SC 03-24-2022CITY OF CUPERTINO SUST AINABILITY COMMISSION
Teleconfetence meeting without a physical location.
Thutsday, March 24, 2022 4:00 p.m.
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
At 4:06 p.m. Commissioner Weber called the meeting to order, acting on behalf of the Chair.
ROIL CALL
Commissioners Present: Commissioners Sonali Padgaonkar, Steve Poon, Meera Ramanathan (arrived @ 4:07
p.m.), Anna Weber. Absent: Chair Swan'iinathan.
Staff: Andre Duurvoort, Sustainability Manager; Gilee Corral, Climate and Utilities Analyst; Rina Horie,
Sustainability Intern.
Guests: Members of the public.
ST AFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS
Staff reports: Sustainability Manager Andre Duurvoort gave brief updates:
City Work Ptogram: process is underway with project ranking. The Commission proposal for building
and transportation electrification strategy was ranked highly among 60+ projects.
Earth and Arbor Day Festival: 64 tabling partners, about 80 volunteers, and six sponsors. The
Commission will have a table as well. Social media posts and postcards being mailed to promote the
Festival.
Climate Action Plan (CAP): project team is consolidating comments and feedback into the draft CAP,
Aim to release the public review draft CAP by April 19 to the engagement website ahead of the Earth
and Arbor Day Festival. Draft includes measures to achieve the 2030 goal. After engagement and
outreach, will have a Council study session in May or June.
Gilee Corral, Climate and Utilities Analyst, gave an overview of the Mayot's Meetings. Corral emails the
Commission to recruit a representative for each meeting. She noted the next Cornrnission meeting on April 21
will be in person, venue to be determined.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Subject: Commissioners elect Chair
Corral gave brief reminders of the process for norninating and electing the Chair and Vice Chair and answered
clarifying questions, including:
Corral affitmed that the Commission can nominate an absent Commissioner for Chair (question from
Rarnanathan)
If meeting attendance record is available fot the existing Cornrnissioners (Poon). Corral: this is priblic
record and attendance for each meeting is included in the minutes on the City website.
Public Comment:
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Anushka Karnaran, Riya Murthy, and Charlotte Zhou spoke on the severe drought in Santa Clara County.
Spoke of the benefits of recycled water and gray water systems, noting potential savings of millions of gallons
of water per day in demand. They noted examples from LA County, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Las Vegas, Australia,
and Singapore. Support the City to explore installing grey water systems beyond Apple Campus, e.g. in
residential areas and City buildings.
Commission Weber opened the floor for nominations for Chair. Commissioners Weber and Ramanathan gave
a brief overview of the Commission, its history, and relationship with City staff for the benefit of the new
Commissioners. Corral added a brief explanation of the role of the Chair and Vice Chair. Commissioner
Ramanathan noted that both she and Commissioner Weber have been Chair and Vice Chair.
Commissioner Ramanathan nominated Vignesh Swaminathan for Chair. Corral noted briefly how the rotation
of Chair and Vice Chair is conducted, that a Commissioner can nominate themselves for either role, and other
logistics of the nomination process.
Commissioner Ramanathan moved and Commissioner Padgaonkar seconded to close nominations for Chair.
The motion carried rinanirnously with Chair Swarninathan absent.
Commission Padgaonkar moved and Commissioner Ramanathan seconded to elect Vignesh Swarninathan as
Chair of the Commission. The motion carried unanimously with Chair Swarninathan absent.
2. Subject: Commissioners elect Vice Chair
Commission Weber opened the floor for nominations for Vice Chair. Commissioner Weber nominated herself
for Vice Chair.
Commissioner Ramanathan moved to close nominations for Vice Chair. Commissioner Padgaonkar noted she
was not interested in the position this year. Commissioner Poon seconded the motion to close nominations.
The motion carried unanimously with Chair Swarninathan absent.
Cornrnissioner Ramanathan moved and Commissioner Padgaonkar seconded to elect Aruna Weber as Vice
Chair of the Commission. The motion carried unanimously with Chair Swarninathan absent.
3. Subject: Review submitted nominations for 2022 CREST Awatds Sustainability Champion of the
Year
Corral gave a brief overview of the CREST Awards and the process to select the Sustainability Champion of
the Year. The two nominations for the Sustainability Champion of the year are previous Sustainability
Cornrnissioner Gary Latshaw and Shilpa Iyer. All CREST winners will be announced on the City website. She
requested that Cornrnissioners select their first and second choices, and whichever nominee receives the most
first place votes will become the winner. She reviewed the nomination packet briefly on scteen.
The Commission discussed the nominees, asked questions, and gave comments, including:
Second nomination seems more on community building than sustainability (Poon)
o The project was community focused on a sustainability topic, thinks the second nomination is
appropriate for the award (Weber)
Clarify awatd criteria (Weber, Padgaonkar). Corral teviewed the criteria in the packet, noted the
nominee did not have to be a Cupertino resident.
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First choice: Gary Latshaw, second choice: Shilpa Iyer. Latshaw worked on sustainability in Cupertino,
Iyer's submission seems more of a proposal than a project (Padgaonkar)
Iyer worked on a project to bring the cornrnunity together around sustainability and inclusivity in a
Cupertino neighborhood (Weber)
Iyer's project a good idea, like the inclusivity and sustainability, good documentation, but do not see
what the effects have been in Cupertino from the project. Would like to see more data points on the
effects to give an award. First choice: Gary Latshaw, close second choice: Shilpa Iyer (Ramanathan)
Pointed out examples of results of Iyer's project in the submission, thinks there were actions taken and
data on the Nextdoor project and not just a model. The model she tested brought people together on
sustainability topics, reflecting what we are here to do as a Commission (Weber)
Brief discussion on the scope of the nominations:
o Would like to have seen Iyer's project for all of Cupertino on Nextdoor, was impacting Monta
Vista specifically (Ramanathan). Iyer's was hyperlocal but showed potential to expand to more
neighborhoods as a model (Weber)
o Latshaw is more than just a Sustainability Champion. Considering his multiple volunteer roles
and extensive work in the cornrnunity, e.g. Rotary, Sierra Club, he should a Lifetime
Achievement CREST Award (Weber)
Corral explained Commissioner terms and answered other logistical questions.
What happens if a tie (Rarnanathan). Corral: unsure but can ask the Communicahons Office
First choice: Gary Latshaw. The second nominee did a lot of groundwork for future results (Poon)
First choice: Shilpa Iyer, second choice: Gary Latshaw (Weber)
Corral noted three votes for Gary Latshaw for first choice and one vote for Shilpa Iyer for first choice.
If a person that wins one CREST award is eligible for future CREST awards (Weber, Ramanathan).
Corral: this is not specifically stated on the website, the only exclusions in the rules are current
Councilmembers, Commissioners, and City staff. Can clarify with Communications Office and can give
feedback from the Commission that this is desired.
Latshaw is a Sustainability Champion but deserves a Lifetime Achievement Award. Iyer's project
brought people together during the pandernic to share and leam about sustainability, can be an
inspiration to others (Weber)
Can "honorable mention" be given to Iyer (Ramanathan). Corral: clarified with the Cornmunicahons
Office - only one winner per award. Can note Commissioners expressed a desire for an "honorable
mention" category.
o Other options, can invite Iyer to present at a speaker series or present to Commission (Weber)
Noted that the CREST Award voting took place at the Mayor's Meeting, reception for the winners in
May. Please keep winner confidential until winners are announced officially (Weber)
Suggest asking the Sustainability Champion and tinner up to speak at the Earth and Arbor Day
Festival (Poon)
Cornrnissioner Padgaonkar moved and Commissioner Poon seconded to select Dr. Gary Latshaw as the
winner of the CREST Sustainability Champion of the Year Award. Ayes: Padgaonkar, Poon, Rarnanathan.
Noes: Weber. Absent: Swaminathan. The motion carried.
Vice Chair moved and Cornrnissioner Poon seconded to select Shilpa Iyer as the Sustainability Champion of
the Year. Commission Ramanathan asked if it was possible to vote on the same item twice. Corral clarified that
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technically the Commission has already voted for Gary Latshaw as the Sustainability Champion of the Year. If
the current motion on the table passes, the Commission will have voted for two Sustainability Champions of
the Year. Corral noted that she is unsure if the Communications Office wffl give two awards for the
Sustainability Champion of the Year. Vice Chair Weber withdrew her motion.
ADJOURNMENT
Corral answered clarifying questions about the April 21 regular meeting: this meeting will be in person at a
physical location with no Zoom or virtual option. Council and some Commission meetings will be moving to
hybrid meetings and instructions for participation win be detailed in published agendas.
A motion to adjourn was made by Commissioner Ramanathan and seconded by Cornrnissioner Poon. The
motion carried unanimously with Chair Swarninathan absent. Meeting adjourned at 5:37 p.m.
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