Kimberly Castro

The general business included updates from the City Manager and the School District Superintendent regarding the Super Bowl preparations, including an update on Buchser/Townsend Field. The Santa Clara Unified School District provided updates on the New Valley High School Relocation, including tree mitigation plans, and construction progress across various sites such as Bracker & Westwood, Santa Clara High School, Wilcox High School, and Laurelwood School. The City shared updates from the Community Development Department concerning several housing and development projects like University Station and Homestead & Lawrence, along with library initiatives such as the STEM Zone and Winter Reads program. The committee also discussed a potential request for safety improvements, specifically a crosswalk or traffic light, near Scott Lane Elementary School.

The meeting commenced with the confirmation of a quorum and addressed a closed session item concerning a Public Employee performance evaluation for the City Attorney. Following this, it was noted that Item Number 9, concerning a general plan amendment for the multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation program, would be continued, likely until late April or early May. The body then moved into special orders of business, starting with the proclamation of March as Youth Arts Month in the City of Santa Clara, which included musical performances by students from the Don Cajon School of Arts and Design and remarks from arts education coordinators. Subsequently, the council recognized March as Red Cross Month and invited leaders from the Silicon Valley chapter of the American Red Cross to speak.

The joint meeting commenced with confirmation of a quorum and a closed session to discuss existing litigation regarding William Kelly versus the City of Santa Clara, which resulted in the approval of a settlement payment of $160,000 to Blue Shield, resolving the medical lien. During the regular session, a motion to amend the City's representation on the Association of Santa Clara County was reconsidered based on new information regarding committee meeting schedules and alternates, specifically concerning Council Member Park's role. A significant discussion occurred regarding Item Six, the World Cup agreements, where a public speaker requested a continuance, citing late document delivery and concerns over potential Government Code Section 1090 violations related to previous 49ers documents, and the urgency of the decision involving public funds. The Council debated the appropriateness of committee assignments to ensure fair distribution across council members.

This informational report details the City of Santa Clara's comprehensive planning and preparation efforts for hosting Super Bowl LX and FIFA Men's World Cup in 2026. Guided by City Council-adopted principles focusing on transparency, fiscal responsibility, community benefits, and risk mitigation, the report covers public safety, emergency management, convention center utilization, marketing strategies, communication, reimbursement agreements, and community engagement initiatives to ensure successful and beneficial events for the city and its residents.

The Deferred Compensation Committee meeting agenda included several key items. The consent calendar covered the approval of the meeting minutes from November 13, 2025. The general business section featured an informational report on the Fourth Quarter 2025 Quarterly Plan Performance presented by Nationwide, and another informational report on the Fourth Quarter 2025 Quarterly Plan Review presented by the Fiduciary Consulting Group. Additionally, the committee planned to review and recommend the adoption of the Investment Policy Statement (IPS) for the City's 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, and to discuss and possibly adopt the Draft Deferred Compensation Committee By-Laws.