Willow Glen Resident

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News Briefs

No pet violations
found at Safeway

Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health investigated two complaints about pets in the Hamilton Avenue Safeway and found no violations.

Different customers logged the complaints, though the issue was nearly identical, said Vicki Everly, supervising environmental health specialist. The Feb. 27 complaint detailed dogs riding in shopping carts, and the March 29 complaint pointed to customers carrying dogs in the produce area. There have also been several anonymous complaints, Everly said.

According to the California health and safety code, no live animals are allowed within 20 feet of any area where food is stored or held for sale. Safeway does have a no-pet policy, but it also must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which allows people with sensory disabilities to bring service animals into the store. Patrons need only to identify the animal as a service animal rather than a pet.

Everly said the county investigator did not observe any dogs in the store and discussed the complaint with the store manager. The Hamilton Avenue store is not alone, she said, adding that there has been an increase in animal complaints at Safeways throughout the area.

Figone named as
SJ city manager

Debra Figone was unanimously approved by the San Jose City Council on May 15 as San Jose's new city manager.

Figone, the current town manager of Los Gatos, starts July 23 and will replace interim city manager Les White, who is retiring.

"It's exciting to put my professional experience to work in my hometown," said Figone, a San Jose native who served as San Jose's assistant city manager from 1995 to 2000.

Figone will oversee and manage the day-to-day operations of San Jose city government and its 15 departments. She will also direct the development and implementation of the city's $3.2 billion budget.

The city council approved Figone's hiring in closed session.

Council to vote
on salary hike

The San Jose City Council on May 22 will vote on whether to give itself a raise.

If approved, the mayor's annual salary will jump from $105,000 to $127,000, and the annual salary for San Jose's 10 council members will increase from $75,000 to $90,000.

The new salaries were recommended by the San Jose Salary-Setting Commission, which also recommended nearly doubling the monthly car stipend for the mayor and the city council, from $350 to $600.

Santa Clara County supervisors earn $120,552 per year and receive a $600 monthly car stipend.

City council approves increase

The San Jose City Council on May 8 approved raising garbage collection rates next year by 28 percent.

The new monthly rate for single-family homes with 32-gallon bins is $25.80; the current rate is $20.15. The council also approved a potential 20 percent increase over the 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscal years.

The council voted 8-2 to approve the hike; Councilman Pierliugi Oliverio and Councilwoman Nora Campos voted against it. Oliverio, the District 6 councilman, said after the meeting that he voted no to protest the city's flawed contracting process.

"We do not have transparent, competitive bidding," Oliverio said. "If you want to feel good about overpaying someone to pick up your garbage, than there's your price hike."

The city has received 2,000 letters protesting the hike since March, when the council approved notifying residents of the proposed increase, John Stufflebean, environmental services director, said at the recent council meeting.

The reason for the leap is twofold, city officials say. The competitive bid process for new garbage contracts following the Norcal scandal produced a 61 percent, or $15.8 million, spike in contract costs; and the new and existing contractors all have increased fuel and labor costs.

The new rates take effect July 1. Residents will not have to buy new bins, and collection days will not change.

Postage rates upped
from 39 to 41 cents

Postage rates for a first-class letter increased from 39 cents to 41 cents effective May 14, the U.S. Postal Service announced. Postcard rates also went up from 24 cents to 26 cents.

The postal service also introduced a new 41-cent "forever" stamp, which can be used indefinitely as first-class postage regardless of future rate increases. Additional charges for first-class mail were reduced from 24 cents to 17 cents per ounce.

The last rate increase was Jan.1, 2006, when first-class rates went from 37 cents to 39 cents.

The postal service has also introduced a new shape-based pricing technique, whereby customers may physically fold their letters or somehow reduce the packaging size and thus pay lower rates.

For more information on new postage rates, call 800.275.8777 or visit www.usps.com/ratecase.

Postage rates upped
from 39 to 41 cents

Postage rates for a first-class letter increased from 39 cents to 41 cents effective May 14, the U.S. Postal Service announced. Postcard rates also went up from 24 cents to 26 cents.

The postal service also introduced a new 41-cent "forever" stamp, which can be used indefinitely as first-class postage regardless of future rate increases. Additional charges for first-class mail were reduced from 24 cents to 17 cents per ounce.

The last rate increase was Jan.1, 2006, when first-class rates went from 37 cents to 39 cents.

The postal service has also introduced a new shape-based pricing technique, whereby customers may physically fold their letters or somehow reduce the packaging size and thus pay lower rates.

For more information on new postage rates, call 800.275.8777 or visit www.usps. com/ratecase.