The May 19 Town Council meeting marked the sixth date where Los Gatos Anti-Racism Coalition representatives and Los Gatos residents silently protested and called out Councilmembers for failing to agendize a resolution brought forward by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission in March that outlined an official town stance against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Holding signs that read “There is no place in Los Gatos for ICE” and “Say it loud, say it clear, we want ICE out of here” at the meeting, five out of the 14 speakers during public comment urged Council to bring a resolution to public discussion.
“ICE is going to be active in Santa Clara County. They are active right now,” Nigel Chandler, case manager for the LGARC, said. “I don’t see why we’re not acting right now as a community against this.”
The immigration-related resolution called for the town to reaffirm protections for residents, workers and visitors regardless of immigration status and consider additional policies limiting the use of town property and resources for federal civil immigration enforcement.
The draft also proposed employee training, Know Your Rights materials, a community task force and coordination with Los Gatos police, schools, nonprofits and businesses.
Los Gatos resident Patricia James said she came to speak on the matter after a 20-year lease for an ICE detention facility near Gilroy was signed.
“This is something I hope would never come so close to us, and it kind of shakes me out of my complacency,” James said.
James said that neighboring cities and towns have all passed laws prohibiting cooperation with ICE, and that if Los Gatos doesn’t follow suit, they will become a “magnet” for immigration enforcement.
“What’s going to happen on the construction sites in town? In restaurants, are they going to have to reduce their hours or close because people are afraid to come and work here?” said James. “I think the best reason to do it is because we are a diverse community, and we value the 41% of our community that are immigrants … but I think we should also be smart and make a move now before we become a magnet for ICE.”
During public comment, residents also brought attention to issues including:
- Additional traffic diverted to Kennedy Road — With the closure of Shannon Road for the next six months, Los Gatos resident Joanne Rogers asked if road repairs could be completed sooner than October 2026 and if any part of the $2.14 million authorized for the 2026 Street Repair and Resurfacing Project from the sixth consent item passed will be going toward it.
- Pickleball noise in Los Gatos — Two residents, who were present at the past May 5 meeting. requested the council to agendize a pickleball noise ordinance, direct the planning commission to define a noise profile to measure the noise of the sport and impose a moratorium on the construction of new pickleball courts.
- Implementation of a public restroom in downtown Los Gatos — Los Gatos resident Sara Murphy said a public restroom “promotes a sense of community, inclusivity and dignity, directly benefiting frequent bathroom users like pregnant women, young children and seniors.”
Council unanimously passed the 14 consent items on the agenda, with Mayor Rob Moore recusing himself from the fourth item.
Item 4 authorized the Town Manager to accept the donation of an automated external defibrillator and an Outdoor SaveStation Cabinet from the Kyle J. Taylor Foundation. Moore said he was on the foundation’s board, and while it is not a paid position, he recused himself as a “best practice.”
As part of the consent agenda, Council authorized a $2.14 million contract with O’Grady Paving for the town’s 2026 Street Repair and Resurfacing Project and approved applications for up to $19.95 million in grant funding for the Highway 17 Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing.
The council also approved a five-year agreement of up to $750,000 with HouseKeys to administer the town’s Below Market Price affordable housing program. The program helps manage the town’s affordable housing stock and compliance with local housing requirements.
A new Tesla Supercharger agreement for the Northside Parking Lot was also authorized, allowing Tesla to continue operating 20 charging stalls using 26 parking spaces while paying the town monthly rent with annual increases.
Employment vacancy rate down
During the public hearings, the Town Council unanimously accepted the report on the status of the town’s employee vacancies, recruitment and retention efforts.
Christina Alfaro, the Town’s administrative services director, reported a town-wide vacancy rate of 6.73%, down from 7.47% in the 2024-2025 year and indicating an overall downward trend over the past decade.
Public safety hiring is a focus for Los Gatos, Alfaro said. While the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Officers Association reported an 11.76% vacancy rate, three public safety officer candidates were recently issued offer letters and are expected to begin work soon.
Enthusiastic about prospect of sharing law enforcement services with Saratoga
The Town Council also held a public hearing to decide whether to continue discussions with Saratoga over a potential law enforcement services agreement.
Saratoga is exploring alternatives to law enforcement after Santa Clara County’s proposed Sheriff’s Office contract increased from about $9 million in 2025-26 to about $11.6 million for 2026-27, a 29% increase. Under the potential agreement, the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department could expand into a three-jurisdiction regional policing model serving Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga.
Saratoga Mayor Chuck Page was present and spoke at the hearing in support of this effort.
Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Chief Jamie Field said the model could help spread fixed public safety costs and improve regional coordination. However, she added, any final agreement must protect Los Gatos and Monte Sereno from unrecovered costs, staffing strain or reduced service quality. A formal agreement could return to the Los Gatos council as early as June 16, she said.
“Collaborating with Saratoga is just natural for us,” Councilmember Rob Rennie said, reflecting on his past and current relationships with Saratoga Councilmembers. “I am very excited to move forward with this.”
Vice Mayor Maria Ristow echoed a similar sentiment, emphasizing the amount of work already put into this collaboration.
“I think we are taking a big risk, Vice Mayor Maria Ristow said. “We are going to have to hire up, we’re going to have to increase our overhead a little bit, but this can really benefit Saratoga and the region — make us stronger, make us safer, and will be better for our police department.”
The Town Council unanimously passed the motion directing staff to continue discussions with Saratoga, but no final contract was approved.
