November 9, 2006

Chamber to host downtown forum to put businesses and residents
face-to-face with city officials on key issues

The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce will host the “Downtown Forum on Issues, Actions & Answers” on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. Co-hosted by the San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau, the San Jose Downtown Association and the city of San Jose, the forum will provide a unique opportunity to effectively put the community members and their issues face to-face with city officials and key decision makers, including:

- Rob Davis, police chief, San Jose Police Department

- Dan McFadden, deputy city manager, city of San Jose

- Norberto Duenas, Deputy Executive Director, San Jose Redevelopment Agency

- Paul Krutko, director, Office of Economic Develop-ment, city of San Jose

- Dennis Richardson, chief building inspector, city of San Jose

The discussion will be held at the Chamber of Commerce, located at 310 S First Street and is expected to touch on a broad range of subjects affecting downtown San Jose, from public safety to public spaces, traffic to transportation alternatives, commercial and residential growth to retail and entertainment. The goal is to openly examine negative issues and look for resolutions to problems. People with concerns over signage, permits, safety, grocery stores, parks, nightlife or law enforcement will be able to work toward forming a more customer-friendly process by establishing a list of priorities, so they can focus on two or three battles at a time.   

This is the Chamber’s latest effort to stay true to its mission statement to help businesses fight their battles. The event is free but space is limited.  Visit www.sjchamber.com or call (408) 291-5286 to reserve your seat.