Letter: Mayor Carmen Montano explains food pantry rent increase proposal, seeks expanded service

Letter to the Editor written by: Mayor Carmen Montano

In 2014, when I served on the city council, I reduced the $1,600 monthly rent to help the food pantry better serve the most vulnerable members of our community to a $1.00 a month. 

For some time now some community members expressed concerns that the food pantry was not open often enough to meet local needs.

In January 2026, we met with Ms. Karen Kolander at the site to better understand why the food pantry could not be open for more days and hours. The meeting included Assistant City Manager Matt Cano, city staff, Councilmember William Lam, and myself.

At that time, the food pantry was only open two days per week for approximately two to three hours each day. During our discussion, I explained that we have a growing number of vulnerable residents in our community and that we would like to see the pantry open more days to better meet their needs. I specifically suggested adding Sunday hours because the mobile homeless shower program operates at the site on Sundays, creating an opportunity to serve more people.

Ms. Kolander adamantly refused and stated that she would not expand operations to include Sundays.

The issue that has received attention in the media is the rent increase. However, during our discussions, Ms. Kolander herself stated that she would not mind paying market-rate rent if she could remain at the location. 

Because Ms. Kolander indicated that she would be willing to pay market-rate rent, Councilmember Lam suggested increasing the rent to market rate, and I agreed.

My primary concern has never been the rent. My concern is ensuring that the pantry serves more people and is available more often. People need food every day, and Milpitas is experiencing a growing homeless population. Given those realities, I believe it is important that services be available more days and for longer hours to meet the increasing needs of our community.

The food pantry receives a significant amount of donated food, that we observed during our visit. In my view, these donations need to be distributed more quickly to families, veterans, and homeless in need. However, when the pantry is only open for a few hours on a limited number of days each week, it becomes more difficult for people to access those resources. As a result, some food may expire before it can be distributed.

Over the years, concerns have been raised about excess inventory and food waste. There have been occasions when large quantities of canned goods and perishable items were reportedly discarded because they could not be distributed in time.

In 2017, a complaint was filed with then-City Manager Tom Williams after receiving reports that some families believed they were being treated unfairly in the distribution process. During my discussions with Ms. Kolander, I also asked about the organization’s board meetings. She indicated that the board does not meet on a regular schedule, and I am not aware of any meeting minutes being maintained.

According to publicly available records, the organization’s IRS Form 990 filings do not appear to be fully current. 

I have also been informed by former city managers that during the pandemic period, the organization did not pay the $1-per-month rent for approximately two years.

When federal SNAP food assistance programs were reduced in 2025, I did not observe any significant outreach efforts or additional programs designed to help affected families access food resources. More recently, in its partnership with MUSD at the Jack Emery Drive, the pantry reportedly stopped accepting perishable food donations, resulting in schools shifting toward cash donation drives instead.

My concern is straightforward: if the current operator is unwilling to expand service days and operating hours to better meet community needs, then the City should consider issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify other nonprofit organizations that may be able to provide broader food assistance services. Several nonprofits have expressed interest in serving our community and have indicated a willingness to operate more days each week.

Unfortunately, this issue has become highly politicized. My focus is not politics; it is ensuring that residents who are struggling have reliable access to food. I believe a practical solution would be to expand operating days and hours, including Sunday when homeless residents are already using the mobile showers and laundry at the site. Doing so would help ensure that food donations reach those who need them most and reduce the likelihood of food going to waste.