Planning commission to consider various home projects
The Los Gatos Planning Commission will meet virtually on Dec. 8 at 7pm.
The commission will consider:
• A demolition and rebuild of a single-family residence at 16010 Winterbrook Road;
• Construction of a second-story addition to an existing single-family residence at 16529 Marchmont Drive;
• A demolition of an existing detached garage, construction of a new detached garage to exceed the floor area ratio, a grading permit for site improvements, a fence height exception and removal of large protected trees at 140 Prospect Ave.;
• Comments on the General Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report; and
• Rescission of the Los Gatos Boulevard Plan.
To view the agenda, which includes information on how to provide comments during the meeting, visit bit.ly/3lHwi3v.
Measure B results certified
The County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters’ Office certified the official results of the Nov. 2 Los Gatos Union School District (Measure B) and Berryessa Union School District (Measure A) Special Elections with a reported 27% voter turnout.
“This will be the fifth election in two years where we certified an election using the Voter’s Choice Act election model. We have such a solid and passionate team who continue to ensure fair, inclusive, accurate and transparent elections,” Registrar of Voters Shannon Bushey said.
The final turnout for this Special Election totaled 17,798 ballots cast, representing 27.38% of the 65,006 registered voters. Both ballot measures needed 2/3 votes or 66.67% to pass. Measure B received 75.98% “Yes” votes and 24.02% “No” votes. Measure A received 70.82% “Yes” votes and 29.18% “No” votes. Both measures passed by meeting the required threshold.
Measure B, which required two-thirds voter approval to pass, will increase the parcel tax from $290 to $335 per parcel, per year for eight years, generating an estimated $3.2 million annually for the Los Gatos Union School District. It includes a 2% annual “inflation adjustment” that kicks in during year two.
The new tax will take effect in July.
The Official Canvass was conducted by the Registrar of Voters Office to complete the official counting of all qualified ballots. A manual tally of 1% of the total number of precincts in these contests were also conducted as part of the Official Canvass.
The official election results can be found by visiting sccvote.org.
Officials urge booster shots
Vaccines, and the subsequent booster shot, remain the most important tool to reduce the chances of serious illness or death from Covid-19, especially as the new Omicron variant has been discovered in San Francisco, county health officials said.
First found in South Africa, Omicron was designated as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization on Nov. 26, and the first known case in the United States was reported in San Francisco on Dec. 1. It is not yet clear if the variant is more transmissible or deadly than the other variants, according to WHO.
Dr. Jennifer Tong, associate chief medical officer for Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, said as of this week, Omicron has not been detected in the county, but said health officials have a “high level of suspicion” that it will be found eventually.
County officials are encouraging those eligible to receive their booster shots in anticipation of a holiday surge in cases.
Booster shots are now available to everyone over the age of 18 who received their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna at least six months ago, or who received their Johnson & Johnson dose at least two months ago.
Roughly 78 percent of eligible county residents ages 5 and older have completed their vaccination, according to county data, with that number jumping to 90 percent for those 12 and over.
“It’s easy to say ‘why should I get the vaccine if I can get sick even after I get it?” Tong said. “What we’re seeing in people who are getting infected after being vaccinated is that the infection is much less severe. There are much less hospitalizations and deaths.”
The county last reported four deaths on Nov. 8, with 111 Covid-positive patients hospitalized in the county as of Dec. 2.
No proof of insurance or identification is required at the vaccination sites. Appointments are recommended.
To make an appointment, visit sccfreevax.org. Pop-up vaccination locations are also listed on the website.
Mayor, vice mayor to be chosen
The Los Gatos mayor and vice mayor will be selected for the following year during a special town council meeting on Dec. 14 at 7pm.
The meeting will be open to the public, and held at the Town Council Chambers, 110 E. Main St.
