SC 05-16-2019 `l
CITY OF CUPERTINO SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION
Environmental Education Center,22221 McClellan Road
Thursday,May 16,2019 4:00 p.m.
MINUTES
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL
Commissioners Present:Anna Weber,Gary Latshaw,Vignesh Swaminathan,Meera
Ramanathan,Angela Chen(arrived @ 4:07 p.m.).Absent:None.
Staff:Misty Mersich,Sustainability Manager;Roger Lee,Acting Public Works Director;Cheri
Donnelly,Environmental Programs Manager;Gilee Corral,Sustainability Program Coordinator
Guests:Bruce Karney;Mukta Ubale,Cupertino High School Environmental Club;other
members of the public
1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Draft minutes of March 21,2019 meeting were reviewed.Commissioner Swaminathan moved
and Commissioner Ramanathan seconded to approve the minutes. The motion carried
unanimously.
POSTPONEMENTS
None.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS 11
Bruce Karney talked about his desire for the City to switch to annual greenhouse gas(GHG)
inventories and for the Commission to recommend to City Council to switch to an emissions
per capita target--distributed a handout on the City of San Jose's 2017 GHG inventory.
Mukta Ubale on behalf of the Cupertino High School Environmental Club talked about their 4
desire for the City's GHG goals to be more ambitious,for the City to adopt a resolution to
support the Green New Deal, and for the City to adopt a goal for zero GHG emissions by 2030.
The Commission agreed to add the New Green Deal discussion topic to the agenda for the June
2011 Sustainability Commission meeting.
Chair Weber reordered the agenda items to place a partial Staff Update before Written
Communications.
STAFF UPDATE
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Acting Public Works Director Roger Lee updated the Commission on several items,including:
the McClellan west parking lot project is 75% complete;a resolution will go before Council in
June to study the possibilities of working with the Sunnyvale SMaRT station.He acknowledged
Sustainability Manager Misty Mersich's contribution to the City,thanked her for all her work
with Public Works, and wished her well in her next step.
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WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
Chair Weber distributed an email sent by a student to the Commission.
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OLD BUSINESS
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2. Subject:2019/2020 Work Program and Council Presentation
Misty Mersich reviewed the draft Sustainability Commission Work Program with the
Commission and updated it with agreed changes.At the June 181h City Council meeting, the
Commission's Work Program will be on the agenda for approval and the Commission will
present its FY 2018/19 accomplishments. Commissioner Latshaw will give the presentation and
Chair Weber and Commissioner Ramanathan will attend the meeting in support.
Commissioner Latshaw moved and Commissioner Chen seconded to approve the Sustainability
Commission Work Program as amended.The motion carried unanimously.
3. Subject:Clean Water&Storm Protection Initiative/Proposed Fee Update
The Commission received an update on the Clean Water&Storm Protection Initiative/
Proposed Fee from Environmental Programs Manager Cheri Donnelly.This item will be
discussed at the May 7th Council meeting.Cupertino property owners will receive a ballot to
vote on the additional fee;ballots will be mailed on the 201h and completed ballots must be
received back to City July 5th at 5:00 p.m.Donnelly answered Commissioners's questions on the
process and asked them to forward any further questions to environmental@cupertino.org.
NEW BUSINESS
None.
STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS
Commission updates:
Commissioner Latshaw gave an update on planning for the Sustainability Speaker Series.Staff
will contact Bea Johnson to ask her availability for speaking this fiscal year.Commissioner
Latshaw will also contact Hal Harvey to gauge his interest in speaking.The Commission will
discuss the Speaker Series at the next Commission meeting.
Chair Weber reviewed items discussed at a recent Mayor's Meeting,including:
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- Mayor Scharf expressed interest in the straw ban/plastic reduction.Staff will provide
information on the City's current activities on this topic to Chair Weber.
- Paperless City meetings &Council meetings.
- Raising awareness in the community on reducing emissions.Staff will arrange for the
Public Information Officer to meet with the Commission to discuss outreach.
The Commissioners thanked Misty Mersich for her service to the City.
Staff updates: 1
- The Sustainability Division will be running with one staff member until the new
Sustainability Manager is hired;capacity will be very limited.
- Staff is working to engage a consultant for a GHG inventory update.
- The City is a finalist in a grant application to Silicon Valley Clean Energy to support an
electric vehicle charging station project at the Sports Center.
- City Council adopted a Buy Clean resolution.Buy Clean update on the next
Commission meeting agenda.
- Donnelly distributed a handout on a solar panel disposal presentation from Lee-Tan that
was presented at a recent Technical Advisory Committee for the Waste Reduction and
Recycling Commission.
ADJOURNMENT-6:03 p.m.
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