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City of Milpitas receives “Smart 50” award for sustainable infrastructure program

By Eric Shapiro. Milpitas Beat, April 22, 2022

The City of Milpitas has been recognized with a “Smart 50” Award. The annual Smart 50 Awards are given to cities that stand out for having innovative and influential “Smart City” projects, per a partnership between Smart Cities Connect and the Smart Cities Connect Foundation. The term “smart city” refers to cities that are advanced in terms of information and communication technology.

Milpitas has long nurtured its Smart City infrastructure program, part of which has meant constructing new sustainable microgrids while enacting far-reaching water and energy conservation initiatives.

Said a press release from the City, “Delivered in collaboration with ENGIE North America, 10 water and energy infrastructure improvement measures in the construction phase of the initiative are either complete or nearing completion. Combined, these measures will enhance community services and safety, contribute to the City’s Climate Action Plan and resiliency goals, and reduce its operations, maintenance, and utility costs.”

Future of Milpitas-Plans and Projects

Capital Improvement Program
Milpitas will preserve its close-knit community and rich cultural diversity as it moves with innovation into the future by supporting sustainable growth and development, ensuring public safety, enhancing the environment and natural landscape, and nurturing family and community connections. Large document containing plans for Milpitas’ future.

City of Milpitas Bicycle/Pedestrian & Trails Plan
The City of Milpitas is in the process of updating its Trails and Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plans. These plans will provide the City with a vision and action plan to make it safer and more convenient to walk, bike, and roll in Milpitas. Visit MilpitasPhase2.altaplanning.cloud to provide feedback! Visit the interactive map at the link above to comment on proposed recommendations for bicycling and walking in Milpitas. Your feedback will inform recommended improvements around the city and help prioritize future investments.

Milpitas Economic Development
Responsible for helping maintain and promote growth in the City of Milpitas. We move at the speed of business to help keep your project on track and on time. We also take pride in “linking opportunities for commerce and community,” helping our businesses grow and succeed, increasing our job base for residents, and improving the economic well-being and quality of life for all.
408-586-3058
econdev@ci.milpitas.ca.gov

Milpitas Metro Specific Plan
The Milpitas Metro Specific Plan (formerly Transit Area Specific Plan) is a plan for the redevelopment of an approximately 437-acre area in the southern portion of the City that currently includes a number of industrial uses near the Great Mall shopping center. Based on City Council direction, the Draft Preferred Plan currently proposes redevelopment of this area with 7,109 dwelling units, 993,843 square feet of office space, 340 hotel rooms and 287,075 square feet of retail space centered around the proposed Milpitas BART station and the VTA Light Rail system. Update on October 29, 2021 in Milpitas Beat.

Milpitas Metro Specific Plan – Land Use and Density Policies
Agenda Report Attachment prepared for the City Council Meeting on January 19, 2021. This plan was originally scheduled to conclude in April 2021, however it has been extended in order to provide planning and environmental review for housing development in order to comply with RHNA and property owner interest in housing development in the Great Mall Subdistrict.

Milpitas Midtown Specific Plan
This updated Milpitas Midtown Specific Plan (2010) provides a new vision for an approximately 589-acre area of land which is currently undergoing changes related to its growing role as a housing and employment center in Silicon Valley

Milpitas Parks and Recreation Master Plan
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will provide both a long-term vision for the City’s park system, and specific policies and standards to direct day-to-day decisions. It will set forth a framework that will allow the City to respond to new opportunities as they arise, and to ensure that adequate parks, facilities and recreation programs meet the needs of the City’s future residents, employees and visitors.

New McCarthy Creekside Development

Amazon crafts leasing deal for huge Milpitas delivery hub
Hundreds could work at Amazon delivery center in Milpitas in three big industrial buildings.
707, 807, and 907 N. McCarthy Blvd.

Apple signs big industrial lease in Milpitas
Apple Inc. has signed a major lease for nearly 314,000 square feet of industrial manufacturing space at McCarthy Creekside, a brand-new, multiphase development in Milpitas, according to real estate records.
407 N. McCarthy Blvd.

SF Motors Expands its Silicon Valley Footprint with a New R&D Facility for Intelligent Electric Vehicles
Company plans new lab facility in Milpitas dedicated to prototyping and manufacturing of advanced batteries and electric powertrains:
ElectricPowertrain(EPT)Lab and NewProductIntroduction(NPI)Lab
607 N McCarthy Blvd

Pledge of Allegiance

I decided it was time to see how well my seven year old daughter knew the Pledge of Allegiance. We had been to many events that said the pledge at the beginning, but I wasn’t sure how well she knew it. So to begin, I said a phrase and she would repeat it back to me. By the end we were saying it together and she finished with, “…one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all… You may be seated.”

I guess we need some work on this!!!!!!!!

— Contributed by Tom Jollie

Does your youngster have a unique way of saying the Pledge or any country’s national anthem, etc.? Email me, and I’ll post the best here.

Red Skelton’s Commentary on the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance
As a schoolboy in Vincennes, Indiana, one of Red Skelton’s teachers explained the words and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to his class. Skelton later wrote down, and eventually recorded, his recollection of this lecture.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS,
ONE NATION, (SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE),
INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

Finding Out About Fireworks Safety
It’s important to remember that fireworks can be dazzling, but they can also be dangerous.

Flag Display
Should you fly the US flag at half staff today? Check the image above. There need be no authorization from the government for the private sector (non-governmental sector) to use the Flag to honor any citizen. Individuals are not acting illegally when using the Flag according to their own usage. Only on government or public buildings are the flag code required to be followed.

The Pledge of Allegiance
Hand in hand with the Red Scare, to which it was inextricably linked, the new religiosity overran Washington. Politicians outbid one another to prove their piety. The campaign to add “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance was part of this movement.

A Milpitas Mom’s Favorite Joke.

Mailing & Shipping in Zip Code 95035

Postal Services in Milpitas, CA, include many other mailing services, too, such as shipping packages and notary services, too.

US Postal Service – Milpitas Location
Save a trip by checking their online services.
Open Mon-Fri. 9AM to 5PM., Saturdays 10AM to 1PM. Closed Sundays.
450 S Abel St.
1-800-262-0860

Buy Stamps Online
Have them delivered to your mailbox. Lots of lovely stamps to chose from.

Advice

8 Ways to Avoid Getting Your Packages Stolen
How can you avoid your Amazon, UPS, FedEx, USPS or eBay package from being stolen from your front door and prevent missing packages?

FBI Advisory: What to do if you Receive a Suspicious Letter or Package
If you receive a suspicious letter or package, what should you do?

The Mail Preference Service – Consumer Assistance
Some consumers would like to receive less advertising mail at home. The Mail Preference Service (MPS) is designed to assist those consumers in decreasing the amount of national non-profit or commercial mail they receive at home. Online costs $5. Only 1 copy per envelope if mailed.

Mailbox Installation
How far from driveway, how tall, materials, USPS-approved mailboxes.

Rates & Zip Codes

US Postal Service Rate Calculator
Know the dimensions and weight of the item you need to mail? This link will calculate the postage for you within the US. For International mail, click here.

New Domestic Prices
You can check out the starting prices for many of our domestic and international mailing and shipping options below or visit Postal Explorer to review the full USPS® Price List

Letter Stamps
Standard-sized, rectangular envelopes – $0.55
Square, Oversized, or Unusual Envelopes – $0.70
Postcard Stamps
Standard-sized, rectangular postcards From $0.35

US Postal Service Zip+4 Code Directory
This link is for finding out the exact zip+4 code for any address in the United States… including yours!

Mailing Services

FedEx In Milpitas
Begin your FedEx shipping right here, with dropoff locations, package tracking. Download tracking software. Track the Status of Your FedEx® Package on this page.
257 W Calaveras Blvd.
408-946-2500

Saigon Shipping
Yelp. Both positive and very negative reviews. Buyer beware. Promotes website they don’t own as their own.
1199 E Calaveras Blvd.
Phone number they give out also doesn’t work.

UPS Drop Off Locations In Milpitas
You need to enter 95035 in the ZIP field, then directory appears. Choose distance from you, if looking for places outside of Milpitas but nearby. Maps and directions.

UPS DROP BOXES

Official Ballot Drop Box and Vote Center Sites in Milpitas
While you MAY mail in the ballot for free, some are concerned that the Post Office may not be to handle the deluge of ballots, some may wish to use a drop box.

UPS Drop Box
SELF SERVE DROP BOX near Mathnasium
12 S HILLVIEW DR

UPS Drop Box
SELF SERVE DROP BOX near Dial Pad & EV charging station.
430 N MCCARTHY BLVD

AUTHORIZED SHIPPING OUTLETS

STAPLES ASO 00358
627 E CALAVERAS BLVD
408-263-0497

PAK MAIL MILPITAS
1090 S MILPITAS BLVD
408-915-2108

POST N PARCEL
1765 LANDESS AVE
408-373-2311

THE POSTAL STOP
105 SERRA WAY
408-946-7678

The UPS Store
Town Center
142 N Milpitas Bl.
408-946-4140

Shipping

Cargo and Freight
Need information on shipping? This section contains names, toll-free numbers and Web addresses of all cargo carriers servicing San Jose International Airport.

California Gubernatorial Recall Election Voter Information

By Soumya Karlamangla

It’s Thursday. Your ballot is in the mail for the special election to decide whether to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom. Recent polling shows it’s a dead heat.

With some 22 million ballots arriving in Californians’ mailboxes this week, voting has begun in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recall election. Between now and Sept. 14, voters will decide whether Newsom, a Democrat who won in a landslide in 2018, should be recalled and replaced — and if so, by whom.

Though the effort to recall the governor was once seen as improbable, recent polling shows it’s now a dead heat, as my colleagues reported on Tuesday. Newsom has raised more campaign funds than all of his challengers combined, and less than a quarter of the state’s electorate is Republican, but neither will matter if not enough Democrats cast ballots in the election to counteract Republican enthusiasm for the ouster. As election season heats up, I’ve got answers to all your questions about voting in the recall.

Estimated Costs to Administer the California Gubernatorial Recall Election

Pursuant to Elections Code section 11108(d), the Department of Finance, in consultation with the Secretary of State and county elections officials, has estimated the costs to administer the recall election of Governor Gavin Newsom to be $276 million.
For more information relating to the costs of the recall election, please see the Secretary of State’s website.

Where’s my ballot?

Monday was the last day for counties to mail out ballots, so yours should be en route if it has not already arrived at your home. As with last year’s presidential election, every active registered voter will receive a ballot in the mail. If you want to know exactly where yours is, sign up for the state’s free ballot-tracking service.

Not sure if you’re registered?

Check here and register here. There’s still time to receive a ballot.

What’s on the ballot?

Just two questions: Should Newsom be recalled? And which candidate should succeed him?
If you answer one question and not the other, your ballot will still be counted.

Who is running to replace Newsom?

There are 46 candidates for governor on the ballot. A full list of their names is here.

How many votes does Newsom need to stay in office? How many to be ousted?

If a majority of voters answer no to the first question — should Newsom be recalled? — then the governor keeps his job. If a majority vote yes, he’s out.

But then things get a little trickier. If voters choose to replace Newsom, the new governor will be the person who gets the most votes in the second question, even if it is far from a majority.

Here’s how that could play out: The current front-runner, the talk radio host Larry Elder, has around 20 percent support among people who want to recall Newsom, according to recent polling.

Say 51 percent of voters choose to recall Newsom and 20 percent pick Elder as the replacement. Elder would be our next governor.

If I’m voting no on the recall, should I answer the second question?

This one is complicated. Newsom has been urging Democrats to ignore the question of who should replace him.

“One question. One answer. No on the recall. Move on. Send in the ballot,” Newsom said in a news conference over the weekend.

But some Democratic strategists think that’s unwise, as it “could produce a new governor chosen by only a small fraction of the electorate,” The Los Angeles Times reports. There are nine Democrats on the ballot, though none have significant support in the polls.

Newsom’s answer-only-the-first-question strategy is probably an attempt to avoid what happened in 2003, when Gov. Gray Davis was recalled and replaced with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In that election, a prominent Democrat, Cruz Bustamante, was one of the replacement candidates. Some believe that Democratic voters may have voted to recall Davis because they thought he would be replaced by Bustamante, another Democrat.

What do I do with my ballot once I’ve filled it out?

The easiest thing is probably to turn it in at a drop box. Here are links to drop box locations for the state’s 10 most populous counties: Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Alameda, Sacramento, Contra Costa and Fresno. Residents elsewhere should visit their county website for information.

Alternatively, you can mail in your ballot as long as it’s postmarked by Sept. 14. Or you can vote in person anytime between Sept. 4 and Sept. 14.

The vote center in Milpitas will be at the library’s auditorium. More vote center information here.

If Newsom is recalled, how long will his successor be in office?

Newsom’s replacement would govern for about a year, until Newsom’s term ends in January 2023. There will be another election in November 2022 to choose who will serve the next four-year term as California’s governor.
If recalled, Newsom can run again.

For more:
• Read an iIn-depth look at the recall from the Times reporters Shawn Hubler and Jill Cowan.
• Doug Ose, a former Republican representative who is a candidate on the ballot, announced on Tuesday that he would be dropping out of the race after a heart attack, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Voter Information-How to Become a Voter in California

How to Get to Vote

Voter information specific to those who reside in Milpitas, California

Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters is modernizing voting and providing voters with greater flexibility and convenience.
Starting with the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election VOTERS will have more options and will get to choose WHEN, WHERE, and HOW to vote!:

Every registered voter will receive a Vote By Mail ballot starting 29 days before Election Day
Voters can vote at any of the Vote Centers in Santa Clara County
Approximately 22 Vote Centers will open for 11 days including Election Day and approximately 88 Vote Centers will be open for 4 days including Election Day for a total of 110 Vote Centers throughout the County on Election Day
Vote Centers will offer more space, additional services and new enhanced voting equipment

Vote Centers in Milpitas

Search here for sites outside of Milpitas that may be closer to where you work.

Name:	Milpitas Branch Library – Auditorium
Address:	160 N Main Street, Milpitas, CA 95035 (0.44 miles away)
Hours of Operation:	September 4, 2021 to September 13, 2021 – 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM; ELECTION DAY (September 14, 2021) – 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Inside or Outside the Building:	Inside the Building

Name:	San Jose Evergreen Community College -Milpitas Extension Lecture 1 & 2
Address:	1450 Escuela Parkway, Milpitas, CA 95035 (1.46 miles away)
Hours of Operation:	Not open for recall election
Inside or Outside the Building:	Inside the Building

Name:	John Sinnott Elementary School – Auditorium
Address:	2025 Yellowstone Avenue, Milpitas, CA 95035 (1.76 miles away)
Hours of Operation:	Not open for recall election
Inside or Outside the Building:	Inside the Building

Name:	Pioneer Mobile Home – Club House
Address:	60 Wilson Way, Milpitas, CA 95035 (1.96 miles away)
Hours of Operation:	Not open for recall election
Inside or Outside the Building:	Inside the Building

Online Registering to Vote
To vote in California, you must be:
At least 18 years old by election day
A U.S. citizen
A California resident
Registered at least 15 days before the election
Not in prison or on parole for a felony
Not declared mentally incompetent by court action

Offline Way
Swing by any fire department, the library, the post office, or City Hall and ask for a voter registration form.

Vote By Mail Ballot
Be a Permanent Absentee Voter
Recent changes in state law has made it possible for any registered voter to sign up and automatically receive their ballot by mail for every election.

The all-new style ballot box for Vote-by-Mail ballots for the current election is now in the Milpitas City Hall lobby. It will remain through to Election Day for the convenience of all Santa Clara County voters, not just those who live here, but also for those who work here.

County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters
1555 Berger Dr. Bldg. #2, San Jose, CA 95112.
Office hours: Monday – Friday 8 am – 5 pm.
Responsible for:

Voter Registration
Maintaining voter registration records
Conducting federal, state, school, and local elections
Administering candidate nomination procedures
Administering the provisions of the campaign reporting laws

Voter Registration Form
No longer any neighborhood polling places. See list of voting centers above.

Rock the Vote
If you have a printer, just fill out the form online, print and sign. A non-profit, non-partisan group. Targets young voters and the underrepresenteded.

Voter Guides

California Online Voter Guide
Voter guide provides nonpartisan information on California propositions and statewide, congressional, and state legislative contests.

California Online Government Voter Guide Home Page
The California Voter Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working through research, oversight, outreach and demonstration projects to improve the election process so that it better serves the needs and interests of voters.

California Voters’ Edge Information
California League of Women Voters website for the Santa Clara County ballot. Information about candidates and issues.

California Elections and Voter Information
From the Secretary of State. Lots of information on the gubernatorial primary candidates.

Voting Day Information

Find Your Polling Center
Select election and then enter your residence address.

Check Status of Your Ballot
Under the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, every voter who casts a provisional ballot is entitled to find out from his/her county elections official if the ballot was counted and if not, the reason why it was not counted.

On the Ballot

California Voter Information Guide
The Voter Information Guide for the November 3, 2020. Statewide Direct Primary Election is now available in PDF

League of Women Voters Directory
Find information about contests on a November 8, 2016 ballot in California State Government

Qualified Statewide Ballot Measures
The following is a list of statewide measures that have qualified for the ballot. For those measures that are currently attempting to qualify, see the Initiative and Referendum Qualification Status page.

Political Districts

The California Voter Foundation’s California Map Series
Maps of the state’s political districts, regions and counties. This series was created to give the public a better understanding of the political districts and jurisdictions where we live and vote.

Political Parties

AMERICAN INDEPENDENT PARTY

American Independent Party
California Affiliate of the Constitution Party, the AIP is California’s fastest growing political party. Californians have recognized the need for a major change in government policies, a return to constitutional government, and control of the government by the governed.

DEMOCRATS

California Democratic Party
Information on Campaigns, Party Structure & More.

Democratic National Committee
The DNC plans the Party’s quadrennial presidential nominating convention; promotes the election of Party candidates with both technical and financial support; and works with national, state, and local party organizations, elected officials, candidates, and constituencies to respond to the needs and views of the Democratic electorate and the nation.

GREEN PARTY

Green Party of California
Find out who the Green Party candidates are for California political offices.

Green Party of California
Please join us as we build towards a more democratic, cooperative, cleaner, safer world where we the people, not the corporations, make the decisions that affect our lives.

Green Party of the United States
A confederation of state Green Parties. Committed to environmentalism, non-violence, social justice and grassroots organizing, Greens are renewing democracy without the support of corporate donors.

LIBERTARIANS

Libertarian Party of California
If you describe yourself as socially tolerant and fiscally responsible, you’re a Libertarian! We believe you-not the government-should decide how to run your life, checkbook, retirement, education and family.

Libertarian Party
Committed to America’s heritage of freedom: individual liberty and personal responsibility; a free-market economy of abundance and prosperity; and a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade.

NATURAL LAW PARTY

Natural Law Party – California
Founded in April 1992 to “bring the light of science into politics.” Its founders, a group of a dozen educators, businessmen, and lawyers, knew that field-tested solutions to America’s problems already existed but were being ignored by government.

REPUBLICANS

California Republican Party
Your online source for Republican news, events, and information from all over California. (Not available in other languages.)

Republican National Committee
Republicans have a long and rich history with basic principles: Individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home. (Not available in other languages.)

Initiative Information

How to Qualify an Initiative
This is a summary of the statewide initiative procedure and the requirements for preparing and qualifying initiatives. This guide is intended for statewide initiatives only. For information regarding the qualification of local initiatives, please contact your county elections official or city clerk. Please contact the Secretary of State’s Initiative Coordinator at (916) 657-2166 for more information.

See also ~ More Voter Information

Fire Departments

Two fire departments are responsible for fire suppression, emergency medical services, rescue services, hazardous and toxic materials emergency response, in town and in hills. Cal Fire also help suppress wild fires in our hills.

**Firefighters on roof of Oo La Lodge during training session.**

List of Fire Departments responsible for fires in the city proper and in the hillsides

Milpitas Fire Department
77 S Main St
Responsible for fire suppression, emergency medical services, rescue services, hazardous and toxic materials emergency response, coordination of City-wide disaster response efforts, enforcement of fire and life safety codes, enforcement of State and Federal hazardous materials regulations, and investigation of fire cause, arson and other emergency events for cause and origin.
408-586-2800
To report Emergencies Dial 911 from any phone.

Spring Valley Volunteer Fire Department
Provides fire safety and emergency medical services for residents, recreational enthusiasts, and property in the north-eastern foothills above San Jose and Milpitas, California.
Located in: Ed R. Levin County Park
Address: 3001 Calaveras Rd
408-228-3997

Cal Fire
The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection serves and safeguards the people and protects the property and resources of California. Serves Milpitas through help with wildfires in our hills.
Incidents Overview

SCU Lightning Complex status updates

See also: Fire News Archives

CALFire Twitter Timeline
Tweets by CAL_FIRE

Funding to help prevent human trafficking and domestic violence

We have continuously been advocating for more funding to help prevent human trafficking and domestic violence. Now more than ever, we must support nonprofit organizations to help the survivors of these crimes. Our advocacy during this budget cycle and the past three years on these issues is based on facts. This type of crime is increasing in our region, but we can work together to learn how to stop it. This can happen anywhere, including residential areas in our city.

We can no longer wait and the facts before us require immediate action. We have a fantastic opportunity to invest federal money into programs and prevention. We will be asking our council and our Mayor to please invest an additional $500,000 from our ARPA funding to address this issue. We must ensure that we have the funding for our community to partner with law enforcement and nonprofit organizations to tackle these crimes. We must work to increase neighborhood associations in Milpitas and activate the number of neighborhood watch programs. Most importantly we must update our enforcement policies and do whatever we can to hold those liable that may be allowing this to happen in their apartments or hotels.

Together, WE can keep our community safe. This will not be tolerated in Milpitas, and it’s up to us to collectively work together to stop it. Please make sure to report all suspicious activity to the Milpitas Police Department by calling 9-1-1.

Please call us at 669-228-1623 if you would like to schedule a Community Safety Presentation. We can help you learn how to identify suspicious activity, report a crime, and build your awareness to stay safe.

We are stronger, together!

by Karina Dominguez
City Council Member, Milpitas, CA

Additional services are also available through community and county-based programs, such as:

Community Solutions
We provide critical services for children, teens, adults, and families who are facing times of crisis, ranging from mental health and substance use challenges to domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. We provide services in Santa Clara County and San Benito County.
24-Hour Crisis Line: 1.877.END.SADV (1-877-363-7238)

South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking
Our mission is to ensure the protection of victims, the prosecution of offenders, and the prevention of human trafficking and slavery through an effective coordinated partnership.

2-1-1 for community resources throughout the U.S.

Freedom House – The Nest
Freedom House is a non-profit organization with a mission to bring hope, restoration, and a new life to survivors of human trafficking by providing a safe home and long-term aftercare.
408-826-4436

Santa Clara County Gateway Program
Search your area’s comprehensive directory to find services related to behavioral health, crisis services, and substance use.

Bill Wilson Center
Services for homeless and runaway teens
24/7 Teen Line 1 (888) 247-7717

Pacific Clinics (was Uplift Family Services)
Behavioral and health services for youth and families, including crisis care, foster care and adoption.
(408) 379-9085

Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting & Serving Sexually Exploited Youth
Our mission is to provide supportive services and work for systemic change with youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation.
510-251-2070

Milpitas City Council approves new automatic car wash in split vote

Milpitas City Council approves new automatic car wash in split vote
By Grace Hase, May 5, 2021
A manual coin-operated car wash on South Main Street is getting a fully automatic revamp after more than 50 years in business. Fight among council members ensues.

Governing Laws of Milpitas, Santa Clara County, & California

This page is about the laws and legislation that Milpitas abides by, and those officials in charge of seeing that we do abide by them, and what to do if you feel there is a need to change a law.

About Milpitas

Elected Officials Representing Milpitas
Contact information, links to the various government sites and officials’ home pages. From city council, school board, county supervisor, state and federal representatives.

City of Milpitas

City of Milpitas
This is the City Government’s web site. The site is designed to distribute information from City Hall to the citizens of Milpitas.

Agenda of Next Council Meeting
City web site has these updated just before each council meeting. Watch on Channel 15 if you have Comcast TV, or via live stream.

City of Milpitas Government Telephone Directory
Telephone numbers for City of Milpitas services and information.

County of Santa Clara

County of Santa Clara
The County of Santa Clara, also referred to as “Silicon Valley,” is unique because of its combination of physical attractiveness and economic diversity.

Santa Clara County Supervisors Vote to Keep Current Sanctuary County Policy
Every police chief in the county, except for Sunnyvale, signed a letter urging supervisors to allow ICE to be notified when a violent criminal was about to be released. There was disappointment when the board voted not to change the policy. “We already have ICE picking up individuals in our community every day,” said Priya Murthy with Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network. “We don’t need to be giving them more avenues and be able to instill fear in our communities.” By Damian Trujillo • Published June 4, 2019 • Updated on June 5, 2019 at 6:18 am

Your Elected Officials
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, Sheriff, Assessor, and District Attorney. Milpitas is in District 3, represented by Supervisor Dave Cortese.

State of California

State of California
Use this site to:
Apply for food Stamps
Find a recycling location
Find fire information
Locate current road conditions
Look for advice for immigrants
Apply for a “Real ID” for those who fly often
Contact the California Cannabis Portal
Check the QuickMap for CalTrans traffic information

Department of Social Services (CDSS)
The mission of the California Department of Social Services is to serve, aid, and protect needy and vulnerable children and adults in ways that strengthen and preserve families, encourage personal responsibility, and foster independence.

Good Neighbor Fence Act of 2013
California Civil Code 841 requires that “adjoining landowners shall share equally in the responsibility for maintaining the boundaries and monuments between them.” In this case “monuments” means the fence. In part, the statute says: “Adjoining landowners are presumed to share an equal benefit from any fence dividing their properties and, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties in a written agreement, shall be presumed to be equally responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, or necessary replacement of the fence.”

Forms

Business Licenses
Frequently asked questions answered on the City Business License Center.

Building Permits – Online Permitting System (E-Permits)
The new E-Permits will allow customers to apply for and obtain certain types of Residential building permits on-line without leaving their home or office. Examples of permits available online include the following: Water heater and furnace replacement, bathroom and kitchen remodels, re-roofs and others. This system is available 24 hours a day – 7 days a week.

Tax Forms – California
From the California Franchise Tax Board site.

Tax Forms and Publications – IRS
Information on electronic filing, small business advice, and ordering CD-rom. Information about the Advance Payment Check.

Laws

The Brown Act
California Codes Government Code Section 54950-54962 54950. In enacting this chapter, the Legislature finds and declares that the public commissions, boards and councils and the other public agencies in this State exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business. It is the intent of the law that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly.

The Brown Act
From the CFAC: California First Amendment Coalition:

The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.

Brown Act Primer
What notice must be given of a public meeting? Closed Sessions: When may the public be excluded?

Flag Display
A GO MILPITAS! RESOURCE
Due to controversy over the display of the flag of China, I thought it worth my while to create this page for our citizens and officials. This is from the Cornell University’s Law Resources site on how and when to display the American Flag and other flags.

Laws of California
“Hey! They can’t do that, can they?” Need to see if it’s legal in California? Welcome to the California Law section of FindLaw’s State Law collection. This section contains user-friendly summaries of California laws as well as citations or links to relevant sections of California’s statutes. Please select a topic from the list on this link to get started.

Laws Regarding Fireworks in Milpitas
In general, ordinary citizens of Milpitas may not hold fireworks displays within city limits.

Megan’s Law
We try to keep our community as safe as possible. One way is by providing this map so you can tell if there is a sex offender in the area where you live or learn or play.

Milpitas Municipal Code
The Code is organized by subject matter under an expandable three-factor decimal numbering system which is designed to facilitate supplementation without disturbing the numbering of existing provisions. Each section number designates, in sequence, the numbers of the title, chapter, section and subsection. Thus, Section III-1-6.02 is Subsection .02 of Section 6, located in Chapter 1 of Title III. It is kept fairly current.

Legislation Watch

Official California Legislative Information
This site has been updated to include legislative publications regarding new laws starting with the 2017 session and forward.