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CC 12-03-2024 Oral Communications (2)CC 12-03-2024 Oral Communications Written Communications From:Liang Chao To:City Clerk; n.r.v@live.com Subject:Fw: Requesting agendaization of procedures that are not in residents" interests Date:Tuesday, December 3, 2024 10:47:52 AM Dear City Clerk, Please enter the enclosed communication and attachments as written communication for the upcoming council meeting from a councilmember, per CMC 2.08.100. I am submitting this comment at the request of my constituents. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Regards, Liang ~ Cupertino City Council (elected in 2018, re-elected in 2022) ===== Dear Resident, Thank you for reaching out with your comments. Due to a change in the implementation of how written communication is collected for the upcoming council meeting, your email will not be included in the official record unless a councilmember forwards it to the City Clerk. Dear City Clerk, Please enter the enclosed communication as written communication for the upcoming council meeting from a councilmember, per CMC 2.08.100. I am submitting this comment at the request of my constituents to ensure that community voices are included in written communications of council meetings as requested, rather than at the discretion of councilmembers, which might inadvertently leave out some minority voices. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Regards, Liang ~ Cupertino City Council (elected in 2018, re-elected in 2022) Get Outlook for iOS Liang Chao​​​​ Councilmember City Council LChao@cupertino.gov 408-777-3192 From: Venkat Ranganathan <n.r.v@live.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 9:27 AM To: City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.gov>; City Clerk <cityclerk@cupertino.gov> Subject: Requesting agendaization of procedures that are not in residents' interests CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear City Mayor and Council I am Venkat Ranganathan, a long time resident of Cupertino. I am writing to express my concerns regarding the conduct and performance of city management and staff, whose actions during 2023-2024 have largely reduced public transparency and hindered residents' ability to participate in local government. Specifically, I object to the following changes: Reduced Public Input: Limiting oral communication time, restricting speaking opportunities, and eliminating hybrid meetings. Lack of Transparency: Removing written reports, eliminating informational items, and overloading consent calendars. Disbanding Committees: Eliminating crucial committees like Economic Development and Environmental Review. Political Bias: Politicizing agenda setting to favor specific interests. These changes undermine public trust and erode effective governance. I urge the council to immediately reverse these policies and restore procedures that prioritize transparency, accountability, and public participation. I request that the council agendaize an update to council and commission procedures for the 12/17/24 meeting to address these critical issues. As residents of Cupertino, we deserve a city management that upholds the principles of open and accessible government. Thanks Venkat From:Liang Chao To:City Clerk; yuvaraj.a.r@gmail.com Subject:Fw: Agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting Date:Tuesday, December 3, 2024 8:26:44 AM Dear Resident, Thank you for reaching out with your comments. Due to a change in the implementation of how written communication is collected for the upcoming council meeting, your email will not be included in the official record unless a councilmember forwards it to the City Clerk. Dear City Clerk, Please enter the enclosed communication as written communication for the upcoming council meeting from a councilmember, per CMC 2.08.100. I am submitting this comment at the request of my constituents to ensure that community voices are included in written communications of council meetings as requested, rather than at the discretion of councilmembers, which might inadvertently leave out some minority voices. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Regards, Liang ~ Cupertino City Council (elected in 2018, re-elected in 2022) Liang Chao​​​​ Councilmember City Council LChao@cupertino.gov 408-777-3192 From: Yuvaraj Athur Raghuvir <yuvaraj.a.r@gmail.com> chitrasv@yahoo.com Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 7:09 AM To: City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.gov>; City Clerk <cityclerk@cupertino.gov> Subject: Agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear City Clerk, Please include the below as written communications for items on agenda for the upcoming city council meeting on December 3rd, 2024. —————————————— Mayor Sheila Mohan Council Members City of Cupertino 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 Subject: Concerns Regarding City Manager Pamela Wu's Performance and request to agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting Dear Mayor Mohan and Cupertino City Council Members, I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the conduct and performance of City Manager Pamela Wu during 2023-2024. Her actions, often unilateral and without council direction, have severely damaged public trust, undermined transparency, restricted stakeholder engagement, and eroded residents' ability to communicate effectively with their elected representatives. Below, I outline critical issues that demand immediate rectification. I implore you to agendaize an update to city council meeting procedures for the 12/17/24 council meeting to immediately and urgently undo and reverse the below changes brought about during 2023-24 by city manager Pamela Wu. 1. Unilateral Removal of Written Communications for Oral Communications: Without council approval, the City Manager removed written communications for items not on agenda even though oral communications is on agenda, depriving residents of the opportunity to view and respond to others' concerns. Transparent discourse is essential; this policy must be reversed immediately. 2. Arbitrary Limits on Oral Comments: Capping oral comments at 30 minutes at the start of meetings, with the remainder relegated to the end, is both arrogant and dismissive of residents. When residents take the time to speak, their voices deserve to be heard fully, not constrained by an arbitrary time limit. 3. Restrictions on Yielding Speaking Time : Requiring five individuals to yield time for an additional three minutes is an affront to the public's ability to organize and express themselves. This demeaning rule undervalues the collective voice of residents and must be abolished. 4. Elimination of Hybrid Meetings: Discontinuing hybrid meetings under the pretense of cost-saving is indefensible. A webcast is not a substitute for public participation. If the City Manager can justify taxpayer-funded trips to Taiwan and India, she can fund hybrid meetings for all commissions, including Parks and Recreation, Audit, and Public Safety. Also consider enabling hybrid meetings for the public safety commission and audit committee. 5. Abandonment of Written City Manager Reports: Replacing substantive written reports with superficial video presentations is a disservice to transparency. These reports must be reinstated immediately to provide residents and council members with detailed updates on city affairs. Written reports are official narratives that can be searched and referenced for future communications. 6. Disbanding Critical Committees: The elimination of the Economic Development and Environmental Review Committees, among others, has crippled the ability of residents and council to influence policy. These committees must be reinstated without delay. 7. Curtailing Residents’ Ability to Pull Consent Calendar Items: The new requirement for providing reasons to pull consent items diminishes the symbolic and practical input of residents. Council and the City Manager work for the public, not the other way around. This policy must be reversed. 8. Elimination of Informational Agenda Items: Informational items, once a critical component of transparency, have been eliminated, further eroding public trust. Reinstate this section to restore proper civic discourse. 9. Overloaded Consent Calendars: Stacking consent calendars with over 15 items, including $24M contracts, signals a lack of respect of public and council input. This practice must be reversed immediately. 10. Absence of Directors at Commission Meetings: The absence of directors at commission meetings weakens the integrity of the civic process. Directors must resume attendance to provide the necessary expertise and accountability. 11. Disruptive Use of Cell Phones During Meetings: The City Manager’s frequent use of her cell phone or laptop during meetings raises concerns of focus, including questions of whether potential Brown Act violations could be a concern. Council should prohibit cell phone use on the dais to ensure full focus on city business. 12. Political Bias in Agenda Setting: The City Manager has politicized agenda-setting to delay or suppress items unfavorable to her or her political allies. Residents’ demands, such as improving the sign ordinance, not eliminating lanes on DeAnza Blvd have been ignored indefinitely. This overt partisanship is a betrayal of her duty to serve the entire city impartially. Council needs to have strong directional oversight on agenda setting and prioritization effective the inauguration of the new council. The City Manager’s pattern of above changes in 2023-24 reflects a troubling lack of accountability, professionalism, and respect for stakeholders such as residents and council members which are the city manager’s chain of command. I urge the council to agendaize an item to update council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council agenda so that the above changes may be reversed immediately. The residents of Cupertino deserve better governance and a City Manager who upholds transparency, accountability, and respect for the public and council input without imposing mechanisms to curb such input. Sincerely, Yuvaraj Cupertino Citizen & Resident. From:Liang Chao To:City Clerk; chitrasv@yahoo.com Subject:Fw: Request to agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting Date:Tuesday, December 3, 2024 8:22:52 AM Dear Resident, Thank you for reaching out with your comments. Due to a change in the implementation of how written communication is collected for the upcoming council meeting, your email will not be included in the official record unless a councilmember forwards it to the City Clerk. Dear City Clerk, Please enter the enclosed communication as written communication for the upcoming council meeting from a councilmember, per CMC 2.08.100. I am submitting this comment at the request of my constituents to ensure that community voices are included in written communications of council meetings as requested, rather than at the discretion of councilmembers, which might inadvertently leave out some minority voices. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Regards, Liang ~ Cupertino City Council (elected in 2018, re-elected in 2022) Liang Chao​​​​ Councilmember City Council LChao@cupertino.gov 408-777-3192 From: chitrasv@yahoo.com <chitrasv@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 8:19 AM To: City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.gov>; City Clerk <cityclerk@cupertino.gov> Subject: Request to agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear City Clerk, Please include the below as written communications for items on agenda for the upcoming city council meeting on December 3rd, 2024. —————————————— Mayor Sheila Mohan Council Members City of Cupertino 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 Subject: Concerns Regarding City Manager Pamela Wu's Performance and request to agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting Dear Mayor Mohan and Cupertino City Council Members, I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the conduct and performance of City Manager Pamela Wu during 2023-2024. Her actions, often unilateral and without council direction, have severely damaged public trust, undermined transparency, restricted stakeholder engagement, and eroded residents' ability to communicate effectively with their elected representatives. Below, I outline critical issues that demand immediate rectification. I implore you to agendaize an update to city council meeting procedures for the 12/17/24 council meeting to immediately and urgently undo and reverse the below changes brought about during 2023-24 by city manager Pamela Wu. 1. Unilateral Removal of Written Communications for Oral Communications Without council approval, the City Manager removed written communications for items not on agenda even though oral communications is on agenda, depriving residents of the opportunity to view and respond to others' concerns. Transparent discourse is essential; this policy must be reversed immediately. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 2. Arbitrary Limits on Oral Comments Capping oral comments at 30 minutes at the start of meetings, with the remainder relegated to the end, is both arrogant and dismissive of residents. When residents take the time to speak, their voices deserve to be heard fully, not constrained by an arbitrary time limit. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 3. Restrictions on Yielding Speaking Time Requiring five individuals to yield time for an additional three minutes is an affront to the public's ability to organize and express themselves. This demeaning rule undervalues the collective voice of residents and must be abolished. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 4. Elimination of Hybrid Meetings Discontinuing hybrid meetings under the pretense of cost-saving is indefensible. A webcast is not a substitute for public participation. If the City Manager can justify taxpayer-funded trips to Taiwan and India, she can fund hybrid meetings for all commissions, including Parks and Recreation, Audit, and Public Safety. Please agendaize an update to commission procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change and immediately restore hybrid meetings for parks and recreation commission and consider enabling hybrid meetings for public safety commission and audit committee. 5. Abandonment of Written City Manager Reports Replacing substantive written reports with superficial video presentations is a disservice to transparency. These reports must be reinstated immediately to provide residents and council members with detailed updates on city affairs. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 6. Disbanding Critical Committees The elimination of the Economic Development and Environmental Review Committees, among others, has crippled the ability of residents and council to influence policy. These committees must be reinstated without delay. Please agendaize an update to council and commission procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change effective 2025. 7. Curtailing Residents’ Ability to Pull Consent Calendar Items The new requirement for providing reasons to pull consent items diminishes the symbolic and practical input of residents. Council and the City Manager work for the public, not the other way around. This policy must be reversed. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 8. Elimination of Informational Agenda Items Informational items, once a critical component of transparency, have been eliminated, further eroding public trust. Reinstate this section to restore proper civic discourse. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 9. Overloaded Consent Calendars Stacking consent calendars with over 15 items, including $24M contracts, signals a lack of respect of public and council input. This practice must be reversed immediately. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change and require that no more than 8 items can be put on consent calendar per council meeting. 10. Absence of Directors at Commission Meetings The absence of directors at commission meetings weakens the integrity of the civic process. Directors must resume attendance to provide the necessary expertise and accountability. 11. Disruptive Use of Cell Phones During Meetings The City Manager’s frequent use of her cell phone or laptop during meetings raises concerns of focus, including questions of whether potential Brown Act violations could be a concern. Council should prohibit cell phone use on the dais to ensure full focus on city business. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to prohibit use of cell phones and laptop based messaging apps while on-Dias during council and commission meetings. 12. Political Bias in Agenda Setting The City Manager has politicized agenda-setting to delay or suppress items unfavorable to her or her political allies. Residents’ demands, such as improving the sign ordinance, not eliminating lanes on DeAnza Blvd have been ignored indefinitely. This overt partisanship is a betrayal of her duty to serve the entire city impartially. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change and bring back old procedures for agenda setting for future council meetings. Council majority needs to have strong directional oversight on agenda setting and prioritization effective the inauguration of the new council. 13. Eliminate time limits on council member deliberations on-Dias Please agendaize an update to council procedures on 12/17/24 to immediately eliminate the 5 minute time limit on council member deliberations on-Dias. Council members must have no limit on deliberation time on matters critical to the city and to residents. The City Manager’s pattern of above changes in 2023-24 reflects a troubling lack of accountability, professionalism, and respect for stakeholders such as residents and council members which are the city manager’s chain of command. I urge the council to agendaize an item to update council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council agenda so that the above changes may be reversed immediately. The residents of Cupertino deserve better governance and a City Manager who upholds transparency, accountability, and respect for the public and council input without imposing mechanisms to curb such input. Sincerely, Chitra Iyer Cupertino Resident From:Liang Chao To:City Clerk; Deepa Mahendraker Subject:Fw: Concerns Regarding City Manager Pamela Wu"s Performance and request to agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting Date:Tuesday, December 3, 2024 8:21:46 AM Dear Resident, Thank you for reaching out with your comments. Due to a change in the implementation of how written communication is collected for the upcoming council meeting, your email will not be included in the official record unless a councilmember forwards it to the City Clerk. Dear City Clerk, Please enter the enclosed communication as written communication for the upcoming council meeting from a councilmember, per CMC 2.08.100. I am submitting this comment at the request of my constituents to ensure that community voices are included in written communications of council meetings as requested, rather than at the discretion of councilmembers, which might inadvertently leave out some minority voices. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Regards, Liang ~ Cupertino City Council (elected in 2018, re-elected in 2022) Get Outlook for iOS Liang Chao​​​​ Councilmember City Council LChao@cupertino.gov 408-777-3192 From: Deepa Mahendraker <deepam@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 8:17 AM To: City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.gov>; City Clerk <cityclerk@cupertino.gov> Subject: Concerns Regarding City Manager Pamela Wu's Performance and request to agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear City Clerk, Please include the below as written communications for items on agenda for the upcoming city council meeting on December 3rd, 2024. —————————————— Mayor Sheila Mohan Council Members City of Cupertino 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 Subject: Concerns Regarding City Manager Pamela Wu's Performance and request to agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting Dear Mayor Mohan and Cupertino City Council Members, I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the conduct and performance of City Manager Pamela Wu during 2023-2024. Her actions, often unilateral and without council direction, have severely damaged public trust, undermined transparency, restricted stakeholder engagement, and eroded residents' ability to communicate effectively with their elected representatives. Below, I outline critical issues that demand immediate rectification. I implore you to agendaize an update to city council meeting procedures for the 12/17/24 council meeting to immediately and urgently undo and reverse the below changes brought about during 2023-24 by city manager Pamela Wu. 1. Unilateral Removal of Written Communications for Oral Communications Without council approval, the City Manager removed written communications for items not on agenda even though oral communications is on agenda, depriving residents of the opportunity to view and respond to others' concerns. Transparent discourse is essential; this policy must be reversed immediately. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 2. Arbitrary Limits on Oral Comments Capping oral comments at 30 minutes at the start of meetings, with the remainder relegated to the end, is both arrogant and dismissive of residents. When residents take the time to speak, their voices deserve to be heard fully, not constrained by an arbitrary time limit. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 3. Restrictions on Yielding Speaking Time Requiring five individuals to yield time for an additional three minutes is an affront to the public's ability to organize and express themselves. This demeaning rule undervalues the collective voice of residents and must be abolished. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 4. Elimination of Hybrid Meetings Discontinuing hybrid meetings under the pretense of cost-saving is indefensible. A webcast is not a substitute for public participation. If the City Manager can justify taxpayer-funded trips to Taiwan and India, she can fund hybrid meetings for all commissions, including Parks and Recreation, Audit, and Public Safety. Please agendaize an update to commission procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change and immediately restore hybrid meetings for parks and recreation commission and consider enabling hybrid meetings for public safety commission and audit committee. 5. Abandonment of Written City Manager Reports Replacing substantive written reports with superficial video presentations is a disservice to transparency. These reports must be reinstated immediately to provide residents and council members with detailed updates on city affairs. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 6. Disbanding Critical Committees The elimination of the Economic Development and Environmental Review Committees, among others, has crippled the ability of residents and council to influence policy. These committees must be reinstated without delay. Please agendaize an update to council and commission procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change effective 2025. 7. Curtailing Residents’ Ability to Pull Consent Calendar Items The new requirement for providing reasons to pull consent items diminishes the symbolic and practical input of residents. Council and the City Manager work for the public, not the other way around. This policy must be reversed. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 8. Elimination of Informational Agenda Items Informational items, once a critical component of transparency, have been eliminated, further eroding public trust. Reinstate this section to restore proper civic discourse. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 9. Overloaded Consent Calendars Stacking consent calendars with over 15 items, including $24M contracts, signals a lack of respect of public and council input. This practice must be reversed immediately. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change and require that no more than 8 items can be put on consent calendar per council meeting. 10. Absence of Directors at Commission Meetings The absence of directors at commission meetings weakens the integrity of the civic process. Directors must resume attendance to provide the necessary expertise and accountability. 11. Disruptive Use of Cell Phones During Meetings The City Manager’s frequent use of her cell phone or laptop during meetings raises concerns of focus, including questions of whether potential Brown Act violations could be a concern. Council should prohibit cell phone use on the dais to ensure full focus on city business. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to prohibit use of cell phones and laptop based messaging apps while on-Dias during council and commission meetings. 12. Political Bias in Agenda Setting The City Manager has politicized agenda-setting to delay or suppress items unfavorable to her or her political allies. Residents’ demands, such as improving the sign ordinance, not eliminating lanes on DeAnza Blvd have been ignored indefinitely. This overt partisanship is a betrayal of her duty to serve the entire city impartially. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change and bring back old procedures for agenda setting for future council meetings. Council majority needs to have strong directional oversight on agenda setting and prioritization effective the inauguration of the new council. 13. Eliminate time limits on council member deliberations on-Dias Please agendaize an update to council procedures on 12/17/24 to immediately eliminate the 5 minute time limit on council member deliberations on-Dias. Council members must have no limit on deliberation time on matters critical to the city and to residents. The City Manager’s pattern of above changes in 2023-24 reflects a troubling lack of accountability, professionalism, and respect for stakeholders such as residents and council members which are the city manager’s chain of command. I urge the council to agendaize an item to update council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council agenda so that the above changes may be reversed immediately. The residents of Cupertino deserve better governance and a City Manager who upholds transparency, accountability, and respect for the public and council input without imposing mechanisms to curb such input. Sincerely, Deepa Mahendraker From:Liang Chao To:City Clerk; Santosh Rao Subject:Fw: Concerns Regarding City Manager Pamela Wu"s Performance and request to agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting Date:Monday, December 2, 2024 11:47:17 PM Please include this in the written communication for the 12/3 council meeting. Thanks! Get Outlook for iOS Liang Chao​​​​ Councilmember City Council LChao@cupertino.gov 408-777-3192 From: Santosh Rao <santo_a_rao@yahoo.com> Sent: Monday, December 2, 2024 11:26 PM To: City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.org>; City Clerk <cityclerk@cupertino.org> Subject: Concerns Regarding City Manager Pamela Wu's Performance and request to agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear City Clerk, Please include the below as written communications for items on agenda for the upcoming city council meeting on December 3rd, 2024. —————————————————- Mayor Sheila Mohan Council Members City of Cupertino 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 Subject: Concerns Regarding City Manager Pamela Wu's Performance and request to agendaize reversal of below council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council meeting Dear Mayor Mohan and Cupertino City Council Members, I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the conduct and performance of City Manager Pamela Wu during 2023-2024. Her actions, often unilateral and without council direction, have severely damaged public trust, undermined transparency, restricted stakeholder engagement, and eroded residents' ability to communicate effectively with their elected representatives. Below, I outline critical issues that demand immediate rectification. I implore you to agendaize an update to city council meeting procedures for the 12/17/24 council meeting to immediately and urgently undo and reverse the below changes brought about during 2023-24 by city manager Pamela Wu. 1. Unilateral Removal of Written Communications for Oral Communications Without council approval, the City Manager removed written communications for items not on agenda even though oral communications is on agenda, depriving residents of the opportunity to view and respond to others' concerns. Transparent discourse is essential; this policy must be reversed immediately. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 2. Arbitrary Limits on Oral Comments Capping oral comments at 30 minutes at the start of meetings, with the remainder relegated to the end, is both arrogant and dismissive of residents. When residents take the time to speak, their voices deserve to be heard fully, not constrained by an arbitrary time limit. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 3. Restrictions on Yielding Speaking Time Requiring five individuals to yield time for an additional three minutes is an affront to the public's ability to organize and express themselves. This demeaning rule undervalues the collective voice of residents and must be abolished. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 4. Elimination of Hybrid Meetings Discontinuing hybrid meetings under the pretense of cost-saving is indefensible. A webcast is not a substitute for public participation. If the City Manager can justify taxpayer-funded trips to Taiwan and India, she can fund hybrid meetings for all commissions, including Parks and Recreation, Audit, and Public Safety. Please agendaize an update to commission procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change and immediately restore hybrid meetings for parks and recreation commission and consider enabling hybrid meetings for public safety commission and audit committee. 5. Abandonment of Written City Manager Reports Replacing substantive written reports with superficial video presentations is a disservice to transparency. These reports must be reinstated immediately to provide residents and council members with detailed updates on city affairs. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 6. Disbanding Critical Committees The elimination of the Economic Development and Environmental Review Committees, among others, has crippled the ability of residents and council to influence policy. These committees must be reinstated without delay. Please agendaize an update to council and commission procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change effective 2025. 7. Curtailing Residents’ Ability to Pull Consent Calendar Items The new requirement for providing reasons to pull consent items diminishes the symbolic and practical input of residents. Council and the City Manager work for the public, not the other way around. This policy must be reversed. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 8. Elimination of Informational Agenda Items Informational items, once a critical component of transparency, have been eliminated, further eroding public trust. Reinstate this section to restore proper civic discourse. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change. 9. Overloaded Consent Calendars Stacking consent calendars with over 15 items, including $24M contracts, signals a lack of respect of public and council input. This practice must be reversed immediately. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change and require that no more than 8 items can be put on consent calendar per council meeting. 10. Absence of Directors at Commission Meetings The absence of directors at commission meetings weakens the integrity of the civic process. Directors must resume attendance to provide the necessary expertise and accountability. 11. Disruptive Use of Cell Phones During Meetings The City Manager’s frequent use of her cell phone or laptop during meetings raises concerns of focus, including questions of whether potential Brown Act violations could be a concern. Council should prohibit cell phone use on the dais to ensure full focus on city business. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to prohibit use of cell phones and laptop based messaging apps while on-Dias during council and commission meetings. 12. Political Bias in Agenda Setting The City Manager has politicized agenda-setting to delay or suppress items unfavorable to her or her political allies. Residents’ demands, such as improving the sign ordinance, not eliminating lanes on DeAnza Blvd have been ignored indefinitely. This overt partisanship is a betrayal of her duty to serve the entire city impartially. Please agendaize an update to council procedures for 12/17/24 meeting to reverse this change and bring back old procedures for agenda setting for future council meetings. Council majority needs to have strong directional oversight on agenda setting and prioritization effective the inauguration of the new council. 13. Eliminate time limits on council member deliberations on-Dias Please agendaize an update to council procedures on 12/17/24 to immediately eliminate the 5 minute time limit on council member deliberations on-Dias. Council members must have no limit on deliberation time on matters critical to the city and to residents. The City Manager’s pattern of above changes in 2023-24 reflects a troubling lack of accountability, professionalism, and respect for stakeholders such as residents and council members which are the city manager’s chain of command. I urge the council to agendaize an item to update council and commission procedures in the 12/17/24 council agenda so that the above changes may be reversed immediately. The residents of Cupertino deserve better governance and a City Manager who upholds transparency, accountability, and respect for the public and council input without imposing mechanisms to curb such input. Sincerely, San Rao Cupertino voter and resident From:Liang Chao To:City Clerk; Peter Friedland; Rose Grymes Subject:Fw: Vista Heights violations Date:Tuesday, December 3, 2024 3:02:17 PM Dear City Clerk, Please enter the enclosed communication and attachments as written communication for the upcoming council meeting from a councilmember, per CMC 2.08.100. I am submitting this comment at the request of my constituents. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Regards, Liang ~ Cupertino City Council (elected in 2018, re-elected in 2022) ===== Dear Resident, Thank you for reaching out with your comments. Due to a change in the implementation of how written communication is collected for the upcoming council meeting, your email will not be included in the official record unless a councilmember forwards it to the City Clerk. Dear City Clerk, Please enter the enclosed communication as written communication for the upcoming council meeting from a councilmember, per CMC 2.08.100. I am submitting this comment at the request of my constituents to ensure that community voices are included in written communications of council meetings as requested, rather than at the discretion of councilmembers, which might inadvertently leave out some minority voices. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Regards, Liang ~ Cupertino City Council (elected in 2018, re-elected in 2022) Liang Chao​ Council Member City Council LiangChao@cupertino.org 408-777-3192 From: Peter Friedland <peterfriedland@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 1:54 PM To: Rose Grymes <ragrymes@gmail.com> Cc: City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.org>; City Clerk <cityclerk@cupertino.org>; Connie Cunningham <cunninghamconniel@gmail.com>; Shani Kleinhaus <shani@scvas.org> Subject: Re: Vista Heights violations CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. I agree with all of my wife's eloquent comments. In addition the developer has been creating considerable noise during their initial work with much of it very near or possibly intruding on our property line which is above their project on the hill. Peter Friedland On Tue, Dec 3, 2024, 3:27 PM Rose Grymes <ragrymes@gmail.com> wrote: Dear Council members and concerned citizens, I, and my husband, have repeatedly expressed concerns over the apparent violations observed on the site of the proposed Vista Heights project. The developer’s agents have been observed undertaking work without obtaining appropriate authorization. These actions raise significant questions about their commitment to transparency with adjoining residents (such as ourselves), alignment with planning and safety requirements, and concern for environmental integrity and mitigation interests. We urge the council to take an active interest in investigating these activities, some of which risk ongoing damage to local terrain and would likely lead to undesired and unforseen consequences to slope stability, wildlife habitat and potential neighborhood intrusion, fire fighting access, etc. Rose Grymes 22111 Lindy Lane Sent from my iPhone