CC 10-21-2025 Item No. 12 Approve July 1, 2025-June 30, 2028 MOU for Local 21_Written Communications_2CC 10-21-2025
Item #12
Approve July 1, 2025
through June 30, 2028
MOU for CEA/IFPTE Local
21
Written Communications
From:Santosh Rao
To:City Clerk; Tina Kapoor; Liang Chao
Subject:Fw: Please pull agenda item 12 from consent calendar.
Date:Tuesday, October 21, 2025 3:02:48 PM
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Dear City Clerk,
Please include the below in written communications for item 12. Thank you.
Dear Mayor Chao, Vice-Mayor Moore,
I hope one of you will pull item 12 from consent calendar.
Just a note that last meeting request to pull an item from consent calendar was not
supported. Residents should be able to pull items from consent calendar.
I urge you to further modify the council procedures manual to go back to the procedures that
existed prior to 2023 when residents could pull an item from consent calendar without need a
supportive council member. Envision a scenario in future perhaps where all 5 council
members are unsupportive of a resident or resident faction and those residents can never pull
an item from consent calendar.
Thanks,
San Rao (writing on behalf of myself only as a a Cupertino resident)
Begin forwarded message:
On Thursday, October 16, 2025, 10:21 AM, Santosh Rao <santo_a_rao@yahoo.com> wrote:
[Writing on behalf of myself only as a Cupertino resident]
Subject: Request to Pull Agenda Item 12 from Consent Calendar and Conduct
Staffing Review
Dear Mayor Chao, Vice-Mayor Moore, and Cupertino City Council Members,
I respectfully request that you pull Agenda Item 12 from the consent calendar for
public discussion. Since negotiations on this topic have taken place in closed
session, the public deserves a transparent discussion before any action is taken.
The proposed increases have a direct and compounding impact on residents
because of the cost recovery policy adopted by the prior Council majority. Over
the past two years, residents have already faced double-digit percentage increases
in various city fees, which is unsustainable. A further 5 percent increase is deeply
concerning, especially in an economic climate where many in the private sector
have gone years without salary adjustments.
I want to be clear that I fully support our field workers and union employees.
They are the backbone of our city, and their dedication keeps Cupertino running
efficiently. However, if compensation adjustments are to be made, they must be
cost neutral to the city.
To achieve this, I urge the Council to initiate reductions in force (RIFs) at the
upper administrative levels, where significant savings can be realized. Our current
organizational structure, with both a Director and an Assistant or Deputy Director
for many departments, creates costly redundancies that collectively amount to
more than $600,000 annually in compensation. For a workforce of fewer than 200
employees, this level of administrative overhead is disproportionate and
inefficient.
I ask the Council to:
1. Pull Agenda Item 12 from the consent calendar for open discussion.
2. Add to a future agenda a study session to review city staffing levels, with a
focus on reducing top-heavy administrative costs.
3. Evaluate opportunities to consolidate departments and eliminate duplicative
leadership roles.
Cupertino should streamline operations, improve accountability, leadership
productivity, responsiveness and ensure that resources are directed toward front-
line employees and resident services rather than leadership overhead.
In summary, I support fair and sustainable compensation for our field and front-
line employees, but this must be balanced through a leaner leadership structure at
the top. Reducing redundancy at the top will allow the city to honor its
commitments to workers without imposing further burdens on residents.
Thank you for your consideration and your continued commitment to fiscal
responsibility and transparent governance.
Thanks,
San Rao (writing on behalf of myself only as a Cupertino resident)
From:Rhoda Fry
To:Public Comments
Subject:Item 12 - contract cea
Date:Tuesday, October 21, 2025 12:41:34 PM
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Dear City Council,
Please pull this item from the agenda. I understand that the City has a tentative agreement,
however, I think that the public would benefit from an open discussion on this item. At a time
where there are pay-cuts and job-cuts in the private sector and the cost of living continues to
escalate for Cupertino residents, the fees that the City is charging its residents also continue to
rise. The fees will undoubtedly continue to rise as we continue to pay more in wages to City
employees. The public needs to understand the justification for the city-employee wage-
increases and associated costs that will ultimately trickle down to an increase in fees to its
residents. This is an important issue that I think should be presented during a council meeting
to retain transparency rather than being summarily approved on consent.
Thank You Very Much,
Rhoda Fry