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Central Park Library Adding Sunday Hours
Starting Jan. 26, 2025, Santa Clara City Library will be expanding its services to include Sunday hours at the Central Park Library from 1-5 p.m. The community to be able to access books and materials in many languages, support and technology resources in the tech center, the seed library, genealogy and local history resources, the children and teen areas and the popular study rooms. Visit sclibrary.org for more information.
Recycle Your Holiday Tree
Residential holiday trees will be collected curbside on regular garbage collection days during the week of Jan. 6-10. Remove all ornaments, tinsel, nails and the stand. After Jan. 10, cut up your tree and place the pieces in your green yard trimmings cart. Flocked trees should be cut up and placed in your garbage cart. For more information on holiday tree recycling and set-out instructions, visit SantaClaraCA.gov/CleanSC or call the Dept. of Public Works at 408-615-3080.
 California’s New Daylighting Law Goes into Effect
California’s new “Daylighting Law” has gone into effect as of Jan. 1, 2025. Approved by the Governor on Oct. 10, 2023, Assembly Bill 413 (AB 413) was created to enhance pedestrian safety by prohibiting vehicles from parking within 20 feet of marked and unmarked crosswalks, and within 15 feet of crosswalks that have curb extensions. These parking restrictions are designed to improve the visibility of both moving vehicles and pedestrians, helping reduce collisions.
Per the new law, the Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) can begin enforcement on Jan. 1, 2025, but SCPD is considering utilizing the month of January 2025 as a grace period where the focus is on education versus enforcement. Under this law, a ticketed violation is $53. Since this is a State Law, it is in effect whether there are red curbs/no parking signage or not. However, the City of Santa Clara plans to install new red curb markings or no parking signage at select higher priority pedestrian areas. Installation will be done in phases and will focus on marked crosswalks with heavy pedestrian activity or uncontrolled crosswalks (i.e. striped pedestrian crossings where motorists do not have a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic signal, or flashing beacon controlling their movement through the crosswalk).
 School Zone 15 MPH Speed Limits
The City of Santa Clara’s Department of Public Works is working on an initiative to reduce speed limits on certain streets around schools from 25 to 15 miles per hour (mph) when children are present. This proposed 15 mph speed limit would support the City’s goal of creating safer streets for children in school zones, as lowering speeds in these areas is proven to reduce both the likelihood and severity of collisions for all road users. We encourage everyone to take part in improving safety for children commuting to and from school by reducing their speed and staying alert on the road. To learn more about the school zone speed limit initiative and view the proposed streets, visit SantaClaraCA.gov/15MPH.
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Police Chief Welcomes New Leadership on Chief’s Advisory Committee
The Chief’s Advisory Committee was established in 2018 to provide community members with direct access to the Police Chief on issues related to the department. This includes development of community policing concepts, increasing public awareness, and providing neutral, third-party insight to be considered in the department’s decision-making process. The committee in intended to represent a wide cross-section of community viewpoints and interests concerning the protection, service and public safety needs and will consist of the following residents and business owners: Julie Armer Turner, Jill Brooks, Dana Caldwell, Azizul Choudbury, Yvonne Inciarte, Sherry Johnson, Leslie Kelsay, Chris Mavrakis, Paul Raineri, Ujjal Singh, Moksha Smith, Steve Souza, Kaushal Varshney, John Wardell and Bill Wolfe. To learn more about the Chief’s Advisory Committee, visit SantaClaracCA.gov/ChiefAdvisoryCommittee.
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Events and Meetings
Winter Coat Drive: Recology South Bay and the City of Santa Clara invite you to share the warmth by donating new or gently used coats for those in need this winter season. Through Friday, Jan. 17, collection boxes will be available at the following City locations:
- Mission Branch Library, 1098 Lexington St.
- Central Park Library, 2635 Homestead Road
- Northside Branch Library, 695 Moreland Way
- Community Recreation Center, 969 Kiely Blvd.
Visit the City website for current hours of operation. Questions? Email environment@santaclaraca.gov.
Free Disposal Day: Start the New Year off with less clutter around your home! Santa Clara’s next Free Disposal Day will be held on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, from 6 a.m. to noon at the Mission Trail Waste Systems (MTWS) Transfer Station. Free Disposal Day provides residents an opportunity to dispose of appliances and e-waste items, as well as mattresses, furniture, and other bulky items at no cost. To participate, call MTWS at 408-727-5365 between Jan. 6 - 17 to make an appointment and for details on location, load size limits and accepted/non-accepted materials. Proof of residency (utility bill or driver’s license) is required and residents are responsible for unloading their vehicles.
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Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Event: Did you know that the holiday season generates a lot of household hazardous waste (HHW)? Electronic toys, batteries, and holiday lights are considered HHW and should never be placed in your garbage bin. Safely dispose of these items at our free drop-off event on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 in Santa Clara. This is also the perfect opportunity to get rid of old paint, chemical cleaners, pesticides, fluorescent lamps, medications, sharps, and other hazardous waste materials. Appointments are required. To schedule an appointment, contact the County Household Hazardous Waste Program at 408-299-7300 or visit hhw.org.
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Santa Clara Seed Share: Mark your calendar for Santa Clara’s Annual Seed Share at the Everett N. "Eddie" Souza Community Garden, 2380 Monroe St., on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 2 - 4 p.m. This is the perfect opportunity to exchange seeds and connect with fellow gardeners. Enjoy demonstrations and presentations on the importance of seed saving and learn about local seed libraries. Visit SantaClaraCA.gov/CommunityGarden for details. |
Recreation Program Memberships: Did you know that the Parks & Recreation Department offers a variety of drop-in memberships? Activities include after-school programs, open gym, senior fitness or lap swim, open ceramics and more. For more information, contact the Community Recreation Center at PRCustomerServe@SantaClaraCA.gov or call 408-615-3140. |
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Meet New Year Health Goals! Join Group Exercise and Lap Swim: It’s time to set healthy goals for the new year. The City of Santa Clara Parks & Recreation has affordable and flexible Group Exercise and Lap Swim available. Lap swim at the Mary Gomez Swim Center is available five days week. The Community Recreation Center offers drop in Zumba, Body Sculpting, Yoga and more. All levels are welcome. Discover classes like Bolly-X®, Cardio Dance, Power Yoga and Power Hour. For more information, contact the Community Recreation Center at PRCustomerServe@SantaClaraCA.gov or call 408-615-3140. |
Saturday Youth Basketball Program: The Saturday Youth Basketball Program introduces youth to the basics of basketball through recreation games, drills, and exercises. This four-week co-ed program will consist of drills and weekly basketball games taking place at 2450 Cabrillo Ave. For participants grades K-5. Register online at SantaClaraCA.gov/ActiveNet. |
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Job Opportunities
Join the Center of What’s Possible! View all job opportunities and for information on how to apply, visit SantaClaraCA.gov/Jobs.
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City Council & Commission Meetings
View upcoming City Council Study Sessions, joint Council/Commission meetings, as well as Council Public Hearing and general business agenda items online at Legislative Public Meetings on the City website at SantaClaraCA.gov/Meetings.
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