March 21, 2008

New Neighborhoods Commission needs candidates and caucus delegates

By Bonnie Mace and Larry Cargnoni
Special to the Times

Are you interested in becoming more active in government decisions that affect your neighborhood? Do you want to serve as a commissioner on a brand new City of San Jose Commission? The City of San Jose has established a new Neighborhoods Commission that will support and advocate for all San Jose neighborhoods through increased community participation, communication, partnerships, shared accountability and diverse community celebration.

“The new 30-member Neighborhoods Commission will be unique in the City, since the commissioners will be elected by Council District caucuses. Each Council District shall designate three Commissioners and two alternates through a Neighborhoods Caucus process, which will be forwarded to the City Council for appointment,” explained Ernest Guzman, Director of the Neighborhood Development Center. As part of the City’s community outreach efforts, Guzman spoke at a recent meeting of the District 8 Community Round Table. “One of the goals of this new commission is to empower neighborhoods. This commission will help to foster the connection between the community and the City of San Jose. Other goals include integrating the voice of the neighborhoods into the City’s decision-making process, studying issues and programs relevant to neighborhoods, and making recommendations to the City Council and Redevelopment Agency,” Guzman told approximately 40 members of the District 8 Community Round Table.

The District 8 Community Round Table is driving the registration of the neighborhood groups to appoint delegates and the caucus process to select our District 8 Neighborhood Commissioners.

The key dates for the District 8 selection process for the Neighborhoods Commission:

- Mar. 29 – 3:30-6:00 p.m. at the Evergreen Library Community Room

- Initial training workshop for interested candidates, delegates, and neighborhood associations.

- D8CRT will help neighborhood associations get registered with the City.

Forms are available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

- Apr. 4 – 5:00 p.m. – Registration Deadline

- All Neighborhood Group registration forms are due to the City.

- Candidates for commissioners must have completed and submitted their applications.

- Apr. 26 – 2:30-5:30 p.m. at the Evergreen Library Community Room

- Dry run of the caucus selection process (delegate and candidate training).

- May 18 – District 8 Neighborhoods Commission Caucus

- The District 8 Caucus will be held to select the three District 8 Commissioners and two alternate commissioners.

Time and location will be announced later.

- Fall 2008 – Neighborhoods Commission will be seated

Further information about the District 8 Neighborhoods Commission Caucus is available on the District 8 Community Round Table’s Website at: under the “Caucus” link.

For general information and Neighborhood Group registration form, please call the Neighborhood Develop-ment Center at 723-4114. For application forms to register as a candidate for the Neighborhoods Commission, please visit the Office of the City Clerk Website at: http://www.sanjoseca.gov/Clerk/commissionboard/NC/NC.asp.

The next District 8 Community Round Table meeting will be held on Apr. 8 at the Evergreen Branch Library, from 7-9 p.m. For more details on the D8CRT, visit the new D8CRT website at: . You can also visit the Yahoo User Group Website at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/D8C_RoundTable/.

Bonnie Mace and Larry Cargnoni are D8CRT officers.