City Code Governing Referendums for Development Agreements

By state law as well as through our city codes, we are allowed to collect signatures for any city council decision

we wish to vote on.

The DDA is a Disposition and Development Agreement.  According to the Santa Clara City Code 17.10.160:

"A development agreement is a legislative act and it shall be enacted or amended by

ordinance only after a public hearing before the City Council. The ordinance shall be

subject to referendum and refer to and incorporate by reference the text of the

development agreement."

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SIGNATURE GATHERERS

1) All signature gatherers must be registered voters in the state of CA. All signature gatherers must fill out

the information on page 8 of both petitions.  Put the date when you started collecting signatures for that petition,

and the date when the petition signature slots are full.

2) There are 2 resolutions for which we are collecting signatures.  We need both petitions signed

by each voter.  Each petition has room for 30 signatures. Attached to each petition is the necessary

paperwork required by law.

Please have registered Santa Clara voters sign both petitions:

• The DDA is the contract (the thicker document, it's > 400 pages printed 3/page)
• The Joinder is the financing agreement (the thinner document, it's >80 pages)

3) Only registered voters who reside in the City of Santa Clara may sign the petitions.

(People who live elsewhere in Santa Clara County should not sign).

4) If someone is eligible to register to vote (18 yrs or older, citizen of the U.S.) they may fill out a voter

registration form and then sign our petitions (if they live in SC).

5) SCPF members who are in charge of this petition drive will collect the signed petitions from you

and the signed voter registration forms. We will be collecting continuously to count the signatures.

6) By law, no one may harass, intimidate, or block people from signing petitions nor may they

harass, intimidate, or threaten people who are gathering signatures.  See the attached pages

with pertinent laws.

7) Why should people sign our petitions?

• They are against the stadium.
• It's too much debt!  Measure J said the 49ers/NFL were paying 88% (Mayor Mahan said 92%); the DDA shows that the 49ers are paying ZERO, the NFL is only loaning $150 million, and the remainder (almost $1 Billion) is from Santa Clara, our hotels, and our Stadium Authority.
• They feel betrayed/hoodwinked.  They voted for Measure J, but what's in the DDA ($850 million in loans from our city's agency the Stadium Authority) isn't what they voted for.
• The schools already GOT the money they wanted from the redevelopment agency.  The DDA does nothing for the schools.  Measure J required an extension of the RDA in time to give $40 million to the stadium - the RDA extension triggered a kickback of RDA property tax dollars to the schools.  People who voted Yes on J just to give RDA money to the schools can sign the petitions without having any effect on money for the schools.
• The DDA does nothing to solve the traffic/parking/noise problems on the northside of SC.  People don't want their neighborhoods blocked off by the police, and don't want to have to show I.D.  Our kids can't use the Youth Soccer Park on game days because of the stadium.

ELECTIONS CODES GOVERNING REFERENDUMS

You are allowed by law to collect signatures based on the Pruneridge decision.

1) Anyone who threatens a signature gatherer, or steals a petition, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Call 911 if this happens.   ELECTIONS CODE SECTION 18630-18631

2) Anyone who prevents or willfully hinders electors from assembling for consideration of public

questions (signing a petition) is guilty of a misdemeanor.  If someone prevents people from signing

the petition, call 911.  ELECTIONS CODE SECTION 18640

3) Please explain that only registered voters who reside in the City of Santa Clara can sign the petition. 

People who live in the County of Santa Clara (but not the City of Santa Clara) are not eligible to sign. 

People who are 18 years of age and citizens of the US who reside in the City of Santa Clara but are not

registered to vote may fill out a voter registration card and may sign the petition.

4) Give the facts about the DDA and the financing ($850 Million loans to our agency).  State whether

you are a volunteer or paid signature gatherer if asked.   People are allowed to read the petition materials.  

Make sure the petition materials are not covered up.  Nothing of value can be offered in exchange

for signing the petitions (what they are getting by signing is the chance to have the DDA and Joinder

on the ballot.)  ELECTIONS CODE SECTION 18600-18604

5) False or forged signatures are a misdemeanor.    Someone who knowingly signs a petition more

than once or signs knowing that he/she is not eligible to sign is guilty of a misdemeanor.   Anyone

who signs a fictitious name or who causes another person to sign a fictitious name is guilty of a felony. 

ELECTIONS CODE SECTION 18610-18614