an ongoing eyesore in the community for the past few years and I believe that the expansion of the parking lot will better serve the increasing needs of the visitors at the Berryessa Branch Library.

A community meeting took place on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at the Berryessa Community Center to inform the community of the City’s decision and to provide a timeline for the demolition and construction.Before the demolition can take place, the City needs to complete an environmental study. The demolition and construction is expected to start in June 2010 with an estimated completion in November 2010.

The total cost for this project is estimated to be around $600,000 and funding for this project comes out of Library Bond dollars, as a result of cost savings on other City funded bond projects.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at district4@sanjoseca.gov or (408)535-4904 if you have any further concerns or questions.

Click here to view a video profile of District 4.

October/November 2009 Newsletter NEW!

My October/November Newsletter is now available!

If you have not been able to pick up a copy at various District 4 Community events and at the Berryessa and Alviso Libraries, please feel free to browse the newsletter here.

Inside, there is information about what's been happening in District 4 and notices about upcoming events.

Click on the image or here to read the Newsletter.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

As your Councilmember, it is important for me to know what is happening in our community. I am always trying to find new ways to make my office more accessible throughout District 4. In August 2007, I began holding monthly community office hours in order to receive feedback and provide assistance to residents.

Over the past year, I have enjoyed meeting with many of you and being able to assist you regarding city issues. I encourage you to continue to take advantage of the community office hours so that I may be of assistance to all of you.

Upcoming Community Office Hours:

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Berryessa Branch Library - Study Room C
3050 Berryessa Road

Wednesday, December 9, 2009
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Berryessa Branch Library - Study Room C
3050 Berryessa Road

Please call (408) 535-4904 to schedule a 15 minute appointment. Residents are also welcome to drop in and visit during these times. However, please be advised that drop-in appointments may have to wait.