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CC 03-03-2025 Item No. 1 FY 2025-27 CWP Prioritizatoin and Goal Setting Workshop _Late CommunicationsCC 03-03-2025 #1 Written Communications Middle Ranking Sheet from Workshop 3.3.25 #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking 13 City Properties / EOC KM City Properties: Planning for Optimal Use (Formerly City Properties 2.0) Revisit City Hall/Torre Annex Planning RE Seismic/EOC. Future planning strategies for Stocklmeir house/garages, Blech House, Blue Pheasant. Goal of judicial use of city-owned properties. Investigate potential purchase of CUSD Finch/Phil property. Quality of Life Public Works/City Manager's Office $$Medium Public Works 4 14 Emergency Preparedness RW Emergency Operations Readiness Review fire, earthquake tornado, active shooter, Tsunami, hazardous transport accident policies; and ensure EOC is active and functioning with a permanent position not consultant running the program. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy City Manager's Office/SC County Sheriff's Office $$Medium City Manager's Office 2 15 Environmental / Trees SM Urban Forest Program Expand tree list review in current CWP to include specifics to develop an urban forest plan to increase trees, landscaping and greenery in all parts of the city Quality of Life Public Works/CDD $$ Medium Public Works 2 16 5G RW 5G Ordinance Update 5G Ordinance Quality of Life Public Works/City Attorney's Office $Small Public Works 2 18 Unhoused KM Unhoused Policies (Formerly Support for the Unhoused 2.0) Continue this work program item. Determine best practices for limited budget smaller cities to manage the unhoused. Review RV practices in surrounding cities for impacts and potential adoption. Review transitional housing outcomes in surrounding cities. Policies to include nimble contingency plans. Quality of Life CDD/Public Works/City Attorney's Office/City Manager's Office $Large Community Development 2 22 Public Engagement JF Public Engagement Strategy and Policies in Support of Planning Initiatives Consolidate existing CWP (Attachment B Item 10) and proposed CWP public engagement-related items (Attachment B Items 4 and 5) to establish more focused policies governing public outreach and engagement with respect to General Plan amendments and rezonings with special consideration to lessons learned from the 6th RHNA Cycle Housing Element revision. Public Engagement and Transparency CDD/City Manager's Office $$Large Community Development 2 17 Permitting RW SFH permitting review process.Improve turnaround times. Set SLA's for staff and outsourced reviewers, customer service KPI's, templates to reduce back and forth, internal staff expertise to reduce consulting expenses. Simplify permitting for small home upgrades. Quality of Life CDD/City Attorney's Office $Medium Community Development 1 List of Priorities - For Ranking #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking List of Priorities - For Ranking 20 Public Engagement SM Leadership Academy Re-establish leadership program in collaboration with neighboring cities and non-profits - to educate the public on public policy issues, and encourage new participation in city's civic life. Public Engagement and Transparency City Manager's Office $Small City Manager's Office 1 21 Public Engagement LC Enhance Notification Methods for Development Projects and General Plan Amendments * Consider a community meeting requirement for any major project application, especially those requiring a general plan amendment, as some other cities have adopted. * Consider increasing notification radius from 300 feet to 500 feet (or even 1000 feet for major projects) for any project application, especially those requiring a general plan amendment. * Consider additional notification requirements for any project application seeking concessions/waivers of existing standards, such as parking reduction, building height, setback, retail space reduction, and/or impact fees. For city-wide general plan amendment, such as multiple sites for the Housing Element, consider comparable notification methods as single sites, rather than only through the newspaper, which has been insufficient. Public Engagement and Transparency CDD/City Manager's Office/City Attorney's Office $Medium Community Development 1 23 Transportation LC Adopt LOS and improve TDM Accountability Adopt LOS (Level of Service), in addition to VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled), in any traffic assessment, since LOS is still a better measure of traffic impact. Adopt requirements to ensure accountability of TDM (Traffic Demand Management) system since TDM often does not mitigate traffic impact as intended. Transportation CDD/Public Works/City Attorney's Office $$Large Community Development 1 24 Transportation RW Major thoroughfare congestion study and road improvements. Study De Anza, Stevens Creek, Stelling, Wolfe, Homestead, and Bollinger, Road improvement options include adaptive traffic signals, no turns on red near schools during school hours, street paving, and traffic enforcement of bikers, cars, and pedestrians. Quality of Life Public Works $$ Large Public Works 1 #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking List of Priorities - For Ranking 26 Environmental / Trees JF Urban Forest 10-Year Plan Develop a plan and implementation strategy to increase the tree canopy in Cupertino to achieve at least 30% coverage in every city neighborhood by 2035 using climate-resilient species. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy Public Works/CDD $$Medium Public Works 1 27 Impact Fees KM Impact Fees Evaluate and realign impact fees.Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy CDD/City Attorney's Office/Public Works $$$Large Community Development 1 28 Parks LC Reduce the Scope of Memorial Park Plan to under $40M The Memorial Park Plan like other plans tend to include too many features in one park, which the city cannot afford to accommodate. We should reduce the scope to under $40M to only essential elements Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy Parks & Recreation/Public Works $$ Medium Parks & Recreation 1 29 Transportation JF Active Transportation Plan Continue the existing CWP item.Transportation Public Works $$ Medium Public Works 1 31 Public Engagement LC Enhance Art In-Lieu Fee policy for better engagement Each development project has to dedicate art in-lieu fee, but the selection process does not engage the public to benefit the city as a whole. Explore policies adopted in other cities for better public engagement. NOTE: To expand the current work program item "Art in Public and Private Areas": Revisit Municipal Code standards for art in public and private development, including the standards in the Municipal Code and developing an Art-in-lieu fee policy. Quality of Life CDD/City Manager's Office/City Attorney's Office/Public Works/Administrative Services $Medium Community Development 1 35 Public Engagement SM General Plan Community Meetings Consider community meetings for any development or project that requires a GP amendment. Public Engagement and Transparency CDD/City Manager's Office $Medium Community Development 1 19 City Work Program KM Work Program Process Review Work Program History, budget considerations and timing, key takeaways, best practices, mission and vision, goal categories, staff suggestions for process improvement and workload management. Include CIP projects which are in process and their costs. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy City Manager's Office/ALL DEPT $Medium City Manager's Office 0 25 Economic Development JF Commercial Diversification Plan Develop a plan and implementation strategy to diversify the range and types of medium-sized businesses operating in the city. Quality of Life City Manager's Office $$Medium City Manager's Office 0 #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking List of Priorities - For Ranking 30 4th of July JF Independence Day Celebration Enhancement Identify and pursue low-hazard alternatives to the traditional fireworks presentation if no safe venue for traditional fireworks in Cupertino can be found. Quality of Life Parks & Recreation $$Large Parks & Recreation 0 32 Public Engagement LC Transparency for Commisison Meetings Restore Hybrid Commission Meetings with both virtual and in-person public comments - with minimal staff support. Include presentations, design docs in the agenda packet so that attendees who missed the meeting have access to them, such as the design docs for bike path projects. Public Engagement and Transparency I&T/ALL DEPTS $Large Innovation & Technology 0 33 Senior Services SM Ad Hoc Senior Commission Establish an ad-hoc senior commission/ committee/working group to create channels of communication between the senior population, senior center, senior living facilities - and address concerns re: housing, transportation, medical facilities. Quality of Life Parks & Recreation/City Manager's Office/City Attorney's Office $Large Parks & Recreation 0 34 Transportation KM Night time safety awareness Coordinate public education and potential (private and/or public) grants for night time safety for bikes/peds/pets (Fall Bike Fest, SR2S, festivals) Quality of Life Public Works/SC County Sheriff's Office $ Medium Public Works 0 CC 03-03-2025 #1 Written Communications Final Ranking Sheet from Workshop 3.3.25 #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking 1 Economic Development RW Economic Development Restore economic development committee, explore grant writer position, attract startups and companies in the tech ecosystem. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy City Attorney's Office/City Manager's Office $$Small City Attorney's Office 27 2 Economic Development SM Business Revitalization Explore options to support small businesses, fill empty storefronts, and encourage entry of new forms of retail to promote revitalization Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy City Manager's Office $$Medium City Manager's Office 27 3 Permitting JF Permit Streamlining and Simplification for Small Home Upgrades Develop a suite of improvements to (1) improve access to, and (2) speed the processing of permits for small home upgrades so as to enhance compliance and improve overall efficiency. Quality of Life CDD $Medium Community Development 27 4 Financial Policies LC Financial, Investment, and Cashflow Policy Review (TBD item) Review and assess the City’s investment policy and best practices with an analysis of quarterly treasurers report. Establish a cashflow management policy with the goal to reduce the total percentage in cash from 20% to 2% and to reduce the total percentage in cash and cash-equivalent to at most 10%, on par with other cities. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy Administrative Services $$ Medium Administrative Services 24 5 Heart of the City JR Heart of the City Specific Plan Update Revise the Heart of the City Specific Plan and relevant neighboring planning areas to focus residential growth on major corridors to better support commercial activity, and an increased tax base as well as the creation of "third spaces" for community building, while bringing homes, amenities, and jobs closer together to reduce vehicle miles traveled and improve the atractiveness of active transportation options. Quality of Life CDD $$$Large Community Development 24 6 Impact Fees SM Update City's Impact fees Update governing policies and guidelines for all impact fees Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy CDD/City Attorney's Office/Public Works $$$Large Community Development 21 List of Priorities - For Ranking #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking List of Priorities - For Ranking 7 Impact Fees LC Defensible Impact Fee Nexus Study for Traffic Impact Fee, Retail Impact Fee, BMR Impact Fee With almost every infill project approval and revision, we are losing almost all retail with almost zero parking. New units tend to provide more town homes, rather than much needed smaller starter units or senior flats. With potential challenges to waive impact fees and design standards, a defensible Nexus study is necessary to protect the city in order to collect impact fees since California Constitution does not allow unfunded mandates levied on cities. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy CDD/City Attorney's Office/Public Works $$Large Community Development 21 8 Environmental / Sustainability KM Water Conservation Policies (replaces city water conservation/ turf conversion) Reduce irrigation while increasing pollinator supporting vegetation (turf conversion). Optimize irrigation systems including CUSD use agreement sites. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy Public Works $$Medium Public Works 18 9 Economic Development JF Small Business Revitalization Plan Develop a plan and implementation strategy to support (1) new small business establishment; (2) preservation of existing small businesses in order to improve placemaking in the city and the city's revenue stream. Quality of Life City Manager's Office $$Medium City Manager's Office 17 10 Parks SM Blackberry Farms Pool and Picnic Area - CEQA Review Eliminate the 100 day restricted operation of BB Farms picnic area facilities and swimming pool - and open all year. Current restrictions deprive city of fee revenues, and deprive public access to public facilities. Quality of Life Parks & Recreation/City Attorney's Office/Public Works/CDD $$$Large Parks & Recreation 17 #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking List of Priorities - For Ranking 11 Senior Services LC Enhance Senior Services Due to the high cost of senior centers, many seniors have to "age in place", but do still need services typically provided in senior centers, in addition to common home maintenance.- - Utilizing the survey results conducted in 2022 and 2023 to meet the needs of Cupertino seniors - Consider consultant services similar to Palo Alto or Saratoga Senior Center to enhance services, while reducing cost to the city. NOTE: Cupertino Age-Friendly could make a presentation on the result of 2023 survey, in collaboration with the city staff. NOTE: Successful Aging Solutions & Community Consulting (SASCC), who runs the Saratoga Senior Center could provide a free gap analysis and feasibility analysis Quality of Life Parks & Recreation $$Large Parks & Recreation 17 12 Economic Development RW Small Business Revitalization Ordinance Streamline permitting process, explore more themed events like restaurant week and bobatino, attract more festivals, create a small business council, provide regulatory support. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy CDD/City Manager's Office/Parks & Recreation $$Large Community Development 15 13 City Properties / EOC KM City Properties: Planning for Optimal Use (Formerly City Properties 2.0) Revisit City Hall/Torre Annex Planning RE Seismic/EOC. Future planning strategies for Stocklmeir house/garages, Blech House, Blue Quality of Life Public Works/City Manager's Office $$Medium Public Works 14 14 Emergency Preparedness RW Emergency Operations Readiness Review fire, earthquake tornado, active shooter, Tsunami, hazardous transport accident policies; and ensure EOC is active and functioning with a Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy City Manager's Office/SC County Sheriff's Office $$Medium City Manager's Office 14 15 Environmental / Trees SM Urban Forest Program Expand tree list review in current CWP to include specifics to develop an urban forest plan to increase trees, landscaping and greenery in all parts of the city Quality of Life Public Works/CDD $$ Medium Public Works 14 16 5G RW 5G Ordinance Update 5G Ordinance Quality of Life Public Works/City Attorney's Office $Small Public Works 12 #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking List of Priorities - For Ranking 17 Permitting RW SFH permitting review process.Improve turnaround times. Set SLA's for staff and outsourced reviewers, customer service KPI's, templates to reduce back and forth, internal staff expertise to reduce consulting expenses. Simplify permitting for small home upgrades. Quality of Life CDD/City Attorney's Office $Medium Community Development 12 18 Unhoused KM Unhoused Policies (Formerly Support for the Unhoused 2.0) Continue this work program item. Determine best practices for limited budget smaller cities to manage the unhoused. Review RV practices in surrounding cities for impacts and potential adoption. Review Quality of Life CDD/Public Works/City Attorney's Office/City Manager's Office $Large Community Development 12 19 City Work Program KM Work Program Process Review Work Program History, budget considerations and timing, key takeaways, best practices, mission and vision, goal categories, staff suggestions for process improvement and workload management. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy City Manager's Office/ALL DEPT $Medium City Manager's Office 11 20 Public Engagement SM Leadership Academy Re-establish leadership program in collaboration with neighboring cities and non-profits - to educate the public on public policy issues, and encourage new participation in city's civic life. Public Engagement and Transparency City Manager's Office $Small City Manager's Office 11 21 Public Engagement LC Enhance Notification Methods for Development Projects and General Plan Amendments * Consider a community meeting requirement for any major project application, especially those requiring a general plan amendment, as some other cities have adopted. * Consider increasing notification radius from 300 feet to 500 feet (or even 1000 feet for major projects) for any project application, especially those requiring a general plan amendment. * C id ddi i l ifi i i f Public Engagement and Transparency CDD/City Manager's Office/City Attorney's Office $Medium Community Development 11 22 Public Engagement JF Public Engagement Strategy and Policies in Support of Planning Initiatives Consolidate existing CWP (Attachment B Item 10) and proposed CWP public engagement-related items (Attachment B Items 4 and 5) to establish more focused policies governing public outreach and engagement with respect to General Plan amendments and rezonings with special consideration to lessons learned from the 6th RHNA Cycle Housing Element revision. Public Engagement and Transparency CDD/City Manager's Office $$Large Community Development 11 #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking List of Priorities - For Ranking 23 Transportation LC Adopt LOS and improve TDM Accountability Adopt LOS (Level of Service), in addition to VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled), in any traffic assessment, since LOS is still a better measure of traffic impact. Transportation CDD/Public Works/City Attorney's Office $$Large Community Development 11 24 Transportation RW Major thoroughfare congestion study and road improvements. Study De Anza, Stevens Creek, Stelling, Wolfe, Homestead, and Bollinger, Road improvement options include adaptive traffic signals, no turns on Quality of Life Public Works $$ Large Public Works 11 25 Economic Development JF Commercial Diversification Plan Develop a plan and implementation strategy to diversify the range and types of medium-sized businesses operating in the city. Quality of Life City Manager's Office $$Medium City Manager's Office 10 26 Environmental / Trees JF Urban Forest 10-Year Plan Develop a plan and implementation strategy to increase the tree canopy in Cupertino to achieve at least 30% coverage in every city neighborhood by 2035 using climate-resilient species. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy Public Works/CDD $$Medium Public Works 10 27 Impact Fees KM Impact Fees Evaluate and realign impact fees.Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy CDD/City Attorney's Office/Public Works $$$Large Community Development 10 28 Parks LC Reduce the Scope of Memorial Park Plan to under $40M The Memorial Park Plan like other plans tend to include too many features in one park, which the city cannot afford to accommodate. We should reduce Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy Parks & Recreation/Public Works $$ Medium Parks & Recreation 10 #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking List of Priorities - For Ranking 29 Transportation JF Active Transportation Plan Continue the existing CWP item.Transportation Public Works $$ Medium Public Works 10 30 4th of July JF Independence Day Celebration Enhancement Identify and pursue low-hazard alternatives to the traditional fireworks presentation if no safe venue for traditional fireworks in Cupertino can be found. Quality of Life Parks & Recreation $$Large Parks & Recreation 9 31 Public Engagement LC Enhance Art In-Lieu Fee policy for better engagement Each development project has to dedicate art in-lieu fee, but the selection process does not engage the public to benefit the city as a whole. Explore policies adopted in other cities for better public engagement. NOTE: To expand the current work program item "Art Quality of Life CDD/City Manager's Office/City Attorney's Office/Public Works/Administrative Services $Medium Community Development 9 32 Public Engagement LC Transparency for Commisison Meetings Restore Hybrid Commission Meetings with both virtual and in-person public comments - with minimal staff support. Include presentations, design docs in the agenda Public Engagement and Transparency I&T/ALL DEPTS $Large Innovation & Technology 8 33 Senior Services SM Ad Hoc Senior Commission Establish an ad-hoc senior commission/ committee/working group to create channels of communication between the senior population, senior center, senior living facilities - and address Quality of Life Parks & Recreation/City Manager's Office/City Attorney's Office $Large Parks & Recreation 8 #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking List of Priorities - For Ranking 34 Transportation KM Night time safety awareness Coordinate public education and potential (private and/or public) grants for night time safety for bikes/peds/pets (Fall Bike Fest, SR2S, festivals) Quality of Life Public Works/SC County Sheriff's Office $ Medium Public Works 8 35 Public Engagement SM General Plan Community Meetings Consider community meetings for any development or project that requires a GP amendment. Public Engagement and Transparency CDD/City Manager's Office $Medium Community Development 7 36 Transportation KM SV Hopper Feasibility Determine a future funding source for this grant- funded program. Provide two ridership and financial updates per year. (reworded, but the same) Transportation Public Works $Small Public Works 6 #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking List of Priorities - For Ranking 37 Environmental / Trees KM Tree Planting (replaces Tee List 2.0) Increase tree canopy on city-owned properties with climate appropriate, preferably suitably CA native trees with volunteer tree-planting opportunities as feasible. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy Public Works $$$Large Public Works 5 38 Environmental / Sustainability KM Environmental hazards Add Geotracker and DTSC sites to the GIS mapping layers in the city to improve public awareness. Public Engagement and Transparency I&T/CDD $Small Innovation & Technology 5 39 Emergency Preparedness RW Public Safety - Block Leader and Neighborhood Watch Strengthen Block Leader/Neighborhood Watch programs to ensure the leaders are active and expand the coverage of active neighborhoods. Quality of Life City Manager's Office $Small City Manager's Office 4 40 Transportation JF Bicycle Facilities Continue the existing CWP item.Transportation Public Works/Parks & Recreation $ Medium Public Works 4 41 Transportation KM Bus Stop Inventory Inventory city bus stops and coordinate with VTA for improvements to seating, shading, and security (reworded, but the same) Transportation Public Works $Small Public Works 4 42 Quarry SM Lehigh Quarry Continue to monitor quarry activities and present bi- annual updates to Council. Continued collaboration with County and neighboring cities is recommended. Public Engagement and Transparency CDD/City Manager's Office/City Attorney's Office $$Medium Community Development 2 43 Emergency Preparedness RW License Plate Readers Deploy city-owned license plate readers and implement policies to allow neighborhood-owned ones. Quality of Life City Manager's Office $$Small City Manager's Office 1 44 Parks RW Memorial Park Renovation Reduce plan or place in phases, consider revenue models such as concessions and services in the mix for the park. Quality of Life Parks & Recreation/Public Works $$Medium Parks & Recreation 1 #Topic Proposed By Council Member Councilmember Submitted Title Councilmember Proposed Project Description Council Goal Lead Department Est budget Est staff hours Lead Department(s)Total Ranking List of Priorities - For Ranking 45 Economic Development LC Strategies to Enhance Sales Tax Revenue Develop strategies to improve sales tax revenue, including, but not limited to: - With each infill redevelopment, provide transparency on the retail space and loss in retail categories and sales tax revenue - Find out what businesses generate B2B taxes in Cupertino and in other cities - Attract businesses that generate sales taxes to Cupertino - Explore potential incentives to attract them to Cupertino, such as tax breaks or fee waivers Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy City Manager's Office/CDD/Administr ative Services/City Attorney's Office $$Large City Manager's Office 0 46 Emergency Preparedness SM City Hall Seismic Safety Issues Determine cost and feasiblility options to deal with City Hall seismic safety: pros and cons of retrofit, remodel, lease temporary facility, purchase a new building. Include plans for Stocklmeir and Torre. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy Public Works/City Manager's Office $$ Medium Public Works 0 47 Emergency Preparedness RW City Hall Retrofit and EOC Readiness Plan Implement the previously approved 2022 Council plan with EOC migration. Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy Public Works/City Manager's Office $ Small Public Works 0 48 Permitting SM Expedite and/or streamline building permit and inspection permit processes Remove gridlock in construction, repairs and remodeling by streamlining permitting process. When processes get cumbersome, they get circumvented. Delays impact property tax and permitting fees revenues Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy CDD $$Large Community Development 0 49 Taxes / Revenue LC Tax Measures on the 2026 Ballot - Real Estate Transfer Tax (similar to Mountain View, San Jose and other cities) for large transactions - to capture profits made as a result of upzoning - Head tax (similar to Mountain View and other cities) for large employers or renegotiate tax sharing agreements - Sales tax (to be collected only if the county takes away the remaining 0.25%) Sustainability and Fiscal Strategy City Attorney's Office/Administrative Services/City Manager's Office $$$Large City Attorney's Office 0 From:S B To:City Council; Pamela Wu; Chad Mosley; David Stillman; Rachelle Sander; Kristina Alfaro; Benjamin Fu Cc:City Clerk Subject:CWP and the residents priorities Date:Monday, March 3, 2025 5:12:56 PM 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. Please include this as part of written communications for the Meeting on March 4th 2025. Also Im writing this email o behalf of myself as a concerned resident of the city. To the mayor and City Council members, I’m writing to urge the Council to reconsider any proposal to raise taxes on residents or hotels. Our issue is not a lack of funds, but rather the need for more efficient, rather than wasteful spending. Please do not approve any CWP item that proposes introducing new taxes. It is also crucial that the Council prioritize the needs of current residents when considering CWP items, especially given that only a small percentage of staff time is allocated to CWP tasks. We should focus on issues that truly matter to the city residents, are fiscally responsible and ensure Cupertino remains competitive and resilient in the face of future challenges. By concentrating on the priorities below, we can ensure a more sustainable and equitable future for Cupertino. Development in Cupertino: Priorities and Concerns for the Community Study on impact Fees: The lack of impact fees can have significant negative consequences for a city. When developers are not required to contribute financially to the infrastructure and services they affect, the burden falls on existing residents. Without these fees, the city struggles to address the increased demand on public services, such as schools, roads, water systems, and emergency services. This can lead to overcrowded schools, traffic congestion, deteriorating infrastructure, and higher maintenance costs. In the long run, the absence of impact fees may force the city to divert funds from other essential services or raise taxes on residents to cover the costs, placing an unfair burden on the community. Proper impact fees ensure that developers contribute fairly to the infrastructure their projects rely on, helping to maintain the quality of life for current residents and supporting sustainable growth. It is crucial that an Impact fees study be completed promptly to prevent developers from bypassing fees, as was the case with The Rise. Without a thorough fee study, we risk being forced to waive fees in the future, which would ultimately incur unnecessary costs for the city. Streamline the process for residents: I urge the city to streamline the process and simplify the permit requirements for single-family homes, whether it's a simple remodel or a complete rebuild. It is crucial that homeowners, - current residents, are not burdened by lengthy delays or complicated procedures. Developers should not be prioritized over residents who are seeking to improve or maintain their homes. A more efficient permitting process will ensure that current residents are supported while maintaining the quality of life in our community. Revisit heart of City plans: The Heart of the City plans are removing much-needed retail spaces and replacing them with 3-4 story developments that not only detract from the city’s aesthetic but also fail to deliver the affordable housing that developers claim to be addressing. We need to revisit these plans and ensure that we consider the pipeline projects already in place to meet our HCD requirements, which were set at just 4,588 units. Urban Forest Plan: With all the development happening within the city, we are cutting down trees and negatively impacting the environment. It’s essential that we prioritize maintaining an urban forest within Cupertino, including in Memorial Park, where the current $80M plan proposes further tree removal. Cost-Saving Initiatives for Cupertino: Prioritizing Efficiency and Sustainability: 2022 City Hall improvements: Regarding City Hall, we don’t need a new project. Let’s retrofit the current building based on the plan created in 2022, as it was an optimal solution in terms of safety and cost. Revisit Memorial Park PlanThe proposed $80M plan for Memorial Park is excessive and represents a significant waste of taxpayer money. It is unclear where the funding for this multi-year project will come from, and the lack of transparency raises concerns about its financial feasibility. Given the uncertainty surrounding the funding sources and the high cost, this plan needs to be revisited and carefully reconsidered before proceeding. Do Not Extend Blackberry Farm Access Year-Round – Blackberry Farm is a valuable resource for residents, that is currently only open 100 days a year for a reason. This limitation was based on the understanding that the pool remains unused during the winter months, and keeping it open year-round would incur additional costs for the city. Rather than reopening this pool year-round, we should explore the possibility of utilizing the De Anza pool. What would it take to ensure that Cupertino residents have year-round access to this facility? Enhancing Traffic and Public Safety in Cupertino: Priorities for a Safer Community Public Safety: We need more patrols throughout Cupertino, and it's crucial to install license plate readers as soon as possible. Additionally, we should implement red light cameras. Once these measures are in place, we can consider allocating more funds for neighborhood watches and block leaders in the next cycle. Traffic Improvements: While biking and walking are important modes of transportation, they should not be the sole solutions for ensuring safe routes to school and promoting sustainability. We need a more balanced approach that includes improving traffic infrastructure, such as better traffic signals, fewer right-turn restrictions, and a review of recent intersection changes. Given the fire safety concerns highlighted in the Mercury News’ regional fire map, it is crucial that we prioritize fire safety over the construction of bike lanes, which are largely unused for most of the day. Bike lanes should not be the priority when they primarily serve enthusiasts who may only use them once or twice a day. Instead, we should explore more comprehensive and practical solutions for traffic and public safety. For example, the cement blocks on McClellan Avenue pose a significant issue in the event of an emergency, particularly during wildfire evacuations. The current one-lane setup severely limits the ability to evacuate the west side of Cupertino efficiently. By removing the cement blocks, McClellan could be expanded to two eastbound lanes, allowing emergency vehicles to travel westbound. The road is wide enough to accommodate three lanes, improving emergency access and evacuation routes. Additionally, implementing school buses for city schools would reduce traffic congestion, or during school traffic hours, we could consider making certain streets one-way to improve traffic flow. We need to think more creatively about safe routes to schools, moving beyond reliance on cement blocks or bollards around town which are quite expensive and haven’t proved to be any safer.. Increased patrolling during school hours would also help ensure safer, more disciplined traffic. By focusing on these broader strategies, we can better address both public and traffic safety needs while ensuring sustainable solutions for our community. Establishing an Economic Development Committee: Shaping Cupertino's Future Establishing an Economic Development Committee in Cupertino is essential to fostering the city's long-term growth and sustainability. This committee would bring together diverse perspectives from local businesses, residents, and city officials to identify opportunities for economic growth, improve the business climate, and address challenges such as job creation, housing affordability, and sustainable development. By having a dedicated group focused on strategic economic planning, the city can ensure that development projects align with the needs of the community, support small businesses, and attract investment that enhances Cupertino’s financial health and quality of life. Moreover, an Economic Development Committee can help the city navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing economy and ensure that Cupertino remains competitive and resilient in the face of future challenges. Regards Sashi