2023
Paying tribute to Kitty Monahan aka “Mayor of New Almaden”
A beloved figure in the community, Kathleen “Kitty” Monahan died last year at the age of 89, but her legacy will live on at Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Visitors to the park may notice a new trailmarker dedicated to Monahan, who was instrumental in Santa Clara County’s purchase and preservation of the 4,000-acre park.
Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury seeks volunteers
Applications are now being accepted to serve on Santa Clara County’s 2024-25 Civil Grand Jury. The Civil Grand Jury acts as the County's civil watchdog agency, empowered to investigate all facets of county and city government, special districts, and school districts. The deadline to submit the application is March 29, 2024.
December 2023, Newsletter
Read about support for increasing mammography access, reflections on 2023 and housing developments using Measure A funds. Catch up on the youth mental health resources, ArtNow exhibit submission opportunities and District Five on social.
County helps make camp more inclusive
A Santa Clara County grant to Camp Via West helped provide camp facility renovations, including critical accessibility modifications for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The camp used County funding for the renovation of a sports field, which includes ADA-compliant bathrooms, storage for sports equipment, and a concession stand to provide food and water for campers and spectators at the sports field.
2023: Looking back and forward in the West Valley and North County. Let’s work together in the new year!
In 2023, the Office of County Supervisor Joe Simitian made real progress on issues championed related to health care, affordable housing, land use, education, community safety, and support for seniors and people with developmental disabilities — to the benefit of folks in District Five and countywide.
Measure A funding brings more affordable housing to North County
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to invest up to $31.4 million in three affordable housing developments in North County, with funding largely drawn from the Measure A Affordable Housing Bond voters approved in 2016. The Board also approved the real estate purchase of 1265 Montecito Avenue in Mountain View for the development of Montecito Multifamily Apartments, another Measure A-funded affordable housing development.
Supervisors push for “real access” to mental health care
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors directed County staff to pursue County sponsorship and support of legislative and regulatory strategies to address gaps in achieving mental health parity. The Board’s action came in response to a proposal by County Supervisors Joe Simitian and Cindy Chavez that seeks to push commercial health insurers to ensure that people seeking coverage for mental health care can access treatment as easily as people seeking coverage for medical treatment.
Supervisors push early detection in fight against breast cancer
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors reinforces its commitment to the early detection of breast cancer and specifically addressing the imaging needs of patients with dense breast tissue. On a proposal from County Supervisors Joe Simitian and Sylvia Arenas, the Board directed County staff to take action in early 2024 with options to improve the availability of diagnostic imaging to County residents.
One step closer to revitalizing Flood Park
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement with the County of San Mateo to move forward with the Realize Flood Park project as part of the Stanford recreational grant program. Flood Park is an 86-year-old park in Menlo Park and one of seven projects that was designated for funding by Santa Clara County’s Stanford Mitigation Fund (SMF) in 2020. The SMF is restricted to projects that aim to mitigate the loss of recreational facilities for campus residents and facility users due to development on the Stanford University campus resulting from approval of the 2000 Stanford General Use Permit.
Understanding Our Kids: Youth Mental Health and the Road to Resilience
Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian held a panel discussion that brought together experts in the mental health field as well as youth mental health advocates. Titled, “Understanding Our Kids: Youth Mental Health and the Road to Resilience,” the discussion focused on how to identify and prevent a mental health crisis, the availability of County and community mental health services for families in crisis, and the benefits of peer-to-peer support systems.
