As I reflect on these past dozen years and what we’ve been able to achieve, both in my Santa Clara County Supervisorial district (District Five) and countywide, I’m mindful that so much of the work we do comes to fruition over time, and in collaboration.

Often it’s not possible for just one person — even an elected official — or just one organization to successfully tackle the complex challenges facing our County. But together we can accomplish a lot.

I’m grateful once again for the support of my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors, and for the many civic and community partners who made it possible to tackle numerous issues. I’m proud of the tangible progress we made on initiatives my office and I championed, including improvements in health services; affordable housing; support for youth, seniors, and individuals with developmental disabilities; emergency services; education; and, more — with highlights from the past year noted below.

Some long-term projects, like a number of the ones below, won’t be wrapped up by the time I complete my term and walk out the door on December 31. But I remind myself that patience is a virtue (along with persistence and a sense of urgency!) when it comes to the pace of institutional progress.

For elected officials it’s best to think of the work as a relay race. You grab the baton from your predecessor, run as far and as fast as you can, then hand off the baton the person who comes next. Our newly elected District Five Supervisor, Margaret Abe-Koga, will “carry the baton” in the new year and beyond.

My congratulations to Supervisor-Elect Abe-Koga, who comes to the County with a wealth of experience, most recently on the Mountain View City Council. I hope you will reach out to her office with your questions, suggestions, concerns, and comments. Engaged constituents have given me energy and been the inspiration behind so much of my work.

After serving as an elected official at five different levels, it is now my turn to say thanks — many, many thanks. Thanks for the memories, and the opportunities. It’s been a privilege, and a pleasure. Wishing you and yours a healthy and joyful new year.  

Health Care

Youth Behavioral Health Crisis Center. Construction of the County’s first inpatient psychiatric facility for children and teens reached a milestone with construction now well past the halfway point, and completion expected in late 2025. The 207,000-square foot facility’s state-of-the-art design will also provide upgraded psychiatric services for adults, a separate area for urgent care and emergency psychiatric services, and — with a skybridge connection to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center — a continuum of care in a single setting.

North County and West County Health Clinics. To better serve all of District Five, the County opened its first full-service health care clinic in the North County in November. Located on Middlefield Road near the Palo Alto–Mountain View border, Valley Health Center North County offers close-to-home care for residents of those cities as well as Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, and beyond. Looking to also establish the first County-run health care clinic in the West Valley, our Board continued feasibility and partnership efforts with the Foothill-De Anza Community College District to provide local healthcare services for residents as well as on-site health care and career training opportunities for community college students.

Mammography Access.  The Health and Hospital Committee, which I chaired again in 2024, approved plans to make breast cancer screenings more accessible to more County residents, and to improve the detection of breast cancer through earlier identification, particularly for women with dense breast tissue. Santa Clara Valley Healthcare’s proposal included: acquiring additional breast cancer screening equipment; upgrading/modernizing screening options; providing more screening locations around the County; increasing hours of operation; training additional staff; and, undertaking public awareness campaigns to ensure the public is aware of the breast cancer screening options available throughout the County.

MedAssist Milestone. Santa Clara County’s first-in-the-nation program to help cover the cost of life-saving medications for diabetes, asthma, and severe allergies hit its 2024 target, with more than 2,000 residents enrolled. Launched in 2022 at my urging, MedAssist is specifically designed to serve residents who fall into health care’s “missing middle” — those earning a little too much to qualify for most government programs, but not enough to afford first-rate insurance or out-of-pocket care.

Caregiver Support. The Board adopted County staff recommendations arising from the County-led Adult Caregiver Study I commissioned, seeking to address the shortage of resources and support in adult caregiving. In addition to focusing on the top two priority categories in the study — information and referrals and family caregiver respite — the Board unanimously approved the creation of a direct care-worker registry and a respite subsidy program for individuals. Implementation of the recommendations and launch of the respite program are expected in the coming year.

Maternal Care. To ensure that pregnant women in our County have access to comprehensive health care, the Board approved making the innovative OB/GYN Urgent Care pilot program — launched during COVID-19 — a permanent offering of the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare system.

Older Adult Mental Health Access. To improve access to mental health services for older adults in Santa Clara County, the Board approved recommendations to enhance existing safety net programs, expand suicide prevention efforts, improve wait times for assessments, and address workforce shortages and training. A plan to implement the recommendations will return to the Board in the coming year.

Affordable Housing

North County and West Valley Teacher Housing. Construction of the first County-led educator workforce housing development – 110 units at 231 Grant Avenue in Palo Alto — is nearing the finish line and expected to welcome its first tenants by summer 2025. For a similar project serving West Valley educators, our Board approved Eden Housing as the developer for County-acquired land on Wolfe Road in Cupertino. These two efforts my office initiated are near and dear to me as the son of two public school teachers.

Heartwood Apartments. The Heartwood Apartments, an affordable housing community for individuals and families in need of housing stability, celebrated its grand opening in October. Formerly the Crestview Hotel, Heartwood is the first hotel converted into an affordable housing community in Mountain View, with 49 units for local youth aging out of the foster care system, as well as individuals and small families experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.

Los Altos Affordable Housing. The Board unanimously approved support to keep Los Altos’ first all-affordable housing venture, 330 Distel Circle, moving forward. A County-approved loan from affordable housing funds allowed the project to apply to the State of California for tax credits, which were approved. Construction of the 90-unit development is anticipated to begin in 2025.

Inclusive and Supportive Housing. Mitchell Park Place — a new affordable housing development for residents of modest means with intellectual and developmental disabilities — broke ground this year. Located on Charleston Avenue in Palo Alto, the 50-unit development will also offer integrated support services on site through the nonprofit Ability Path. Another District Five office initiative coming to fruition.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

Veterans Benefits Access. The Board approved increased staffing support at Santa Clara County’s Veterans Service Office to help the County’s 64,000 veterans take advantage of available benefits and services including: specialized health care; help finding jobs or furthering their educations; and financial assistance to take care of themselves and their families.

Inclusive Camp Experience. Located on 13.5-acres of County owned land in the Cupertino foothills, Camp Via West is one of the few remaining residential camps in the region serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. County matching grant funding supported renovations to the camp’s sports field, and sports facility upgrades, including ADA-compliant bathrooms, equipment storage, tents for shade, and a concession stand to provide food and water for campers and spectators.

Safe, Accessible Housing for Seniors. County funding awarded to local non-profit Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley (RTSV) means that more residents in District Five will receive necessary repairs and accessibility modifications to their homes — at no cost. Older adults and individuals living with disabilities form the majority of RTSV’s clients; however, families with children and veterans also receive services.

Hakone Gardens Improvements. A County grant approved by the Board will support accessibility and safety improvements to the Bamboo Garden, Madrone Mound, and pedestrian/parking lighting at Hakone Estate and Gardens in Saratoga. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and held in public trust as a cultural and community asset, Hakone is comprised of gardens, ponds, and structures all painstakingly true to their Japanese heritage.

Public Safety and Community Services

Mental Health Crisis Response Team. The County’s Trusted Response Urgent Support Team (TRUST) expansion to the West County and large portions of San Jose was up and running in early 2024. An intervention option with a 24-7 call center and in-person crisis support that doesn’t involve law enforcement, TRUST started in November 2022 with three teams serving North County, East San Jose, and Gilroy. In its first 15 months TRUST responded to more than 1,500 calls.

North County Community Support. The Board voted to provide funding to the Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation and the Palo Alto Community Fund to augment their grantmaking programs. The two community organizations support hyper-local nonprofits that address a variety of issues and essential services including housing and homelessness, food insecurity, health care, social justice, and teen mental health.

Homelessness Services Support. The Board approved grants to the City of Cupertino, the Town of Los Gatos, and the nonprofit Reach SV (in partnership with the Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation) to supplement services and support for individuals and families in District Five experiencing homelessness.

Mountain Community Wildfire Safety.  The Board approved a plan to reduce hazardous fuels along 16 miles of Skyline Boulevard to protect lives and homes against the threat of wildfire. The corridor, between Black Road in Los Gatos in the south and Page Mill Road in Palo Alto in the north, serves a rural mountain community of approximately 5,000 residents and 2,703 structures, and is a major commute route between San Mateo County and Santa Clara County.

Loma Prieta Emergency Preparedness. To enhance emergency services and community resources in the Loma Prieta area — particularly in the event of an earthquake, wildfire, or PG&E power outage — the Board unanimously approved support for the restoration of the Loma Prieta Community Center, which was destroyed by fire in 2015.

Push to Protect Landline Telephone Service.  The Board supported pursuing options to address AT&T’s request to withdraw as California’s “Carrier of Last Resort” (COLR) and potentially abandon provision of landline telephone service. The COLR designation is intended to ensure that everyone in the state has access to safe, reliable, and affordable telephone communication — which means landlines in more isolated or rural communities, where wireless service can be spotty or non-existent.

Education and Recreation

Arts Education. To expand access to arts education for economically disadvantaged K-6 students, the Board approved support for the nonprofit Community School of Music and Arts to provide free classes for nearly 3,700 students at 27 schools in District Five.

YMCA Teen Summer. The Board approved a partnership initiative with the YMCA of Silicon Valley to keep teens active, engaged, and safe while school is out for summer. With County support, the YMCA offered free summer memberships to teens of low-income families who live in West Valley and North County communities, helping them improve their health and fitness, connect with their peers, and develop leadership skills by participating in volunteer projects.

Sanborn Park Expansion. The Board approved purchase of a 103-acre property located off Congress Springs Road in unincorporated Saratoga.  The acquisition provides an opportunity to create a new trail connection that will provide public access to a historic area of the park’s 3,453 wooded acres, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  

Not Alone

All of these efforts where my office and I provided some degree of leadership; we leaned in. But we certainly didn’t do it alone! Thanks to the many partners whose contributions were essential.