CC 03-18-2025 Item No. 1 Code Amendments and Codify Economic Development Committee_Written CommunicationsCC 03-18-2025
Item No. 1
Code Amendments and
codify the Economic
Development
Committee
Written Communications
From:Jean Bedord
To:City Council; Cupertino City Manager"s Office; City Clerk
Subject:NO on Action Item 1: Introduce Municipal Code amendments to the Cupertino Municipal Code, Title 2 to add
Chapter 2.96 and codify the Economic Development Committee, March 18, 2025
Date:Monday, March 17, 2025 2:54:56 PM
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Please include this in Written Communications for the City Council Special Meeting at 5:30
on March 18, 2025
Mayor Chao, Vice-Mayor Moore, councilmembers and staff,
Please do not approve this Municipal Code Amendment. Formal establishment of
this committee was ramrodded through the council in the last days of Darcy Paul’s
mayorship. The incoming council recognized the ineffectiveness of the committee so
voted to disband it. Now Mayor Chao seeks to revive it without modification.
Cupertino has too many committees and commissions for the size of the city. Each
one requires substantial staff time.
The charter of this Committee was poorly focused, and the proposal to resuscitate it
remains problematic. What impact will a quarterly Brown Act committee with its
restrictions have on economic development? The city economic development
manager in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce (both hired since
disbandment of the EOC) has been quite effective in reaching out to the business
community, and providing more agility. The biggest barriers to business expansion
are (1) housing for employees (particularly retail and education) and (2) lack of
suitable office/R & D space. According to Kidder-Mathews, Cupertino has a miniscule
2.6% vacancy rate for office space and even less research and development space
at a 1.7% vacancy rate. The city is NOT a developer so why waste scarce city
resources on an ineffective committee? Financing is another major issue for
approved projects that are not going forward, and the city is NOT a lender.
While Business Revitalization and Economic Development are high priority on the city work
plan, there are other approaches which would be much more effective. Council should not
saddle our already stretched staff with yet another committee.
Concerned Cupertino resident,
Jean Bedord