Politics

The City of Gilroy is offering the public a chance to sound off on what the priorities should be when it comes to revitalizing the downtown area.

At a time when City Hall is pinching every penny, cutting money

GILROY—United Natural Foods, Inc., the $6 billion-strong natural foods distribution firm set to open in Gilroy within weeks with promises of upwards of 500 jobs will instead delay the start of business until February and lay off dozens of workers, some of whom began work today, the Dispatch has learned.

Drones may be at the top of many holiday wish lists this year, but rules governing their recreational use in Gilroy are still being determined.On Nov. 21, the City Council directed staff to prepare an ordinance regulating drones—or unmanned aerial vehicles, as they are officially called, after hearing examples of rules applied in other California cities. Currently, the only statewide laws apply to drone usage around the scene of an emergency.The Gilroy Police Department has received calls from residents about drones invading people’s privacy and flying at night or during early morning hours, causing disruptions. An ordinance would give police an enforcement mechanism to take action and issue citations when they receive complaints.GPD Captain Kurt Svardal told the council the department looked at Los Angeles, Santa Clara and Ripon to see if any of their ordinances could apply to Gilroy.The staff report recommended the city apply some of the rules from Los Angeles, declaring it a “middle of the road approach.”A Dispatch poll found that about half of respondents wanted to ban drones outright, but the police and City Council did not feel this was necessary.“We are not proposing an all-out ban,” said Mayor-elect Roland Velasco. “We are trying to come up with a compromise that allows hobbyists to get out there, but also protects the privacy of neighborhood residents in the area.”The council suggested the ordinance include rules governing time of flight—sunup to sundown; and that the drone must remain within the line of sight of the operator. It would also include exemptions for public safety uses by law enforcement or other emergency responders. Traffic calming for Upper Welburn  After several community meetings between public works staff and a neighborhood group consisting of 37 residences in the Upper Welburn Avenue area between Santa Teresa Boulevard and Mantelli Drive, as well as a presentation by the group at its Oct. 17 meeting, the City Council approved $25,000 to be spent on temporary “soft” traffic calming measures and follow-up monitoring to address various traffic issues in the area. They include installation of “No Right Turn” signs along southbound Mantelli just before the intersection with Welburn and a temporary plastic delineator barrier at the western entrance of Welburn at Mantelli, with “Do Not Enter” signs and a reflective marker yellow centerline stripe on upper Welburn. Staff will also discuss student drop-off at the nearby Pacific Point Christian School, which residents say cause much of the congestion.    

A Superior Court jury on July 17 found former Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Capt. James Jensen guilty of felony bribery and conspiracy charges in connection with a gun permit bribery scandal. The same jury acquitted co-defendant Harpaul Nahal, a Santa Clara attorney, of both charges...

On a crowded November ballot, sharing space with a county transportation sales tax measure and a state proposition to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, is Measure H, the official name for the Urban Growth Boundary Initiative, which would limit how big and how fast the city of Gilroy can grow.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a stack of bills Aug. 16 aimed at curtailing organized retail, property and auto theft in California. Newsom appeared at a Home Depot in San Jose with state, business and law enforcement officials, signing 10 bills that he said go “to...

Anna Caballero may have lost her bid for the State Senate. But

GILROY—While the Gilroy portion of the California High-Speed Rail System will be one of the last built in the $68 billion system, city officials and a consulting firm are steaming ahead with environmental planning for a station downtown Gilroy or on prime agricultural land in east Gilroy.