San José consistently uses teamwork to deliver neighborhood services. On large projects or complex issues the City deploys action teams such as the Capital Improvement Projects Action Team, the Strong Neighborhood Initiative Steering Committee, the Communications Roundtable, the Airport Reconstruction Team, and the New City Hall Steering Committee.

A good example of teamwork San José style is its flagship Strong Neighborhoods Initiative (SNI). This effort combines the resources of the city, the San José Redevelopment Agency (SJRA), and the community in 20 neighborhoods throughout San José to build clean, safe, and attractive environments supported by independent and capable neighborhood organizations. SNI is a collaborative process whereby the City assists neighborhood residents to organize themselves and create a list of revitalization priorities for their neighborhood. The Project Area Committee (PAC), representing all SNI areas, oversees the execution of specific priority projects with guidance and resources provided by the City, SJRA and local service organizations. The PAC also provides input to the City Council, SJRA, and their respective SNI team managers at the City about emerging neighborhood issues.

Most recently, an SNI neighborhood has been selected for an innovative partnership with San José State University (SJSU). Known as the Service Learning Collaborative, this teamwork effort involves SJSU, the City of San José, SJRA, the Health Trust of Santa Clara County and various community organizations in the greater downtown area. Beginning with the Fall 2004 semester, over 300 students from SJSU's Colleges of Education, Business, Social Work, Social Science and the Center for Service Learning are engaging with an SNI community close to campus. SJSU students participate in projects that complement the needs of the community, provide services to enhance the neighborhood's quality of life and examine policies affecting the area. The multi-disciplinary collaborative includes a commitment to monitor and observe health statistics, reading comprehension levels, crime statistics and other related neighborhood living factors.

Another example of teamwork is the Mayor’s “Getting Families Back to Work” Initiative. To ensure that San José remains competitive in the challenging global economy, the Mayor, the City Council and the Office of Economic Development have successfully collaborated with the business community to define sweeping changes that will help support business growth and jobs in San José. The Mayor initially convened a weeklong series of City Council study sessions to find ways for San José to improve the local business climate, stimulate economic recovery, and bring jobs. During these sessions, business and community leaders offered a broad range of concrete suggestions to change the way the City does business in order to simplify permitting processes, reduce costly delays, and help business job growth. These collaborative sessions provided valuable input to San José's comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. Indeed Council followed through with more than 50 specific action directives that improve the City's ability to boost the economy, create jobs, and be a more user-friendly organization to businesses.

A valuable partnership between the City and the Santa Clara Valley Water District fosters the development of trails specifically on district lands and facilitates necessary acquisitions or easements. This year the trail alignments along Penitencia Creek and Coyote Creek were dependent on work in this acquisition phase. Indeed this partnership helps advance the City's goal of developing a 100-mile trail system-nearly four times what is currently available. Residents and visitors will soon be able to enjoy San José's beautiful creeks and streams along a safe and connected system of hiking trails that are accessible throughout the City. This year approximately three miles of new trails were added along the Guadalupe River, and the extension of two existing trails that travel through downtown will soon offer a relaxing off-street commuting alternative. The Gregory Street Bridge was also opened to the public along the Los Gatos Creek in Willow Glen. Ultimately, a paved trail will permit a new commuting alternative in the north San José area, linking industry to the Airport and beyond to downtown.

In still another example of teamwork, the City of San José collaborated with the Humane Society of Silicon Valley to ensure a stable transition for animal care in Santa Clara County. The Humane Society became unable to provide shelters and field service contracts, so in 2001 the City of San José created an Animal Care & Services division. In order to provide a more comprehensive and sustainable plan of care, San José opened a 50,000 square foot state-of-the-art Animal Care Center. The $18 million shelter began operation in October 2004 and is the largest facility of its kind on the West Coast. It serves as a one-stop center for all animal care services; indeed the Animal Care Center is prepared to house 20,000 animals and handle 70,000 animal-related calls annually. It also features the innovation of a "Virtual Shelter," a pet-search computer kiosk available online to search for lost pets and view animals awaiting adoption. With the completion of the new Animal Care Center, the City of San José itself is now providing shelter and field services for animals in San José as well as the surrounding cities of Cupertino, Los Gatos, Milpitas and Saratoga.