Supervisors Deny Simoni Drive Appeal, Keep 16-Condition Path to Occupancy

A finished hillside home in San Jose has sat empty since 2021. On Oct. 20, 2026, Santa Clara County supervisors declined to wipe the slate clean for its owners. Instead, a four-member board voted 4-0 to keep a 16-condition approval in place and told staff to move quickly. The same session reshaped the county's safety net for uninsured residents and put firm limits on Sheriff's Office surveillance ambitions.

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• Simoni Drive appeal denied 4-0; 16 conditions stand as staff promise expedited review
• ValleyCare approved 4-0 as 25,000 to 70,000 residents could lose coverage in 2027
• Axon surveillance package narrowed to an in-jail study using existing cameras
• Military equipment flexibility stalls as board seeks more analysis on a 3-1 vote
• No Wrong Door pilot gets quarterly oversight and a guaranteed income exploration
• Jail reform advances 4-0 as Silicon Valley De-Bug urges no new jail

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A Stalled Home, a 16-Condition Compromise

Why it matters: Granting the appeal would have rescinded every approval and forced the owners to start over. Denying it keeps a defined path to a certificate of occupancy, the permit that allows a building to be lived in.

Where things stand: The property at 15900 Simoni Drive received its entitlement in 2009 and building permits in 2011. A 2022 notice of violation cited grading beyond the permitted scope. The zoning administrator approved a modification with 38 conditions. The Planning Commission upheld that approval and cut the list to 16, most of them information for plan check on retaining walls and water tanks.

County engineers described slopes at 1.5-to-1 or steeper, compared with the 2.5-to-1 called for in the soils report. They also flagged stormwater treatment concerns. "That's 67% steeper than what is called for in the soils report," said Darryl Wong, Senior Civil Engineer, Land Development Engineering.

The other side: Attorney Michael Durkee, representing the appellants, argued there was no underlying grading violation at all. In his view, no modification or conditions were needed. "So remove that predicate violation. Without that violation, there is no modification," Durkee said. He said the owners had been "a second away from a certificate of occupancy" in August 2021. He also argued the county skipped the proper code process: a director's decision, then a hearing officer, then Superior Court. Deputy County Counsel Nicole Collins replied that the alternative path "is really a separate process under the county ordinance code."

Public speakers lined up behind the family:

• Jessica Vo, a District 1 resident and friend of the owners, said five county departments had attested to the home's safety and legality.
• Anna Patricia Ortiz said the county had collected more than $334,000 in property taxes on a home it kept uninhabitable.
• Quinn Tiet said the project had improved the neighborhood and asked why the family should have to start over.

Speakers also cited a letter from a county geologist. Staff said that letter only allowed reuse of the original slope analysis. "He wasn't approving the site as built today," said David Dorsich, Senior Civil Engineer. Collins added that the grading violation, the certificate of occupancy and the tax assessment were not before the board.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: "In my view, the narrower set of conditions of approval adopted by the Planning Commission are appropriate to ensure that public health and safety requirements are met," said Betty Duong, Supervisor, District 2, who moved to deny the appeal. Board President Otto Lee (District 3) pressed for speed: "I'm going to ask that this would be expedited so that when this thing goes through, we're going to move through quickly." Staff agreed to prioritize the review.

The vote: For: 4 (Duong, Ellenberg, Arenas, Lee), Against: 0, Absent: 1 (Abe-Koga). The owners must still supply engineering information on the retaining walls and water tanks. They may also still seek court review.

What's next: County Counsel will draft findings to formalize the denial.

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Sheriff Tech and Military Gear: Board Pumps the Brakes

Why it matters: The Axon body-camera contract expires at the end of 2027. Renewal at current service levels costs about $37.8M, according to Captain Stream of the Office of the Sheriff. The proposed additions would cost roughly $2.5M more per year.

Where things stand: Assistant Sheriff Adam Oberdorfer called the item informational. He pointed to roughly 2,800 jail cameras that staff cannot monitor. Stream pitched four additions:

• A real-time information center
• Axon Vision AI video alerts
• Drones as first responders
• AI-assisted report writing

The other side: Opponents said the package amounts to mass surveillance and noted Axon's contracts with ICE. They included Victor Sin of the ACLU of Northern California, Safety Over Surveillance, Silicon Valley De-Bug and CAIR. Hugo Chavez, who was formerly incarcerated, urged testing before adopting AI tools that could affect innocent people. "The continued expansion of the surveillance state troubles me deeply," said Susan Ellenberg, Supervisor, District 4. Supervisor Duong said the proposal "is too broad for us to discuss at this moment and needs to be bifurcated further."

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Sylvia Arenas, Board Vice President and Supervisor, District 1, backed limited use: "I think it would be useful inside the jail system." Lee also saw value in cameras at county parking lots. Lee moved, and Arenas seconded, to receive the report and have the Sheriff's Office return with cost information for in-custody anomaly detection using existing cameras only. It passed For: 4, Against: 0, Absent: 1 (Abe-Koga). The vote authorized no funding. The community surveillance and license plate reader elements did not advance.

Military equipment, too: Under AB 481, the county ordinance requires approval of specific equipment brands and models. Stream said even "rifle ammunition, which we need to train with, is classified as military equipment," so some purchases must wait until May. Tim McKenzie of the Safety Over Surveillance Coalition called loosening the rules "a huge opportunity for creep of increased military equipment used against the people of our county."

Lee moved to draft an amendment that would allow repeat purchases with a 15-day report and change "substantially identical" to "substantially similar." The motion died without a second. Arenas wanted a written analysis first. Duong's motion to receive the report and seek analysis of both options, including notice options, passed For: 3, Against: 1 (Ellenberg), Absent: 1 (Abe-Koga). "I would prefer to keep the ordinance as it is," Ellenberg said.

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ValleyCare Replaces PCAP as Medi-Cal Losses Loom

Why it matters: Supervisors approved a new safety net for residents losing Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program. "Since July of 2025 to September, of 2026, we've seen a 13% decrease in Medi-Cal enrollment in Santa Clara County alone," said Paul Lorenz, CEO, Santa Clara Valley Healthcare. As many as 25,000 to 70,000 residents could lose coverage in 2027. The current budget sets aside $25M.

Where things stand: Lorenz tied the losses to federal HR 1 changes and a freeze on state-only Medi-Cal. Uninsured emergency visits have risen from 7.3% to 12.3%. Enrollment in the Primary Care Access Program (PCAP) has grown from about 1,400 to 4,500.

ValleyCare replaces PCAP and launches in January 2027. It covers primary, specialty, urgent, emergency and acute care. It serves residents up to 650% of the federal poverty level who qualify for no other coverage. Applicants are first screened for other coverage before enrolling. "ValleyCare is not an insurance program. It is an access program," Lorenz said.

The other side: Sonia Tetnowski, CEO, Indian Health Center, supported the change. She flagged patient fees, continuity of care and new enrollment and billing burdens for community clinics. Dolores Alvarado of the Community Health Partnership also supported it. Elisa Coff-Ginsburg of the Behavioral Health Community Association warned of behavioral health funding gaps for people losing coverage.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Supervisors raised four issues:

• Outreach through QR codes and ethnic media
• Re-enrollment every six months
• Countering misinformation
• The state's responsibility for indigent care

"And our commitment here locally is we do not want to be backsliding," said County Executive James R. Williams. The motion passed For: 4, Against: 0, Absent: 1 (Abe-Koga).

What's next: Staff will deliver a fact sheet, a report before the budget process and semiannual reports to the Health and Hospital Committee. They will also provide an off-agenda report on clinic contracts.

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No Wrong Door: Early Wins, Missing Metrics

Why it matters: The pilot aims to keep East San Jose families out of child welfare and juvenile justice. Partners acknowledged they cannot yet measure whether referrals actually resolve families' needs.

Where things stand: The pilots operate in Mayfair-Poco Way and Santee/Seven Trees. At the Mayfair-area network, run by the Sí Se Puede Collective (Grail Family Services and Somos Mayfair), presenters reported 2,167 referrals, 1,126 unduplicated families and 6,649 service units. The Franklin-McKinley site, run by Catholic Charities, served more than 1,000 people with 235 successful referrals.

"All told, Sobrato has invested what we've calculated around $14.25 million across all these partners," said Ben Navarrete, Senior Program Officer, Sobrato Organization. Presenters acknowledged gaps in outcome tracking, housing, childcare and legal support.

The other side: Andrea Munoz de Sales of Catholic Charities urged the board to sustain navigation staff and measure outcomes. A parent said referrals help only if the county follows through, and described unresolved abuse reports involving their children.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: "I think already that the data demonstrates some meaningful impact when we connect families to services based on their particular needs," Ellenberg said. The board accepted the report 4-0 with added direction:

• A joint meeting of the CSFC and NSC committees
• Report-backs in January 2027 and then quarterly
• Governance work with partners
• Exploration of guaranteed basic income

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Jail Reform Moves Forward Over Activist Objections

Why it matters: The county is planning a multibillion-dollar transformation of its jails under a consent decree.

Where things stand: Staff skipped their slide presentation and took questions. Silicon Valley De-Bug speakers urged the board not to build a new jail. Rudy Cuevas said the process is moving too fast, questioned whether incarcerated people had input and alleged retaliation. Arenas said she was conflicted: "The path to the jails is what we are actually trying to disrupt." Lucia Luna, Director of Custodial Services, described substance-use assessments at booking, medication continuation and naloxone distribution. Ellenberg highlighted the Parenting Inside Out program. Lee backed expanded education, in-person voting inside jail facilities and a behavioral health conversion of an Elmwood building.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Ellenberg's motion to adopt the recommended actions passed For: 4, Against: 0, Absent: 1 (Abe-Koga).

What's next: Community workshops are set for Nov. 4, 2026, at 6 p.m., then Nov. 18 and Dec. 2, according to Deputy County Executive Consuelo Hernandez.

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Minor Items

• Caltrain warning: Without new funding, Caltrain could drop to hourly trains, cancel weekend service and close stations. Fares now cover roughly 30% of its budget, down from over 70%. The board accepted the report 4-0, and Lee urged support for the November regional transit measure.
• School absenteeism: Chronic absenteeism is near 19% countywide and above 26% in some areas. Supervisors accepted the County Schools Collaborative report 4-0 and requested a February update.
• Consent calendar: The calendar passed 4-0, with Duong recusing on item 40. Duong praised Measure A for putting 6,800 housing units on track against a promise of 4,800, including 2,700 supportive housing units.
• Labor: Williams noted a one-year IFPTE Local 21 contract extension with no general wage increase, following a similar SEIU Local 521 deal. County Counsel reported a closed-session authorization to file one lawsuit.
• Homeless health care: The board accepted 4-0 an update on mobile medical teams, which logged 243 encounters at three city-run interim shelters.

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Looking Ahead

The board received its monthly legislative report 4-0. Its 2027 legislative priorities return for action on Nov. 3, which is Election Day.