Mayor's speech cites housing, economic growth as priorities
Milpitas Mayor Carmen Montano got kudos from the county at her first State of the City address, held June 22.
Montano was presented with a congratulatory letter from the office of Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, which read in part, “The City (of Milpitas) has been a valued partner with the County of Santa Clara. … During your tenure as mayor, I know that the partnership will not just continue but thrive.”
Montano said Milpitas' strength lies in its diversity. “Our city is a diverse woven fabric of cultures and backgrounds, which contributes to the enrichment of Milpitas' collective identity,” she told those who gathered in the Milpitas City Council Chambers for her speech.
The mayor emphasized the city's commitment to making housing a priority by being the first in the state to have its housing element certified, and to creating open space in Milpitas neighborhoods.
Earlier this year, the City Council unanimously adopted the Milpitas Metro Specific Plan as a vision for an emerging transitoriented neighborhood. Its 4-acre Delano Manongs Park was named after a group of Filipino farmworkers who led the Delano Grape Strike of 1965 for better wages and working conditions.
Another priority under Montano's leadership has been fostering economic growth and vitality in Milpitas. The mayor pointed to new businesses in the city such as BD-Biosciences, Corsair Gaming, Commonwealth, Fusion Systems, Tarana Wireless and SMTC Manufacturing.
The City Council recently adopted a balanced budget for 2023-24. “Our city remains a responsible steward of the community's financial resources entrusted to us,” Montano said, adding that the budget includes enhanced service levels for public safety, public works, economic development and housing.
The budget also utilizes funding from the American Rescue Plan Act known as ARPA, used to support low-income residents, small businesses and infrastructure projects impacted by the pandemic. Of the $16.7 million in ARPA funding the city received, over $5 million went to infrastructure such as parks and rehabilitation of public safety facilities, and close to $4 million to small-business assistance grants, workforce development, hotel assistance and other economic vitality initiatives.
Montano previously pledged her support for 100% affordable housing developments such as those at 308 and 355 Sango Court. In her State of the City address, she proposed that the affordable housing ordinance requirement of 15% below market rate for any new housing developments be raised to 20%.
Montano also presented her goal of revitalizing Main Street to create a “vibrant, thriving, and welcoming hub that will be a pedestrian-friendly area to stroll, shop, eat and be a destination place here in our city.”