HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 11-18-2025 Item No. 8 Ratifying accounts Payable for the periods ending October 10 and Octiber 24, 2025_Written CommunicationsCC 11-18-2025
Item No. 8
Ratifying accounts
Payable for the periods
ending October 10 and
October 24, 2025
Written Communications
From:Jean Bedord
To:City Council; Cupertino City Manager"s Office; City Attorney"s Office; City Clerk
Subject:Agenda Item #8: Legal Services - Legal services, Accounts Payable, Nov. 18 , 2025 City Council
Date:Tuesday, November 18, 2025 2:33:51 PM
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Please include in the public record for this meeting
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In reviewing the payment register for October, I even more dismayed by the bills for legal services provided by the
contract city attorney, Floy Andrews of Aleshire & Wynder, both this month and previous months. Here's the
*$720,804.53 of known expenses for legal services for slightly over 6 months of legal work. This does not
city manager (insufficient evidence).
city attorney's firm will bill well over $1 million to the city of Cupertino for legal
The city also engages other law firms for their specialized expertise, and has
actuals for FY2024-25 were $1,756,201 which exceeds
Mayor Chao is responsible for signing off on these legal bills; she is also responsible for scheduling meetings which
the interim city attorney attends on billable time. Here are some of the contributors to these excessive billings:
* Overly long council meetings
* Numerous closed sessions, even if the item is an just an update
* Special meetings, such as the Measure A endorsement letter
* Questionable legal advice, i.e. the jurisdictional authority over DeAnza College and their purchase of the
McClellan Terrace Apartments, and Builder's Remedy projects, and most recently demands to the Cities Association
* Excessive redaction of PRAs (Public Record Action)
Council members should be provided with the Monthly Billing Summary on a more timely basis than Accounts
Vice-Mayor Moore and other members of council to more closely examine the cost of legal
, providing feedback to Mayor Chao on how these could be reduced.